Responding to God’s Call – Jonah 1:1-3; 4-12, 17; 2:1-2
Responding to God’s Call – Jonah 1:1-3; 4-12, 17; 2:1-2
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 2, 2007 AM
Have you ever received a sign from God? Has God ever directly given you a message about what He wants you to do? A few years ago billboards in some cities had humorous yet serious messages from God. People often smiled at the idea of God communicating with us through ordinary road signs. Some people today, even some who believe that God exists, reject as absurd the idea that God wants to communicate with human beings, but we will discover that He indeed does!
Christians, in fact, know that God is real and that He communicates with us today. He speaks to us primarily through His written Word, the Bible. We also communicate with Him through prayer, a sermon, or during a quiet time alone with Him. Christians believe that God wants all people to know Him personally and that God wants to communicate through believers the good news about the salvation He has provided in Jesus Christ. Some believers, however, are reluctant to obey God in sharing His truth with people who need to hear it and respond to it. Jonah was one such individual. In these verses we will discover how we are to respond to God’s call.
READ: Jonah 1:1-3; 4-12, 17; 2:1-2
The Book of Jonah is part of the section of the Old Testament called the Minor Prophets. “Minor” referring to the size of the book, not the message they contain. There is nothing “minor” about the events in the Book of Jonah. They occurred in the eighth century B.C. and much of the story took place outside of Israel. We find that the Book of Jonah begins with the Lord’s commanding Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach against its wickedness. Jonah disobeyed God and boarded a ship headed to Tarshish. When responding to God’s call, there is a danger in…
I. Refusing God’s Leadership (Jonah 1:1-3)
1. Responding to God’s call requires our loyalty! The Book of Jonah begins abruptly. We are given very little information about Jonah. He is identified as the son of Amittai. The name Jonah means “dove” and Amittai means “true” or “loyal.” Jonah received the word of the Lord. How he received that message is not described for us. We do not know exactly how the Lord’s word came to Jonah but we do know that God communicated His message clearly to the prophet. The Lord’s message to Jonah begins with two commands. First, the Lord said, “Get up!” The Hebrew indicates a sense of urgency. Second, the Lord commanded, “Go to . . . Nineveh.” Nineveh, the greatest of the capitals of the ancient Assyrian Empire, was located on the bank of the Tigris River in Mesopotamia. And Third, God commanded Jonah to preach against the city! Can you imagine? A pious Hebrew going to a wicked city of people who hated Hebrews anyway to preach repentance! However, rather than heading northeast toward Nineveh, Jonah chose to flee to Tarshish. (Probably a seaport in Spain, about 2,000 miles west of Israel.) Jonah rebelled against God rather than following God’s leadership for his life. Jonah foolishly thought that he could flee from God’s presence. In refusing God’s leadership to witness to a lost city, it calls into question of where Jonah’s loyalty was.
EXAMPLE: We may say we love Jesus, but what excuses do people today use for not following God’s leadership in their lives in witnessing to others? Some might fear rejection by the persons they try to witness to about Jesus. Others might worry that they could not answer another person’s questions about God. Although Jonah is a classic example of someone who resisted God’s leadership, the Bible portrays others who willingly followed the Lord. At this Christmas season, consider the positive example of the young girl Mary. She quickly and openly submitted to her role as God’s servant in giving birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-38).
Why did Jonah disobey God? Perhaps he was prejudiced against the Assyrians, who were enemies of Israel. Maybe Jonah worried about his personal safety in the wicked city of Nineveh. Later Jonah stated that he had not wanted to go to Nineveh because he knew God would forgive the Ninevites if they repented (Jonah 4:2). Jonah wanted God to punish Nineveh rather than to forgive the city’s inhabitants! If he preached there, they might escape divine judgment. I find it humorous therefore that instead of the Ninevites facing God’s judgment, Jonah, in refusing to respond to God’s call, ends up…
II. Experiencing God’s Discipline (Jonah 1:4-12,17)
1. Discipline can come in various ways when we refuse to respond to God! Jonah perhaps thought he could get away from God, but God is Lord over all nations and all natural forces, including the wind and the sea. The storm was so violent that the ship seemed ready to fall apart. While the pagans onboard began to pray, Jonah was fast (literally “deep”) asleep! When the captain finds Jonah asleep, he urges him to pray to his God as well! The sailors assume someone is at fault and began to cast lots to discover who. God, I believe, allowed it to fall on Jonah. His disobedience was discovered! He openly confesses that he is a Hebrew running from God! Jonah’s testimony about himself and his God, startled the sailors. They were even more afraid. The storm had intensified, and the sailors’ panic was reaching new heights. Jonah volunteered to be thrown overboard. He is unwilling to go witness to pagan Ninevites, but more than willing to die for pagan sailors! Instead, they to row toward dry land, but the storm prevailed. These pagans then addressed a prayer to Jonah’s God. They acknowledged that He was in charge of the storm. When they put Jonah overboard, however, the storm stopped. Then the sailors “feared the Lord even more” (v. 16) and they worshiped Him. God is not done with rebellious Jonah though. God appointed or “provided” a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah began experiencing God’s discipline in refusing to respond to God’s call.
EXAMPLE: When Jonah disobeyed, the Lord disciplined him. God sent a storm to afflict the ship on which Jonah was traveling. Ultimately the prophet was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish the Lord provided. God still disciplines His people today. Sometimes His discipline comes in the form of allowing us to suffer the consequences of our poor choices that result from the moral order He has established in the world. At other times He intervenes more directly in our lives. The writer of Hebrews noted that God’s discipline is similar to a parent’s discipline of a child (Heb. 12:7-11).
Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and three nights. Jesus mentioned this time reference in His discussion of the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:39-40). Our Lord compared Jonah’s time in the belly of the fish to His time “in the heart of the earth.” Jonah, like all disobedient children, needed to be disciplined when he refused to obey God’s call to witness. We find in Jonah’s example that we can either respond to God’s call or we may end up…
III. Submitting to God’s Authority (Jonah 2:1-2)
1. Confession is not just good for the soul, it helps us to respond to God! Jonah has nothing else to “focus” on but his situation! While Jonah was in the fish, he prayed. I cannot imagine what Jonah experienced but I do know about people who have turned to God in a crisis. Some do it out of sincerity, others out of desperation. Had Jonah prayed regularly to God before this time? Probably, otherwise I believe God would not have used him. Notice that Jonah called to God, and He answered. Jonah described his situation as being in the belly of Sheol. Jonah was as good as dead. His situation resulted from His own narrow-minded disobedience. However, God heard Jonah’s prayer and responds by rescuing him. Jonah had tried to run from God, but he experienced God’s discipline. We know from chapter 4 that Jonah continued to lack spiritual maturity. Nevertheless, his prayer in chapter 2 reflects a positive response to divine discipline. The Lord’s discipline led Jonah to turn to the Lord for deliverance and to submit to His will. Submitting to God means being willing to do whatever God asks us to do. God called Jonah to preach to His enemies. God might ask you to perform some other task. Whatever God asks us to do, we need to be ready and willing to respond to His call. It means submitting to God’s authority.
EXAMPLE: David C. McCasland writes that “In his book The Empty Church, historian Thomas C. Reeves says: ‘Christianity in modern America . . . tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain. What we now have might best be labeled Consumer Christianity. The cost is low and customer satisfaction seems guaranteed.’” God calls us to trust Him through faith in His Son Jesus and then to follow Him with a life of submission. Jonah needed to learn that in responding to God’s call requires us to submit to God’s authority.
Conclusion:
In responding to God’s call:
1. We are to follow the Lord’s leadership to share His truth with others.
2. We can expect the Lord to discipline us when we rebel against His leadership.
3. We are to respond to God’s discipline with submission, repentance, praise, and obedience.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 2, 2007 AM
Have you ever received a sign from God? Has God ever directly given you a message about what He wants you to do? A few years ago billboards in some cities had humorous yet serious messages from God. People often smiled at the idea of God communicating with us through ordinary road signs. Some people today, even some who believe that God exists, reject as absurd the idea that God wants to communicate with human beings, but we will discover that He indeed does!
Christians, in fact, know that God is real and that He communicates with us today. He speaks to us primarily through His written Word, the Bible. We also communicate with Him through prayer, a sermon, or during a quiet time alone with Him. Christians believe that God wants all people to know Him personally and that God wants to communicate through believers the good news about the salvation He has provided in Jesus Christ. Some believers, however, are reluctant to obey God in sharing His truth with people who need to hear it and respond to it. Jonah was one such individual. In these verses we will discover how we are to respond to God’s call.
READ: Jonah 1:1-3; 4-12, 17; 2:1-2
The Book of Jonah is part of the section of the Old Testament called the Minor Prophets. “Minor” referring to the size of the book, not the message they contain. There is nothing “minor” about the events in the Book of Jonah. They occurred in the eighth century B.C. and much of the story took place outside of Israel. We find that the Book of Jonah begins with the Lord’s commanding Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach against its wickedness. Jonah disobeyed God and boarded a ship headed to Tarshish. When responding to God’s call, there is a danger in…
I. Refusing God’s Leadership (Jonah 1:1-3)
1. Responding to God’s call requires our loyalty! The Book of Jonah begins abruptly. We are given very little information about Jonah. He is identified as the son of Amittai. The name Jonah means “dove” and Amittai means “true” or “loyal.” Jonah received the word of the Lord. How he received that message is not described for us. We do not know exactly how the Lord’s word came to Jonah but we do know that God communicated His message clearly to the prophet. The Lord’s message to Jonah begins with two commands. First, the Lord said, “Get up!” The Hebrew indicates a sense of urgency. Second, the Lord commanded, “Go to . . . Nineveh.” Nineveh, the greatest of the capitals of the ancient Assyrian Empire, was located on the bank of the Tigris River in Mesopotamia. And Third, God commanded Jonah to preach against the city! Can you imagine? A pious Hebrew going to a wicked city of people who hated Hebrews anyway to preach repentance! However, rather than heading northeast toward Nineveh, Jonah chose to flee to Tarshish. (Probably a seaport in Spain, about 2,000 miles west of Israel.) Jonah rebelled against God rather than following God’s leadership for his life. Jonah foolishly thought that he could flee from God’s presence. In refusing God’s leadership to witness to a lost city, it calls into question of where Jonah’s loyalty was.
EXAMPLE: We may say we love Jesus, but what excuses do people today use for not following God’s leadership in their lives in witnessing to others? Some might fear rejection by the persons they try to witness to about Jesus. Others might worry that they could not answer another person’s questions about God. Although Jonah is a classic example of someone who resisted God’s leadership, the Bible portrays others who willingly followed the Lord. At this Christmas season, consider the positive example of the young girl Mary. She quickly and openly submitted to her role as God’s servant in giving birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-38).
Why did Jonah disobey God? Perhaps he was prejudiced against the Assyrians, who were enemies of Israel. Maybe Jonah worried about his personal safety in the wicked city of Nineveh. Later Jonah stated that he had not wanted to go to Nineveh because he knew God would forgive the Ninevites if they repented (Jonah 4:2). Jonah wanted God to punish Nineveh rather than to forgive the city’s inhabitants! If he preached there, they might escape divine judgment. I find it humorous therefore that instead of the Ninevites facing God’s judgment, Jonah, in refusing to respond to God’s call, ends up…
II. Experiencing God’s Discipline (Jonah 1:4-12,17)
1. Discipline can come in various ways when we refuse to respond to God! Jonah perhaps thought he could get away from God, but God is Lord over all nations and all natural forces, including the wind and the sea. The storm was so violent that the ship seemed ready to fall apart. While the pagans onboard began to pray, Jonah was fast (literally “deep”) asleep! When the captain finds Jonah asleep, he urges him to pray to his God as well! The sailors assume someone is at fault and began to cast lots to discover who. God, I believe, allowed it to fall on Jonah. His disobedience was discovered! He openly confesses that he is a Hebrew running from God! Jonah’s testimony about himself and his God, startled the sailors. They were even more afraid. The storm had intensified, and the sailors’ panic was reaching new heights. Jonah volunteered to be thrown overboard. He is unwilling to go witness to pagan Ninevites, but more than willing to die for pagan sailors! Instead, they to row toward dry land, but the storm prevailed. These pagans then addressed a prayer to Jonah’s God. They acknowledged that He was in charge of the storm. When they put Jonah overboard, however, the storm stopped. Then the sailors “feared the Lord even more” (v. 16) and they worshiped Him. God is not done with rebellious Jonah though. God appointed or “provided” a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah began experiencing God’s discipline in refusing to respond to God’s call.
EXAMPLE: When Jonah disobeyed, the Lord disciplined him. God sent a storm to afflict the ship on which Jonah was traveling. Ultimately the prophet was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish the Lord provided. God still disciplines His people today. Sometimes His discipline comes in the form of allowing us to suffer the consequences of our poor choices that result from the moral order He has established in the world. At other times He intervenes more directly in our lives. The writer of Hebrews noted that God’s discipline is similar to a parent’s discipline of a child (Heb. 12:7-11).
Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and three nights. Jesus mentioned this time reference in His discussion of the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:39-40). Our Lord compared Jonah’s time in the belly of the fish to His time “in the heart of the earth.” Jonah, like all disobedient children, needed to be disciplined when he refused to obey God’s call to witness. We find in Jonah’s example that we can either respond to God’s call or we may end up…
III. Submitting to God’s Authority (Jonah 2:1-2)
1. Confession is not just good for the soul, it helps us to respond to God! Jonah has nothing else to “focus” on but his situation! While Jonah was in the fish, he prayed. I cannot imagine what Jonah experienced but I do know about people who have turned to God in a crisis. Some do it out of sincerity, others out of desperation. Had Jonah prayed regularly to God before this time? Probably, otherwise I believe God would not have used him. Notice that Jonah called to God, and He answered. Jonah described his situation as being in the belly of Sheol. Jonah was as good as dead. His situation resulted from His own narrow-minded disobedience. However, God heard Jonah’s prayer and responds by rescuing him. Jonah had tried to run from God, but he experienced God’s discipline. We know from chapter 4 that Jonah continued to lack spiritual maturity. Nevertheless, his prayer in chapter 2 reflects a positive response to divine discipline. The Lord’s discipline led Jonah to turn to the Lord for deliverance and to submit to His will. Submitting to God means being willing to do whatever God asks us to do. God called Jonah to preach to His enemies. God might ask you to perform some other task. Whatever God asks us to do, we need to be ready and willing to respond to His call. It means submitting to God’s authority.
EXAMPLE: David C. McCasland writes that “In his book The Empty Church, historian Thomas C. Reeves says: ‘Christianity in modern America . . . tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain. What we now have might best be labeled Consumer Christianity. The cost is low and customer satisfaction seems guaranteed.’” God calls us to trust Him through faith in His Son Jesus and then to follow Him with a life of submission. Jonah needed to learn that in responding to God’s call requires us to submit to God’s authority.
Conclusion:
In responding to God’s call:
1. We are to follow the Lord’s leadership to share His truth with others.
2. We can expect the Lord to discipline us when we rebel against His leadership.
3. We are to respond to God’s discipline with submission, repentance, praise, and obedience.
Comments