November 19th | Jonah 1

Have you ever known you were supposed to do something, but you really didn’t want to? What is something that your parents ask you to do that you always find yourself putting off?

What are the things we know God has called us to do that we find really difficult to do? Sharing our faith can be difficult for us When it comes down to it we are probably just plain scared! But at the end of the day, that is just an excuse. I want you to know that I have been in your shoes. I remember being challenged to share my faith and being completely terrified. But I’ll tell you this, when I did share my faith, I always felt sure that I had done the right thing. There is no better feeling than sharing about Jesus with someone, because that is what we were made for!

God Calls Us to Obey Even When We Don’t Understand (1-2)

Jonah was called to share with the people of Ninevah. Up to this point, he was an Israelite prophet who had been sharing with the Israelites. The Israelites knew they had disobeyed God, so when Jonah prophesied against them, they listened and responded. But now God had called him to go to Nineveh, and this was a different story. 

Nineveh was a constant enemy of the Israelites so for Jonah the people of Nineveh would have posed a constant threat to him and his people’s safety. Also, the people were incredibly violent. They were said to have buried prisoners up to their heads in the sand and left them there to bake in the sun, and for birds to come and devour them until they died. So you can imagine Jonah not wanting to go. Not only was Jonah fearful of his life, but they were wicked people who didn’t deserve God’s mercy!

We do this in our culture too. We put limits on who is “worthy” of us loving and showing God’s mercy to. But just as Jonah received the call to go and preach to Nineveh, we have had a similar calling, which is to go and preach to everyone, Matthew 28:18-20. We might not always understand it, and it might not always be easy, but even when we don’t understand, we should obey. 

Disobedience Promises Freedom but It Leads Us Down (3-6)

Jonah isn’t just disobeying a command, but he is trying to turn his back on God. He is trying to escape God’s presence, meaning he is done with God and running from his faith. When we say no to God, we are not just running from one command, but we are rejecting Him, and it will lead us further and further away from Him. Look at the language that is used to describe Jonah’s actions: “he went down to Joppa, he went down into the inner part of the ship to sleep, and eventually he went down into the sea.” 

Jonah probably thought, "I will escape this command of God and be free to do what I want!" But sin never leads to freedom. It leads us down farther and farther into prison. If you think you are free to do what you want, try not to sin. I can stop gossiping about others any time I want, I can stop fooling around with my girlfriend or boyfriend any time I want, and I can stop looking at inappropriate things on my phone whenever I want. But we can’t. When we choose to disobey God’s commands, we are actively choosing to go down deeper and deeper into our sin. The devil is a good liar, and while sin looks enticingly like freedom, we quickly find it is chains that keep us down in despair. 

Our Failure to Obey Impacts Others’ Eternity (7-16)

Jonah is in the boat with the men and while they are all perishing he is asleep! They have all these gods that they begin praying to, but nothing is working, so they ask Jonah to wake up. Jonah tells them he is a Hebrew who worships the God who made the sea and the dry land. But look at Jonah’s response. He doesn’t tell them how to be saved personally; he gives them a quick fix solution: “throw me over.” 

It is amazing how these men are crying out to all these false gods for help and Jonah, the one who knows God who made the sea and controls the wind and waves is asleep! God has called us to share the good news with our friends, but we are sleeping! Our friends and culture are crying out for help, and we are too consumed with ourselves to help them turn to the God who can actually help them. Our friends are searching to identify with a group of people and community, so they are seeking to change their sexual identity because they don’t feel they can belong to the Christian community. They are depressed, so they are committing self-harm and taking pills or drugs to get high. Our friends are crying out to find help, and we are asleep! It is time for us to wake up, get over ourselves, and share the life-changing love of Christ with others!

If you notice, Jonah doesn’t help these men see who God really is or teach them to repent and turn to God. He is so stubborn that he would rather get thrown overboard in a raging sea than obey God’s commands! The men see the mighty hand of God in the calming of the sea, and they repent and offer sacrifices to God, but it is no thanks to Jonah. Don’t continue in your stubbornness but follow God and obey His commands. 

God Gives Grace In Our Stubbornness (17)

If you do find yourself to be stubborn, I have good news for you. God gives us grace and is patient with us. A big fish comes and swallows Jonah, and he is in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. Now you might be thinking, this is just a kid’s story, and this didn’t really happen. But if God created the heavens and the earth, surely he could make some giant sea animal that could swallow Jonah and keep him there for three days and three nights! It doesn’t have to be scientifically possible because it is a MIRACLE! Jesus healed the blind man's sight, made the lame walk, and brought the dead back to life. Surely he can make a giant fish that can swallow Jonah and keep him there for three days. 

Now, you might think that spending three nights in a fish is not a picture of God’s grace. God could have appointed a giant shark to come and tear Jonah apart, he could have let him drown in the storm, but no, He ALLOWED him to be eaten by this fish to bring Him to repentance. Look at how God is patient with us and is working to bring us back. This way back is not always easy, but God is so passionate about you and your obedience that he will fight for you and give you grace. STORY - Gold and Dross. 

We see Jonah in this dark and desolate place for three days. If you ever doubted God’s grace and His love for you, or that he fights for you, then remember Jesus, who also was in a dark and desolate place for three days. He went to the cross and endured our sin and shame. He was beaten and mocked and ridiculed so that you would be His! Now He is calling you to follow Him. He is asking that you obey and share this good news with your friends and the world. Would you obey Him today?