Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
Jonah Series #4
“God Recommissioned Jonah”
“Running With God”
Review
Jonah teaches us both about God and ourselves. We learn about the love of God, the sovereignty of God, the forgiveness of God, the persistence of God. We learn about people; their disobedience, their repentance, their fears and prejudices, their self-centeredness and yet God’s willingness to utilize them in His eternal purposes. As we have been doing the past two weeks I will direct us through the text and then suggest any possible pertinent principles to ponder.
I. God called Jonah – Jonah ran from God
A. God called Jonah
B. Jonah refused God’s call
II. God disciplined Jonah
III. God delivered Jonah - Jonah ran to God in prayer
A. Jonah prayed to God
• God permits life-threatening peril to prompt life-changing prayer.
1. Jonah’s predicament
• God strategically uses trouble in our life to change our life.
• Don’t equate trials and discipline with God’s rejection.
• Never lose hope of restored relationship with God.
• No situation is beyond God’s intervention.
2. Jonah’s perception change
• In the dark times, return to basic truths.
3. Jonah’s promise
• Always do what you promise
4. Jonah’s proclamation
Salvation is from the LORD.
• God is the only source of salvation
B. God delivered Jonah
• Sometimes God delays answering prayer for a greater purpose.
• God controls even the most frightening aspects of nature.
• Don’t begrudge the means God uses to deliver you.
IV. God recommissioned Jonah and Spared Nineveh – Jonah ran with God
God’s plan unfolded and Jonah vowed to do what God asked…
And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. Jonah 2:10
It seems that in the New Testament, Jesus also spoke to some fish. Who knows just what condition Jonah was in. He dreadfully needed a bath. We don’t know how long before God talked to him again.
A. God recommissioned Jonah
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." Jonah 3:1-2
The message is nearly the same as before; a three-fold command. Arise! Go to Nineveh! Instead of “cry against” this time God told Jonah to “proclaim to”. This time, God told Him He would reveal a specific message to proclaim to Nineveh. Two possible pertinent principles to ponder immediately spring from this verse.
• God sometimes offers second chances to obey.
• Along with salvation comes responsibility.
The truth is, God often offers multiple opportunities to repent. God didn’t shame him or scold him. He simply recommissioned him. God offered Israel numerous opportunities to return to Him through their history. The Bible records multiple examples of God’s forgiveness and restoration. Samson, Peter, Abraham, Saul, David.
However, don’t presume upon God’s favor. God is longsuffering but will not overlook sin forever.
But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. Numbers 14:21-23
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:1-3
Later in their history, God told Jeremiah not to pray for Israel because He was determined discipline them by allowing them to be carried off into captivity. Paul warned about taking God’s forbearance for granted.
Do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans 2:4-5
We don’t know where those limits lie. This is not an absolute principle. The Bible records numerous times when no second chance was given. Adam and Eve, Cain, Esau, the man who violated the Sabbath by gathering fire wood, Uzzah (2 Sam 6:6), Judas, Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5), those who celebrated the Lord’s Supper unworthily (1 Cor 11), Moses. Paul lived a disciplined life so as not to lose opportunity for ministry.
So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
David pled with the Lord not to remove him from ministry.
It is better to obey the first time. It is better to do as Paul urged the Roman Christians.
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:11
When it comes to ministry, we may not have another opportunity to impact those God called us to impact. Some opportunities do not come around to us again. Maybe they will for someone else but not us.
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10
This is true for individuals and for local churches and nations. Jesus addressed the churches in Revelation.
Remember therefore from where you (Ephesians) have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Revelation 2:5
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Revelation 3:1-3
“‘I know your (Laodiceans) works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16
To each of these, the admonition was to repent; turn around. Does God remove His hand of blessing on a group or a life or even a country? How do we know? Is there something God is asking you to do? Have you been resisting the Holy Spirit? We can quench the Holy Spirit. We can resist the Holy Spirit. We can grieve the Holy Spirit.
For sure, the answer is to do as the Ninevites did; cry out to God, repent.
B. Jonah arose and warned Nineveh
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.
What a contrast from chapter one where Jonah arose and fled to Tarshish in defiance of the word of the Lord. This time he arose and went to Nineveh ACCORDING TO the word of the LORD. Nineveh was about 550 miles from where the fish spit him up on the beach. That would have taken him 20-30 days to walk. This would have provided plenty of processing time for Jonah.
Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.
The Biblical description of the size of Nineveh has been disputed. Compared to Silverdale (19,000), Seattle 700,000) is an exceeding great city. Compared to Seattle (700,000), New York city (8.5 million) is an exceedingly Great city. The author could simply mean the city held an import place in God’s eyes. No one really knows what “three days’ journey” referred to. Did it mean three days to walk across? Did it mean three days to walk around? Did it include the areas around the walled city? Archeology doesn’t provide a great deal of help either. Later the book estimates the population to be 120,000 uninformed people. These details are not vital to the point of the narrative. It was a great city populated by a significant amount of people.
Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:3-4
Why would God give Nineveh time at all to repent? They were the poster child of evil. Their evil compares to the evil of modern day ISIS. They were Iraqi terrorists. They ruled their conquered territories with fear and intimidation. We cited ancient writing verifying the extent of their wickedness. Chapter 4 provides the clue.
Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? Jonah 4:11
Jonah did not preach an evangelistic message, “Turn or burn”. He pronounced God’s judgment. He provided no hope of deliverance or reprieve. You’re toast! Get ready to be destroyed!
• God uses people to proclaim His message
C. Nineveh repented
And the people of Nineveh believed God.
This is the key to God’s change in plan. They believed God. It doesn’t say they believed Jonah, although he was God’s spokesman. They believed the Almighty God. Some cite possible reasons for this city-wide belief.
They cite a recent earthquake. They cite a recent eclipse. They cite threat from neighboring countries.
They even cite the fact that Assyrians believed in the fish God and the reports of Jonah coming out of a great fish lead to their belief. This was, pure and simple, a move of God. As we will see, the extent of this “revival” was greater than any in history. It happened without a missionary force. It happened without concentrated prayer. It happened without a pre-evangelism team. It happened without mass-media or city-wide crusades.
They believed God because the Spirit of God moved among them. God was the drawing force. Why them or why then is unknown. The logistics of the news spreading through the entire region is astronomical. It is equivalent to the whole city of Salem (150,000) becoming Christian at nearly the same time. They believed God!
• Salvation is by faith alone.
Saving faith or belief involves more than intellectual assent. It involves acting on that belief. The Ninevites acted on their belief.
They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
They demonstrated the seriousness of their belief.
? They called for a nation-wide fast.
? They mightily called out to God.
? They turned from their evil ways.
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God… 1 Thessalonians 1:9
This is the definition of repentance – a change of thinking that results in a change of behavior. We will expand on the Bible’s teaching on repentance next week. One more response.
? They did not presume upon God’s mercy.
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” Jonah 3:5-9
David had the same sentiment regarding Bathsheba’s first son.
He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 2 Samuel 12:22
• Fasting does not guarantee divine intervention.
Don’t fast to twist God’s arm but to express your sincerity.
• True faith involves or results in genuine action.
Paul called the Corinthians to “test your faith” to make sure it is genuine.
D. God spared Nineveh
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Jonah 3:10
Just as with Sodom and Gomorrah, God is not willing that any should perish. Just as with the children of Israel when God wanted to wipe them all out and start over with Moses, God responded to Moses’ intercession.
Does an immutable, unchanging God change His mind? God revealed His mindset to Jeremiah.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you." Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.” Jeremiah 18:1-10
This is what he did regarding Nineveh. They repented, God relented.
• God is the primary source of revival.
• God responds to repentance.
Beside the principles already mentioned there are some application points.
Are you willing to be God’s instrument to speak His word?
Have you believed God?
What is the evidence of your belief?
