Three Characteristics of Jonah
When last we left Jonah - he was in the sea about to be in the belly of the great fish. He was in a bad fix and in a bad way. The verse that we looked at last week was:
The LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17 (NASB)
In actuality last week we only looked at the first part of that verse - how the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. God is sovereign. He always has been and He always will be. He controls the wind and the waves. He appoints the great fish to be at the exact location at the exact time to swallow Jonah. Jonah thinks he can out run God - but there is no way. You cannot hide from God - for the eyes of God see around every corner and underneath every rock. Be sure - God will find you no matter how far or fast that you may run. You may think that you can outrun God but there is nowhere to hide from God. God catches up with Jonah and places him in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights. Maybe now Jonah is ready to pay attention.
Have I ever told you the story of the farmer who sold a mule to a city slicker? Well let me tell it to you:
It seems this farmer had this mule and he sold it a city slicker. The farmer says to the city guy, "This mule is a great mule. This mule will do whatever you tell it to do. The key to having this mule obey you is that you need to treat it with Tender Loving Care (TLC). You need to remember - that is the only way this mule is going to respond."
So the city slicker takes off with the mule in tow. About a week later the city slicker returns irritated and out and out mad. He says the farmer, "This mule won't do any work at all. All it does is eat and sleep - it is nothing but lazy."
The farmer asks, "Well did you treat it with Tender Loving Care."
The City Slicker responds, "Of course I did. I gave it the best hay. I gave it clean water twice a day and I even cleaned its stall three times a day. All I've shown it is TLC. It just doesn't pay attention to me at all."
“Really,” said the farmer thoughtfully. Then he walked over to his woodpile, selected a firm branch, about as long as a baseball bat and walked up to the mule. Then with all his might the farmer bashed the mule right across the mules face with the branch. The mule staggered back about two steps - brayed a couple times - and shook his head wildly.
“Hey!” shouted the city slicker at the farmer. “I thought you said the mule needed Tender Loving Care!”
The farmer responded, “It does – but first you’ve got to get its attention.”
I wonder if Jonah is ready to pay attention?
Today I want us to look at:
Three Characteristics of Jonah
Let's look at point one:
1. Jonah is STUBBORN
God gets Jonah's attention. God had sent the wind and waves - Jonah slept through it. The captain of the ship wakes up Jonah and yells at him and tells him to pray. No place in chapter one does it say that Jonah prayed. God sends a great fish to swallow Jonah whole. Maybe - just maybe - Jonah is ready to pay attention. But look closely what happens. Look at Jonah chapter one verse seventeen:
Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17b (NASB)
Chapter two verse one says:
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish.
Jonah 2:1 (NASB)
Go ahead and circle the word "then". Let me ask you a question - when was "then"? Do you see what is happening here? "Then" was not at the moment that Jonah was thrown into the water. "Then" was not at the minute Jonah saw the great fish headed his direction. "Then" was not when the great fish had Jonah in its mouth. "Then" was not even at the time Jonah found himself down in the belly. "Then" was three days later - when he finally figured out there was no-where to run. There was nowhere to hide. There was nowhere to go. Then Jonah prayed.
But can you imagine what it was like inside that fish? It was dark. It was cramped - you couldn't hardly move around. The fish is swimming constantly - salt water washes over him - seaweed wraps around his body - it is out and out messy. Besides that the inside of a fish really - really stinks. It’s slimy - it's greasy - it's slippery, and the fluids inside the fish are trying to digest him. Jonah doesn't pray until the third day. You know what this tells me. It tells me that:
Jonah Was One Stubborn Dude
But he was not unlike other Hebrews who walked before him - for look at what the Bible says:
"But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments. They refused to listen, And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness; And You did not forsake them."
Nehemiah 9:16-17 (NASB)
I'm going to tell you what - you may be stubborn and bull headed - but God is more persistent than your stubbornness. God has more resources and time than anyone has and He will overcome anyone's stubbornness.
Point two:
2. Jonah is REBELLIOUS
Let's go ahead and read from Jonah chapter two now:
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish,
and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.' Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped around my head. I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, but You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD." Jonah 2:1-9 (NASB)
I want you to notice something. At no point in his prayer does Jonah say that he is sorry. At no point in his prayer does Jonah say that he had sinned. Go ahead and look it over carefully - it's not there! Do you know what this tells me about Jonah? It tells me that:
Jonah Was One Rebellious Dude
Do you know that there are three very hard words to say to God? Do you know what those three words are? They are: "I have sinned". We don't like it when we have made a mistake. We don't like it when we have messed up. And we sure don't like it when we get caught. We don't like to confess our faults and our failures.
I was watching a television show this past week about the relationship of a young couple. It was one of those reality shows that are TV now and on this show the husband drops off his wife at the front door of the apartment and goes to park the car. They had only been married a couple of weeks. When the husband comes into the apartment the wife can smell cigarette smoke on him. So she asks him, "Have you been smoking?" Do you want to know what his response was? Most of you already know what his response was, "No - I have not been smoking." Of course he was lying. He had been smoking - she could smell it - and she caught him." But do you what to know what became the issue at that moment? The cigarette smoking was not the issue - the lie was.
The Bible says:
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13 (WEB)
The Bible also says:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
God desires us to tell the truth. He desires us to be honest with Him. No one wants to do that. We would rather do anything, including lying, to keep from saying those words. We’ll make excuses, we’ll rationalize, we’ll twist the facts, we’ll blame others, and we’ll say, “It’s not my fault” or “She told me to do it" or "So what? Everyone else is doing it." The excuses never seem to end. But it is hard to say, "I messed up. I have sinned. I made a mistake. I am sorry." Jonah does not confess his sin in his prayer to God - he is still one rebellious guy. But:
3. Jonah is a BELIEVER
Some of you may say, "Pastor Tom how you say that Jonah is a believer?" Well let's look down through the prayer that Jonah prayed.
First, Jonah believes God can help him.
"I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.
Jonah 2:2 (NASB)
Let me ask you a question, "Why would anyone pray to God - if they did not think that God could help?" There is no boasting here. Jonah knows that if God doesn’t save him - he will never get out of the great fish alive. Only God can help him in a mess like this.
Second, Jonah believes God put him where he is.
"For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me."
Jonah 2:3 (NASB)
Notice that Jonah doesn’t blame the sailors for throwing him into the sea. He doesn't blame the storm. He doesn't blame the great fish for taking him below the waves. He knows that God cast him into the deep. Behind everything that has happened the Lord of the universe is in control. Jonah bows before God and says, “I’m here because You put me here. You are ultimately in control."
Third, Jonah believes there is still a future.
"So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.' Jonah 2:4 (NASB)
There is still hope that one day he may see God's holy temple. There is still hope that one day he might walk in the presence of the Lord.
Fourth, Jonah believes he could die in the great fish.
"Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever."
Jonah 2:5-6a (NASB)
Jonah finally realizes the seriousness of his situation. There’s no way out unless the Lord brings him out. Apart from God, he’s Sunday lunch for the big fish and there’s nothing to be done about it.
Fifth, Jonah believes the Lord is his only hope.
"But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple." Jonah 2:6b-7 (NASB)
After all the running away - after all the disobedience - after all the self-centered living - God has Jonah’s undivided attention. Folks here is a Fact:
God Will Stop At Nothing To Get Your Attention
He can send calamity. He can send sickness. He can send loss. He can send failure. He can send heartbreak - whatever it takes God can send it. He never - never - never wants to let you go. He will continue to run after you and He will not stop running.
But here finally Jonah is saying, “Lord, I’ve been running from You for a long time, and now at last You have caught me. I give You my full attention.” That’s the advantage of being in the belly of a great fish. It clears the mind so you can think about what matters most. In the terrifying darkness inside the fish, Jonah realized the folly of fighting against God.
Sixth, Jonah believes God will accept him back to serve the Lord.
Can see the spiritual progress Jonah is making? Jonah knows that God is powerful. He knows that God allowed him to suffer because of his rebellion. He knows that God can rescue him. And now he realizes what he must do. He must recommit himself back to God. Look at what he says:
"I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay." Jonah 2:9a (NASB)
Obviously Jonah was not in a position to bargain with God. As a prophet, Jonah was obligated to obey God's word, but he had tried to escape from his responsibilities. Now he pledges to fulfill his vows.
In other words he is saying: "Lord I will do what You have asked me to do. I will go where You have asked me to go." He is at the point where all of us should be. We all need to be obedient. That is what God wants us to be. That is what we should be.
Seventh, Jonah believes only God can save.
"Salvation is from the LORD." Jonah 2:9b NASB
I want you to notice something here in this phrase. Jonah does not say, "My salvation is from the Lord." He could have said that you know - and it would have been a true statement. Jonah's salvation is from the Lord. But the truth of the matter is that everyone's salvation if from the Lord. Your salvation - my salvation. The truth of the matter is:
All Salvation Comes From God
Salvation starts with God and it ends with God.
“Salvation is from the Lord." This is the hardest lesson for any of us to learn. Salvation starts with God and it ends with God. Some of us struggle a lifetime to learn that. Most of us have learn it over and over again. Some people never learn it at all. But there is no salvation, no deliverance, and no getting better until we realize that if God doesn’t save us, we will never be saved.
Many people think that if they are good enough - they will be saved. Many people think that if they pray enough - they will be saved. Many people think that if they go to church enough - they will be saved. But this is not true. Does God want you to be good - yes. Does God what you to pray - yes. Does God what you to go to church - yes. But those things - those activities will not save you. Only by trusting and believing in God can you be saved. Only by trusting and believing and trusting in Jesus can you find salvation. The Bible says:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 3:16-18 (NASB)
You see Jonah had it right. While in the belly of the great fish he caught some spiritual insight. A light went on in his head. He found that: "Salvation is from the LORD." Salvation comes to us in the form of Jesus Christ. Believe in Him - trust in Him and God will save you. For you see:
"Salvation is from the LORD."
