WHEN GOD’S WAYS DON’T MAKE SENSE, THEN WHAT?
JONAH 1:1-16
WE’VE JUST STARTED A SERIES DEALING WITH THINGS IN LIFE THAT DO NOT GO AS WE WOULD WANT THEM TO. SOMETIMES IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS TRIAL AFTER TRIAL PUT ON OUR PLATE AND WE WANT TO ASK GOD WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AND WHEN IT WILL STOP. THERE ARE TIMES IT SEEMS WHEN GOD’S WAYS MAKE NO SENSE.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR LIVES, AND THAT PART OF THAT PLAN IS TO GO THROUGH TRIALS. TRIALS WILL BUILD MATURITY AS JAMES STATES.
JAMES 1:2-3:
CONSIDER IT PURE JOY, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHENEVER YOU FACE TRIALS OF MANY KINDS, 3 BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE. 4 LET PERSEVERANCE FINISH ITS WORK SO THAT YOU MAY BE MATURE AND COMPLETE, NOT LACKING ANYTHING
WHEN IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS, ESPECIALLY MULTIPLE TRIALS IT’S DIFFICULT TO SEE THAT GOD HAS A PLAN THAT INCLUDES THOSE TRIALS. AT THAT POINT WE HAVE TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT DETERMINATION. AM I FOLLOWING THE LORD, OR AM I ASKING HIM TO FOLLOW ME?
WE WOULD NEVER ADMIT THIS, BUT IN OUR MINDS WE THINK WE KNOW THE WAY GOD SHOULD WORK IN OUR WORLD, AND IT SHOULD BE THE WAY WE WANT HIM TO. WHEN HE DOESN’T IT GETS CONFUSING AND WE WONDER WHERE HE IS.
WE KNOW WHEN GOD IS TALKING TO US AND WANTS US TO ACT FOR HIM. AS CHRISTIANS WE HAVE THAT CONNECTION WITH HIM. HOW WE RESPOND TO THAT CHALLENGE THAT CALL WILL DETERMINE THE BLESSINGS HE CAN SHARE WITH US. THERE ARE THREE WAYS WE CAN RESPOND TO HIS CHALLENGE. THE THING THAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT IF WE ARE REALLY HONEST IN LOOKING AT THIS, WE WILL FIND THAT WE ARE NOT IN THE GROUP THAT WE WANT TO BE EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT’S WHERE WE SHOULD BE. HERE ARE OUR THREE OPTIONS:
1. RESIST AND RUN: THE STORY OF JONAH
2. DISTORT AND DENY: THE STORY OF SAUL
3. TREMBLE AND TRUST: THE STORY OF HABAKKUK
I WAS GOING TO TRY TO COVER ALL THESE IN ONE MESSAGE, BUT THERE IS TOO MUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THEM TO DO SO. TODAY WE LOOK AT THE STORY OF JONAH.
POINT ONE: RESIST AND RUN: THE STORY OF JONAH
WHEN TRIAL AFTER TRIAL HITS OUR LIVES, AND WE TRY TO HANDLE THEM IN OUR OWN POWER, THE URGE TO RESIST AND RUN BECOMES OVERWEALMINGLY POWERFUL. WHEN THE TASK GOD CALLS US TO IS NOT ONE THAT WE WANT TO DO, OR WHEN THE WORD OF GOD IS CONTRARY TO WHAT WE FEEL WE SHOULD OR DESIRE TO DO, THEN THE URGE TO RESIST AND RUN THE CALL MAY BE PRESENT.
THIS YOU CAN SEE IS US TELLING GOD HOW HE SHOULD ACT AND WHAT HE SHOULD DO. IT IS THE FINITE PERSON TRYING TO DICTATE TO THE INFINITE AWESOME GOD. WHAT’S REALLY REMARKABLE IS THAT WE FEEL WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO.
IT IS THE CALL OF THE SPIRITUALLY IMMATURE. IT SAYS I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS, AND GOD YOU CAN’T MAKE ME. IT IS THE OPTION THAT ROBS US OF BLESSINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO POUR OUT ON US, BUT CAN’T BECAUSE WE WON’T SUBMIT TO HIS WILL.
JONAH IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE RESIST AND RUN OPTION. YOU KNOW THE STORY. GOD CALLED JONAH TO GO AND PREACE REPENTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVAH. IT WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME GOD SPOKE TO JONAH. IN A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN ISRAEL’S LIFE GOD GAVE THIS MESSAGE TO JEROBOAM II THROUGH JONAH:
2 KINGS 14:25-27:
THE GOD OF ISRAEL, SPOKEN THROUGH HIS SERVANT JONAH SON OF AMITTAI, THE PROPHET FROM GATH HEPHER. 26 THE LORD HAD SEEN HOW BITTERLY EVERYONE IN ISRAEL, WHETHER SLAVE OR FREE, WAS SUFFERING; L THERE WAS NO ONE TO HELP THEM. 27 AND SINCE THE LORD HAD NOT SAID HE WOULD BLOT OUT THE NAME OF ISRAEL FROM UNDER HEAVEN, HE SAVED THEM BY THE HAND OF JEROBOAM SON OF JEHOASH.
NINEVAH WAS THE CAPITAL OF ASSYRIA AND WHEN GOD CALLED JONAH TO GO TO NINEVAH IT WAS THE LAST THING HE WANTED TO DO. ASSYRIA WAS A POWERFUL NATION CONSTANTLY THREATENING ISRAEL WITH CAPTIVITY AND NINEVAH WAS IT’S CAPITAL. WHAT A POSITION JONAH WAS IN. HE WAS TO GO AND PREACH REPENTANCE TO THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE COUNTRY THAT WAS LATER TO BE USED BY GOD TO PUT ISRAEL INTO CAPTIVITY.
LET ME PUT IT IN TERMS YOU CAN EASILY UNDERSTAND. I WANT YOU TO PICTURE IN YOUR MIND SOMEONE YOU LOVE DEARLY. NOW IMAGINE HEARING THE NEWS THAT THIS PERSON HAS BEEN BRUTALLY MURDERED AND THE POLICE HAS THE MURDERER IN CUSTODY. HE EVEN CONFESSED TO THE MURDER. YOU MAY FEEL RAGE AND ANGER BUILDING UP INSIDE YOU AS YOU SEE THE PRISONER ARRAIGNED IN COURT. THEN OUT OF THE BLUE GOD SPEAKS TO YOU AND SAYS: “I’M NOT THROUGH WITH THAT PERSON. I HAVE A PLAN FOR HIM. I WANT YOU TO GO AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT REPENTANCE AND GETTING RIGHT WITH ME.” MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOOK OF JONAH YOU HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION WHAT IS GOD REALLY WORKING ON, NINEVAH’S REPENTANCE, OR FORMING JONAH’S SOUL. AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT THE BOOK OF JONAH IS THAT ONLY ONE CHAPTER RECORDS JONAH’S PREACHING AND NINEVAH’S REPENTANCE, BUT THREE ARE DEVOTED TO HOW GOD WORKED ON JONAH’S SOUL.
THE MINISTRY WE ARE CALLED TO IS DESIGNED TO BE AN OVERFLOWING OF FOUNDATIONAL WORK AND MINISTRY LOSES POWER WHEN IT FLOWS FROM A SOUL NOT COMMITTED TO ONGOING FORMATION. MINISTRY TO OTHERS GAINS POWER AS THE SPIRIT PERFORMS HIS SOUL TRANSFORMING WORK ON US.
THERE ARE FIVE KEY ELEMENTS IN JONAH’S STORY:
1. JONAH IS THE ONLY PROPHET WHO DIDN’T EVEN SPEAK TO GOD WHEN GOD’S WAYS MADE NO SENSE TO HIM.
LOOK AT THE FIRST VERSES OF CHAPTER ONE. GOD TELLS JONAH WHAT HE WANTS TO DO AND JONAH IMMEDIATELY DOES THE OPPOSITE. HE MAKES NO ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE HIS CONCERNS AT ALL WITH GOD. WHY?
I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS THIS. WHEN THE MINISTRY GOD CALLS US TO IS POSITIVE WE’LL JUMP AT IT. JONAH LOVED THE PROPHECY HE TOOK TO JEROBOAM BECAUSE IT WAS POSITIVE, IT WAS GOOD NEWS. HE WOULD BE SEEN AS A GREAT PROPHET BECAUSE HE BROUGHT GOOD NEWS. IT’S EASY TO BE A PROPHET WHEN YOU HAVE GOOD NEWS.
NOW THE NEWS WAS DIFFERENT. GO TO YOUR ENEMY AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND REPENTANCE. I WILL NOT DO THIS AND HE TURNED AND RAN. GOD’S PLAN DID NOT MAKE SENSE AND THE ONLY THING THAT MADE SENSE WAS TO RESIST AND RUN.
2. JONAH HAD NO INTEREST IN SHARING HIS STRUGGLE WITH A GOD WHO MADE NO SENSE.
JONAH RESISTED GOD AND HAD NO INTEREST IN DEALING WITH HIS STRUGGLE SO HE RAN GOT ON A BOAT AND THERE FELL FAST ASLEEP. HE RETREATED FROM HIS TRIAL.
WE DO THIS AS WELL. WHEN WE HAVE SEVERAL ISSUES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH, WE CAN GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE SAY ENOUGH! I CAN’T TAKE ANY MORE! SOME PEOPLE RUN TO THE BOTTLE, OTHERS TO DRUGS, STILL OTHERS TO EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIRS, WE CAN HIDE IN OUR WORK OR WITH OUR FRIENDS, BUT THEY ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO HAVE PEACE AND NOT DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. WHY? BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THEIR ISSUES IN THEIR OWN POWER AND NOT DEPENDING ON GOD.
3. JONAH’S REPENTANCE WAS SHALLOW AND NOT DEALING WITH HIS SIN.
JONAH 2:1-2:
FROM INSIDE THE FISH JONAH PRAYED TO THE LORD HIS GOD. 2 HE SAID: “IN MY DISTRESS I CALLED TO THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERED ME. FROM DEEP IN THE REALM OF THE DEAD I CALLED FOR HELP, AND YOU LISTENED TO MY CRY.
WHEN JONAH WAS IN HIS FISHY LIFEBOAT HIS PRAYER WAS TO BE DELIVERED FROM HIS SITUATION, NOT HIS SIN. JONAH IN FACT HAD IT ALL WRONG. HIS PRAYER WAS FOR:
1. DELIVERANCE (JONAH 2:1-2)
2. GOD HAD THROWN HIM INTO THE OCEAN DEPTHS (2:3)
3. YOU HAVE DRIVEN ME FROM YOUR PRESENCE (V.4)
JONAH DID WHAT SO OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN DEALING WITH SOMEONE IMMATURE. HE TRIED TO PASS THE BLAME TO SOMEONE ELSE. HE DID NOT WANT TO REPENT. HE DID NOT WANT TO GO TO NINEVAH. HE JUST WANTED GOD OFF HIS BACK.
DO WE DO THE SAME THING. WHEN LIFE BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR US, IS OUR REPENTANCE MERELY TO GET GOD OFF OUR BACKS AND RESTORE LOST BLESSINGS. IF SO IS IT TRULY REPENTANCE.
4. JONAH WENT TO NINEVAH AND DELIVERED GOD’S MESSAGE. BUT HE DID IT WITH THE WRONG HEART.
JONAH WALKED NEARLY 900 MILES OVER DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TERRAIN TO DELIVER GOD’S MESSAGE TO NINEVAH. HE ARRIVED IN NINEVAH, A PLACE WHERE HE WAS CONSIDERED AN ENEMY, DELIVERED A MESSAGE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR AND OFFENDED EVERYONE, AND HIS MOTIVE WAS WRONG.
WHEN JONAH WENT TO NINEVAH HE DID PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE GOD TOLD HIM TO GIVE. HE STILL HOWEVER WANTED GOD’S JUDGMENT TO FALL ON NINEVAH AND WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN IT DIDN’T. CONSIDER:
JONAH 4:1-3:
BUT TO JONAH THIS SEEMED VERY WRONG, AND HE BECAME ANGRY. 2 HE PRAYED TO THE LORD, “ISN’T THIS WHAT I SAID, LORD, WHEN I WAS STILL AT HOME? THAT IS WHAT I TRIED TO FORESTALL BY FLEEING TO TARSHISH. I KNEW THAT YOU ARE A GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE GOD, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN LOVE, A GOD WHO RELENTS FROM SENDING CALAMITY. 3 NOW, LORD, TAKE AWAY MY LIFE, FOR IT IS BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE.”
HE KNEW WHAT GOD COULD DO IF THEY REPENTED. HE KNEW THAT THEY WOULD BE BLESSED BY GOD AND HE DIDN’T WANT THAT. HE WAS LOOKING TO GOD TO BLESS HIM FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS AND FOR GOD ALSO TO DESTROY NINEVAH.
WE WOULD BE THE LAST TO ADMIT IT, WE MAY NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE IT, BUT WE DO MANY THINGS WITH THE SAME MOTIVE. WE DO GOOD THINGS AND THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE RIGHT, BUT BECAUSE THEY GIVE US BRAGGING RITES AND ALL EYES ARE FOCUSED ON US AND NOT GOD.
5. JONAH’S RESISTING AND RUNNING WAS FROM A GOD HE DID NOT KNOW.
JONAH’S FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH GOD CAME THROUGH HIS FATHER. “AMITTAI” MEANS FAITHFULNESS” SUGGESTING THAT JONAH WAS RAISED IN A GOD-FEARING, GOD-HONORING HOME. THIS WAS JONAH’S INTRODUCTION TO WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE “FAMILY GOD.”
JONAH NO DOUBT HEARD HIS FATHER PRAYING THAT ISRAEL WOULD REPENT AND RETURN TO TRUE WORSHIP. THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN, AND SO THE FAMILY GOD BECAME KNOWN TO JONAH AS AN UNINVOLVED GOD, ONE WHO DIDN’T CARE.
AS AN ADULT JONAH SAW GOD GET INVOLVED WHEN HE PROPHECIED TO JEROBOAM II. GOD BECAME A GOD WHO WAS TRIUMPHANT, A GENEROUS GOD WHO WOULD LEAD HIS PEOPLE TO BLESSING AFTER BLESSING.
THEN GOD TOLD JONAH TO PREACH TO NINEVAH. THE TRIUMPHANT GOD NOW BECAME THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE GOD WHO MADE NO SENSE. JONAH RESISTED AND RAN.
WHEN NINEVAH REPENTED AND GOD LET THE WICKED CITY LIVE HE SWITCHED FROM BEING AN INCOMPREHENDIBLE GOD TO AN INTOLERABLE GOD.
JONAH 4:3: NOW, LORD, TAKE AWAY MY LIFE, FOR IT IS BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE.”
THIS WAS TOTALLY AGAINST THE WAY JONAH BELIEVED IT SHOULD HAPPEN. HOW COULD GOD FORGIVE SUCH A SITY AS NINEVAH? THIS WAS NOT THE GOD JONAH WANTED TO FOLLOW. THIS WAS NOT THE WORLD HE WANTED TO LIVE IN. IT WAS BETTER TO DIE THAN TO FOLLOW AN INTOLERABLE GOD WHO WOULD NOT SEE THINGS THROUGH JONAH’S EYES.
CONCLUSION:
GOD’S LESSONS CAN COME THROUGH THE STRANGEST THINGS SOMETIMES.
JONAH 4:6-7:
6 THEN THE LORD GOD PROVIDED A LEAFY PLANT AND MADE IT GROW UP OVER JONAH TO GIVE SHADE FOR HIS HEAD TO EASE HIS DISCOMFORT, AND JONAH WAS VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE PLANT. 7 BUT AT DAWN THE NEXT DAY GOD PROVIDED A WORM, WHICH CHEWED THE PLANT SO THAT IT WITHERED
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THIS PLANT WAS, IF INDEED IT WAS NATURAL AT ALL. WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT ONE DAY IT WAS ALIVE, AND THE NEXT DAY DEAD.
THIS WAS TOO MUCH FOR JONAH, TOO MANY THINGS HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. WHY DID HE HAVE TO PREACH TO NINEVAH? WHY DID GOD GIVE HIM SHADE ONE DAY AND KILL THE PLANT THE NEXT?
HOW COULD ALL THIS BE RIGHT. JONAH DIDN’T UNDERSTAND.
IN THE SILENCE OF THE DAY JONAH RECEIVES HIS FINAL LESSON.
JONAH 4:10-11:
BUT THE LORD SAID, “YOU HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PLANT, THOUGH YOU DID NOT TEND IT OR MAKE IT GROW. IT SPRANG UP OVERNIGHT AND DIED OVERNIGHT. 11 AND SHOULD I NOT HAVE CONCERN FOR THE GREAT CITY OF NINEVEH, IN WHICH THERE ARE MORE THAN A HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO CANNOT TELL THEIR RIGHT HAND FROM THEIR LEFT—AND ALSO MANY ANIMALS?”
HERE GOD IS INTRODUCING JONAH TO THE SUFFERING GOD. IF JONAH CAN CARE FOR A PLANT, HOW MUCH MORE DOES GOD CARE FOR 120,000 PEOPLE.
IF YOUR FAMILY WAS TORN APART AND SEPARATED BY STRIFE, WOULDN’T YOU DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO UNITE THEM AGAIN? WOULDN’T YOUR HEART BE BREAKING OVER THIS?
MEET THE SUFFERING GOD WHO WILL DO ANYTHING TO RESTORE HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE. THE STORY OF JONAH ALLOWS US TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING THAT GOD DOES OR DOES NOT DO IS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS LOVE FOR US. WHEN WE SEE THIS WE WILL NO LONGER RESIST HIS WAYS WHEN THEY MAKE NO SENSE TO US.
