The Runaway Prophet
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Introduction
Introduction
Big Idea: You Cannot Outrun a Sovereign God
Have you ever noticed how ridiculous small children can be. I remember with each of our kids, when they were toddlers, that they would frequently pick up things they shouldn’t have. Once they did, and once they realized you new they picked up something they shouldn’t have, they engaged in this universal response ALL toddlers have in such a situation: they ran.
The flight mentality of toddlers is ridiculous. When is the last time an able bodied parent lost in a footrace against a two year old? NEVER. And I know the kids know this. Never once were any of my kids surprised when I would catch up with them. They were foolish to run.
Sometimes I act like a toddler. I act as though I can outrun God. Any time I know what God calls me to do in a situation and I do something else I am acting like that 2 year old. Every time I try to be sneaky and engage in activity I know goes against God’s will for my life, I am behaving like a ridiculous toddler. I am running from a God who cannot be outrun.
Do you ever try to run from God? Do you ever act as though your actions will not be called into account before a sovereign God? Do you ever act like a toddler?
The story of Jonah is about a man who thought he could run from God. He blatantly disregarded God’s commands and thought he could quite literally, get away with it.
Now, I know that most of you are pretty familiar with the story of want you to suspend for the next four weeks your knowledge of the story, and try to rediscover it with fresh eyes. We know about the fish and the city repenting and Jonah’s temper tantrum. But in our familiarity with the story we might be tempted to miss what God wants to teach us through Jonah. So with that, let’s pretend we are watching this story for the first time.
The Sovereign God Sends Jonah
The Sovereign God Sends Jonah
jonah 1:1-2
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
Who is Jonah?
Jonah was a prophet to the nation of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. It was time of prosperity and growth, but also a time of moral decline. As such, God promised that he would bring judgment on Israel as a result. And the instrument of that judgment? The Assyrians.
Who is Nineveh?
Guess what the capital city of the Assyrian empire was? Nineveh. Jonah knew the coming judgment, and knew the wickedness of the Assyrians and how brutal they could be. He was not the biggest fan of Nineveh.
What does God want Jonah to do?
God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against their evil. Now, we won’t get into the details yet of why Jonah feels the way he does about this mission. That’s for another day. Suffice it to say at this point, Jonah does not want to do it. So what does he do? He runs.
Jonah Runs From The Sovereign God
Jonah Runs From The Sovereign God
Jonah 1:3-
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 thinks he can escape the presence of a Sovereign God
He decides to run to Tarshish. From an Israelite perspective Tarshish was the furthest you could get from Israel.
Jonah thinks he can escape the presence of a Sovereign God
For the vast majority of the ancient world, they believed that the gods had jurisdictions. They were localized. Notice what Jonah is doing. He is acting as thought the Lord is only a local deity. He is behaving as though he can manage to escape from God’s presence.
Well, Tarshish is not far enough, to get away from God. There is no escape from the presence of an omnipresent God.
The Sovereign God Sends a Storm
The Sovereign God Sends a Storm
Jonah 1:4-
But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “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.”
God hurls a storm at the ship
Turns out God’s power is not limited to the land of Israel. He sends a typhoon after Jonah. And it just about to break up.
The sailors freak out. Jonah’s actions threaten the lives of others.
Remember that these sailors would have had a ton of experience at sea. They are freaking out. They haven’t seen a storm like this. They respond by calling out to every god they can think of for rescue.
It is important to notice that Jonah’s rebellion threatens the lives of others. How often do we not consider the negative effects our own sin can have on others? Surely Jonah is being eaten up by guilt at this point.
Jonah is fast asleep.
Jonah evidently is not bothered by his rebellion. He has no problem sleeping though the storm. How seared must his conscience be at this point?
The captain wakes Jonah up to get him to pray.
Jonah is woken from his slumber. He would have slept until he drowned. A pagan must inspire a prophet to seek God for help.
Jonah Owns His Rebellion Against the Sovereign God
Jonah Owns His Rebellion Against the Sovereign God
Jonah 1:7-
And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 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.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
The sailors throw dice to figure out Jonah is the problem
Casting lots was a superstitious way to determine answers to unknown questions. God doesn’t mind. He means to out Jonah’s rebellion. God is just as sovereign over the dice as he is over the storm.
Jonah admits his rebellion
Jonah is questioned by the sailors, and he comes clean.
The sailors freak out
Their hearts collectively sink. The God that Jonah has upset is the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. In other words, the sailors realize that the God who is after Jonah is not limited by any jurisdiction. His jurisdiction is the entire universe!
Notice how these pagan sailors recognize the sovereignty of God more than Jonah does!
Jonah Accepts The Consequences of the Sovereign God
Jonah Accepts The Consequences of the Sovereign God
Jonah 1:11
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”
The storm gets worse. So the sailors ask Jonah what to do to appease this sovereign God.
Jonah accepts the consequences of his rebellion against God
Chuck me into the sea. Don’t fast forward in the story! What will happen to Jonah if he gets thrown overboard in the middle of the ocean? He will die.
We deserve death for our rebellion against God. Jonah knows it. He is finally willing to own up to the consequences of his rebellion.
Jonah sacrifices his own life for those on the boat
Don’t miss what is happening here. What has motivated Jonah to give up his life? The well being of the sailors.
Jonah is willingly laying down his life for the good of these sailors.
In the first chapter of Jonah, we find the echo of a story of a prophet greater than Jonah, who would lay down his life for others, though unlike Jonah, not as a result of his own rebellion, but the rebellion of those he would die to save.
The Sovereign God Uses Jonah’s Rebellion
The Sovereign God Uses Jonah’s Rebellion
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
The sailors are reluctant to throw Jonah over, but they do when all hope is lost
Having found out that it is the God who is sovereign over everything, they do not want to upset him by killing his prophet.
But once it is clear they have no other options they pray to God, “Don’t kill us for killing your prophet, since we are just trying to obey what you want.” Notice that these pagan sailors obey God better than God’s own prophet.
The moment Jonah hits the water the storm ceases.
Fear for the Lord overcomes these men. You see the same reaction from the disciples of Jesus when he calms the storm. God’s sovereign power over everything ought to elicit reverent fear from those who behold it.
Notice what they do next. The offer sacrifices to the Lord and vow themselves to him. They have converted to Israel’s God.
One of the most dominant themes of this chapter, and indeed the whole book, is the sovereignty of God. God’s power is not limited by anything.
God is sovereign over prophets, storms, sailors and dice.
But if God is so sovereign, why would he let Jonah run in the first place? God lets Jonah run because he wanted to reach the sailors in that boat. Those men do not forsake their old gods they cry out to earlier in the story if Jonah does not run.
If God is so sovereign, why would he let Jonah run? Because God had set his eyes on a ship full of sailors that he wanted to redeem.
Let this sink in on you. God is so sovereign that he even uses the rebellion of others to accomplish his purposes. That is good news for us, because that means that nothing in your life will be wasted. God can use even your failures to accomplish his purposes. Don’t believe me?
Communion
Communion
On the night that Jesus was betrayed he took bread and gave it to his disciples saying, “This is my body which is for you. Eat this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup and gave it to them saying, “This is my blood of the covenant. Drink this in remembrance of me.”
What is communion about? Jesus’ death for sinners like you and me. Was it a sin to crucify the Son of God? Were the religious leaders guilty? Was Pilate? Were the Jews? Was Judas? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Did all of these people spoil God’s purposes in rebelling against God by being complicit in the death of his Son? No, they fulfilled it. Listen to Acts:
Acts 4:
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
If God can use the most evil acts of rebellion in history to accomplish the greatest work in all of history, he can even redeem your failures. Your participation in communion is a testimony of that reality.
Communion commemorates the sacrifice of the Sovereign God who gave his life for our rebellion.
In a moment I will be dismissing you to take communion. Before you get up though, I want you to consider how to respond to the text tonight.
Application
Is the storm you are facing right now a result of God’s pursuit of you?
What consequences do you need to own as the result of your running?
Do not fret over your failures. God will use them for his purposes.
Some of you are like these sailors, you do not know the true God. But unlike these sailors, your ship is going down and it IS your own fault. But here is the good news, God sent one like Jonah who was willing to sacrifice his own life for the sake of others. But unlike Jonah, this one wasn’t running from God. He laid his life down for those who were running from God.