Jonah 1:1-6 - The Paradox of Jonah

We’re diving into Jonah 1:1-6, where we encounter the startling paradox of a prophet running from God. Despite knowing the Lord and His clear command to go to Nineveh, Jonah flees, revealing a tension we can all face: knowing God yet resisting His call. This passage challenges us to examine our own obedience and consider how our choices impact those around us. Join me as we unpack this living Word, confront our own paradoxes, and look to Jesus, our true hope!

Transcript

1 - Jonah 1:1-6 - The Paradox of Jonah

Intro

• If you have your Bibles please turn with me to the book of Jonah chapter 1.
  • After you find Jonah 1, mark that and then open up to 2 Kings 14 and find verse 23, here we will find our opening verses.  
  • Today we will be starting a new series through the book of Jonah.
    • We are beginning in 2 Kings to assist with understanding the context for Jonah.
    • We need to be sure that we are placing Jonah correctly in the history of Israel.
  • As you open find your place in scripture consider the distance between 2 Kings and the book of Jonah.
    • If we are not careful we could easily think that Jonah existed near the time of Christ, simply because of the placement of his book.
      • However, we must remember that the Bible is not ordered chronologically, instead the books are grouped together in sections of the same kind.
      • For example…
        • History is grouped together…
          • 1 & 2 Samuel…
          • 1 & 2 Kings…
          • 1 & 2 Chronicles…
          • Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther…
        • Poetry is grouped together…
          • Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon…
        • And Prophets are grouped together, in two different sections…
          • You have the major prophets…
            • Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel…
          • Then you have the 12 minor prophets…
            • I will not name them but here is where we find the book of Jonah.
            • The 5th of the 12 to be precise.
      • Though his book is found near the end of our old testament he would have lived and ministered more than 750 years before Christ.
  • Which is why we are starting in 2 Kings because in these verses we find the historical timeframe for which Jonah is found.
    • He is named in just two books in the Old Testament…
      • The book of Jonah and here in 2 Kings.
    • This is important for us to keep in mind as we begin to step into his story.
• Now it is possible that some of you may be wondering why we are even spending time looking at this familiar story and this familiar book…
  • It is true that young and old alike are familiar with Jonah, or at least the high points of this book…
  • It is a favorite of children and has, for centuries, captured the imagination of all…
    • That is because it is a story of a man being swallowed by a large fish and then being vomited back onto dry ground to tell of what happened to him.
      • You cannot read a story like that and not expect it to capture the hearts and minds of those reading it.
    • I remember one VBS very clearly from my childhood…
      • One lady in my home church carefully and skillfully crafted a large whale out of chicken wire.
      • She then covered it with blue paper and made it in such a way that we could gather in it and be taught this Bible story.
      • Jonah falls in the category of one of the many amazing stories that are found in the Old Testament.
    • It is because of this that we are familiar with it, we know this story…
  • However, I would say that if we are not careful, we could take this account, read it, pass over it, and simply remember a VBS from our youth…
    • Making it nothing more than an amazing tale that whisks us back to our childhood. 
    • However, there is one glaring problem with it simply being that…
      • This book that lay open before us is in fact the Word of God…
        • From Genesis to Revelation…
        • The Old Testament as well as the New…
        • The interesting stories, the boring parts, and even that which we do not understand.
      • Jonah is found counted as scripture and therefore is profitable for us to consider today…
      • Remember…
    • Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
  • Church, this is more than a story we are familiar with, it is the Word of God and it exists for our consideration and our benefit.
    • Therefore I challenge you today as we step into this familiar story to look upon it with fresh eyes.
  • When you do you will find that It is much more than a story of a man swallowed by a big fish.
• So with that let us read our text, open in prayer, and then lay some foundational truths before we step into this book.

2 Kings 14:23-25

• Though we read more of this than necessary I wanted to be sure that we see the context for which Jonah is mentioned in this chapter.
  • As I already stated this clearly places Jonah as a prophet from Israel at the time of king Jeroboam. 
    • Jeroboam reigned over the nation of Israel in the 8th century BC.  
  • It is important that we recall that during this period of time you will find the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah.
    • Judah followed the line of David and Israel followed various kings and not simply one family line.
    • Jonah was the prophet to the northern kingdom.
  • As you keep that on your mind it will also do us well to remember that the nation of Israel was often rebelling against the Lord.
    • So much so that before the end of the eighth century they were carried off into exile by the Assyrians.
    • Though we cannot be certain, it would have been possible that Jonah was still alive when his kingdom was carried away.
  • All of that background information helps to add context to this short story we all know so well.
• Now before we dive into the book of Jonah and begin to look at how he responds to the Lord it is important that we see how he is described in 2 Kings…
  • Now I know we just read it but please read it again with me once more, and as you do, and if you mark in your Bibles please underline two words in this one verse…
    • Vs 25
  • There are two words that stand out that describe this man named Jonah, and I would encourage you to underline them…
    • He is called a servant and a prophet…
      • Now, if you were to read through the story of Jonah, and if you were to describe him to someone…
    • The description of a prophet makes sense, but servant, in my mind he is more of a rebel than a servant.
  • Yet here, he is described as such…
    • You know who else in scripture is described using the same word?
      • Samuel, the last judge, called by God and set apart from birth…
        • Who ministered faithfully to the nation of Israel and who anointed both the first and second king of the unified kingdom.
          • He anointed Saul as well as David.
        • You look at his life and consider his ministry, you will not be surprised that Samuel is called a servant of God.
      • Jonah is labeled in the same way as this faithful man. 
    • It is here where we must keep in mind that the story of Jonah is very short.
      • Only four chapters in length, and is solely about one event in his life.
      • It seems as though this man was faithful in other ways at other points in his walk with the Lord.
    • This is important to keep in mind because we are going to be extremely critical of Jonah over the next few weeks..
  • He is also called a prophet, which does not surprise us because that is exactly what he is…
    • He speaks the Word of God to the people, he would have been one of God’s chosen mouthpieces.
    • We know based on 2 Kings that he spoke more than just to the Ninevites although none of his other words are recorded.
• However, this information is enough for us to reason that he had a relationship with the Lord.
  • We can assume that he was familiar, at least to a degree, with the Law of God…
  • We can assume that he knew, again to a degree, of the character and nature of God…
    • Actually we can more than assume this because of his confession in prayer in Jonah 4:2…
      • He is praying to God and confesses…
        • Jonah 4:2c - “...for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…”
      • If that sounds familiar to you do not be surprised, it is nearly a direct quote from the book of Exodus.
        • It is what God said about Himself…
    • This means that he knew who God was, he had spoken for God in other capacities, and we can assume that he knew the Law of God.
  • A servant and a prophet, which makes the verses we are getting ready to read quite interesting.
• Now, one final point to consider before we move on to the book of Jonah…
  • The place that Jonah is called to go to is Nineveh, it is important we remember just what city and people this represented.
    • Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, it was the Assyrians that came against Israel and Judah.
    • It was ultimately the Assyrians that conquered Israel and carried the people off to different lands.
  • Understanding this helps to shape the story and helps us to understand why Jonah may have been reluctant to obey the Lord.
    • It is one thing to speak the Word of God to the people of God…
    • It is another thing entirely to speak the Word of God to the enemies of God’s people.
  • That is exactly what Jonah was commanded by God to do…
• So with those foundations laid, let us go ahead and flip back to Jonah 1 and let’s begin reading in verse 1…

Jonah 1:1-6

• In the verses that we just read we find a paradox of sorts…
  • Now, a paradox can be defined in multiple ways, the definition I am going to use is this:
    • A paradox is defined as “any person, thing, or situation displaying an apparently contradictory nature.”
  • Can you see this in the verses that we just read?
    • Jonah, this man who is called a prophet and servant of God, who is tasked with speaking God’s Word…
    • Is now found acting in opposition to God. 
  • When we really pause and consider this story it should leave us in awe, and not because of the big fish but because of what we see in the life of Jonah.
• It leaves us wondering, how is this even possible?
  • A man of God, a prophet and servant, running from God…
    • How can someone know God so well and be found fleeing from him?
  • This is where we need to see…
    • That it did happen, and the reality is that it can happen to us today as well.
• This is where we begin to see that this is not simply a story we like to retell, it is the Word of God that is living and active and able to call us to repentance today.
  • Let’s dive into these verses by first considering…

The Paradox of Jonah

• We have already talked some about it but let’s dig deeper, as we have seen and understood…
  • Jonah had a relationship with the Lord, he knew the Lord, he had spoken for the Lord.
    • Though the verses we just read seem to display the opposite, we know otherwise.
    • At other times he had spoken for God, he was God’s mouthpiece chosen at this time.
  • We cannot miss this…
    • Jonah is not a pagan who does not know the Lord, everything we see about this man reveals that he indeed knew the Lord.
    • If we read this story without grasping this first truth we will misrepresent his actions.
  • Honestly, it would be easier to read this story and simply say that Jonah just did not know the Lord, however you cannot get there.
  • You also cannot say that he did not understand the Lord… 
• Take note that the command of God was clear to this man.
  • Look again at verse 2.
    • Vs. 2
      • This is pretty straightforward, right?
      • Get up and go, and call out against Nineveh.
  • This was a clear command, and we can say that Jonah knew exactly what was required of him.
    • Though it is not in our main verses today jump down with me to verse 9 and we find this confession from the lips of Jonah himself.
      • Vs. 9-10
    • He knew very well what was required of him, and he knew very well that he was found disobeying what the Lord commanded.
  • So track with me…
    • Jonah knew the Lord, he knew the Character of God, he knew what God wanted and required of him.
    • Yet, Jonah deliberately fled from obedience…
• It is here we can clearly observe this paradox…
  • How can someone who knows God, knows what is required by God, has even been used by God in the past, flee from Him?
    • Look again with me at our verses, there is something else to point out from a literary point of view.
      • The author of Jonah wrote this in such a way to by repetition show just how disobedient Jonah was to the Lord.
    • Go to verse 3 and as we read these verses, consider where Jonah is going every time he is mentioned.
      • Vs. 3-5 - Emphasis of “down”.
        • Jonah went down to Joppa…
        • Jonah went down into the ship…
        • Jonah went down even still into the inner part of the ship…
        • We will see later on that Jonah goes down even more dramatically as he is swallowed by the fish. 
      • He desperately tried to flee from God, and in doing so he intentionally disobeyed the Lord.
  • Again, this is where we find the paradox of this story…
    • Jonah knew God, he heard God clearly and knew what was required, and he deliberately disobeyed.
      • You know we often come to stories like this where we observe something that does not fit and honestly ask…
        • How does this happen?
      • How do we find a prophet of God, someone who knows the Lord, hears His Word, and intentionally turns and runs from Him?
    • To make it worse, we must remember that…
      • Jonah would have known of Israel’s troubled history and would have observed himself…
        • Even in his day he could have testified to the danger of disobeying the Lord.
      • He would have known the commands from God’s Law…
        • Surely from a young man he would have known the warnings found for those who would disobey the Lord.
    • Let me point out to you Deuteronomy 28, I would encourage you to read that chapter sometime this week…
      • It is a chapter near the end of the book that expresses the benefits and blessings that are found in obeying God..
        • And the curses if Israel chooses to disobey.
      • The first 14 verses of that chapter express the blessings that Israel would experience if they obeyed the Lord.
      • The last 54 verses of that chapter express the curses, and the judgments that would fall on Israel if they disobeyed.
      • That section begins with this verse…
        • Deuteronomy 28:15 - “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”
        • Following that verse we find many punishments that will fall upon the people if they disobey.
    • Jonah would have been familiar with this section, more than that he would have had the ability to consider the history of his people since that point.
      • They had disobeyed time and again, he would have known this better than anyone else.
        • For his job was to call the people to repentance and to speak the Word of God to the people of God.  
      • Yet despite…
        • The warnings in Deuteronomy…
      • And despite…
        • The warnings found in the history of his people… 
      • And despite…
        • The position that he held where he heard from God directly…
    • He still made the conscious decision to rebel against Him.
  • So for us he has become another example of those who disobey God and suffer the consequences.
• He knew God, he understood God, and he ran from God…
  • This is a paradox, but it is more than simply that, it is a reality that we must consider even today.
  • So let us take this example and consider…

The Possible Paradox of Today

• As we step into this final point and connect our verses to us today, I want to be clear who I am speaking to…
  • Today, if you are in Christ, if you have placed your faith in Jesus, if you have been born again and are counted as the Redeemed of God…
  • If today you are sealed with the Promised Holy Spirit and have believed the Gospel…
  • Christian, I am speaking to you and to me…
• We must consider the parallels that exist in the life of Jonah and us today…
  • For those in Christ we have an ongoing relationship with the Lord…
    • Just like Jonah we know God, we have a real relationship with Him…
      • This relationship began with placing our faith in Jesus and being forgiven of our sins.
      • However, it does not end there but begins there, we then grow in Christ through…
        • Fellowship with one another, the reading of God's Word, and through prayer.  
    • We are new Creations in Christ, we are told in…
      • 2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
    • We are sealed by the Holy Spirit, Paul writes of this in…
      • Ephesians 1:13-14 - “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
    • I know it seems that I am a little repetitive here but hang with me, this is such an important connection.
  • If this is you today then please lean in as we consider this possible paradox together.  
• That is because like Jonah we also have been given clear commands from the Lord.
  • Jonah knew where he was to go, when he was to go, and what he was to do…
    • Church, can the same be said of us today?
      • Has God spoken what He desires for those who belong to Him?
    • For us to say anything but “yes” is to deny the sufficiency of Scripture.
  • The reality is that we have been entrusted with the very Word of God in which we find clear commands that we are to follow.
    • Yet do we follow Him or are we found as Jonah was…
    • Fleeing from the presence of God all the while making excuses for why we are disobeying Him?
  • What is most concerning about Jonah in these verses before us today is that there was no indication in his life at this time that he was a prophet of God.
    • Consider this as we bridge this over and as we examine our own lives…
      • He was disobedient to the most straightforward command.
        • As a prophet he should have modeled obedience, instead he neglected to follow the command of God.
        • Christian, what is your life marked by?
          • Do you live a life of obedience or are you found disobeying and neglecting the very Word of God.
          • Can others look upon your life, your decisions, your commitments and clearly see Christ in them?
            • I think of Jesus’ words in John 14:15, He told His disciples - “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
        • Does your life display a love for Christ in how you have obeyed Him?
          • Christian, I am not speaking of stumbling, I am not speaking of unintentional sins…
          • I am talking about the aim of your life, about what your existence is marked by…
            • Not what it was marked by yesterday, not what you did last week or last year…
            • What is your existence marked by today?
          • Remember, Jonah at one point was called a servant of God yet that seems absent from our text today.
        • Therefore I remind you that it is possible to obey God, to follow Christ, and then to fall into a time of disobedience…
          • Where you neglect the reading of the Word…
          • Where you neglect the time spent in prayer and the fellowship with other believers…
          • Where any observer of your life sees nothing that would suggest that you are in Christ. 
        • Let’s continue making connections here…
      • Jonah was apathetic to those around him who paid the price for his disobedience.
        • These verses remind us that disobedience to God does not just cost us, but it hurts those around us.
        • Jonah is not the only one in these verses that is affected by his decisions…
          • The pagans who weathered the storm were greatly impacted by his disobedience.
            • Not to mention his neglect to go to Nineveh showed that he cared little for the people given to sin.
          • He is so apathetic that he is found sleeping, his actions seem to show that he cares little about anyone else but himself.  
        • What about you, believer?
          • Do you care that your disobedience affects those around you?
            • Your spouse, your children, your coworkers are going to be impacted by your obedience or your disobedience to God.
          • This is so important for us to consider because we live in a culture that is consumed with self focus.
            • If we are not careful we will worry more about ourselves than anyone else around us.
          • I remind you that we have not been called to that, we are commanded to do just the opposite.
            • Paul writes in…
            • Philippians 2:2-3 - “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
        • Is your life marked by this or does it mirror more the life of Jonah?
    • The worst thing we could do today is to look at these verses, consider the life of this man, and not reflect upon our own existence.
  • There is no middle ground here when we are talking about living and walking in obedience.
    • You are either living for Christ, striving after Him, or you are neglecting the One who died in your place.
    • So which is it today?
      • I firmly believe that the Spirit of God is able to convict, so that all of us know if we are living for Him or not.

Closing

• As we close today I want to remind you of…
  • Romans 15:4 - “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
    • This verse tells us that Jonah was written for our benefit, for our instruction.
    • In this case it is to call us to obedience in Christ.
  • I pray now that you would examine your life, check the direction of it, and if necessary that you would repent.
• Here is the hope, though Jonah was living in disobedience he could have repented and done as he should have at first.
  • We will see that he does not and has to be humbled farther still.
  • Do not follow his example, instead humble yourself today if you are living as Jonah did…
    • Let’s pray.