Transcript File - Southside Church of Christ
We all know the story, but have we really gotten the point?
God’s requirement, Jonah’s rebellion and retreat, God reigns him with a raging storm, the sailors’ reluctance, Jonah’s repentance and report, Nineveh’s redemption, Jonah’s resentment, God’s reminders.
1:3 But Jonah retreated toward Tarshish !
God required Jonah to report to Nineveh , 1:1-2
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God then reigns Jonah with a raging tempest, 1:4-9 ;
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Jonah realizes and reports the resolution, 1:9-12 ;
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The sailors are reluctant, but relent, 1:13-15 ;
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and repent, 1:16 .
“So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.”
“And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish “ Then three days and three nights.”
1:17
Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish…”
2:1ff
“Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up on dry land.”
2:10
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.’”
3:1-2
“So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord…”
3:3a
Nineveh’s reception (of the word), repentance, 3:4-9 ; God relents, and Nineveh is redeemed, 3:10 !
Jonah’s resentment, 4:1-3 ; God’s reminders, 4:4 11 .
But what’s the point of it all?
That God loves all people and wants all to be saved?
Sure, Rom.1:16 ; 1Tim.2:4 ; Titus 2:11 15 … But is that it?
Consider this question: Why was it so important that
Jonah
go to Nineveh?
Why not let the whale be the end of it for Jonah, and send someone else to Nineveh, cf. Esther 4:14 ?
Because the story is about
Jonah’s salvation
as much as Nineveh’s… and there was something yet lacking ( cf. Luke 18:22ff )…
Jonah was doing the right things, finally… But his “heart was not right” ( cf. Acts 8:21 ): 1. He sought pleasure from the wrong sources, v.1
, Jas.4:1ff , Luke 15:7 ; 2. He thought only of himself, vv.2-5 , Phil.2:3 5ff ; 3. He didn’t get the value of others’ souls, vv.6-11 , Matt.16:26 ; but perhaps most importantly… 4. He didn’t love his enemies, v.2
Matt.5:43-48 !
Jonah begged to die, but was not ready… He needed God’s compassion as much as Nineveh!
Now, here are the big questions: “Where is your Nineveh?” “Even if your actions are (finally) right, is your heart right?” What does your story indicate?