When a Prophet Goes Prodigal
Jonah
Essential 100 Series
May 11, 2008
Morning Service
Introduction
Merlin Carothers, author of the book Prison to Praise, had firsthand experience of what it is like to be declared righteous. During World War II, he joined the army. Anxious to get into some action, Carothers went AWOL but was caught and sentenced to five years in prison. Instead of sentencing him to prison, the judge told him he could serve his term by staying in the army for five years. The judge told him if he left the army before the five years ended, he would have to spend the rest of his term in prison. Carothers was released from the army before the five-year term had passed, so he returned to the prosecutor’s office to find out where he would be spending the remainder of his sentence. To his surprise and delight, Carothers was told that he had received a full pardon from President Truman. The prosecutor explained: “That means your record is completely clear. Just as if you had never gotten involved with the law.”
People who were reluctant to do what God wanted them to do.
Moses: Tried to get God to have someone else go to the pharaoh
Jeremiah: tried to tell God he was too young
Jonah: ran from the commands of God
Jonah falls within the books of the Minor Prophets. These books form the final section of the Old Testament. These minor prophets are not minor in their message or ministry but in the bulk of their writing. All of these books are fairly short and take little space in the massive writings of the prophetic books.
I. God commands Jonah to go to Ninevah
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "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. Jonah 1:1-3
God issues a command to Jonah
God tells Jonah to travel from Israel to Ninevah and preach a message against the city. The command is clear cut and straight forward. God wanted His message proclaimed to the people of Ninevah. The best person to do the task was Jonah.
Jonah runs away from God
When Jonah goes to Joppa, he boards a ship bound for Tarshish. Many scholars believe that Tarshish was in the southern part of modern day Spain. It is not by chance that Tarshish is in the exact opposite direction of Ninevah.
Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? Jeremiah 23:24
There is no way to escape the presence of God
This should be a comforting fact, but for those who are in direct disobedience with God, it is not. The fact is that there is nowhere that God is not present. When a person is convicted by the Holy Spirit, there is no way to escape the presence of God.
There is no way to hide from God
God knows where you are at all times, after all He is God. He knows where you are physically and spiritually. There is no way that you can hide yourself from Him.
Why did Jonah do this?
Ninevah was founded by Nimrod, the Great Grandson of Noah, following the flood. Ninevah became the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. Ninevah was more than just a solitary city, it included a network of close villages much like modern day suburbs. The city was massive just over 3 miles long and 1 ½ miles wide. The city was protected by a massive fortress and 50 foot high walls that were so thick, 4 chariots could race one another on the top.
Ninevah sat near the Tigris River and the Khoser River flowed through Ninevah. This allowed the city to have a series of canals, moats for additional defense and an intricate irrigation system. Ninevah was destroyed in August 612 BC after a two month siege by the alliance of the Medes, Babylonians and Scythians. The city was destroyed by the full release of the Khoser River into the main part of the city.
The contrast between Jonah and the sailors
Jonah Sailors
Hebrew gentile
Knew Yahweh No knowledge of Yahweh
Monotheistic polytheistic
Spiritually insensitive spiritually sensitive
Going away from God going toward God
Uncompassionate compassionate
Rebellious Worshipful
Chart comes from Nelson’s Book of Bible Maps and Charts
II. Jonah cries out to God in desperation
Jonah decided to run from God and thus delayed the work of God
Jonah endangered the souls of Ninevah
Jonah endangered the people on the ship
Jonah endangered his life and relationship with God
Jonah is swallowed by the great fish
Jonah is swallowed by the great fish (1:17)
Jonah prays from the belly of the fish (2:1-9)
Jonah is vomited out on dry land (2:10)
III. Jonah complies with God’s command
Jonah’s decision to obey gave God the opportunity to work through him
Jonah travels to Ninevah – He travels from the point where the fish vomits him out. We are not told the location of this event.
Jonah preaches a message of repentance the first day in Ninevah
Jonah preaches in Ninevah
God speaks to Jonah again (3:1-2)
Jonah preaches in Ninevah (3:3-4)
The people of Ninevah declare a fast and seek God (3:5)
The King of Ninevah repents (3:6-9)
God spares the city from His wrath (3:10)
IV. Jonah complains about God’s compassion
Jonah becomes angry over God sparing Ninevah
Jonah expresses his anger to God (4:1-4)
God provides a vine for Jonah (4:5-6)
God destroys the vine (4:7-8)
Jonah becomes angry over the vine (4:9-11)
How did Jonah respond to success?
Make it clear that Jonah was amazingly successful at what God had called him to do. Jonah preached one message and even the king repented.
Jonah was disappointed by God sparing Ninevah
The Assyrian Empire had achieved a legendary reputation for cruelty. Assyria deported conquered people to other lands to break them of their national pride. This also built a large segment of slave labor. The Assyrians were great warriors and were active in aggressively robbing other nations by force. The Assyrians skinned their prisoners alive. They cut off hands, feet, ears, noses and put out eyes or pulled out tongues. The Assyrians would build mound of human skulls at areas that had been conquered to inspire terror
The empire had been prepared for Jonah’s message by two separate plagues and a solar eclipse.
The contrast between Jonah and God
Jonah God
Cared for a plant Cared for Ninevah
Focused on self focused on others
Personal comfort human life
Displays love displays selfishness
Chart comes from Nelson’s Book of Bible Maps and Charts
Jonah became angry with God over the people repenting
Jonah or Yonah, means dove in Hebrew. The Hebrews saw the dove as a symbol of peace and hope. It seems ironic that Jonah was not a person who seemed to have experienced peace. Jonah lacked peace with the role that he played in the work of God. Sadly, Jonah never lived up to his name.
Character Qualities
Positive Characteristics
Obedience (3:3)
Prayerful (2:1-9)
Negative Characteristics
Disobedient (1:4-16)
Selfish (4:2)
Unforgiving (4:2)
Bitter (4:9)
Complaining (4:1-3, 4:8)
Argumentative (4:1-3, 4:9)
Angry without Cause (4:1-3, 4:5, 4:9)
Why does God include Jonah in the Bible?
1.) Even godly people make mistakes and have weaknesses, we all struggle with our faults and failures
2.) God can only work through willing people
3.) God calls us to do things we don’t always want to do
4.) Jonah was a living example of God’s grace
5.) God chooses to work through human beings to accomplish His divine work and will
6.) God calls us to be obedient even when the task doesn’t make sense to us at the time
God is trying to teach Jonah trust
By being a prophet Jonah was a man of great personal faith. Jonah believed in God but in the end, he did not trust God. The reason Jonah flees from God is a lack of trust. Jonah either did not trust God to protect and provide for him in Ninevah or he did not trust God to do what Jonah thought was right.
God is trying to teach Jonah compassion
God was acting in compassion when He called Jonah to go to Ninevah. God was concerned about the souls of the people of Ninevah. Jonah saw the Assyrians as enemies but God saw them as souls to be won. Our perspective on people should change when we see them through the eyes of God
God is trying to teach Jonah the value of human life
God is trying to teach Jonah about the value of every human life.
God has concern for the sailors on the ship to Tarshish
God has concern for Jonah and saves his life with the great fish
God has concern for the people of Ninevah and their livelihood by being concerned about their cattle
Life Lessons
When you run from God, you go nowhere fast
Jonah runs from God in the first chapter and ends up going nowhere, literally. Jonah boards the ship headed for Tarshish but never arrives due to the storm.
When you run to God, your life has no limits
God is faithful and uses His people to accomplish His work
Key Closing Questions:
In what ways are we disobedient?
When have we run from God?
Are there any people groups that we are prejudiced against?
Do we really want to see a mighty movement of God’s power and grace?
