Ninevah or Jonah?
Jonah 1
INTRO: Eventually ask 2 important questions.
1. How we answer will dictate our fellowship with God, &
effect our future rewards
2. See God’s Call on Jonah’s life to go reach out to those in
Ninevah
I. Ninevah’s Predicament
A. Ninevah the Capital of Assyria, Israel’s Enemy 752-793 BC
1. Located what is now NE Iraq
a. though many things have changed a lot of things haven’t
2. People in Need of God
a. 4:11 ignorant helpless childish people, children 120,000
probably 1million pop takes 3 days to cover it 3:3
b. History records them as extremely cruel, evil, wicked &
idolatrous people
1. Made living off of raiding other nations & people
2. Wipe a town or country out & would not make a colony,
a. Just take the captives they want, kill the rest
b. For fun they would skin people alive, impale people on poles &
leave on city walls as a sign to enemies
c. If any people, culture, nation needed God in their life it is
the people of Assyria
3. Their wickedness is known to ALL
a. Specially to God
1. Nobody had to point it out, God isn’t blind to sin not ignorant to it
a. He hates it, it is abominable to Him He despises it. abhor
2. Not just a matter His Justice, but His Love & Mercy
a. God wants these people spared, saved
b. When God wants people saved, hopeless people have Hope
b. Their Wickedness is known to Jonah and Israel also
II. Jonah’s Predicament
A. Called of God to do something he doesn’t want to do
1. Why does he not want to do?
a. v9 fear God NOT Does Jonah fear God yet disobeys God
so blatantly? not enough fear
b. Hate Assyria? is He a Bigot? Possibly raciest prejudices
1. Don’t like those people, think they are inferior?
a. Nothing new to the Jewish mind, see that in NT
b. Gentiles = Dogs, Unworthy, Doesn’t care if God says otherwise
c. Patriot? Isaiah 7:17-20 prophesied
1. Assyria’s destruction of Israel
2. He loves Israel too much, maybe more than God
3. If God allows Assyria to live, then sometime in the future Israel
will be destroyed by them
4. His Patriotic feelings for Israel’s would rather see Ninevah
destroyed than Israel
2. What a conflict of heart
3. But it still comes down to Jonah’s will vs. God’s will
a. God has a message of Hope for Ninevah
4. History tells us of Jonah’s reluctant obedience after a ride
in a fish
a. Also tells us that Ninevah repentented
5. Sadly for whatever reason, Is. Prohecy also came to pass
a. It is the Assyrians who destroy the 10 Northern tribes of
Israel & we no-longer know of there whereabouts
b. Either through back-slidden conditions, or a lack of
growth they reverted back to their old sinful ways
6. But what about this generation in Ninevah?
a. What about Jonah’s responsibility to them, & His response
to God?
7. That generation was spared, delivered from God’s judgment
& punishment because of Jonah’s reluctant preaching
8. Relate to us today
III. Our world & our Predicament as Christians
A. Our World. Society’s Situation
1. We can talk about Iraq & the war & all the lives paying the
price to stop terrorism
a. Can dwell upon the U.S. responsibilities to save the world
2. BUT after seeing all the pictures of abuse by American GI’s
in those prisons,
a. There appears to not be a lot of rescuing or deliverance
going on.
*Kathaleen Parker of the Daily Oklahoman Sun 5-9-04
b. Tells it like it is there is something wrong with our society that is infecting the morals of our people. The conduct of these soldiers who most of us no doubt had known before this, would probably say just as their family & friends are defending them are saying, they are good people, they wouldn’t do this or it is out of character. Our cultures perverseness, sinfulness, immorality came out in them. the movies, the music, the entertainment & cultural values are stronger in the modern American than Moral values we profess to hold dear.
c. If we deliver Iraq from Saddam, which I am in favor of
1. Who will rescue America from our selves from our own sin that is
decaying our foundation?
B. The major questions for tonight
1. If revival had not taken place in Ninevah, who’s fault would
it had been?
a. Ninevah and their sin? God who sent Jonah? or Jonah
who refused to go?
2. If revival does not take place in our society, in our
community in our church who’s fault will it be?
a. Our sinful culture that feeds on Hollywood, Washington
D.C, the Homosexuals, the Abortionist?
b. God who gave us His Son, His Word, His spirit & Power,
1. Who sent us to make disciples to win people to help them be
forever changed by God’s Grace
c. Or us for not doing it
1. If we have wrong priorities, if our eyes are on their sins, if we are
complacent, lazy or to proud
3. How long will we have to stay in the belly of the fish before
we repent
4. What excuse will we have when we stand before God and
say why we didn’t go.
Pr 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
