INTRODUCTION Please turn to Jonah 1
Some consider the book of Jonah to be an allegory or, perhaps, a parable.
However, II Kings 14:25 identifies Jonah as a real person,
a Jewish prophet from Gath Hepher in Zebulun (near Nazareth),
who ministered in the Northern Kingdom of Israel
during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753bc)
We should also consider that Jesus considered Jonah
to be a historic person and pointed to him
as a type of His own death, burial, and resurrection
(Matthew 12:42, Luke 11:32)
The reign of Jeroboam II was a time of great prosperity in Israel;
the nation regained lost territory
and expanded both its boundaries and influence.
But it was also a time of moral and spiritual decay
as the nation rapidly moved away from God and into idolatry.
Jonah’s contemporaries, Hosea and Amos,
both courageously denounced the wickedness
of the rulers, priests and people.
It’s worth noting that Hosea and Amos
also showed God’s concern for other nations,
which is one of the major themes of Jonah.
While Jonah had a ministry to Nineveh,
a leading city in Assyria,
he also had a ministry to Israel through this little book.
He discovered that God had compassion for those outside Israel,
even those who were Israel’s enemies.
God had called His people to be a blessing to the Gentiles,
but, like Jonah, the Jews refused to obey.
and, like Jonah, they had to be disciplined;
for Assyria would conquer Israel
and Babylon would take Judah into captivity.
Jonah’s book magnifies the sovereignty of God
as well as the love and mercy of God.
This is the only book of the prophets that actually
tells more about what happened to the Prophet (Jonah)
than the nation he was to prophecy against.
Jehovah is the “God of the second chance,” even for rebellious prophets.
Jonah 1:1-3
“Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai,
saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarashish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence pf the Lord.”
Most people are so familiar with the story of Jonah
that nothing in it surprises them anymore,
including the fact that it begins with the word “and”.
Our King James version says, “Now the word of the Lord came ….”
The original is literally, “And the word of the Lord came….”
It may seem a bit silly, a very minor thing to focus on,
but how and why do you begin a book with the word “And.”
Jonah is one of fourteen Old Testament books
that open with the little word “and”.
These books remind us of God’s “continuing story” of grace and mercy.
Though the Bible is comprised of sixty-six different books,
it tells only one story; and God keeps communicating
that message to us,
even though we don’t always listen too attentively.
How long-suffering He is toward us.
What is the book of Jonah about?
Well, it’s not simply about a great fish,
or a great city, or even a disobedient prophet.
It’s about God!
God is mentioned 38 times in these four short chapters,
and if you eliminated Him from the book,
the story wouldn’t make sense.
The Book of Jonah is about the will of God and how we respond to it.
It’s also about the love of God and how we share it with others.
FIRST – WHO WAS ASSYRIA?
Assyria was located in the “fertile crescent”.
We now see Assyria as Syria and Iraq.
Its capital was a city called Nineveh (now known as Mosel, Iraq)
During this time of history, Assyria was a fierce and mighty kingdom.
They ruthlessly attacked the nations around them.
Enslaving all they could.
Mercilessly killing their enemies.
Impaled some, flayed others, gutted others.
They neither cared for old, young, male or female.
Soldier, civilian – human, or animal.
They were fearsome, evil beyond measure.
The trade routes from the Fertile Cresent into Egypt (and Africa)
would pass through the area surrounding the Jordan river.
So control of this area was (and is) of importance.
A nation could be powerful and rich simply by ownership
of what we call the Promised Land.
Assyria would stop at nothing to claim this ownership.
SECOND – WHAT ABOUT JUDAH & ISRAEL?
It’s probably enough just to mention their names. (DIVIDED)
Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and
Israel (the Northern Kingdom).
12 independent tribes had come together
Under Saul and David and Solomon
to form the nation of Israel.
After Solomon’s death, 10 of the tribes rebelled
against Solomon’s son and
formed a nation that kept the name Israel.
Israel, at this time, was also known as the Northern Kingdom.
The two remaining tribes, Judah and Benjamin, remained united
and formed the Nation of Judah,
also known as the Southern Kingdom.
Occasionally these two nations would unite for a common cause.
Against a common enemy – war, prosperity, political, religious.
Mostly they envied each other and remained separate.
(God’s people – separate, not in unity)
THIRD – WHAT ABOUT JONAH?
Jonah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom – Israel
But Jehovah gave him message(s) to other nations as well.
What do prophets do?
Receive a message from God – and deliver the message from God.
Right?
Let’s look quickly at Jonah’s message from God and his response.
JONAH’S WORD FROM THE LORD (Jonah 1:1)
“New the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai…”
Judah (and Israel) had regained territory from their enemies.
and they were in a time of peace and prosperity
but their peace and prosperity had caused them
to move away from God.
As a result, they were also in the latter days of that grace,
and were getting close to a time of judgment from God.
How honored, how special, how magnificent it is
that Jonah was chosen to hear a Word from God,
to receive God’s Word, to be entrusted with God’s Word
Jehovah had a message for the inhabitants of Nineveh.
And Jehovah had chosen Jonah to receive that Word,
and to go and tell the people of Nineveh
of their wickedness and coming judgment.
What a responsibility was given to Jonah!!
The people of Nineveh (fierce, evil, and mighty)
were on the verge of a massive judgment from God,
and the only way to escape that judgment
was to understand the demands of the holiness of God,
to understand the result of their wickedness,
to understand the coming judgment of Jehovah,
and to repent from their wickedness
and turn to God.
OUR WORD FROM THE LORD (Acts 1:8)
Church – listen to me.
How honored, how special, how magnificent it is
that WE are chosen to hear God’s Word,
to receive God’s Word, to be entrusted with God’s Word.
Jehovah has a message for the inhabitants of Planet Earth.
and Jehovah has chosen US to receive that Word,
and for US to go and tell the people of Planet Earth
of their wickedness and coming judgment.
What a responsibility is given to US!!
The people of Planet Earth
are on the verge of massive judgment from God,
and the only way to escape that judgment
is to understand the demands of the holiness of God,
to understand the result of their wickedness,
to understand the coming judgment of Jehovah,
and to repent from their wickedness
and turn to God.
WE have a Word from God and WE have a commission from God.
JONAH’S RESPONSE
Verse 3, “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence
of the Lord, and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
This man of God’s people - Israel,
This man of God – prophet
This man chosen and entrusted with God’s Word
decided to “flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
Jonah was from Gath-Hepher (Zebulon – lower Galilee)
Jonah then goes to Joppa (Jaffa today) part of costal Tel-Aviv.
Jonah is desperately trying to get to Tarshish – Spain
Tarshish is WEST of Israel
Tarshish is as far WEST as you can go – the Atlantic is beyond…
Jonah is supposed to be going to Nineveh.
Nineveh was in Persia, Assyria, modern day Mosul in Iraq
Nineveh is EAST of Israel.
God said go EAST, Jonah chose to go WEST!
Jonah didn’t go to Tarshish – he FLED
Jonah even paid, good hard earned money to FLEE
Jonah was a desperate man – trying to FLEE from God.
Whatever it takes – get away from God
Excuses, reasons, activities, busy, priorities, whatever it takes.
OUR RESPONSE
“But Jonah …..” But Richard, But – insert your name.
