Word of Salvation – Vol. 31 No. 25 – July 1986

 

Jonah: Selfish, Scared, Or Both?

 

Sermon: by Rev. J. Terhorst on Jonah 1:1-3

Reading: Matthew 19:16-30, Jonah 1

Singing: 312; 408; 801; 452; 491

 

Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Introduction

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah.  The children may have heard the story at Sunday School.  Jonah, the man who was swallowed by the big fish.  Yet, there is much more to the story of Jonah than that.  The story of Jonah is the story of God’s love.  The love and patience of God.  It is also a story of man’s disobedience.  In the story of Jonah these two stand in contrast to one another.  The love of God, and the disobedience of man.  As we listen to the Lord speaking to us today we will see something very interesting.  We will see that at times we all act a bit like Jonah.  We will also be encouraged by the love of God.  Encouraged to take up our cross and follow Jesus.  Encouraged to be faithful to our calling.  Encouraged as we see again the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Encouraged to see how God has dealt with our disobedience.

Where are we as a congregation today?  Where are we as individual Christians?  Are we perhaps on the way to Tarshish, trying to escape from God?  Some of us may be experiencing the discipline of God, as Jonah did.  Others may be seeking God’s strength for the next leg of the journey to our ‘Nineveh.’  Whatever the case, we do well to listen as the Lord speaks to us.

Part One

Jonah was a prophet who lived in the Northern Kingdom.  The Northern Kingdom, you may remember, broke away from the other two tribes.  They separated from the Southern Kingdom after Solomon’s rule.  Things were not well between the two.  They even fought against each other.  At one stage Jonah was called upon to prophesy concerning the Northern Kingdom, how it would expand its boundaries.  It seems that Jonah had done that with pleasure.

Now, according to Jonah 1:1, the Word of the Lord came to Jonah again.  It was quite clear to Jonah that God had spoken to him.  We cannot blame his disobedience on ignorance.  He knew very well that God had spoken to him.  He understood very clearly what God had asked him to do.  It was a clear message from God.  He was simply asked to obey.

What a privilege to be so sure about the Word and will of the Lord!  We do not always have that privilege.  Very rarely does God speak to any of us so directly, so clearly.  Often we are not sure about the Lord’s will in a certain situation.  That can bring about uncertainty.  Or it may bring about sluggishness of service.  It may cause us to be very hesitant in speaking up.  Uncertainty about the will of God usually results in a lack of efficiency.  Or, as that common expression has it: failing to take the bull by the horns.

However, that begs the question.  Is that the case as often as we think?  I feel that at times it is not.  We shrug off our responsibilities here are times in our lives when we know very well what the Lord’s will s.  We just do not act upon it.  We are disobedient.  As soon as the circumstances become unpleasant, we tend to slide into disobedience.  As soon as we begin to worry about the outcome, we go and hide in our ships to Tarshish.  We fall into a deep sleep and let the situation just pass us by.  We hope that the situation will remedy itself.  When that happens, we are like Jonah.  We are disobedient.  We are trying to run away from our God-given responsibilities.

God does speak today.  In Hebrews we read that, “…in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”  In Jesus Christ God calls us to obedience.  In Jesus Christ God has spoken clearly concerning our lifestyle.  In Jesus Christ God has made His will very clear to us.  Often, the will of God is more clear than our willingness to obey!  The question is: What is our response to the revealed will of God?  Is our response one of obedience?  Or is it a response of fear and selfishness?

The Bible promises that we “…did not receive a spirit that makes you slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship.”  Let us then in the power of the Son, be bold for God in obedience to Him.  God a does speak today.  Just as God spoke to Jonah.  This is our first point.

Part Two

The second thing we see is that God commissions Jonah.  That is, God gives Jonah a job to do.

The wickedness of Nineveh had reached up to God.  The Lord was very aware of what was going on there.  God had not turned a blind eye to the evil that was part of daily life there.  Neither was God pleased with it.  That thought is also of great comfort to the Lord’s people.  It may comfort us to know that the wickedness of life today does not go un-noticed by God.  The persecution of Christians for their faith is seen by God.  Those who deal ruthlessly with the poor and under-privileged are witnessed by God.  The Lord takes into account those who live sumptuously at the expense of others.  The cruelty of others does not go un-noticed by the Lord.  And God is not pleased.  God’s wrath will not be held back forever.  Yet, He is patient, not wishing that any should perish.  God was not pleased with what was happening in Nineveh.

Nineveh, was one of the greatest cities the world had ever known.  Yet it was a place with low, and loose moral standards.  It was a city which boasted in its large share of slaves.  It was a place filled with people of unbelievable cruelty.  To that place Jonah is sent.  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up to me.”  Jonah, like the disciples later, would have been happy to call down fire from heaven to destroy those people.  Instead, he is to go and preach the Gospel.  “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  That is the commission of God for Jonah.  God gives Jonah the mission of preaching the Gospel there.  Jonah was to go there and confront these people with their sinful lifestyles.  He must point out God’s displeasure with their behaviour.  He is to go and proclaim that Nineveh will be destroyed because of its wickedness.

That also forms part of our proclamation today.  We too are called upon to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all of life.  We too, in our living and speaking, need to point out what the will of God is.

The message of God’s love reaches its peak against the background of man’s unworthiness.  There is no need for Jesus Christ by those who are self-righteous.  It is as man’s sinfulness is highlighted that he will be drawn to seek his help in Jesus Christ.  So today, we may offer hope to those despairing of themselves.

Part Three

God is disobeyed by Jonah.  That is our last point.  God said to Jonah: Go this way!  Jonah goes in the opposite direction.  God calls upon Jonah to be a light to the Gentiles; instead he hides his light under a bowl.  God commands Jonah to be like a city set on a hill, but he prefers to hide and hope nobody will notice.  God commands Jonah to speak up for Him, but instead, Jonah goes to sleep.  Jonah was to go East to Nineveh, instead, he goes West to Tarshish.  He is even prepared to pay his own way.  That may not have been a cheap trip either.  No discount fares in those days.  This was one of the longest journeys by ship available, but Jonah is prepared for that if he can only avoid doing God’s will.

Congregation, can you see yourselves in Jonah’s actions?  Do the actions of Jonah perhaps remind you of situations in your own life?  When we are really honest with ourselves, we all see a little of ourselves in Jonah.  I am sure we have all had times when we felt like fleeing from the Lord.  Fleeing from something He had asked us to do.  The amazing thing is, the devil is always ready with a ship to Tarshish!  He is always more than ready to give us a reason, or excuse, to disobey God.  Have you ever noticed that?  When we really try to avoid doing something he Lord wants us to do, the devil is there with an excuse.  Whenever we try to avoid speaking up like we should, the devil gives us a reason to be silent.  Perhaps shyness, or fear.  But he is always there, always ready.

To think that at the same time that Jonah went to Joppa, there was a ship there ready to sail to Tarshish.  I imagine these ships did not leave twice daily!  It must have almost been a rare occurrence to find a ship in port going to Tarshish.  But just as Jonah needed a means to avoid doing God’s will, the devil provided him with one.

What a contrast we see here between the love of God for those in Nineveh, and the non-caring attitude of Jonah.  The patience of God, and the unwillingness of His servant.  The grace of God, and the selfishness of one of His children.  A selfishness which reared its ugly head in the Garden of Eden.  A selfishness which wants to play God.  A selfishness that led to disobedience.  Thank God that His love is greater than our greed.  Thank God, congregation, that in spite of our sinful behaviour, God sent the Lord Jesus Christ.  God does not take delight in seeing the wicked perish.  So He provided a way out.  God sent the Lord Jesus Christ.  And on Calvary we see God’s righteous anger and His love meet head on.  God punished sin at Calvary.  On Calvary He declared His great love for a fallen mankind.

Conclusion

Jonah did not misunderstand God.  Jonah was not afraid to go.  Jonah was selfish.  Jonah just did not want to share God’s love with those heathen Ninevites.  He wanted to keep the love of God for his own people.  Jonah went in the opposite direction to avoid the possibility that these people might repent.  Jonah was too selfish to share His God.

May that never be true of the Church of Jesus Christ here.  May the Church today not become too satisfied with its own little group.  At times the Church avoids proclaiming the love of God because that would mean change.  Change as a result of the influx of new converts.  So, at times, the Church refuses to open its doors too wide for fear of who may come in.  Where is our Church going?  Is it marching on in faith and boldly proclaiming the love of God in Christ?  Or is it perhaps satisfied with itself?

Jonah is a real antitype of Christ.  Jonah was selfish.  Jesus Christ gave His all.  Jesus was willing to become incarnate.  Willing in obedience to God to live our life; to die our death.  Jesus Christ gave His all for the salvation of God’s children.  Who are we allowing ourselves to be moulded after?  Jonah, or Christ?  May we, daily submitting to the power of God’s Holy Spirit, become more Christ-like.  Jesus Christ, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Congregation, let us prayerfully sing, “Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I go!”

AMEN