November 6th & 13th, 2010

Jonah; the Reluctant Messenger.

Week 1
I. The Runner... (Ch. 1)
II. … Hits Bottom. (Ch. 2)

Week 2
III. The Trip to Nineveh (Ch. 3)
IV. Jonah Gets Angry (Ch. 4)

WEEK 1
November 6th, 2010

I. The Runner... (Ch. 1)

Technical Specs:
Time: 780 – 750 years before Christ.
Book: Jonah, 32nd book of the Protestant Bible.
Classification: Minor Prophets

Introduction:
• The Reluctant Prophet - Jonah is the story of a reluctant prophet. Unlike
most of those used by God, Jonah wasn't real happy with his task.

• Unusual - Jonah is one of the few instances where God uses the reluctant
servant.

The Story:
• God came to Jonah - One day, the Lord came to one of His prophets,
Jonah.

• Long term, known prophet - Jonah was pleased with speaking God's word
to Israel.

• He was used to speaking Jews - These were his people. He worked with
the home team and was happy to do so.

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• He was given his latest assignment - The Lord told Jonah to go to
Ninevah. Ninevah was a the capital city of his country's enemy. It was like
asking a missionary to go to Moscow in the 80's or Baghdad in the 90's.

Slide 1

One day the LORD told Jonah, the son of Amittai, to go to the
great city of Nineveh and say to the people, "The LORD has
seen your terrible sins. You are doomed!" Instead, Jonah ran
from the LORD. He went to the seaport of Joppa and bought a
ticket on a ship that was going to Spain. Then he got on the
ship and sailed away to escape.

Jonah 1:1-3 Contemporary English Version

• He had a simple message – Doom! Like many street preachers today, he

was tasked with delivering the message that the entire city was DOOMED.

• He ran - Like a “good” servant of the Lord, Jonah's reaction was to run. He
took off and booked the first trip he could find to Spain. This was 180°
from the direction that God told him to go.

• Clear defiance to God - This was not only deliberate disobedience, but a
clear message to God that he did not agree with what God wanted to do.

• Fear? - Was Jonah afraid to go? There's really no evidence of that. It is

more likely that Jonah knew that God was merciful.

• Lack of Mercy - Jonah did not have mercy in his heart for the Ninevites.
They were his enemy. He didn't want that mercy going to the other team.
He knew the Ninevites were doomed, and he wanted them to stay that
way.

• Ship at risk - By doing what he did, Jonah selfishly put the entire ship at
risk. God sent a storm in his life to pursue him, to nag at him, to turn him
around.

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 Slide 2

But the LORD made a strong wind blow, and such a bad storm
came up that the ship was about to be broken to pieces. The
sailors were frightened, and they all started praying to their
gods. They even threw the ship's cargo overboard to make the
ship lighter. All this time, Jonah was down below deck, sound
asleep.
Jonah 1:4-5 Contemporary English Version

• On the brink - Just as the ship was about to be ripped to pieces, the
frightened sailors did all they could to try to survive.

• Their gods - They tried praying to their gods, they threw the ship's cargo
overboard, but nothing worked. What did Jonah do? He slept.

• The discovery - The captain went to him and inquired what was going on.
Finally, the sailors figured out that it was Jonah that had brought this on
them.

Slide 3

Then they threw Jonah overboard, and the sea calmed down.
The sailors were so terrified that they offered a sacrifice to the
LORD and made all kinds of promises.

Jonah 1:15-16 Contemporary English Version

• Overboard - So, Jonah finally told them to throw him into the sea. The
sailor tried their best to avoid this, but their efforts were in vain and over he
went.

• The God of Israel – initially the sailors prayed to “their gods”. Once the
sea calmed, they prayed and sacrificed to “The God”.

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 Slide 4

The LORD sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was
inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17 Contemporary English Version

• Along came the fish - The Lord then sent a big fish to swallow Jonah.
Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. Does this
sound familiar?

Slide 5

Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses said,

"Teacher, we want you to show us a sign from heaven."
But Jesus replied: “You want a sign because you are evil and
won't believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the
prophet Jonah...”

Matthew 12:38-39 Contemporary English Version

Analysis:
• Commission denied - So Jonah gets his commission from God. He has
served God a long time. Usually he's agreed with his commissions. But
not today. He goes in the other direction. How often have you done this?
Are you doing it now?

• Attention grabber - God shipwrecks him to turn him to get his attention.
Jonah hits the bottom. For all practical purposes, he's dead and he knows
it.

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II. … Hits Bottom (Ch. 2)

The Story Continued:

• Jonah prays - From inside the fish, Jonah prayed and God responded.

Slide 6

When my life was slipping away,

I remembered you-- and in your holy temple you heard my prayer.

Jonah 2:7 Contemporary English Version

• Reality born from vomit - Finally, the Lord commanded the fish to vomit up
Jonah on the shore. And it did.

Analysis:

• What was typically their food, was a redeemer - God sent the salvation.
The fish was the redeemer. It wasn't what Jonah would have preferred,
but it got the job done.

• Hitting bottom - So, Jonah ran and hit a wall in his life. How often have
you done this?

• He hit bottom. He was the one that was doomed and he knew it. He
didn't stand a chance, except that he had a redeemer.

Conclusion:
• Too often the church uses words that don't mean much in day to day
language. What does it mean to “redeem” someone? In this context, it
means...
• to recover
• to regain
• to pay off
• to reinstate
• to make amends for
• to buy back

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 Slide 7 – Final Slide to stay up until next song words...

recover REGAIN pay off RECOVER reinstate MAKE AMENDS buy

back

• The constant cycle - Here's the rub. Often God saves someone and then
they forget they needed saving in the first place. Look at Jonah:
• He was saved.
• He was the “go to guy” for God.
• He forgot who he served.
• He forgot that it was God's mission and not his.
• He fell.
• He was fish food.
• He needed a redeemer.

Who is your redeemer today?

• Are you letting God continually renew your heart? Or are you resting on
your works to try and redeem yourself?

• Is God your redeemer? Or is it your religious beliefs? Or is it something

else?

• Are you sinking and need a fish?