Sermon # 12 - What Is Our Identity? Series

We read in Jonah 1:8, Then the men said to Jonah, "It is your fault that this terrible thing is happening to us. Tell us, what have you done? What is your job? Where do you come from? What is your country? Who are your people?" (ERV)

The word of God came to Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah decided to disobey God. He undertook a journey in the exact opposite direction, and boarded a ship to Tarshish. The ship that Jonah journeyed in was met with a terrible tempest. In desperation, not knowing what to do, the entire crew on the ship call out to their gods. When the tumultuous tempest refused to die down, the men on the ship inferred that someone aboard that ship was responsible for this calamity. We have no idea how they came to this conclusion, but in order to find the wrong-doer, they cast lots, and sure enough the lot fell on Jonah. It was then that they all got together to interrogate Jonah.

The questions they asked Jonah pertained to his occupation, his country, people and also the reason for the adversity that had prevailed upon them. Most of these questions were in regard to his identity, as they wished to know who Jonah really was. Jonah was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh, and preach against their wickedness. Jonah refused to accept God’s call, but now he was found out, and was asked to give an answer as to his identity.

If anyone were to operate outside the will of God, the consequence for such an action will not be theirs, but will also adversely affect those around them. So also when one works in agreement with the will of God, the protection of God will not only be for them, but will extend to those around them as well. Like Jonah, when we miss doing the things that we are supposed to do, we will be put in a corner whereby we will be forced to do these things anyhow.

Generally, when we introduce ourselves to someone, we mention our name, the place we come from, and maybe our father’s name sometimes. However, read the reply that Jonah gave about himself.

1. Jonah introduced himself as a Hebrew

In Jonah 1:9 we read, Jonah said to them, "I am a Hebrew. I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the land and the sea." (ERV)

Jonah introduced himself as a Hebrew. If we want to know where this name Hebrew occurs for the very first time in the bible, we find it in the verse below.

The origin of the name Hebrew

We read in Genesis 14:13, One of the men who had escaped went to Abram the Hebrew and told him what happened. (ERV)

Abram was the very first person in the bible who was referred to as a Hebrew. The meaning of the word Hebrew, was one who belonged to the nation who worshipped the one true living God. Before Abram was called by God he had a different lifestyle, but after he heeded God’s call, and walked out in obedience, he became a Hebrew.

We read in Joshua 24:2, Then Joshua spoke to all the people. He said, "I am telling you what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you: 'A long time ago, your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. I am talking about men like Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor. At that time they worshiped other gods. (ERV)

Joshua the leader of Israel, was declaring to the people of Israel about their ancestors, as told by the God of Israel Himself. He explained to them that Abraham and his father Terah worshipped other gods, before the Lord called Abraham to follow after Him. This was God’s way of telling His people about the way of life that their father Abraham pursued before he came to know the God of Israel. A Hebrew was therefore one who followed after the one true living God.

Joseph was referred to as a Hebrew

We read in Genesis 39:14, She called to the men outside and said, "Look! This Hebrew slave was brought here to make fun of us. (ERV)

The next person who is referred to as a Hebrew is Joseph who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. Joseph too descended from Abraham, and worshipped the one true God. As Joseph languished as a slave in Egypt, where the ways and rituals of worship were in contrast to his own belief, Joseph never forgot that he was a Hebrew. There were two factors working against Joseph, one the fact that he was a slave, and the next that he was in a foreign land. Joseph was laboring as a slave in the house of Potiphar who was Pharaoh’s official.