I Am Jonah

Introduction

Good morning. Imagine with me a world where there are people of one religion, and perhaps even a figurehead of that religion. And their goal, stated or otherwise, is to take members of another religion, let’s call it Christianity, and have them killed. Have them put in prison. Have them tortured. Imagine a world where that actually happened. Imagine where it was like that. Are you thinking of a time where there is a religious group seeking to persecute and come after Christians or members of the way? Perhaps you’re thinking of right now. If y’all can give me my microphone, please, I don’t want to shout the whole system. But I’ll start for now until I get a thumbs up, meaning that you can hear me. Can you hear me?

This is not a Verizon commercial. Okay. When you think about Acts chapter 8, turn there with me in Acts chapter 8. You may think of this morning. You may think we live in a time that there are religious groups seeking to persecute Christians. You think about that certain group that’s always in the news today. But this happened long ago in the Bible. Look with me in Acts chapter 8. And actually, let’s begin the reading in Acts chapter 7. Imagine how bad a man must be if he was going to put Christians to death. There we are. See, do I still have it over here? I do. Here we are. In Acts chapter 7 and verse 58, excuse me. Then they cast him out of the city, speaking of Stephen, and stoned him.

And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. If we can turn the microphone a little bit down, now I don’t want to whisper the whole time. I’m picky, I know. And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this in against them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And look at Acts chapter 8 and verse 1. And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Then look at Acts chapter 9, and you see that it is continuing.

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest. Now, if I told you about a man who is putting Christians to death, this is a man who is actively seeking them, dragging them off to the end of their life, or, if you want to consider this a better option, putting them in prison. What are your feelings towards that man? Well, they change a little bit when we consider it Saul, don’t they? We say, well, Saul, that’s going to be the Apostle Paul. He plays a pivotal role in Christianity. He’s written a lot of our New Testament canon. But I wonder, if we think about that group from the news, and we think about all that they’re doing to Christians today.

Do we give them the same benefit of the doubt that we do in our minds, Saul or Paul? How do we think of these people who actively persecute Christians in the real sense of persecution? Not just in the sense of belittling freedom of speech at the workplace or around neighborhoods. But people who actually put Christians to death. What are our thoughts towards them? And consider this thought. Are those thoughts that I have towards others from God? Or are they from somewhere else? We know in 1 Timothy chapter 2 that God desires that all men be saved. And so, to be consistent and to be like God, we need to think of others like we do Saul, who we know as Paul. Someone who is able and willing, if and when the time is right, and the gospel message is presented, when Jesus is presented to them, will have their sins washed away.

1. God Said Go Here, Jonah Said No

The same way that I seek to benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice. But I think there’s a great book that encapsulates this message, and I wonder sometimes, am I like this man? Well, you look with me at the book of Jonah this morning. I want to make some points from the book of Jonah. Largely we know the story, but any story of Jonah begins in chapter one. So look with me there at the book of Jonah. In chapter one, and let’s read the first three verses of that chapter. Jonah chapter one, in the first three verses, am I like Jonah? Well, first of all, we need to know what Jonah did. And in Jonah chapter one, beginning in verse one, it says, Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amitai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.

But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshus 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 Tarshus away from the presence of the Lord. So simply put, God said, Go here, and Jonah said, No, I’m going to go there. But think about Jonah at this time. There’s a date in 2 Kings chapter 14 and verse 25 that puts Jonah around the time of King Jeroboam II of the nation of Israel. So in your minds, think about this with me, roughly around the time of maybe 780 BC, maybe 790 to 780 BC is the time of Jonah prophesying here. Now, if that date sounds close to something, it is.

In 722 BC is around the time that Israel, the northern kingdom, was taken into captivity by guess who? Assyria. Now, let’s talk about Nineveh, that great city that Jonah was to go and speak to, about 70-ish ballpark years before this captivity takes place. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. Now think about that. Jonah, the prophet of God, the messenger of God, is told to go and teach the very people that just decades later, within that century likely, would come and take the people of Israel into captivity. And by the way, these people of Nineveh, these people of Assyria, were not just kind people that laid down this road of gold and gave the Israelites all the food that they could ever wish for and want. They were known for being ruthless, for being menacing as a nation, growing tireless in their oppression of the world at that time.

We know, of course, Assyria was a dominant world empire in their own right. Just decades following. And so consider that this is the Jonah, excuse me, this is the town, the city that Jonah did not go and speak to. Now there’s a lot of questions that come up in my mind. Why did he not want to go there? And secondly, did he really think he could get away from God? Did he really think by fleeing to Joppa and then to Tarshus that he was going to escape God? And what is the answer to that question? Well, no, he did not. We read that as you continue in verse 4. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so the ship threatened to break up.

Then the mariners were afraid. And notice this part about these mariners. And each cried out to his God. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had laid down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your God. Perhaps the God will give a thought to us that we may not perish. And we know the story.

He is the reason that these men’s lives are in jeopardy because he flee, he decided to try to flee from the Lord. And so, of course, what is the solution to that? Well, you see, eventually he is thrown overboard into the sea, swallowed up by a great fish. But I want to notice something, because we’re going to come back to this. Look at verse 16 with me. What is the conclusion of this? Yes, the storm subsides. But in verse 16, what is the reaction? Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly. And they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And of course, chapter 2 takes place, I guess you could say, from the belly of a great fish. And Jonah praised the Lord, and eventually he is delivered.

2. Nineveh Repented and God Relented

And in Jonah chapter 3 and verse 1, it says, Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you. God’s really just bent on Jonah going to Nineveh, isn’t he? Do you see that? Now I want to stop and make an interesting point here. When we talk about Nineveh, this capital of Assyria, is this a Jewish nation? No. Otherwise the captivity thing doesn’t really work out too well. Right? They come and take Israel into captivity. Now consider this fact. What was the message that Jonah preached to Assyria? Look with me in verse 3. Look down as we look at the message. Jonah finally does what God tells him to do.

And in verse 3, so Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breath. Jonah began to go into the city going a day’s journey, and he called out, yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So what is this message really? His message is repent, or you are going to perish. So what does this tell us about this Gentile nation? This strong evil city, especially as Jonah would view it. This city would be judged by God. This city actively was under the sovereignty of God. God was in control. First of all, they were doing things that were in disobedience in the eyes of the Lord. What that is, I’m not a hundred percent sure.

But God did see that they were doing something that was in violation of his expectations for them. But furthermore, we see what? Well, as the chapter unfolds and the king orders that the city turn to God essentially, we see that God would relent. Do you see that in verse 10? When the people turn in verse 10, when God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, can we see the repentance there? God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. What does that tell us? The Gentiles at the time of the law of Moses could be saved too. We don’t know what provision was there. We don’t know exactly what law they were to follow, but God absolutely did not reject all the nations except Israel.

It didn’t work that way. God knew what each people, what each nation should be doing. And in this case, going into the book of Jonah, the city of Nineveh was not doing that. Jonah gave them a chance at repentance, and they took it, and God spared them. He relented upon the disaster that he otherwise would have sent upon them. Interesting point on this very Gentile, very heathen nation that decided to turn to God. You want another interesting contact contrast? Here’s Jonah, the prophet of God, who, when God says go, he says no. He did not fulfill his commitment to God. But the people of Nineveh, when given the chance to repent, did. Now I’m curious as we think about this. Well, I want to go back to that question.

Why did Jonah not go there? It seems as if the hearts of the people were ready to be turned. You see that in verse 6. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles, let neither man nor beast herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we may not perish.

3. Jonah’s Hang Up: He Did Not Love His Enemies

Now let’s not lose track of who this is. This is that great evil nation, the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. And we’ve lost Jonah for a little bit. What is Jonah’s hang up here? Why would he not just go? Do you think it was because he just thought the case was hopeless? Was it because Jonah just thought, I’m not going over there. They’re not going to turn and listen to me. They’re not going to hear my message. They’re evil. That’s why you’re going to destroy them in the first place. Well, no, that’s not it. Do you think he was afraid for his life? Well, no, that’s not it either. In fact, the Bible records for us what Jonah’s hang up was. Look with me in chapter 4.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. Uh-oh, what happened? Well, do you see the one verse before it? What was that verse before it that made Jonah so upset? What made this prophet of God so angry that he was exceedingly displeased? God had relented from the disaster that he was going to send on the people of Nineveh. How can that be? Might it be because Jonah did not love his enemies? We know, of course, in Matthew chapter 5 that Jesus commands us that we are to treat our enemies well. We are to love our enemies. But consider Jonah’s love wasn’t there. This prophet of God, you would think his entire message, his entire existence as a prophet of God, yes, he’s just a man.

But he would love this mass conversion, this great repentance of this great city, Nineveh. What a wonderful day for the Lord. But this displeased him. It made him angry. Why? Why was he upset about this in verse 2? And he prayed to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, is this not what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarsus, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster. He knew God would forgive them. He knew God had it in him to forgive, and he did not want those people to have that forgiveness. Yikes.

You know, it’s one thing to say love your enemies, and that means being kind to people when they cut you off, driving. It means being kind when your bosses don’t treat you well. And all these different aspects of loving your enemies, showing them true compassion and love. That’s absolutely a part of loving your enemies. But is there any greater love than caring for the souls of all mankind? Let’s remember again in 1 Timothy chapter 2. Who is it that desires all men be saved? God does. Who in this story did not, apparently? Jonah. Whose viewpoint do I have? When I think about all that persecution, I think about the time of Saul. If I was a Christian around the time of Saul, would I want him to be saved?

I’ve got to tell you I’d have to do some real soul searching there. Can you imagine being in the family of those who had been dragged off by Saul and put to death? Those who were dragged off by Saul to prison. I don’t root for those people. I root against those people, but that viewpoint is not from God. The soul of man is the absolute most important thing. We teach that. We think that ourselves. But do we show that to others? And my question is, Jonah was a prophet of God. And do you know what command basically he broke of the Lord’s? Not going and teaching the message. I know. I teach. I think, I feel, I know I am to help others learn about Christ.

But do I teach them? Let me ask you a question. Do we even teach those who we love and who we hope come to God? Have you talked to them recently? Have I? Can I think of a time in the past two or three weeks that I’ve reached out to somebody that I love and talked to them about Jesus? Maybe we’ve done that. That’s wonderful. That’s fantastic. That’s great. Have I reached out to those that I don’t think will accept the message? I want to make a point about loving our enemies. If we see someone or a group of people, and we see how vicious and vile they are, absolutely, it is upsetting. The Christian abhors what is evil and clings to what is good. That’s how we have love without hypocrisy, Romans 12, verse 9.

But do I love my enemies enough to not prejudge them? Will you consider with me a moment? If I decide I am not going to teach someone about Christ, if I’m not going to talk to them about Jesus and the salvation that they can be offered, the only thing that I am guaranteeing is that they will never come to Christ because of me. That’s the only thing that I can guarantee about not speaking to someone about the gospel message. It doesn’t mean they won’t come. They might. Maybe some other Christian will touch them. But can I tell you what it also might mean? It might mean that nobody ever teaches them that they can have their sins forgiven. How much hate do we have to have in our heart to hope that upon others?

4. Jonah Lacked Humble Compassion

How immature, pitiful, sad, pathetic does Jonah look in chapter 4 and verse 1, when the people relent when God relented from the disaster on the people of Nineveh, and verse 1 of the scripture reveals that it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. That’s an awful look on him, but can I tell you that when I think that, whether privately or publicly, about groups of people or individual people, I’m just as pathetic. That’s just as wrong. That is not how God views us, and likewise should not be how we view others. Do you see this? Jonah lacked humble compassion. I want to zone in on these two words to complete the lesson this morning. Read with me how the text continues, beginning in verse 3. After Jonah is praying, he says, Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.

And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it and in the shade till he should see what would become of the city. Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it might be a shade over his head to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. So when the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint.

And he asked that he might die and said, It is better for me to die than to live. But God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the plant? And he said, Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die. And the Lord said, You pity the plant for which you did not labor. Nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle. Jonah was showing himself a massive pity party. Am I like that sometimes? What was Jonah missing?

What went off the tracks here? What was wrong with this prophet of God? Why would he not be rejoicing that the people had turned to the Lord? He didn’t remember something that Jesus spoke on a lot. Well, you look at me in Matthew chapter 18. I want to look at Matthew chapter 18 quickly, and then I want to look at another New Testament passage. Consider the words of Matthew chapter 18. And we run into a great parable, a great story. And it’s that parable of the unforgiving servant. Do you remember it? It sets up in verse 23 of Matthew chapter 18, saying, Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle one, was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children all that he had and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. And you know how the story continues. What does the king do? He spares him. He doesn’t just say, Okay, you’re going to pay me in time. This was a debt that this man could not pay in time. He forgave him the debt. That’s a powerful story. Think about being forgiven of a debt you could not repay. But then the story continues. And do you notice in verse 28? But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe.

And the servant then asked for the same example of mercy and grace. He says, Have patience with me and I will pay you. But verse 30. He refused and what him put him in prison until he should pay the debt. Now the master was very upset by this. And you can imagine why. He was forgiven this unforgivable debt, this unpayable debt. It was cleared from his name. He didn’t have to work for it. He wasn’t thrown in prison until he should come up with it. He was forgiven. You see with me in verse 33, excuse me, through the end of the chapter. The king speaking to him says, And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you. And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt.

So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. This message is a message of perspective. That servant, we think, also pitiful, sad. We’re upset at him. How could you not forgive him? He needed to remember that he had been forgiven a massive debt. And he likewise should have shown that grace and that mercy towards his fellow servant who owed him a hundred denarii. Jonah forgot. I, a lot of times, forget. I’m forgiven by God of that unpayable debt. Without the blood of Christ, I could not be saved. Without him, I have no hope. But Jesus died on the cross for me. So what does that mean? What that means is when I’m thinking of others, when I’m teaching others, when I’m considering others, I need to be humble enough to realize I am nothing, whether I’ve been a Christian for five minutes or fifty years.

Because the blood of Christ, I need the blood of Christ just like everyone else in the world does too. Jonah forgot that, yes, the people of Israel were a special people to the Lord. But Jonah forgot that frankly, the people of Israel at this time in history were exceedingly wicked and growing ever more so to the fact that that very Assyrian nation would come and take them in captivity anyway. But it wasn’t even about that. It was about that God cares for all people. He doesn’t care for those who have been there the longest. I need the blood of Christ, and that needs to permeate throughout me. Will you look at Luke chapter 15? You see the example of the prodigal son. And you know that prodigal son has a tremendous story.

He comes back and the father there takes him with open arms. But do you know what sometimes we act like? Those who are Christians, those who have been doing this for a while, in verse 25, this son comes back. It’s a time of great rejoicing. Someone has been spared, and then the wet blanket is thrown on it, just like Jonah throwing his pity party in chapter 4 and verse 1, following the great news that the people of Nineveh had been spared. Look in Luke chapter 15 and verse 25. Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.

Note the older brother’s response. But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and treated him, but he answered his father, look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed a fattened calf for him. He said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad. For this your brother was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found. The older brother of the prodigal son lacked the humble compassion that Jonah lacked. I’m afraid sometimes I like that compassion.

Because to be frank, when I hear about nations or groups of people who come after Christians, or anybody, frankly, I want to think the worst. I want them to get what’s coming to them.

5. Will I Do These Same Things Jonah Did?

But without the grace of God, without the blood of Jesus, I would not dare want what’s coming to me. Because I know what Paula said is for the wages of sin is death. I earned death. When we think about others, when we think about these groups, when we think about my role in teaching others and being lights in the world by example or by our words and teachings, I need to realize I need Jesus just as much as anybody else. Jonah seemingly did not understand that message. God tried to teach him a message at the end of Jonah chapter 4. But I have to wonder, will I do these same things that Jonah did? Look back with me in Acts chapter 9. In Acts chapter 9, we have this man Saul.

This man Saul, who in chapter 9 and verse 1 was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest, and you know what he asked for? And he asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now in Acts chapter 9, there’s the great story we’re about to read, or we’re about to read about Paul, Saul being saved by the grace of Christ. He comes into contact with Christ. But do you know what he was going out to do? He was going out to have men and women of the way, Christian men and women bound and taken away.

And what happened with him in verse 3? Now, as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him, and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do. And we know what he did was he found Ananias. And we know that Ananias, in verse 17, departed, entered his house, and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes. He regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and taking food, he was strengthened. And we know in Acts chapter 22 and verse 16, it was the baptism that allowed his sins to be washed away. That was a tough spot for Ananias. In fact, Ananias says in verse 13, when he’s told to go speak to him, Lord, I’ve heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name. But know what the Lord’s response was in verse 15. But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Conclusion

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. We may not be speaking to someone who’s going to be the modern day equivalent of Saul or Paul. But we absolutely need to go, because we know that God desires that all men be saved. Brothers and sisters, it is time to teach. It is time to have compassion. Remembering that I was a sinner too. I need the blood of Christ now. I need it every single day. I need to be in the body of Christ. I need the Lord. And if I do, if Jesus can forgive me, then he can others too. We need to root for that. We need to not just root for it, we need to not be sour grapes about it.

We need to not only have sour grapes about it, we need to be on the front lines teaching and telling everyone the good news that the gospel is for everyone who believes. That is the gospel message. The God we serve loves everyone. It’s time to teach it. It’s time to do it. It’s time to be a Christian. And that involves loving others, not having a harboring heart of wickedness. Not hating our enemies, but loving our enemies. The Christian is going to fulfill their commitment to God. He’s going to love his enemies. And in humble compassion teach as many souls as he possibly can. That is the message that Jonah failed in. Absolutely, God used him to teach the people of Nineveh, and God spared them. And I know if God can spare even them, he can spare even me.

And if I can be spared, everyone else can be too. Will you go to our great God in heaven in prayer with me at this time? Our dear God and most wonderful and gracious, merciful and loving Heavenly Father, we pray, O Lord, that you forgive us of our sins. You forgive us of when we choose to not do as you have commanded. We pray that you forgive us of our arrogance and the times in which we might be tempted to think we’re better.

We pray that as we wish you to be forgiving, that we will forgive others, that as you are gracious and merciful, that we will be gracious and merciful to others. Lord, help us to be the best servants of yours that we can be. Help us to understand that your plan is a wonderful plan that allows us to be heirs according to the promise that you gave all the way back to Abraham. Help us to be with you, O Lord. Help us to act as Christians are to act, to teach, as children of yours are to teach. Lord, please help us to obey you. Help us to serve you in a pleasing way in your sight. And even this very morning, we pray that our praises and song and that our Bible studies will be in accordance with your will, seeking to understand what is your will, so that we can and will obey it even to the end of our days.

Thank you so much, O Lord, for having such grace and mercy upon us, giving us hope when otherwise we would have none. You are a mighty God, and we praise your name.

Pray that you help us understand that you are mighty. And in comparison to you, we are nothing. Lord, we know that you have made us something by sending Jesus the Christ to die on the cross for our sins. We pray that we always meditate on that fact, that we understand that, and we show that in our lives. It’s in His name we offer this prayer at this time. Amen. We’re now dismissed to our Bible classes.