Jonah: Jesus Is The Risen Prophet
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Preaching Christ Through The Bible |
Jonah: Jesus Is The Risen Prophet
Jonah 1:1-3
1Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
Here in the US, I’m always amazed at how the government supports their military personnel. Their benefits include free education, better health care, tax-free allowances, paid vacations, travel discounts, and cash bonuses. And even after retirement they still enjoy most of those benefits. When veterans apply for a job, they always get prioritized. But even with all those benefits there are still more than 2000 military personnel who goes AWOL (Absent Without Leave) every year. Common reasons for going AWOL are fear of deployment, stress of the job, personal problems, or simply a change of heart about serving in the military.
In the Bible, we can also find someone who went AWOL. Although he is not a soldier, he decided to run away and desert his duty as a prophet of God because he did not feel that the people where God sent him deserve his time and effort.
If you are one of those who attended Sunday school as a kid, I’m sure you have heard the story of Jonah and the big fish. It is one of the most famous stories in the Bible.
But this morning I would like to present the Book of Jonah as a prophetic book that goes beyond the story of a man who got swallowed by a big fish. Although there are sharp differences between Jonah and Jesus, most especially the last chapter of the book where Jonah was angry and frustrated even after his successful mission, the life of Jonah would still be used to portray the life of Jesus Christ most specifically His resurrection.
Now, before we start with our deeper study, let me give you some facts about the book.
The name Jonah means “dove” in Hebrew
This book is the fifth out of 12 minor prophet books
Jonah is a prophet to the Northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.).
Jonah was a contemporary of prophet Amos.
Jonah was also Israel’s prophet to a foreign people.
The Book of Jonah is the only prophetic book that has a historical nature. It doesn’t contain Jonah’s prophecies but it focuses on his journey to Nineveh.
It has only 4 short Chapters.
There are many skeptics of the Bible who questioned the reliability of the book of Jonah. They often see the story of Jonah as fictional. There is a debate whether we should read the book as historical or a fictional tale. They say there is no way a man can get swallowed by a big fish and 2 survive for three days and three nights. But as what Pastor Jerry mentioned in one of his previous sermons, God used a “shock approach” to get the attention of Jonah. In that instance, God made a supernatural act to preserve Jonah in the belly of the fish. Most Bible scholars believe the validity of the events that happened in the life of Jonah. He is the same prophet that was mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 where he prophesied that Israel would expand its borders during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Also in the New Testament, the most essential evidence for the reliability of Jonah’s story as historical is the reference that Jesus himself mentioned in Matthew 12:38-41
Matthew 12:38-41
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he 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. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
What is the sign of Jonah? It is Jonah’s miraculous deliverance from the belly of the great fish after three days and three nights in which Jesus pointed to as the image of his own death, burial and resurrection. When the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, Jesus knew that no amount of miracle would be enough to convince them that he is the promised Messiah. Jesus pointed them to the forthcoming event. That event would be the greatest miracle of all. God will give his Son to die on the cross for the sin of God’s people and He will raise Him after three days. Jesus’ death and resurrection would be the only proof that He is the true Messiah.
Now let’s see how the story of Jonah unfolds and carefully examine the lessons we can learn:
I. THE SENDING OF JONAH
A. JONAH RUNS
In the first chapter, here is Jonah’s response to God’s call.
(v.3) 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So, he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh, which was the capital city of Assyria, one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. Its location is in the modern-day city of Mosul, Iraq. It is a city founded by Nimrod during the time after God scattered the people at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10:11)
Ninevites were known for their idolatrous worship. They worshipped Ashur and Ishtar, the 2 main gods of the Assyrians. They were also known for their extreme cruelty to prisoners of war. They were the most oppressive and violent among the ancient empires. Historians say that 3 Assyrians proudly displayed their cruelty towards their enemies. Here are some examples of their cruelty :
Burned captured cities to the ground
Decapitated enemies and piled their heads together to form a pyramid
Captured enemies were skinned alive then hung their peeled skin on city walls
They cut the hands and feet of soldiers of the fallen city
Impaled their victims on large stakes and displayed them like trophies
The reason for displaying such cruelty was because they wanted to send a message to other cities not to mess with them. They knew brutality was an effective tool for psychological warfare. That once you go against them, it would mean you will not only lose your possessions but also suffer a slow and painful death.
This wickedness is the reason why God wanted to send Jonah and give them warning that judgement is coming. But what Jonah did is not the typical response of God’s prophet.
Jonah’s rebellion started by going to the opposite direction. Instead of going to Nineveh, which is around 500 miles to the northeast, he tried to go westward to Tarshish. Perhaps the reluctance of Jonah was because Nineveh is a hostile city. Maybe he also doesn’t want to be a prophet to an enemy of Israel, he doesn’t want to give them warning about the coming judgement.
As believers, God has called us to be part of His work to make Him known. God has called us to share the gospel. We may have our reasons why we ignore God’s calling. We try to run away when we don’t want to leave our comfort zone, or simply when we are afraid to fail. No matter what our excuses are, we should not ignore God’s calling because He has a great plan for us. We must align our heart with God and do our best to advance His kingdom here one earth.
B. GOD’S PURSUIT
The question here is: Can he really run away from God? There’s a clear answer when we read
Psalms 139:7 7
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?”
Jeremiah 23:24 24
“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.”
Going back to the story, in verses 4-10, we will see how God dealt with Jonah’s rebellion. The sovereignty of God is clearly on display as He pursued Jonah with the purpose of bringing him back to comply with the original plan.
The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea and a violent storm came. The sailors became afraid so each of them called out to their gods. They hurled their cargo into the sea to lighten the load. This was happening while Jonah was fast asleep in the inner part of the ship. Then the captain 4 came to him and said “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
Then the sailors agreed to cast lots to find out who’s causing the storm. In the Old Testament, they believed that the outcome of the lots was an expression of God’s will. So, when the lot fell on Jonah, they asked who he was.
In verse 9: 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Upon realizing who Jonah was, the sailors became more afraid. They knew Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the Lord.
At this point we can observe that even in the storm, Jonah was trying to avoid God by sleeping in the inner part of the ship. Because of Jonah’s disobedience, even the sailors were affected by the storm. Notice in verse 9, he claimed to fear the Lord even if he was in the act of disobedience.
Likewise, when we disobey God intentionally, it will not only affect us but also the people around us. We will not be a good witness to others if they see us being disobedient. Therefore, in our daily lives, we should not only speak about Jesus but also follow his ways. What we say should always line up with our actions.
C. GOD’S DISCIPLINE
Disobedience has its consequences. In verses 11-16, Jonah told the sailors that the only way to stop the raging storm is if they hurl him into the sea. At first the sailors tried to get back to dry land but the storm grew stronger. Then the sailors prayed to God and finally hurled Jonah into the sea and the sea stopped raging. This caused the sailors to fear God and offer sacrifice and they made vows. The whole time that Jonah was on the ship, he was still defiant to God’s calling. He was willing to be thrown into the sea and face certain death. But then God appointed a great fish to swallow him.
It is always wise to choose obedience. It is better to reap the blessings that come with obedience instead of experiencing the discipline that comes with disobedience. But we must also recognize that God disciplines us when we disobey not because God wants to harm us but because he loves us.
This passage from Hebrews tells us so.
Hebrews 12:5-6 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
To quote Warren Wiersbe:
“There are several ways Christians may respond to the chastening of God: we may despise it, as Jonah did for three days and refuse to confess; we may faint and give up; or we may endure God’s chastening, confess our sins, and trust Him to work everything out for our good and His glory.”
I hope that whenever we experience God’s discipline, we will choose to confess our sins and trust God.
Next, we will see that because we have a loving God, He will not give up on us and He will continue to pursue us to accomplish the mission He asked us to complete.
II. THE SAVING OF JONAH
A. Jonah Prays, God Delivers
Experiencing storms in our lives should always draw us back to God. In Chapter 2 we can see that God’s discipline has led Jonah to repentance. While in the belly of the fish Jonah prayed as he was facing certain death.
(v.2) “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
(v.6-10) “.…yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”
God preserving Jonah tells us that no matter where we are, no matter how deep we are in our rebellion, we can always turn back to God. He is only a prayer away and it is never too late to ask for forgiveness. Oftentimes we think that the deeper we are in our rebellion the harder it is for us to humbly turn back to God. That shouldn’t be the case. If we are deep in our sins, we should take the step and let go of our pride. Chapter 3 shows us God’s grace and patience. Despite our disobedience in the past, He still wants to use us for His mission. It clearly tells us that God is a God of second chances. This should be an encouragement to all of us.
After Jonah’s humble prayer and confession that only God can save, another miracle happened. God delivered him from the belly of the fish.
(v.10) 10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
B. Jonah Preaches, Ninevites Repent
In Chapter 3, Jonah got his second commissioning. This time Jonah did not run away. Jonah traveled to Nineveh to proclaim the message he has been sent to preach.
This tells us that our God is the God of second chances. Despite our disobedience in the past, He still wants to use us for His mission.
6 Jonah 3:4 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
God relented from destroying Nineveh as they repented at the preaching of Jonah. In verses 7-9; with the king’s decree, all Ninevites were asked to fast, wear sackcloth, pray to God, and turn from their violent and evil ways.
Wearing of sackcloth and ashes were used as an outward sign of one’s inward condition. It demonstrated their humility and the sincerity of their repentance. When God saw their true repentance, He spared the whole city of Nineveh.
What’s the significance of this to the nation of Israel?
From the book “The Essence of the Old Testament” by Ed Hindson and Gary Yates:
The story of Jonah is a reminder that the Lord’s plan of salvation extends beyond Israel to include all the nations, even those who were Israel’s greatest enemies.
The Lord demonstrates the wideness of His mercy by granting forgiveness to the worst of sinners. God’s mercy to the Assyrians also provided hope to the Israelites. If the Lord was willing to forgive the people of Nineveh when they repented, then He would certainly forgive His own people if they turned from their sinful ways. Unfortunately, Israel and Judah went into exile because they did not respond to the warnings of the prophets.
III. THE SUPERIORITY OF JESUS
In order to contrast Jesus and Jonah, let us first look at how Jonah reacted to God’s mercy upon the Ninevites:
A. Jonah’s Prejudice
Jonah’s mission was a big success considering all people of Nineveh turned to God and gave up their evil ways. Yet instead of rejoicing, Jonah was still angry.
Jonah 4:1-3 “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,[a] and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Here we can see the real reason why Jonah ran away the first time God called him. It is because of Jonah’s hatred for the people of Nineveh, Jonah would rather see the city destroyed than rejoice in God’s mercy. Jonah hated them because they were Israel’s enemies. He believes that because they were wicked, they deserve God’s judgement instead of forgiveness. Jonah’s heart was not in line with God’s will. Although he obeyed God, He was still preoccupied by his prejudice and selfishness.
Our Lord Jesus is showing us that He is greater than Jonah, still offering us second chance today, having compassion even for those who are deep in their sins who have no understanding of God.
B. Jesus’ Compassion For Sinners
It’s hard to understand that a prophet like Jonah would be angry after people of Nineveh repented. It only shows his lack of compassion towards the sinners to whom he was sent to reach. Ninevites represent the worst kind of sinners and yet God made a way to reach them thru Jonah.
Although Jonah’s deliverance from the belly of the fish was used to describe Jesus’s resurrection, if we compare their characters, the superiority of Jesus is very clear. We all know Jesus is greater because he is the Son of God, but there are other reasons why we see Jesus being greater than Jonah. Jesus is greater in:
His obedience – Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father’s will while Jonah ran from God’s call (John 6:38) 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
His grace towards repentant sinners – Jesus modeled God’s grace while Jonah got angry at God for showing grace toward Ninevites (Luke19:10) 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
His compassion – Jesus gave His life to provide a way so that sinners might be saved (I John 3:16) 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
The heart of God to reach the worst kind of sinners is totally demonstrated in the prayer of Jesus Christ while he was hanging on the cross. Those people who crucified Jesus were the same people he was asking God to forgive.
Luke 23:34 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do...”
His prayer on the cross is consistent with apostle Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:3-6 8 “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
Evidently, God wants to see all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. In reality, based on the book of Jonah, all people include the worst of sinners like the Ninevites. The reason why Jesus was resurrected is because of his desire to save sinners.
Before I close, let me leave you with these questions:
Do we share the same compassion that Jesus has toward sinners? Have you been proactively praying for lost sinners? I’m sure each one of us can identify some lost people whom God has brought into our sphere of influence. And if we are already praying for them, are we intentional in looking for ways to share the gospel to them? I hope and pray that we will stay committed to the role that God has given us in fulfilling the Great commission.
I’m grateful to God that at the young age someone took the time to share Jesus with me. Because of knowing Jesus Christ, the trajectory of my life has radically changed. Not that my life is perfect, I make mistakes, there were times when I also ran away from God, but I know that I am so much blessed today because I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and savior early on.
If someone has shared the Gospel to us, and we know the blessings that come with it, I hope and pray that we will be compassionate enough to share it with others. Let us not be reluctant in helping the lost to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Let us be compassionate like Jesus and be instruments for God to radically transform even the worst kind of sinners.
Let me leave you with the message of salvation to all from Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans:
Romans 10:12-15 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
-Bro. Oliver Conti