Long Story Short 8: Jonah and the Belly of a Great Fish

 

Redemption Church Plano Tx

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Clyde Fluitt and I am glad to share this moment with you today.

Hello to our online Church friends. Please leave us a comment and let us know you are there.
Hello in person worshippers. Please amen me frequently so I know you are there. 

Long Story Short

 

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

A prophet who runs from God.

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

A bad storm and a sleeping prophet.

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

The God of heaven, who made the sea and dry land… And you try to run away from this God? It makes no sense!

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

Surprise.
The pagan fishermen are soft hearted and repentant, and they end up respecting and worshipping God.
The prophet, while it looks like he is nobly sacrificing himself on their behalf… he is really just doubling down on not going the Ninevah.  The real way to calm this storm is to turn around and go where God has called you.

Jonah would rather die than go to Ninevah?

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Certain Death

Jonah prays to God in the belly of the fish.

Why not pray when he does not want to go to Ninevah…?
Why not pray on the boat…?

How does Jonah pray?

He thanks God for hearing him…
He does not technically repent.
It seems like Jonah is certain he is going to die.

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Fish Vomit Delivery

 

Jonah 3:1 -4 (NIV) Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

God’s word came a second time.

The message “40 days and Ninevah will be overthrown.” 
No mention of what Ninevah has done wrong.
No instruction on how to respond.
No mention of God.

It is the worst sermon ever…. And yet…

Jonah 3:5-9 (NIV) 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

The pagan city repented.  The opposite of what one would expect.

Jonah 3:10 (NIV) 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

 

Over Turned

 

Exodus 34:6

 

Angry Prophet

Is your anger justified?

 

No answer at the end

 

Are you angry that God loves your enemy?