Sermon – Jonah 1 – Jonah Flees

Today, and possibly for several weeks, we will look at Jonah. His book is in the “minor prophets” section of the OT between Obadiah and Micah. This section is based on the length or size of the books and not their importance or rank. 2^nd Kings 14:25 lists Jonah as a prophet.
What do we know about Jonah from past sermons, studies, and Sunday School lessons?

So, why study Jonah? to learn from his actions … have we made the same choices? … how can we grow from this? … how did Jonah grow from this? … how does God show grace, mercy, and power?
Romans 15:4 (NLT) … Such things were written in Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT) … (1) The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: (2) “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” (3) But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.
This book starts right out with a command from the LORD … to go and pronounce judgment on a great city because they were wicked … but the prophet God wanted to go, refused – at least initially and ran the opposite way to flee from the LORD … to flee from His presence.
Throughout history – and Scripture records many of these – God has issued calls to mankind and to certain individuals. He issues the call to salvation. He issues the call to service – to all believers and certain tasks to certain people. The results of which vary … everyone doesn’t accept the call to salvation; and not everyone accepts God’s call to serve … and some provide excuses or hesitate or express doubt or ask questions or worry about their lack of experience.
Jonah doesn’t question anything or ask for clarification or give excuses or express doubts … he simply runs away in the opposite direction.
Jonah was asked to personally visit the city of Nineveh – the capital of Assyria – and proclaim God’s judgment on them due to their wickedness. Jonah didn’t like this; so he just leaves.
He was from the town of Gath-Hepher – 2 miles north of Nazareth; and ventures to Joppa – modern day Joffa near Tel-Aviv, which was 65 miles away. He buys passage to Tarshish, which according to prophecies and exports, could have been in Sardinia, Spain, or Britain.
Regardless of where Tarshish was – Jonah was trying to get far away – thousands of miles away across the Mediterranean … to escape from … to flee from the presence of the Lord.
Shouldn’t Jonah have known better? Shouldn’t he have known there is nowhere he could go and nothing he can do that the LORD doesn’t see?
He paid his way on the ship; but doesn’t reach where he wanted to go … but more about that later on … so, what can we learn from Jonah?
Nobody can flee from God. They can try. They can lie. They can scream that they don’t like what God says; and they can ignore His commands, but one day they will stand before Him and be held accountable for everything they have done or said.
In the end, even the staunchest atheists that have built their lives on disproving and discrediting God will stand before Him … their fleeing and flailing and fighting will fail.
In the ancient world – and there is reason to believe this – “gods” were limited to rule over certain geographical areas or trades or parts of life.
This is why so many “gods” were ascribed to crops or animals or weather; and why different nations had certain gods. Where did this idea come from? One easy answer was that fallen angels or the sons of God – set themselves up as gods and tricked and fooled people – interesting indeed.
But, again, shouldn’t Jonah have known better? He even admits that the LORD God made everything … so why is he running away?
Remember, the text, in many translations at least, say he was trying to get away from God’s presence … so how could he do this or attempt to do this?
At this time, God’s presence was thought to be tied where or to what? The Temple and the Holy of Holies, which was in Jerusalem. The text doesn’t tell us why he wanted to get away from God’s presence – but we know he didn’t want Nineveh saved – but one good thought is that if he left Jerusalem … if he left Israel … if he was thousands of miles away, then maybe God’s attention wouldn’t be on him. Maybe God would get someone else to do it; or would just drop the issue.
Jonah may not have been able to escape God’s domain – the world; but he tried to leave God’s presence. If you were to reject the charge of your king or your boss, then you couldn’t just stick around and act like nothing happened. It wasn’t rational, but are we ever guilty of doing the same?
Depending on our mindset and relationship with God, then being in His presence will either be comforting or terrifying. David wanted God to search his innermost thoughts – for correction … and Isaiah said “woe is me” because he was a sinner standing before God.
Do we want God to tell us all the wrong – wicked – hurtful – awful – horrible – evil – bad things we have done or those thoughts that still exist within us? Are we willing to expose ourselves to Him and be corrected and give up the “yuck” in our lives and exchange it for far better things from Him?
We can stand before God free and clean, assuming Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Otherwise, we are doomed. Without Jesus’ blood, all there is for God to see and judge is sin. With the blood of Jesus, God sees us as saved and redeemed. Which are you and what does God see when He looks at you?
Are you standing before God … as an enemy or as one of His children and a servant?
Jonah ignores God and flees … he flees to do whatever he wants … rebellion is sin.
Do people not do the same today? … they ignore God and rebel against Him.
Even though God sees everything, people will distance themselves from Him, His followers, those who teach the truth, from those who live sanctified lives, and yes, even from all things “church.”
Jonah fled from the land of God – Israel – and so today, people try to flee from His presence. They flee from reading and studying Scripture; and praying; and sound doctrine; and fellowship; and service; and giving; and anything that is associated with Jesus, His Church, and a local church.
Why do people flee? … some want to sin in peace – they don’t want anyone telling them that their behavior or choices or lifestyles are wrong. Some are selfish and greedy – and while sinful in itself – they want to keep their and money and gifts to themselves. They want to build their kingdom and not God’s. They want to be #1 and not under God’s authority or that of a local church.
Still, others don’t want to face peer pressure or lose of revenue or seen as being not inclusive or phobic because they are associated with “Christian values,” and you see this more and more.
People will spin why the leave to justify it or garner sympathy. They’ll try to explain that they are too busy or will return once things are “normal” and they’ll resume reading, praying, giving, serving, attending, and fellowshipping … but when will “normal” be good enough?
Behavior gets twisted and spun and compromised? … Do I have to go to church or serve or give? How many services can I miss and still be OK with God? … Do I have to pray or read?
Focus goes from what how can I serve the Lord to what is the bare minimum I can do or do I even have to do anything at all? A person goes from being on fire for the Lord to a burned-out coal – not good for anything. From a God-first person to someone who gives Him the leftovers, if anything.
Which are you? Are you excited and happy and full of joy at what the Lord has called you to do … (or any believer to do) …. Or … are you no longer wanting to do your part for God’s Kingdom?
I understand the need for respite … for taking time off to settle the mind, body, and soul; but respite shouldn’t be the norm or become permanent. We can’t retire from the Christian faith.
Was Jonah just going away for a short time? Did he talk to God and say he would do what he needed to do once he took a vacation or got his house in order or finished school or got the kids raised? …. Nope, he was gone for good … he was walking away and wasn’t coming back.
As we’ll get into more in depth next week, God sends a storm to save Jonah … and He just might be doing that to someone or many people – even here – today. If God had not stepped in, then Jonah would have been gone forever … you cannot live in rebellion and remain a follower.
When people sin, rebel, ignore … God is still gracious and merciful … He provides opportunity for them to return … He tarries so people can change … Don’t allow that opportunity to pass you by.