Jonah’s Journey
Show Video - Moby Dick - preaching scene- The new version with Gregory Peck as the preacher then the second half show the Old version with Orsen Wells as the preacher.
Scripture: Jonah 1–4,
Jonah 1:1–3:
1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 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.
ILL>> A few centuries before Christ a man named Alexander conquered almost all of the known world using military strength, cleverness and a bit of diplomacy. The story is told that Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king. When the king arrived, Alexander insisted that the king surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander and his little band of fighting men.
The king laughed, "Why should I surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm!" But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff
The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After ten soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few men were actually willing to commit suicide at the command of this dynamic leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory.
Are you willing to be as obedient to the ruler of the universe, Jesus Christ, as those soldiers were to Alexander? Are you as dedicated and committed? Think how much power Christ could have in our area with just a portion of such commitment.
Introduction: The Book of Jonah differs from other minor prophets. It is a narrative, biographical rather than prophetic. It’s the story of a servant, a storm, and a sovereign God. Jonah is God-called but disobedient; the storm is God-appointed and God-controlled, and God’s powerful attributes are evident throughout the story. Jonah himself is a strange paradox: a prophet of God, and yet fleeing from God; thrown into the sea, yet alive; a preacher of repentance, yet needing repentance. He is pictured as sanctified in spots, self-willed, godly, courageous, prayerful, obedient after chastisement, bigoted, concerned with his own reputation, zealous for the Lord. As if this was not enough, Jonah is a great missionary book, and Jonah himself a great evangelist.
1. The Rebellious Prophet (ch. 1).
A. The Word Heard (vv. 1, 2). God spoke to Jonah and instructed him to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and cry against it because of its wickedness. This word from God was a definite word, a disturbing word, a distinct word, and a disobeyed word.
B. The Will Hardened (v. 3). Jonah understood God’s Word and yet he was uncomfortable with God’s Word and unwilling to obey God’s Word. He acted as people often do who don’t like God’s commands—he rebelled and ran away, thus removing himself as far as possible from being under the influence of God.
C. The Wrath Hurled (vv. 4–16). The truths embedded in these verses include the directed storm (v. 4), the discovered sin (vv. 5–13), and the devoted sailors (vv. 14–16).
D. The Whale Handy (v. 17). The sailors cast Jonah into the sea and a huge fish swallowed him. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Truths found in this verse include the prepared fish, the providential fact, the prophetic figure, and the prophet’s fate.
If God had “predestined” the city of Nineveh to be saved then He would not need a preacher called Jonah. Any teaching that eliminates the need of soul winners here and abroad is from the pits of hell. Satan has won a great victory when he has tricked us into thinking we dont need to win people to Christ. Evangelism is the focus of the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the church. Would he have befriended prostitutes and drunks if there was no need for evangelism.
Don’t you ever let anything trick you into boarding a ship to run away from your mission field!!
False teaching, selfishness, laziness, pursuit of money, sports, fear, pride, ... which sin boat are you on?
1:17 The Lord prepared a fish (i.e. to send, to appoint)
2:1. Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly. Jonah is moved to pray to God from the stomach of the fish. God has finally put His prophet in the place where he would seek His face and submit himself to Him.
In His faithfulness, God has brought His prophet to the point where he can do nothing other than to submit to the will of God in prayer.
1. The Rebellious Prophet (ch. 1).
2. The Repentant Prophet (ch. 2).
A. The Servant Speaks (vv. 1–9).
The first verse of the prayer in chapter 2 summarizes the whole—“I was in trouble; I called to the Lord for help; he rescued me; I will give him thanks”—before elaborating on the nature and extent of the trouble (vv. 3-7a), mentioning the cry for help and the subsequent rescue (6b-7), and promising to give thanks (8-9). These elements, as well as much vocabulary and imagery found in Jonah’s prayer, appear also in other Hebrew psalms.
These references and others indicate that Jonah was familiar with prayers used in worship at the temple in Jerusalem; he knew “all the right words
He knew the words but didn’t personalize them until he was forced to.
These verses record Jonah’s
1. supplication (v. 1), prayed unto the LORD
2–4. Jonah’s prayer is poetic in form and has three movements, each beginning with a rehearsal of the prophet’s impossible situation and culminating in an expression of his faith in spite of his impossible circumstances.
2. suffering (v. 2), I cried by reason of my affliction
Sheol was a name for the place of residence of the dead, the underworld Jonah pictures himself in the belly of Sheol, its very center—in other words he is as good as dead.
3. statement (vv. 3–6), a. You cast me here
b. Your billows & waves roll over me
c. Your holy temple
v4-5 I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. This is the prophet’s first expression of faith, even though he is in a hopeless situation. —he will once again be in the presence of the Lord.
In all of this Jonah recognized the fact that he had experienced direct divine judgment. He also, by faith, expects to experience direct divine mercy and restoration.
v5–6. This is the second movement of Jonah’s prayer. Once again, he begins by rehearsing his situation (vss. 5–6a). The waters compassed me about … the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. The great fish descended to the depths of the sea, and everything that found its way into the fish’s stomach also entwined itself around Jonah. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption.
The second movement ends with this expression of faith (2:6b), in which the prophet recognizes that Jehovah delivered him safely from corruption, the corruption that his body would have experienced had Jehovah not delivered him.
v7–9. When my soul fainted within me. The third movement begins again with a reminder of the prophet’s impossible conditions
4. submission (vv. 7–8), a. fainted (When my life was ebbing away)
b. remembered
c. prayed
5. singing (v. 9).
I will pay that that I have vowed. The experience in the fish’s belly brought Jonah to his senses. He now affirms his repentance and intention to obey Jehovah with a sacrifice, … the voice of thanksgiving, and with keeping his vow (vs. 9). These expressions show that Jonah was deeply sensitive to God’s merciful undertaking in his behalf.
B. The Sovereign Speaks (v. 10). This verse reminds us of
the faithfulness of Jehovah,
the freedom of Jonah, and
the focus on Jehovah and Jonah.
God caused the fish to vomit Jonah up on dry land. God hears and heeds the prayers of His people.
Alexander Mackay of Scotland was sent to Africa by the Church Missionary Society (Anglican) in 1876. He was an engineer by profession and a jack of all trades who was conversant in linguistics and theology. Mackay’s heart was set on Africa and at last the call came. On November 15, 1875, a letter appeared in the columns of the Daily Telegraph. It was from H. M. Stanley, the famous explorer who had found Livingstone, and it told of the needs of the ancient kingdom of Uganda.
"Here, gentlemen, is your opportunity," it concluded. "Embrace it! The people on the shores of the Nyanza call upon you."
At age twenty-six Alexander Mackay headed for Africa. But before he left he and the seven other missionaries who were bound together for service in Africa met for a farewell meeting with the committee of the Church Missionary Society.
Each of the missionaries said a few words, the last speaker being the youngest of the party, Alexander Mackay. There was a stillness in the room as the erect young Scot spoke:
"There is one thing," he said, "which my brethren have not said, and which I want to say. I want to remind the committee that within six months they will probably hear that one of us is dead."
All eyes were fastened on him as he went on: "Yes, is it at all likely that eight English men should start for Central Africa and all be alive six months after? One of us at least--it may be I--will surely fall before that. But when the news comes, do not be cast down, but send someone else immediately to take the vacant place."
Mackay’s words were still ringing in the directors’ ears when the news came that one of the eight had died. A ghastly total of five of them succumbed to the African graveyard in the first year, and by the end of the second, Mackay was the only one left.
3. The Re-commissioned Prophet (ch. 3).
A. The Willing Prophet (vv. 1–4).
1. The Renewed Commission (vv. 1–2).
God is a God of second chances. Illustrations abound that confirm this—Peter, Thomas, John Mark, and Samson. God disciplines Jonah for his rebellion, Jonah repents, and the word of the Lord comes a second time. This time Jonah is ready to obey God’s word.
What is our commission? Go Ye!
>> How ? 2 Timothy 2:22 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
>>>^* Billy Graham said that “2 Tim 2:2 is like a mathematical formula for spreading the gospel and enlarging the church. Paul taught Timothy; Timothy shared what he knew with faithful men; these faithful men would then teach others also. And so the process goes on and on. If every believer followed this pattern the church would reach the entire world with the gospel in one generation! Mass crusades in which I believe and to which I have committed my life, will never finish the great commission: but a one-by-one ministry will.”
God did not change the task but changed His man. -- We are changed too!
(Acts 1:8 KJV) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
2. The Ready Compliance (vv. 3–4). Jonah is as ready to obey now as he was to disobey in the beginning.
B. The Wicked People (vv. 5–9). The people of Nineveh responded to the message of Jonah.
Irene Smith was a Quaker and a missionary to Japan for some fifty years. Sensei became her name to the Japanese. She first went to Japan about 1915 under the Japan Evangelistic Band from her native Ireland. Her first assignment was to serve in the Tokyo Rescue Home, which sought to save prostitutes from their entrapment in the government-licensed brothels. In this early experience, Sensei learned how these young girls, who were unwanted by their parents, were sold into a life of prostitution and trained from their earliest years to know no other experience. These days in the Tokyo Rescue Home were very discouraging to Sensei, because these girls, no matter how they seemed to repent of their past, would so often revert to their life of immorality as soon as they regained their health.
In the midst of this frustrating job a thought came to Sensei. It would be better to put a fence at the top of the precipice than an ambulance at the foot. And with that thought a vision was born--a vision of a home for unwanted girls--a home warmed by love and bright with God’s grace, a home where little girls, once destined for brothels and disease, could be brought up in happiness to lead full and useful Christian lives. And so for many years Sensei turned to the work of endeavoring to keep young girls from falling over this particular precipice.
Which is most important? Picking up the pieces in people’s lives after calamity has struck (running an ambulance service), or catching a few, as it were, midair in a net, or building fences to keep people from trouble in the first place?
They believed (v. 5).
It affected their behavior (v. 5).
The repentance began with the leaders and extended to the people (vv. 6–7).
They beseeched God for mercy (vv. 8–9).
C. The Wondrous Pardon (v. 10). God saw their conduct and spared the city. Divine judgment was averted.
Charles Malik, Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations, asked in a speech: "What has been the greatest American contribution to the rest of the world? Has it been money? Has it been food? Has it been medical skill? Has it been military might? Has it been industrial know-how?" Then he answered, "The greatest thing to come out of America has been the American missionary effort: the quiet, selfless men and women who have left the comfort and security of their homeland to bring the gospel of Christianity to less favored nations.
Tonight
4. The Raging Prophet (ch. 4). Jonah was filled with rage when God spared the city.
Do we use our own purpose statement or God’s?!
Billie Hanks Jr. (former Billy Graham evangelist, and current head of the International Evangelism association said the, “Over a period of time, the lack of personal ministry and good discipleship training can leave a church without a strong base of qualified lay leadership. As a result, a church staff may find itself carrying out the ministries counseling, hospital visitation, and evangelistic ministry largely on their own. This of course is unbiblical and unproductive.
A. The Grieved Prophet (vv. 1–5).
His grief (v. 1) in light of God’s action reveals his shortsightedness, selfishness, stubbornness, and superficiality.
His goals (v. 2) indicated that he knew this would be God’s response to the repentance of the people of Nineveh and he didn’t want God to withhold judgment.
His groaning (v. 3). Jonah wanted to die.
His grace (v. 4). God responded to Jonah’s attitude and actions with gentle, gracious grace.
His grudge (v. 5). He went out of the city and made a booth and sat in its shadow waiting to see what God would do.
B. The Gracious Provision (vv. 6–11). God dealt with Jonah by using:
the plant (v. 6),
(Phil 4:9 KJV) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
the pest (v. 7),
the passion (v. 8), and
the principle (vv. 9–11).
Conclusion: The love of God in our hearts will constrain us to that full commitment which God sought from Jonah and which he received so joyfully from Paul.
To be an effective servant of the Lord one must, like Jonah, die to the lusts, the attractions, allurements, and rewards which man has to offer and be content with the compensation which God gives. We must be worldwide witness. We must hear God’s call to a solemn, sacred stewardship of life and possessions.
By Melvin Worthington
