A Journey, A Storm & A Cry for Help...

Jonah 1:1-16

In the catacombs of Rome, those subterranean cemeteries of the early Christians, the representation of the story of Jonah is often found. Two motifs that were important to early Christians are evident in the basic artistic rendering of the narrative: Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the fish and Jonah delivered from the fish and lying under a vine. Jonah's deliverance from the deep was a symbol for the early Christians, a symbol of faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many have discredited the historicity of Jonah and his book.

Could it happen? Did it happen?

The Old Testament confirms that Jonah, the son of Amittai,, was a real person, a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam, king of Israel. 2 Kings 14:25

The book of Jonah is a historical narrative; there is nothing in the book to suggest otherwise, and Jesus himself referred to Jonah and Ninevah in relation to his own death, resurrection and future judgement. Matthew 12:39-41

Jonah's escape from the belly of the fish is just as miraculous as many other events recorded in the Bible.

And this should not surprise us, because God is sovereign over all his creation and over every one of his creatures. Nothing is too hard for God.

'I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?' Jeremiah 32:27

The truth is that this physical miracle of the 'whale' is not nearly so wonderful as the moral miracle of Nineveh's repentance, or as the spiritual miracle of the Divine Self-revelation at the end of the book. - J. S. Baxter

Who was Jonah, and what can we learn from him?

Jonah was a Jew, a prophet of God, but he was also just an ordinary man, imperfect and sinful.

God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach against it, because God had seen their wickedness and all the evil things they did.

Instead, Jonah fled, and boarded a ship to Tarshish which was as far as one could go, in the opposite direction.

When Jonah fled 'from the presence of God', Jonah knew that he could not go anywhere where God was not.

'The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.' Proverbs 15:3

Jonah knew there was nowhere he could hide from God.

God can see not only everyone's deeds but also knows everyone's hearts.

Rather, Jonah's flight meant that he was willing to give up his prophetic role before God and was ready to suffer the consequences of his disobedience.

Are there times in our lives when we act just like Jonah?

Do we choose to disobey or ignore God's revealed will, being willing rather to suffer the consequences of our actions than to trust, submit to God, and follow his will?

Jonah wanted the Ninevites to get what they deserved, and he feared that God would forgive them.

This may sound selfish of Jonah, but to put this into perspective, Jonah knew that Assyria, of which Nineveh was the capital, was the rising world power destined to destroy Israel. And the brutality of the Assyrians was well known among the surrounding nations; the barbarities which followed the capture of a town would make anyone shudder.

Jonah also knew that God was a compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity, a God who would rather forgive than destroy, even the worst of sinners.

God's grace challenged Jonah's sense of justice and his desire to protect his nation, so he decided to take matters into his own hands by refusing to even deliver God's message to the Ninevites.

God could have used any other prophet instead of Jonah, but God did not give up on him.

And, despite our sins and failures, God does not give up on us.

Still, God had to bring Jonah to a place where he was willing to repent and to fulfil his plan.

Then God sent a great wind, and a violent storm arose that threatened the lives of everyone on board.

Jonah's disobedience brought danger upon himself and everyone on that ship.

The sailors were afraid; they threw the cargo overboard and started praying to their gods.

But despite the raging sea, Jonah was asleep below deck until the captain himself woke him up.

How could Jonah sleep when the ship was breaking up?

How could Jonah be so unaware of the danger he was in?

How could Jonah be so unaware of the danger he put others in?

Are we unaware of the danger we are in when we choose to disobey God?

Are we unaware of the danger we put others in when we choose to disobey God?

Do we need a wakeup call just like Jonah?

The contrast between Jonah and the sailors is so striking, the pagans were doing everything they could to save themselves and the ship.

But the only person on board who knew the true and living God who could actually save them, was not crying out to him.

However, Jonah could no longer hide his sin.

When the sailors cast lots to find out who was responsible for the calamity that came upon them, the lot fell on Jonah.

While Jonah claimed he worshiped the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land, he was not ready yet to submit to him, repent for his disobedience, or obey God's command.

Still, Jonah accepted his responsibility and asked the sailors to throw him into the sea.

Then God's wrath would be placed upon him and the sea would become calm again.

In their distress, the sailors did what Jonah did not, they cried out to God, they cried out to a God that maybe they had only just learned about.

They did everything they could to row back to land and save Jonah's life and they asked for God's forgiveness when they had no choice but to throw Jonah overboard.

And God heard their prayers and was merciful to them.

Jonah, on the other hand, despite the desperation and destruction around him, seemed determined to continue in his rebellion to God's plan.

Are we ready to turn to God, before the storms of life, brought on by our sins, cause havoc and destruction in our lives and the lives of those around us?

Reluctantly, the sailors threw Jonah overboard, and the raging sea grew calm again.

This proved God's power and sovereignty over nature and the sailors greatly feared God, offered a sacrifice and made vows to him.

The sailors were saved.

But Jonah was sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of the sea...

Jonah and the sailors were on the same journey and faced the same storm, the difference in them reaching their destination was their willingness or unwillingness to humble themselves, to turn to God in repentance and to cry out for help in their distress.

There was only one who could deliver them, not their gods, no matter how much they cried out to them, nor their efforts, no matter how much they tried, but the only true and living God, who created the heavens and the Earth - all-powerful, sovereign, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love...

The God of Jonah.

Our life is a journey, and many storms come our way.

What do we do when life gets hard?

Who do we cry to when things are hopeless?

The answers to these questions will determine our destination here on Earth, and also for all eternity.