A Test of Will
For the past couple of weeks we have been taking some of the Bible stories that we normally think of as children’s stories. We looking are at them from an adult point of view. Today we are picking up with Jonah.
What do we know about Jonah from this scripture? From all we can tell Jonah was already a prophet to Israel. His first reaction is not a fear of how God is speaking to him. He gets a message from the Lord. It seems that getting the message is not new. When we have been introduced to other prophets they speak of their unworthiness or poor speech.
Jonah means Dove and his father’s name Amittai means truth. That seems to be an appropriate name and family connection for a prophet.
If he was already a spokesman for God, I would guess that he had a good understanding of the nature of God. He pretty much knew that he had to do as God directed. I believe that he had a better understanding of the nature of people. I will bet he saw a whole lot more rejection of the message than acceptance. As a prophet in Israel, he was comfortable to go out and give his message to repent. To go around to the cities and countryside and tell the people how they must change or God would punish them.
If you will think back through the history of the other prophets, Israel never really got the message. Sometimes they were a bit harsh on how they treated the messengers of God.
In this case he is now being called to preach to people outside his homeland. To take the message of repentance to pagans. The unwashed and uncirmsusied gentiles.
I wonder how effective he was? The punishment had not come from God as far as we can tell. That might make him appear to be a false prophet in the eyes of the folks he preached to.
At the beginning of this book we are hearing the only OT story of the only prophet of God to be sent to people other than Jews. This story is a big change in tactic by God.
God has told Jonah to go about 550 miles east of where he is and tell these wicked people that God is going to destroy them. The message is fairly normal, but the people he is to give it to is radically different. These Assyrians are bad folks. Their empire is huge and they are known to be fierce. They have taken over vast areas of the known world. The Israelites are willing to make a deal with them to keep them from invading, which is against God’s direction.
Niviniah was the capitol city of the Assyrian empire. Some historians estimate that it was 48 miles across the city, that is a long way to walk. They say it had over 1000 watch towers around the stronghold or fort in the middle of the city. They took the heads of captured enemies and placed them on spikes around the edge of their territory as a warning.
Niveniah is not exactly a vacation spot. It would be pretty easy for any prophet to want to avoid going there to tell them they will be destroyed. But I don’t think that is Jonah’s only problem.
In the first chapter of the book of Jonah, we are not given a reason why, he does not want to go on this assignment. All we know is he heads to Jappa (the port) to catch a boat. Instead of going North to save a couple of hundred miles on foot he goes and buys a ticket to Tarshish which is due west by a few miles. It was actually in the place we now know as Spain . Now we don’t know if he has family there and thinks he can get a new start or the ticket was cheap. I sort of think that he was in a hurry.
I wonder if he thought that he could our run or get away form God. Maybe he thought God was only in Israel. So he starts by faking him out, I will take a boat as far as Tarshish Don’t complain, just get up and head to the port where you could get a ride to about anyplace. Ok what is the first boat outa here. Tarshish, I will take it. I think he believes that he can avoid his assignment by getting as far from the location as possible. Perhaps God will choose some other poor sap to do this job, someone closer.
Today we are talking about free will. I think we are under the impression that God will not mess with our free will. But today’s scripture gives us a picture that perhaps that is not exactly true. Have you ever tried to avoid some action that God asked you to do. Personally, I have a couple of times. I did not run away like Jonah. In a way I just sat there. I really felt like I should have acted. I guess it can happen to anyone. Perhaps we are not absolutely positive that we should do “it”. Personally I have found that the only way to know God’s voice is to try some of the things that I am not sure about. Some of the most spiritual people I have ever known have been people that scare me a little. It really was not anything about their personality that frightened me. It was the things that they did and were willing to do. These people that gave their whole life, time, money and complete trust to their inner voice.
Their dedication to God and his plan from my view point looked almost unstable. They do things like giving all the money in the bank to a mission trip, before the bills were paid.
Folks, I have taken some risk, but not quite like some of the people I know. And the more I look at their lives the more I have come to believe that they are … really are hearing from and reacting to God. The more I examine their actions the more I realize I need to be more like them.
Jonah’s story tells us, that a person that has been committed to God can not just run away from God. It tells us that a person that has given over their free will and asked for salvation. Really no longer has their free will in tact. God will come after you and try to bring you back.
The scripture says that in Jonah’s case God sent a great wind which created a storm. It sounds like God went over to the control console and pushed the storm button and pointed it in their direction. I would imagine that the sailors had gone through a variety of storms before. I would even venture to say that they had been frightened to the point of throwing cargo overboard and praying to any god that they had ever herd about to save them. They were doing what they had always done when it got bad. Executing their plan of salvation, pray to the god that got you out of trouble last time, get the other people on board to pray to the god they believed in. Well it worked last time. So the crew was all stressed out as all the previous methods did not seem to do any good.
If fact, the seas were getting worse and worse with time. They were getting tired as they battled to keep the boat afloat.
But, Jonah was experiencing peace with his decision. He went below and went to sleep and the storm was not bothering him at all. I guess he thought since all his immediate plans were working out. It must be the right thing to do.
Sometimes Christians judge if they have made the right decision based on the feeling they get when they absolutely makeup their mind. I am getting a divorce, but I feel really good about it. I am going to change jobs; I am really a peace about it. I wish that suddenly having peace about a decision was really a way to tell that you made the right one. But the leson we have to day indicates that we can fool ourselves.
Christian’s feelings are just like non Christians….Not always correct… You can get peaceful feeling anytime you know that you have moved away from discomfort and pain. It is a feeling of relief.
One of the hard things about being a Christian is that sometimes you are asked to go someplace and or do some things that make you uncomfortable. The normal human feelings and emotions work as a self defense to keep you from danger. But God send us to take risk for him and his glory. It is extremely rare that he asks us to go beyond some temporary discomfort. Like talking to someone we don’t know and mentioning Church and God or giving to some need.
My point is that the feeling it self is not the way to be sure. You can get the same feeling of peace, or relief from the exercising of your free will. If you make a decision that your heart and mind are made up. You can find a peace that lets you feel ok with the whole process. You can sleep nights.
Unfortunately, when you exercise your free will and turn away from God the feeling you get is temporary. When you as a Christian over ride God’s direction, AND you CAN, the feeling is normally the short term removal of fear and pain. The peace and comfort in your life will most likely fade as you have left the intended path.
-The captain went and found Jonah and probably could not believe that anyone would not be scared in a situation like this. Hey fella, wake up and pray to your god that the boat stays together, or that the storm passes. How can you sleep at a time like this?
The crew is still using the old techniques to solve their immediate problem. Casting lots to find out who is the cause of all these problems. Bingo, Jonah is the big winner. It is you. They hit him with all kinds of questions. Who what when where Why…
The underlying reason for all the questions is if he will admit his sin His God might save them.
He answers their questions and ads that his God made the land and sea. This would have differed from the sailors. They were likely to worship multiple gods, different gods for different purposes. God of the water, storms, winds etc….
They want to know what he did and why is he running from his God. I guess it seems like a fair question. After all the casting of lots said he was guilty. If they were to die because of him then they deserved to know why.
Then they ask him, as the only expert onboard, how to appease his God.
They are still looking for a quick fix to save them from the storm. Jonah tells them to toss him over board. He knows it is his fault, perhaps God had revealed it to him. Maybe it was only logical. He is the one running from God and being disobedient and endangering everyone on board.
The sailors try everything they can to avoid throwing him into the sea. When all seems lost, they pray to His God and ask to not be held accountable for following his direction. Then splash, in he goes and the sea calms. Just like that.
The sailors have just witnessed a miracle. They fear the God of Jonah and offer sacrifices to him. This boat of pagans is of a mood to accept the God of the Jews as the big ko-huna. The # 1 God. As a minimum they see the real power of god and are impressed.
So here is the important thought for this morning. Free will is very real. God created a world where his directions possess a ability tat will over ride God.
--- You and I have the power to day NO to God. That will not be over ridden by God no matter how much he wants you. ----
When we look at our world we clearly see that evil people prosper. Some have never really heard the gospel and others said no I don’t believe. But they are god’s creations, just like us. Therefore, they have received a standard portion of God’s grace. They have not had their sins removed and the gift of eternal life has not been given. But, God is pursuing them and wants them. So they have good things in their lives.
In our story today, it seems that while we have this power to Say NO. It is also true that there are consequences. If we say no to God, then we will have not part of him. I believe tat this is really most obvious when you choose to accept God and suddenly turn your back. People like TV evangelist that suddenly drift into sin or take advantage of the power they get. We see them as they are taken to Jail. As they fall from their position of power. For some people it is not as extreme. Perhaps their lives seem to fall apart.
When a person professes to be a Christian and gives their all to Christ. They have received a gift that they did not deserve. Should they turn away, the pursuit from God, or most specifically the Holy Spirit can cause fear, guilt, the since that your prayers are going no place.
We don’t always know when we have said no to God and have taken back our will. I believe that God will use the Spirit to reclaim you. He will give you a great hunger to reconnect it may feel like loss or emptiness perhaps loneliness.
When God want to reclaim what is his he will pull out all the stops to get you back.
Personally, I think that is a great thing about God. That no matter how hard headed I have been He wants me back.
Let me give you the part that worries me. If you don’t know that you have drifted. If you believe is alright to say no and you just keep saying it on all the little opportunities he sends your way. Eventually He will just lets you sit. If your heart is so hard that you have quenched the Holy Spirit and it can’t move you. He quits a coming after you with any extra zeal. He patiently waits for you to notice the separation you have created.
He waits for the false sense of peace to pass as you face life’s storms and start to wonder what happened to God. If you call out, he is there, but it will be your choice.
As our message ends today, Jonah has not yet responded to the urging of God and is thrown into the sea.
We will leave, Jonah bobbing in the water like a fishing cork.
Until he just can’t stay afloat. Then a big fish comes and takes the bait. And this chapter tells us that for 3 days and nights he is in the stomach of the fish.
We are going to pickup with Jonah next week. We will talk a little more about God’s persistence and Jonah’s attitude.
All Glory be to God!
