Chapter 1 - Running From God Series

Jonah

Chapter 1 – Running from God

February 2, 2020

Jonah 1:2-6 NIV

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD 4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

1. God sends people to dangerous places because everyone needs mercy.

Rabbi in 1941 preaching in Berlin.

Jonah was one of the few prophets to be called to foreign soil. He had to go there!

The Assyrians had the first sitting army. They were professional soldiers and they were terrorists.

The Assyrians were terrorists. They were extremely violent and vile. Surely, God did not love them, right?

2. Sin always has a storm attached.

Not every difficulty is a result of sin, but all sin leads to difficulty.

3. God’s always a step ahead of our running.

God said to go east, so he goes west. God says to go overland, instead he takes off toward the sea. Sent to the big city, he tries to flee to the end of the world.

The wickedness of Nineveh mirrors the wickedness of our world.

Jonah ran away from the Lord on a stormy sea.

Jesus obeyed God on a stormy sea.

Jonah was asleep in the bottom of the boat in a storm.

Jesus was asleep in the bottom of the boat in a storm.

The winds were calmed by a near drowning.

The winds were calmed by Jesus with a word.

Jonah spent three days in a fish because of disobedience.

Jesus spent three days in a tomb out of obedience.

Matthew 12:39-41 NIV

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.”

The Table:

What’s the sign of the prophet Jonah?

Gentiles will come to faith!!

Outsiders will become family!!