Are you Jonah or Philip?
Today I’d like us to examine 2 people in the bible, one from OT and one from NT.
Our key passages are found in:
Jonah 1:3 and Acts 8:30.
Ideally, we will all see a little bit of both of these men in ourselves.
Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word.
Let’s begin in Jonah 1:1–4 “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.”
Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
Have you ever found yourself fleeing from the presence of the Lord? I know I have, especially in my younger days.
But the truth of the matter is, His omnipresence won’t allow it!
Jonah 1:4 “But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.”
I had to look up tempest- a sudden storm
Ever heard the saying “there are no atheist in foxholes”?
Listen to Jonah 1:5 “Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.”
cried out to his god.
Jonah 1:6–9 “So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.””
Jonah 1:5 “Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.”
As I was preparing this message, I couldn't help recall how Jesus was asleep in the boat when the storm came up.
I thought, "I can understand how Jesus was probably at peace with it all".
Maybe Jonah too, was at peace, thinking he had fled the presence of the Lord.
I pray we never become at peace by fleeing the presence of the Lord!
Jonah 1:7 “And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.”
cast lots-slow on upswing, but that is where "lottery" came from. This is the English translation of the original Dutch root meaning "fate".
However, in ancient times, casting lots was believed to be a "divine decision".
God controlled the outcome when the lots fell to Jonah.
Jonah 1:8–10 “Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.”
Jonah knew he was to blame for the situation they all were in.
Has there ever been a time in your life, when your disobedience affected others in a harmful way, or put them in danger?
Jonah 1:14–15 “Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.”
Sometimes I find such humor in God’s word.
-begged for mercy
-threw him into the sea
Then the first chapter ends with verse 17.
Jonah 1:17 “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Thought of a hotel ad “three days and two nights in a luxurious hotel”.
Jonah was so special, he got an extra nights’ stay.
Chapter 2:
Is about prayer. Jonah 2:1 “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.”
I’ve prayed to God from the fish’s belly. Have you? Figuratively speaking of course.
We see in verse 10 that God answers Jonah’s prayer.
Jonah 2:10 “So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”
We get to chapter 3 and we see obedience.
God speaks to Jonah a second time, Jonah arose and went to Nineveh.
v5-the people believe Jonah and repent.
Even the king believes.
Everyone covered themselves with sackcloth and fasted.
The king even declared that the livestock must be covered in sackcloth and fast also!
verse 10 closes out the 3rd chapter
Jonah 3:10 “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”
You’d think that Jonah would be feeling pretty good about himself and God, but we see in Chapter 4 it is anything but that.
All of chapter 4 is about Jonah's anger with God for saving Nineveh.
Listen to this:
God saved Jonah when he prayed and repented, yet when Nineveh did the same thing, and God showed mercy, Jonah was angry.
Made me think of the parable Jesus told of the ungrateful servant.
In these 4 short chapters, so much to take away.
God works miracles:
Controls all of nature, including the sea.
Caused the lot to fall upon Jonah.
Had a great fish swallow him, but not digest him!
The opening scene of The Princess Bride reminds me of how action packed the book of Jonah is.
The grandfather in The Princess Bride in the opening scene recaps the book he is about to read to his grandson: fencing, fighting torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles.
If you didn't know better, you might think he was describing the book of Jonah, but it is slightly different:
disobedience, fleeing, fighting, monsters, obedience, miracles, and salvation.
We also see that even in our disobedience, God shows mercy. Even in our sin God grants us the opportunity to repent, just as He did with Nineveh.
Jonah is the only prophet of OT revealing the grace of God towards heathen. (everyone who wasn't Jewish) I think this was one reason Jonah was so angry with God. The Jews considered themselves to be God's only "elect" people.
Don't we see that type of divisiveness in the Christian Church even until today?
Helped me understand my own life and how I ran from the presence of God
Jonah could have saved himself a lot pain, had he just been obedience in the first place.
Jonah was a reluctant prophet and evangelist for God.
How many times have you been Jonah?
Philip
Acts is about the early church, and how the Holy Spirit moved through people. In Acts 2:41 we are told that 3000 were added in a single day after Peter gave his Holy Spirit filled sermon, but what we see in Acts 8 is the importance of one on one evangelism.
Acts 8:26–30 “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?””
We see Jonah running and trying to hide, but Philip is full steam ahead to his calling!
Philip: Arise and go. So he arose and went.
Jonah: Arise and go- scripture tells us instead of “going up to Nineveh, he went down. Scripture records “he went down” three times. The last time was in the belly of a great fish.
Sometimes we see that people have to hit rock bottom before they can “go up”. Finally, we see that Jonah arose and went to Nineveh.
In Jonah we see that an entire city of people repent and receive God’s grace.
In Acts 8, we see a different perspective of evangelism.
ethiopian and philip-undoubtedly, since this man was of great authority, there were others in his chariot or caravan, but scripture isolates Philip and the eunuch. I believe this helps illustrate how important and powerful one on one evangelism is to the world.
Philip had enthusiasm to his calling.
Jonah ran from his calling.
Philip ran to his calling.
I read this quote this week:
The Christian who does not know his high calling:
Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” ,
holy calling 2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,”
and heavenly calling Hebrews 3:1 “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,”
will never be able to walk worthy of that calling Ephesians 4:1 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,”
Warren W. Wiersbe
Acts 8:29 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.””
Philip took seriously what Jesus said in
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
Acts 8:30 “So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?””
BTW the eunuch was reading Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”
Has God ever put a complete stranger on your heart? How did you respond?
This passage tells us that the Ethiopian was reading the exact scripture and the exact time that Philip approached him? That's evangelism y'all!
God has servants everywhere that He is giving secret directions to be carried out. We are called to be led by the Holy Spirit, and be obedient!
Acts 8:34–37 “So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.””
“So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?
The eunuch had questions after reading scripture.
Do you?
How do you resolve to get your questions answered?
Here's my suggestion. Pray over the scripture you have questions about. Read the scripture again. Pray again, if your question hasn't been answered. Sort of a "wash, rinse, repeat" cycle.
Ask someone who you trust to give you a Spirit filled answer, not a “mind of man” answer. This is extremely important y’all.
I hope I am clear in my meaning here.
In Jonah we see disobedience and reluctance before we see a crying for repentance for himself, and to the people of Nineveh.
In Philip we see obedience to God, urgency in his calling, and evangelism to the Ethiopian.
in v.39 we see Philip say “beam me up Scotty”.
Here’s how it reads:
Acts 8:39 “Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.”
Let’s be clear here…the eunuch went away rejoicing not because he lost Philip, but because he found Jesus!
Side note of no importance, but I thought about this when I pondered this verse:
We had a sign on the front door of our feed store that read “Some people bring joy when they walk through these doors, others by leaving.”
Philip was a deacon, and an evangelist as we see in several passages in Acts. I believe both of these callings must be filled with a passion for Christ and a love for people.
Church, I hope you see a little of yourself in these two men, and ultimately, how God intends to use each of us to His glory.
...and to give confidence in our God given, Spirit filled ability to witness.
Say goodbye to online viewers.
Close in prayer.
