Jonah

1. Jonah – our journey in life!

The key is that it about a journey – a man, people, a nation. So much of it speaks to our journey with God and with those around us.

It is impossible to run away from God’s presence, that God takes pity on all humanity, and that he is ever willing to accept true repentance.

As Jonah goes away, he discovers that God goes with him. He cannot shake God off. He cannot hide, lose himself or put himself in such bad odour with God that he is deserted by him. This is one of the most significant themes penetrating the whole of this brief text.

2. Chapter 1

Running away from God – impact on others.

Nineveh is a world outside Jonah’s comfort zone. Surely God cannot love those sinners! I will run far from God – he thinks.

His disobedience has affected those around him – the sailors fear for their lives.

3. Chapter 2

Repentance

God comes with us into the consequences of our choices in order to save us there.

Salvation is not, in the first instance, the Lord God taking us ‘out’ of our mess, but God meeting us ‘within’ it. 

The story changes with prayer, in the worst of situations.

Whether for Jonah or ourselves, the great wonder of this kind of prayer is that our Lord, in his great love towards us, condescends to deliver us out of our frequently self-inflicted mess.

4. Chapter 3

Obedience – God of the second chance

Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

This time Jonah obeyed the LORD’s command and went…..

Jonah’s approach to Nineveh was simple: the city was wicked and should be punished. God’s approach to Nineveh was simple: the city had changed, repented and should be delivered. Maybe the key is intended to contrast the idea of God’s justice and grace with that of Jonah’s.

5. Chapter 4

Learning from life.

God can deal with our anger and confusion.

Jonah was therefore reasoning, ‘Since the heathens are nearer to repentance, I might be causing Israel to be condemned. Rather I would die.’

Jesus uses the story of Nineveh’s repentance to shame and condemn those around who failed to repent on hearing the teaching of the Lord.

6. To accept that in his freedom God may use non Christians to challenge and teach us, to enable us to grow into a deeper maturity and a greater likeness to Christ, may prove to be a most painful and humiliating growth point.

God’s graciousness to Nineveh was unacceptable. God’s withdrawal of grace to Jonah was also unacceptable. He longed for a God who was partial like himself, instead of a God who was gracious, merciful and responsive to the cries of all creation. He wanted his own personal God rather than the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and the dry land and loves His creation.

7. Response

Challenge – if those a long way from God can repent, what about us, close to him?

Which chapter most reflects us at the moment?

Running away from God – impact on others.

Repentance – prayer

Obedience – God of the second chance

Learning from life. God can deal with our anger and confusion.