Jonah and The Mercy of God-Part 1
AFTER THE SERMON
You Can’t Outrun God
We hope today’s message was encouraging and helpful. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a Bible/sermon group study. Enjoy!
Main Scripture: Jonah 1:1-17
Other scripture mentioned: Psalm 23:6
(If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read or paraphrase through some of the provided scripture to catch everyone up!)
Overview:
Our society is fueling hostility in our communities. It feels like we’re constantly being provoked to pick a side on an issue in our nation and view the other side as our enemies. Our nation is divided and as Christian's I don’t think we can escape this reality. The further this nation walks away from God and His standards in the Bible the harder it will be to live in peace with those who oppose God. As Christians, this means we must be careful not to grow cold or bitter toward our fellow men and neighbors who are against our beliefs. God calls us to stand for truth but he also calls us to focus on the salvation of those who are lost. We've also been called to be peacemakers and peacekeepers. God has incredible compassion for those who are confused and deceived by the enemy. The book of Jonah is a powerful reminder of God’s mercy for all of humanity, including those who oppose us. In chapter 1, God asked Jonah to do something that was very hard. Jonah’s task was to go to his enemies and preach repentance so they could have a second chance before being destroyed. Jonah ran away from God and his mission because he simply didn’t think Nineveh deserved a second chance. Jonah quickly learned that you cannot outrun God and a dramatic day on the sea would change the course of Jonah’s life and the lives of an entire city.
Notes:
Jonah 1 Background
Jonah is a prophet which means someone who is sent to deliver a message for God.
The events in the Book of Jonah took place some time in (793–753 b.c.).
What is often missed in this book is that God is the principal person not Jonah. God has the first and last word of this book and He is very active throughout this narrative accomplishing His purposes.
The book of Jonah was meant to send a few messages to Israel, God’s people:
God’s concern for gentile people. The Book of Jonah was a reminder to Israel of her missionary purpose.
Second, the book demonstrates the sovereignty of God in accomplishing His purposes.
Third, the response of the Ninevites served as a message of rebuke to God’s sinful nation Israel who were not repentant.
Fourth, Jonah was a symbol to Israel of her disobedience to God and indifference to the religious plight of other nations.
Dominating themes in this book are God’s mercy (compassion), His sovereignty, disobedience, repentance, and second chances.
What is mercy? Mercy is a characteristic of God, it is part of His very nature. He is merciful. It is compassion and pity from God towards mankind often in a helpless state. Salvation is God’s merciful act of withholding His wrath and eternal punishment and granting forgiveness and eternal life, instead. Mercy from God is never deserved or earned, it is freely given out of great love for those it is directed towards.
V. 1-3 Jonah Runs from God
Why Jonah may have been so reluctant to go to Nineveh: 1. Their history and reputation of ruthless violence towards other nations. 2. The prophecies of Amos and Hosea predict the coming destruction of Israel by Assyria (Ninevah is the capital) so Jonah doesn’t want to help them. 3. Jonah knows that God is merciful and we’ll spare them from destruction if they repent.
Jonah runs in the opposite direction because he wants to get away from the Lord.
Location. The ship was bound for Tarshish, probably Tartessus in southern Spain, about 2,500 miles west of Joppa. The city of Nineveh was located on the east side of the Tigris River about 550 miles northeast of Samaria. That means if Jonah was successful at sailing to Tarshish he would be over 3000 miles away from fulfilling his task.
Jonah learns a valuable lesson and so do we: God is omnipresent, He is everywhere.
Jonah thought he was buying a ticket away from God but little did he know He was still buying a ticket to God.
Jonah isn’t as merciful as God so he runs away in the opposite direction of Nineveh. Neither are we if we're honest. We struggle to know when to show it.
Not all commands or tasks from God are easy. Who is God calling you to help?
V. 4-5a The storm and fear of the sailors
God sends the storm. God is omnipotent and sovereign. He is mighty and overall things.
The sailors are most likely Phonecians from Tarshish, heading back to their home from a long journey. They are gentiles, not Hebrews, which explains why they worship many gods.
Our disobedience doesn't just affect us but it also affects those around us. For Jonah, the souls of a great city were at stake but so are the souls of these sailors.
V. 5b-8 Jonah’s complacency
Ironically a pagan ship captain had to call a man of God to prayer. The need was so great that the sailors prayed desperately for their lives; yet God’s servant slept. What an object lesson to God’s people then and now to awaken from apathy as crying people perish on the sea of life. Hannah, J. D. (1985). Jonah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1466). Wheaton, IL: Victor
Jonah wasn’t phased and was sleeping like he did nothing wrong. Only someone who has hardened his heart towards God can sleep peacefully in his or her heart through disobedience and a storm. This can imply that Jonah had really gone to a dark place in his heart. If someone can directly disobey God and still sleep well at night it’s time they check their hearts with God.
A person that has a guilty conscience, healthy guilt, and conviction for doing something wrong is quickly fading in our world. Having a guilty conscience means we are sensitive to right and wrong. A Christian convicted by the Holy Spirit would struggle to be at peace until he or she does what is right. The Ninevites had lost their conscience, ironically, Jonah had too and they both needed God’s mercy.
Casting lots. Marked stones were put in a container, and one was taken out. God expressed His sovereignty over Jonah’s affairs, causing the Lot to “fall” on His disobedient prophet. Casting lots would be like putting 8 items in a bucket and whoever's item was grabbed first or left in the hat would be identified in this situation.
V. 9 Jonah confesses.
Jonah comes clean and admits who He is and who he Worships. Jonah also adds that this must be God because He is the one who made the sea and the land.
It may seem strange that Jonah claimed to worship this God when he did not obey Him, but this is often true of believers. Hannah, J. D. (1985). Jonah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1466). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Not every storm is the devil, it may be our disobedience. If you’re going through a storm, ask God to search and expose your heart because He may be using this storm to graciously steer you back into His will where you belong.
V. 10-14 The Mercy of the Sailors
Terrified, they ask a very reasonable question…"Why would you do that? What were you thinking? You rebelled against your God who made the sea?!" (My own words)
The pagan sailors grasp the severity of Jonah’s disobedience more than he did!
Verse 12: Jonah admits the storm is his fault and was willing to face the consequences even if it meant death. Perhaps, he thought this would also be a way out of his assignment? Would he rather die than see this wicked city be forgiven?! (4:3,8) But God had other plans!
Verse 13-14: These pagan sailors contrasted Jonah in multiple ways: They had a healthy fear and respect for God’s authority. They showed more compassion and mercy to Jonah than he did for the Ninevites. They recognized the worth of human life and pleaded for God’s mercy for throwing him into the sea.
What a lesson for Jonah and Israel.
V. 15-17 God is worshipped, Jonah is spared
God is so good that He redeems Jonah’s rebellion to show these sailors His glory and power. These sailors ended up worshipping God and only God knows but they may have abandoned their false gods altogether after this trip.
The bottom line: Jonah should have obeyed. It’s better to obey than to go through a storm. God can redeem and use our mistakes but this shouldn’t encourage us to see how much He can do. Many times, our disobedience hinders our witness, hinders glory to God, and hurts all those who are involved.
The mercy God called Jonah to show to the Ninevites is now the same mercy that spares his life. God provided a large fish to rescue and keep Jonah. Now, Jonah must be saved from death and have a change of heart, and decide if he will fulfill his mission.
Takeaways:
Those who repent (turn back to God), experience God’s mercy, not anger.
We love receiving God’s mercy but struggle when He shows it to our enemy. God’s compassion is for all.
We encourage people to turn back to God while showing them the love that God has shown us.
We can’t outrun God...so stop running! His mercy follows you! - Psalm 23:6 “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life…”
Don’t run from God or the hard thing He has asked you to do. His purpose and plans are good!
Discussion:
What was one thing from the message that resonated with you?
What part of Jonah’s story surprised you the most and why?
What did you sense the Holy Spirit was saying to you during this message?
How have you experienced God’s mercy in your life?
Who needs mercy in our world and how can we show it?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you are ready to experience salvation and be transformed we encourage you to say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I see my sin and how wrong it is. I see that without Jesus I’m lost. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me from my sin, my past, this world, and eternal death. I repent, I turn away from my old life and I put my faith and life in Jesus! Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!