| God's Heart and Heartless Followers
All who seek to know God should cherish this account that so beautifully portrays His merciful heart. Jonah obviously did. He was so sure of the readiness of God's mercy to respond to all who come to Him in humble, sincere repentance for the sins they have committed. This account also reveals what is many times the case with God's own people. We often do not share in the heart of the One we say we know. Jonah provides us with a tragic example of this. History tells us that Nineveh was an enemy of the Jews. And it is clear that Jonah had little interest in doing anything that might result in God's blessing and prosperity for those who had wronged his own people and sinned against God. This is all too common. How rare it is for Christians to sincerely seek to bring a blessing to those who are our political or religious enemies. We all know those, such as these Ninevites, who are so lost that they do not know their "right hand from their left." Their blind ignorance of God and His will had drawn them into ever-growing darkness. Too often we assume that we should just stand back and let judgment fall. But to have such a callous attitude is a warning for us just as much as the warning these Ninevites needed. Our hearts are far from God too. We are not walking in God or with Him. At the first signs of such a lack of pity for those on a path to destruction, we must repent because our own path is also leading us away from God. When we turn our backs on the grace, mercy, and abundant lovingkindness that God offers a sinful world, we are in serious trouble. What we learn from this account is that God seeks so much to reach those ignorant of Himself that He will even use a man like Jonah. The people of Nineveh were brought to repentance and faith in the One true God through a very reluctant servant. | |||
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Jonah 1:1-4:11 Jonah's Disobedience 1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. The Storm at Sea4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish." 7 And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" 9 So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." Jonah Thrown into the Sea10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?"—for the sea was growing more tempestuous. 12 And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You." 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows. Jonah's Prayer and Deliverance17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 21 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, 3 For You cast me into the deep, 4 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; 7 "When my soul fainted within me, 8 "Those who regard worthless idols 9 But I will sacrifice to You 10 So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Jonah 3Jonah Preaches at Nineveh1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journeyin extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" The People of Nineveh Believe5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. Jonah 4Jonah's Anger and God's Kindness1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" 4 Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" 5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." 9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" 10 But the LORD said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?" | |||
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| Jonah 1:1-4:11 v. 1 Jonah son of Amittai – Jonah, of the tribe of Zebulun, was from the city of Gath-hepher in lower Galilee. He prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam the Second and Joash (two kings of Israel), approximately 823 years before Christ. We are only given this one account of Jonah's prophetic duties in the scriptures. v. 2 Arise, go to Nineveh – Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. It is one of the oldest cities mentioned in the scriptures and was a three-day journey. Legend says it had walls 100 feet high wide enough for three chariots to drive side by side. Although just legend, this story states the greatness of Nineveh in the time of Jonah the prophet. Located west of the Tigris River, it is believed to have had many thousands living in it at the time of Jonah's mission. Their wickedness has come up before Me. – Nineveh was a great heathen city. In the records of Essarhaddon (son of Sennacherib the Assyrian king) we read about the torture and humiliation of his enemies before the entire city. There are records of the many Assyrian superstitions, some similar to our modern-day Friday the 13. The Assyrians were extremely cruel to their enemies. In Nahum 3:19, the Lord asks Assyria, "for who has not felt your endless cruelty?" v. 3 Jonah…sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD – Jonah first went to Joppa, the nearest port to Jerusalem on that side of the Mediterranean. We are not exactly certain about the modern name or location of Tarshsish. It was perhaps the city of Tarsus in Cilicia or Tartessus in Spain near the straits of Gibraltar, among others. v. 4 a mighty tempest on the sea – These winds were common in the area between the beach towns of Dora (in Manasseh) and Joppa. v. 5 every man cried out to his god – The crew on Jonah's ship were all pagans and probably worshipped several different idols. They cried to their gods in fear, but the tempest did not cease. Ironically, Jonah was fast asleep below deck. v. 7 let us cast lots – This ancient practice was probably like flipping a coin or drawing straws. In some specific cases in scripture, it appears that God may have actually directed the lots (Josh. 18:10, Acts 1:26). This appears to have been one of those cases. v. 8 for whose cause is this trouble – Some ancient thought believed tragedy was the result of defying or angering the gods. Even Job's friends told him that he suffered because they believed he had sinned and needed to beg for God's mercy (Job 11). v. 9 I am a Hebrew – This was the name by which Israel was known to its foreign neighbors throughout the Old Testament era. Amongst themselves they would use the title "Israel," which is the name God gave to their forefather Jacob. When using "Israel," they are calling themselves the sons of Abraham, who is the father of all Jews. I fear – This could also be translated, "I am a worshipper of the God of heaven." God of heaven – Jonah explains that the Lord made the sea and the dry land. This immediately makes the Lord superior to their simple idols. v. 10 What shall we do to you – The lots have fallen upon Jonah as the author of the sin for which God is aroused to anger. Their thoughts now turn to what they might do to satisfy God's anger that His fierce storm may desist. In a time when sacrifice supposedly satiated the needs of the gods, this would have been a legitimate question. "How might we satisfy the anger of this God?" (v. 16) v. 12 Pick me up and throw me in – The men tried to not throw Jonah in the water, as they feared that taking his life would anger God more (v. 13-14). At their wit's end, they plead with God and throw Jonah overboard. v. 16 the men feared the Lord – The word "fear" here is the same word Jonah uses to describe his awe and worship of God. By the nature of their encounter with the real and true God, these men both fear and worship Him. v. 17 a great fish – Note the words used are "a great fish." In the Mediterranean it would not have been strange for a large shark to swallow a man whole. This incident can be explained scientifically, but more importantly, there is the idea of God preparing this great fish to swallow Jonah. This, much like the lots and the calming storm, was an act of God. Jonah 2v. 1 Jonah prayed – It appears that this particular prayer was a prayer of thanksgiving after Jonah had been released from the fish. It reflects on his prayers the previous three days from within the fish. v. 2 Out of the belly of Sheol – Jonah speaks in hyperbole here. Sheol was considered to be the home of the dead and some versions translate it as hell. The reality is that Jonah is still inside the belly of the fish but his metaphor describes the sheer misery he experienced. v. 4 I have been cast out of Your sight – This thought is similar to what Paul meant when he wrote, "Therefore God…gave them up" (Rom. 1:24). It implies a form of rejection; a sense of feeling deserted by God. Yet I will look again toward – "To look toward" is an expression that implies putting one's hope and faith in the named object. The object of Jonah's hope is God. v. 5 brought my life from the pit – Jonah explains his agony for three days as being left for dead. Thus his deliverance from the fish is likened to resurrection from the grave. v. 8 forsake their own mercy – Idols are merely images carved and molded by men. They are inanimate blocks that men worship in sheer vanity. Men can receive no form of salvation nor deliverance from their sins or their dilemmas. They exchange the saving God of heaven for a dead stone that cannot interact or reason with them (Rom. 1:18-23, Is. 1:18). v. 10 God spoke – God commanded the fish to give up Jonah from his imprisonment, and it immediately obeyed Him. Jonah 3v. 1 The second time – The original message has not changed nor has God's merciful focus upon the Assyrians in Nineveh (1:2). God's warning of destruction is an act of mercy and an opportunity for repentance. v. 3 Jonah arose and went – The city was believed to be about 18 miles from end to end (a three-day journey on foot). Upon his first day's journey through the city, Jonah began to cry out a mantra to Nineveh, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." v. 5 Nineveh believed God – The Ninevites believed in God and listened to the voice of His prophet. They put on sackcloth, a garment reserved for anguish and repentance. Even the king wore sackcloth and sat in ashes, another image of grief and regret, and then ordered the city to fast for a time that they might cry out to God for mercy and turn from their evil ways. v. 9 if God will…relent – The king poses a question. This question appears to be a quote from the prophet Joel (2:14). This question mixed with his actions shows a familiarity of the Jewish historical law. v. 10 God saw their works – The Old Testament focuses primarily on the Jews and their consistent rebellions and repentances before God. Here, in the book of Jonah, is a unique moment of a non-Jewish nation repenting before God and receiving God's mercy. This foreshadows God's plan to bring salvation to the Gentiles (Ps. 117, Is. 42:1, Matt. 12:18-21). Jonah 4v. 1 Jonah…became angry – God has mercy on the Assyrians and this displeased Jonah. The expression used to describe Jonah's intense anger can also be translated as "very grieved." v. 2 take my life from me – Jonah clings to his own will for the destruction of the Assyrians. He complains to God that sparing the Assyrians was exactly what he feared God would do. In his displeasure, Jonah acknowledges God's character, that He is full of grace and mercy, even toward the pagans, quoting the prophet Joel almost word for word (Joel 2:13). v. 4 Is it right – God questions Jonah's anger as to make him aware of the hardness of his heart. Mercy is a part of God's nature, thus anger over a lost sinner would be appropriate. Therefore, anger over God's mercy upon a sinner is unreasonable. v. 5 Jonah went out of the city – Jonah's exit from the city is leading up to God's answer to the question He initially asked Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry?" Upon settling on the east side of the city, Jonah is momentarily grateful for a plant God provided for shade. v. 7 God prepared a worm – God provided the plant, and God took it away. No longer is Jonah protected from the harsh desert conditions. v. 8 vehement east wind – A dry and sandy eastern wind. Combined with the desert sun this caused him great discomfort. v. 9 is it right – This is the second time God asks Jonah if he has any right to be angry. The question is rhetorical, designed to expose the folly in Jonah's heart. Jonah replies irreverently (Matt. 12:34-35). v. 10 You have had pity on the plant – God answers the question He gave Jonah ("Is it right for you to be angry?"). Jonah has had no part in the making of the plant and has no right to be angry at its decay. The plant and its passing is a metaphor for the 120,000 souls in Nineveh. Jonah has no right to be angry at God sparing their lives and not the plant's life. v. 11 should I not pity Nineveh – This is the whole purpose of the book; God's grace upon undeserving souls who are willing to repent. This is the same plea that Abraham brought to God regarding Sodom in Genesis 18:23-33; that God should spare the righteous and repentant. | |||
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| "So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm." –Jonah 4:2 Lord, forgive us of our sin against You when we take our limited knowledge of You and try to twist and manipulate it to serve our own purposes. We know it is true, God, that You are gracious, merciful, and slow to anger. Keep us from thinking that we know better than You do. Give us hearts that live to expect the unexpected from You. | |||
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Jonah 4:2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
Junior High Ministry
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