Jonah Flees

This is a synopsis of a series on Jonah that was presented at summer camp.


Part 1 of 7: 
Jonah Flees  (Jonah 1:1-3)                                                             


The book of Jonah is most usually associated with the enormous fish, usually assumed to be a whale that swallowed Jonah. What is less well known, and often overlooked, is how the book of Jonah paints a picture of the gospel and points us to Jesus. This series will show how Jonah gives us lessons in the gospel to shape our lives today.


Most of the prophets in the Old Testament spoke the word of the Lord. The unique thing about Jonah is that he lived the message. Jonah's life and experience were meant to communicate the purpose and plan of God's redeeming heart. In the process one gains insight into one's own heart as well.


BIG THINGS
The book of Jonah talks about many great things. The great city of Ninevah, the great disobedience of Jonah, the great cruelty of the Assyrians, the great things that God sends to Jonah throughout the book including a great storm, a great fish, a great plant, a great worm and a great wind. We see that Jonah has great emotional reactions to what happens to him, sinks to great depths, and also tries to put great distance between himself and the Lord's plans. Of all these "great things" in Jonah there are three themes that develop which are key to understanding the gospel message in Jonah.


1. The great extent of our sin
2. The greatness of God's grace
3. The great scope of God's mission


1. THE GREAT EXTENT OF OUR SIN
There are not any human heros in Jonah. Neither the pagan sailors, the prejudice prophet and the pitiless Ninevites qualify as having it together. There is a lesson here; everyone, from every tribe and background, needs the gospel. Jonah the practicing professional prophet of Israel needs to know God's compassion in his life just as much as the pagan-worshipping sailors and the cruel Assyrian nation. Sin is sin and it drives all of us away from the presence of the Lord. What Jonah needs to realize more than anything is that he needs grace. In fact, we see in this book that Jonah is a rebel, prejudice, self-righteous and comfort seeking. His only hope is the compassion and mercy of the Lord, not his pedigree, background or accomplishments. 


Yet these are the very things that many people often times hide behind instead of seizing the grace which is at hand.


2. THE GREATNESS OF GOD'S GRACE
There is a great insight in Chapter 4, which we will get to, about the Lord. Jonah quotes from Exodus about God's character stating: He is a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. God's grace is for sinners. God relents if and when we repent. His ability to forgive is greater than our ability to sin. In fact of all the great things mentioned in Jonah, it is the greatness of God's grace that stands above them all. And it is this grace that points us to Jesus.


3. THE GREAT SCOPE OF GOD'S MISSION
What we see in Jonah is also the great lengths that God will go to in order to make his grace known. God's compassion is for the world. It is for Jews and it is for Ninevites and all those in between. God's grace on display through the gospel is needed to humble to pride of the religious and encourage sight to the blind pagan. God's power over creation is demonstrated again and again. His compassion for the lost city of Ninevah extends also to his lost and fleeing prophet. God doesn't give up on Jonah, the Ninevites and he won't give up on us....as long as we are given days to live. The book even goes as far to say that God's compassion for the cattle of Ninevah is greater that Jonah's concern for the people. Again we see the great scope of God's mission for the world he loves and has redeemed.


CONCLUSION
We see that the word of the Lord comes to Jonah, to preach repentance to his enemies and Jonah responds by fleeing. The kindness of the Lord toward Jonah's enemies is more than he can bear and so he sets out in the opposite direction. Human hearts reflect this truth in Jonah. The question Jonah poses from the beginning is this: Are you able to love others, including your enemies, because you recognize that God loved you while still his enemy?


How one answers that question will determine what direction one is fleeing. And that direction makes all the difference in how you handle the storms that are bound to come into life.




For further reading on Jonah check out:
Surprised by Grace by Tullian Tchividjian's
For the City  (especially chapter 10)by Darrin Patrick and Matt Carter