September 8
In worship this morning, we heard the story of King Solomon who was best known for his wisdom. We also learned that God gives us wisdom to help us navigate life circumstances where the normal "rules" don't apply.
Now let's apply what we learned about studying the historical stories of Scripture. Let's talk about Jonah.
Jonah 1:1-3
Jonah was a prophet of the LORD. Usually, God's prophets are pretty "tapped in" to God. But look at what Jonah does when God sends Jonah on a mission:
fearing god's will
If we poke around Scripture long enough, we can learn that Ninevah was the central city in Assyria, and that the Assyrians were feared enemies of Israel.
List ways in which fear has caused you to try to "flee" from the will of God in your life.
getting too comfortable
Let's explore what might be another reason for Jonah to flee.
Read 2 Kings 14:23-27:
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
So Jonah was a high-level executive (court prophet) for an evil king (Jeroboam) under whom God caused Israel to prosper. In other words, Jonah had "made it" in life when God told him to "move it".
What are some of the comforts in your life that might be interfering with following the will of God?
the faithfulness of god
If you read all four chapters of Jonah, you learn that he eventually succeeded in Nineveh even though he never stopped complaining. Jonah was not a willing participant in God's unfolding will.
In other words, Jonah worked for a king who was rebellious against God yet the king was successful.
Jonah was also rebellious against God and yet was successful.
What are some of the ways God has caused you to have success despite your own weakness of faith?
jesus is the greater jonah
Jonah's story includes "three days in the belly of a great fish". During those three days (in Jonah chapter 2) Jonah believes he is dead, yet he is spit out of the fish alive.
Later (in Matthew 12), Jesus says this:
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But Jesus answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
What do you think Jesus was referring to when he said that he would be three days in the heart of the earth?
freed to follow
Jonah was saved by the grace of God.
You have also been saved by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
In other words, all of your eternal needs have been met regardless of your weakness of faith.
Knowing that you are "all set", what can you commit to doing for Jesus that you might otherwise want to avoid?
