To Go Down - A Lesson From Jonah's Life

To Go Down - A Lesson from Jonah's Life

Introduction:

Have you ever tried to run away from God? Have you ever felt like He was asking you to do something too hard, too scary, or too unpleasant? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you just ignored His voice and went your own way?

If you have, then you are not alone. There is a man in the Bible who did exactly that. His name is Jonah, and his story is one of the most fascinating and instructive in the Scriptures.

Jonah, the only prophet known to attempt to run away from a divinely appointed mission, lived during the time when Jeroboam II ruled Israel (the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom). He was from the town of Gath-Hepher in Galilee.

The city of Nineveh was the magnificent capital of the Assyrian Empire. The great palace of Sennacherib was without rival and contained seventy or more rooms. The city was home to more than 120,000 residents (at least twice the size of Babylon) and had no less than fifteen gates in the wall surrounding the city. During this period of time, it was probably the largest city in the known world. Built near the juncture of the Tigris River and its tributary the Khoser, it was served by an elaborate water system of eighteen canals. Nineveh had many suburbs, three are mentioned along with Nineveh in Genesis 10:11, 12. Nineveh’s extensive ruins are located near the modern city of Mosul, Iraq.

God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. But Jonah did not want to go. He hated the Assyrians, who were cruel and ruthless enemies of Israel. He feared that God might spare them if they repented. He thought that God’s mercy was unfair and undeserved.

So Jonah decided to flee from God. He boarded a ship heading to Tarshish, which was in the opposite direction of Nineveh. He thought he could escape God’s presence and His will.

But he was wrong. God saw him and pursued him. God sent a great storm on the sea, which threatened to destroy the ship and everyone on board. God exposed Jonah’s disobedience and guilt to the sailors, who threw him overboard. God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, who spent three days and three nights in its belly. God heard Jonah’s prayer and commanded the fish to vomit him out on dry land. God gave Jonah a second chance to obey Him and go to Nineveh.

Jonah’s story is a story of God’s sovereignty, grace, and compassion. It is also a story of human rebellion, stubbornness, and prejudice. It is a story that teaches us about ourselves and about God.

But it is also a story that shows us a pattern of descent. Jonah is literally a downer. The Hebrew verb, yarad (“to go down”), is used repeatedly in the first half of his story. As we follow his journey, we see four stages of going down:

1. He goes down to Joppa. (Jonah 1:3)

The first step in Jonah’s downward spiral is his departure from God’s will. He goes down to Joppa, which was a port city on the Mediterranean coast. There he finds a ship going to Tarshish, which was probably a city in Spain. He pays the fare and goes on board.

Jonah thinks he can run away from God by changing his location. He thinks he can avoid God’s call by going to a place where God is not known or worshiped. He thinks he can find peace and happiness by following his own desires.

But he is mistaken. God is everywhere, and He sees everything (Psalm 139:7-12). God’s call is not based on our preferences or feelings, but on His purposes and plans (Isaiah 55:8-9). God’s peace and happiness are not found in our circumstances or choices, but in His presence and obedience (Psalm 16:11).

Jonah’s first step down leads him away from God’s blessing and into trouble.

Application:

How about you? Have you ever tried to run away from God? Have you ever felt like He was asking you to do something too hard, too scary, or too unpleasant? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you just ignored His voice and went your own way?

Maybe you have not literally boarded a ship to Tarshish, but maybe you have done something similar in your heart. Maybe you have avoided God’s Word or prayer because you did not want to hear what He had to say. Maybe you have neglected your church or fellowship because you did not want to be accountable or challenged. Maybe you have pursued your career or hobbies or relationships or pleasures more than God’s kingdom or glory or will.

If you have, then you are going down. You are going away from God’s blessing and into trouble. You are missing out on the best that God has for you.