The God Of Jonah

When it comes to exaggeration, we are reminded of the story of the little boy who was known for his problem with exaggeration. He came home from school one day and said, "Mom, I saw a dog as big as an elephant." The mother said, "Johnny, haven't I told you a billion times not to exaggerate!"

I can assure you, no part of this text is an exaggeration! The story of Jonah and the big fish is a historical fact.

HOW DO WE KNOW IT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAPPENED?

We know it is a historical fact because Jesus, Who knows all things, stated that it was true when He compared Jonah's being in the whale's belly three days and three nights, to His being in the tomb three days and three nights, and surviving.

We read in Matthew 12:40, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

You see, if you have a hard time believing in the story of Jonah, you will have a hard time believing in the resurrection of Christ. Christ stated that just as sure as Jonah had been in that whale's belly three days and three nights, so would the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth!

The book of Jonah is one of the most exciting books of the Bible. But contrary to what many think, the book of Jonah is not about Jonah, it is about the God of Jonah.

This reveals to us the kind of God that Jonah served. For example:

I. JONAH'S GOD IS A GOD OF CONCERN

Jonah's God is CONCERNED ABOUT EVERYONE! You CANNOT read the story of Jonah and not see that.

WHAT KIND OF GOD WAS THE GOD OF JONAH? He was a caring God!

We live in a world where people, even Christians, are concerned about a few people around them, but do not seem to have any concern for others beyond that small circle in which they live each day.

The lost world can truly say with the Psalmist, "no man cared for my soul."

God is not that way. He is concerned about EVERYONE - even the most despicable humans on this earth.

You may ask, "Can you prove that?" Yes, I can prove to you that God is concerned about people that no one else is concerned about.

Illus: The people of Nineveh were the most despised people on the face of the earth.

Look at Nahum 3:1, the prophet refers to Nineveh as, "...the bloody city."

DO YOU KNOW WHY? Because the people there were the cruelest and wickedest people who lived on earth.

• They were always at war with surrounding nations

• Once they conquered them, it was their custom to cut off their hands, feet, noses, ears, and pluck out their eyes with much delight. They thrived on being able to torture people in different ways

Everyone despised them, and they would all have been thrilled if God would have just wiped them from the face of the earth.

When God appeared to Jonah and told him He wanted him to go to Nineveh and preach repentance to them, Jonah did not want to go.

WHY DIDN’T HE WANT TO GO? Because he knew if they repented God would spare them, and Jonah did not want God to spare them. He wanted God to wipe these despicable people from the face of the earth!

Not only were the Ninevites known for their WICKED DEEDS, they were also known for their IGNORANCE.

Look at Jonah 4:11 we read, "And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand."

Notice, in this case, ignorance and Godlessness went hand in hand.

Illus: Jesus recognized this spiritual ignorance even as He died on the cross. He looked at those who crucified Him and prayed for them. Look at Luke 23:34, we read, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." People who do not know what they are doing are ignorant. Jesus knew this, and so He was telling the Father, "These people are ignorant, that is why they are doing what they are doing."

The surrounding nations knew these Ninevites were WICKED and IGNORANT and were dangerous.

Most of those people would have agreed with Jonah, that the best thing would be for God to destroy these Ninevites.

Aren't you glad that God is not like we are? There are people who once looked at some of the finest servants of God on this earth before they were saved, and thought they were WORTHLESS!