The Messenger For Nineveh - Brian Osburn 6/6/10

I would like to invite your attention to the Book of Jonah.

This morning, Jonah, if you don't know as part of the twelve

books as we classify as the Minor Prophets, it is the last

12 books of the Old Testament and there are the the Major

Prophets which are just before. Then and you may be thinking,

well what's the difference between Major Prophets of Minor

Prophets? Well, the difference is not

because the Minor Prophets have it were Less important than the

Major Prophets, The only distinction between the Major

Prophets and the Minor Prophets. Is that the Minor Prophets were

just shorter in length than the books and it's unfortunate that

they're classified as Minor Prophets, but they still hold a

very important message. As we're going to see this

morning throughout the Book of Jonah.

Jonah is part of the is probably the most recognized and popular

book of the Minor Prophets among Bible students and really it's

popular due to the great fish that swallows up the prophet.

Don't Jonah. This fascinated me as a kid.

It's fascinating to my children. When Ravine about such a story

is this and I can remember when I first heard about the story of

just drawing this picture and that the time I drew a well and

this coming up out of the water and swallowing up Jonah and it

just, I don't know why it's so vivid in my mind, but it just

made an impression on me in my early childhood.

But it's from this event that makes people want to discredit

the story as being a true story and thinking it is more of a

myth or a tail and not really an actual event.

Some people just can't believe that a great big fish, would

swallow someone up and for that person to survive in the belly

of that, great fish for three days, And so that brings

skepticism towards other people but you no matter what, no

matter what the Skeptics say or think about the story in the

Bible, there is one who believed that what is written here in the

Book of Jonah was true. In fact, we find that he

referenced it in the New Testament and that is Jesus

Christ. We find that he says this in

Matthew chapter 12 because he referred to Jonah as an analogy

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

to his own death and resurrection and he mentioned

that Jonah was a sign because it says in Matthew 12 verse 39,

Matthew 12:39

through 41, but he answered and said to them, this is Jesus

talking here. He says an evil and adulterous

generation seeks after a sign and no sign will be given to it

except the sign of the prophet Jonah Crest.

Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great

fish. So will the son of man be three

days and three nights in the heart of the Earth, the men of

Nineveh will rise up in the Judgment with this generation

and condemn it because they pre are there because Repented at

the preaching of Jonah and indeed a greater than Jonah is

here. This alone with Jesus

referencing Jonah and the events that happened within the Book of

Jonah is ample proof that this was a true event that we are

going to discuss here this morning.

This is no fairytale, this is nor myth this actually happened.

And so the words of Jesus with him referencing it and saying

that Jonah was a type of himself, being three days, and

three nights in the belly of the whale.

So, will the son of man to his red being buried and then

there's the resurrection. And so this is what these

inspired words. I want to now, take a look at

what this book contains for most of you.

This is nothing, nothing new within this book but there are a

few things that I like to discuss with you as we go

through this book and see if we could better Our Lives as

Christians and learn a few things from the character of

Jonah. As a book, first opens, we see

that God has a message for His prophets and we see here in

verses 1 through 3 of chapter 1, Says, now the word of the Lord

came to Jonah, the son of a May Atty saying, arise, and go to

Nineveh that great City and cry out against it for their

wickedness, has come up before me, but Jonah arose 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

from the presence of the Lord. So We find right at the very

outset here that God has this his message for the prophet.

Jonah is simply this you go to the city of Nineveh and you tell

them to repent that is all you have to do.

And so we understand if you if you do some historical

background about the city of Nineveh, it was a gentile City

and it was a capital of Assyria. And at this particular time in

Jonah's day the nation of Assyria had was becoming a

rising power and they were feared by many surrounding

Nations due to their ruthlessness among the

surrounding Nations around them. And God had used this.

He the nation later on in the years to carry out his Judgment

by conquering Israel and leading Samaria away into captivity.

Well at first glance you can see, you can kind of see why

Jonah didn't want to go. I mean, These people are the

enemies. These people are going to take

him captive. You want me to go over to the to

the enemy and risk my life. Among these people is kind of

what Jonah might have been thinking.

Well there's no telling what they would do to him and someone

think that he didn't go to the great distance that he would

have to travel to tell a he the nation and a brutal Nation to

repent of their Wicked Ways. And if you look at the map of

where Jonah was and where Nina was, it was about a 500-mile

journey for him to go all that way to a nation.

That's not going to treat him very well.

He may risk his life and so one may think well certainly

certainly we understand. Why Jonah doesn't want to go?

No wonder he wants to go somewhere else than Joe then

Nineveh. Well, hold that thought for a

minute because we're, there's another another reason that's

going to pop up in chapter 4 of why he didn't want to go to

Nineveh. Well since he doesn't want to

go, he tries to run from the presence of the Lord as the

Bible says and here's his first mistake, he tried to get out of

his duty from God by picking and choosing what God wanted him to

do. And since he was already a

prophet of the Lord, I doubt he really believed that he could

actually free from the presence of the Lord.

But even be that as it may, his intent was to get away from the

situation as much as possible and then come up with some kind

of excuse as to why he didn't carry out the Lord's message.

And so in his attempt to get out of his mission from God, Jonah

had this plan to get away as far as possible.

So we read that he got into a ship, he headed for the city of

Tarsus. Now, when you look at Tarsus on

the map compared to Nineveh Tarsus was four times the

distance than a then Nineveh was were where Jonah was at.

So it was about 2,000 miles away, that Jonah was going to

flee from the Lord. And so he gets on board.

He heads to tarshish and I would think at this particular point

that John of Jonah thought I've done it, I've got out of my

duty, I don't have to go to Nineveh.

I'm busy doing other things and so his plans are going well.

He had run away from God, well, remember God new jounin.

God knew his plans and God was now going to show his

disapproval of what Jonah had done.

And so we see in verse number 4 here, in chapter 1 where it

says, but the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea and there

was a mighty Tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be

broken up. So we find here that while Jonah

was selling off to tarshish, God causes this great storm on the

seat. And it was so rough that these

men on the ship feared that the ship was going to Fall apart,

these men made a desperate attempt to save themselves in

the ship by throwing the cargo overboard and then offering

prayers unto their false gods. Now, while all this was going on

Jonah is not mentioned. Where was Jonah?

You know, where Jonah was gentle was down in the bottom of the

boat sleeping. Now, how one could sleep through

such a storm like that is beyond me?

Perhaps, he was just a heavy sleeper, I have no idea.

But the captain knew her Jonah was.

And so the captain came on down and he joined, he told Jonah to

wake up and start to question. Jonah.

Why is all this happening to us? Are you responsible for all this

great storm that's happening to us after all we're about to lose

our lives. Here we got through all the

stuff overboard just to save the save the ship and save our

lives. And so they begin to question

Jonah here in verses a 8 through 12.

So they said to him please tell us Us for whose cause is trouble

upon us. What is your occupation?

And where do you come from? What is your country and of what

people are you? So he said to them, I am a

Hebrew. And I feared the Lord, the god

of Heaven who made the Sea and the dry land, then the men were

exceedingly afraid and said to him, why have you done this for

the men? Knew that he fled from the

presence of the Lord because he had told them, then they said to

him. What shall we do to you?

That the See may become for us for the sea was growing more

temptress. And he said to them, pick me up

and throw me into the sea, then the sea will become calm for

you. For, I know that this great

Tempest is because of me. And so we see here that Jonah

tells the truth. He tells them all that.

What's going on? Why?

They're experiencing this great storm.

And why it had come about and he knew it was a punishment from

God because of his Disobedience to do what God wanted him to do.

We've seen in times past where God told people, you need to do

this, you need to obey my word. And if you don't, you will be

punished time and time again that happens.

No matter to a nation or to a certain group of people or to

one individual. It happens over and over and

over again. God said, please do what I tell

you to do, but if you don't there's going to be a punishment

and God is faithful to his word. If you do not do it, you will be

punished. And so is the case with jota and

Jonah knows that Jonah's in trouble.

Now, And so after Jonah had told him all these things he said you

know I have a remedy just throw me overboard and the Sea will

become called become calm and you guys will be okay.

Now. The main had heard this but they

didn't want to quite jump to conclusions, quite yet as to the

remedy for for this storm to call because they tried in their

own power, to try to save this ship even more.

But after a while they decided, we can't really save ourselves.

We can't really save this ship and so what they did, they

finally decided to throw Jonah overboard.

And you know what? Just like that, the storm called

Just like that. Now, it's interesting to note

that from this event. In verse number, 16 that those

men who had believed in their false gods had now become

Believers in the one true God. that kind of jumps off the page

for me and it's interesting to me because you never know

Through whatever circumstance, whatever you say, whatever you

do, you never know. When one person could become a

believer in the one, true God, in whatever circumstance, I

highly doubt Jonah would have realized that these people will

be leaving God because the then throw me overboard and the salt

loudness. See just call me like a dude.

But they did. They Worship the Lord?

After that, see had calmed and they took the, the operative

sacrifice to him and they took vows, as well as the Bible says,

so Jonah. He's now out at Sea, all by

himself, with all this cargo that have been thrown overboard,

and here's what happens. Next, in verse number 17, now,

the Lord had prepared, a great fish to swallow, Jonah, and

Jonah was in the belly of the fish.

Three days and three nights. Now, I put myself in Jonas shoes

many times before, when thinking about this particular situation.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'd be so scared to death being

out in Open Water like that, all by yourself.

Because you're helpless, they are floating.

You're trying to fight for your life, to stay afloat.

You have no idea what's underneath you.

And just that openness to me is scary enough.

But now all of a sudden. And I know, I don't know how how

all this came about. Of course, the Bible says that

the Lord had prepared, this great fish to swallow Jonah.

I don't know if it's surfaced a couple times and Jonah kind of

seeing out that thinking, what in the world is that I've got to

swim away as quick as I can before that thing gets to me.

But then this thing coming up with its mouth wide open and the

swallowing Jonah up that scares me just to think about something

like that. And Jonah thinking this is it is

how I'm going to die. I'm going to drown. with, in the

belly of this great fish that the Lord had prepared, But

that'd be so horrifying, but in this one event, here's where

people get all caught up in their skepticism.

Saying that there's no way that a well can swallow a human and

even for a human to survive, three days in the will, but

there is one thing to note about this.

Whoever said it's a will. Where do we read in the Bible?

That this is a? Well, in the Book of Jonah, we

have no idea if it's a well or not.

All we know is that God prepared a great fish and it did swallow

him. Now we have no idea what the

great fish would have been. It could have been some creature

that is extinct for all we know it could have been a well but we

don't know. Even Jesus referred to it as a

great fish in Matthew 12 and verse 40.

But whatever it was that God had intended to use to swallow.

Jonah, it happened, and we just need to take the Bible for what

it says. And again, like I said, if Jesus

is backed up the story that's Not for me, we just believe that

this great creature swallowed up Jonah.

And so here Jonah is. Now he's all scared.

Probably worn out from the Raging Sea.

He's just been swallowed by this great fish.

And he can't see a thing. It's dark in there.

Autumn ajan is pitch-black and to me that make it even more

scary, but to add to it, he had to stay alive by trying to keep

his head on top of the water while in the belly of that,

great fish. Well, needless to say, things

are not going well for Jonah. He think he thought things were

going well when he got on that ship.

But now look at his situation. It's completely reverse.

He's in the laughing that situation now.

And I'm sure I'm surely thought this is how he was going to die,

but we come to chapter 2 now. And in all desperation.

Jonah gives a prayer to God. And I want to read this prayer

verses 2 through 9 of chapter 2 here.

And he said, I cried out to the Lord, because of my Affliction,

and he answered me, out of the belly of she'll like ride and

you heard my voice. For you, cast me into the deep

into the heart of the season. The flood surrounded me all your

Billows in your waves passed over me.

Then I said I've been cast out of your sight, Eli will look

again. Your Holy Temple, the waters

around me, even to my soul. The Deep closes around me, weeds

were wrapped around my head. I went down in the Moorings of

the mountains, the Earth with its bars.

Close behind me forever. Yet you have brought up my life

from the pit O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me,

I remembered the Lord in my prayer, went up to you into your

Holy Temple, those who regard worthless Idols forsake their

own Mercy. But I will sacrifice to you with

the voice of Thanksgiving. I will pay what I have valid

salvation is of the Lord. I like this prayer.

I like it because we see a turn in his life.

It is a change in Jonah's heart throughout this prayer.

He realized he had done wrong. He now one of the Second Chance

in his life to do, the Lord's will in verse 4.

He says that he will look again to his to your Holy Temple which

is the turning point of his repentance.

He did not do this at the very beginning when when he was told

to go to Minima and to preach the message of God but he is now

ready to carry out. This message that God had told

him to carry out to those people.

There are Nineveh and the sprayer is so deep felt by

Jonah, it was a life or death situation for him and he wanted

to Saved. He wanted to live.

But Jonah, he knew who to turn to.

He knew to turn to God because he was the one who is in

control. And as the Bible says here, as

he prays, he knew were salvation came from from no other man from

no other being. Then the Lord, that's whom

salvation comes from And we see keep this in mind, there are,

there are things that sometimes that just don't go right in our

lives. Maybe we get into trouble with

debts or, or as an extreme, maybe maybe were found in life

percent or death situation but it but really it's a Times Like

These that really make us think of the whole scheme of things

because at that time like these, when we're feeling so down and

so whoa. That we tend to think about our

Lord, don't we? And when we tend to think about

our Lord, we realize he knows what's going on.

He's in control. And it makes us want to pray

more, doesn't it? I don't know what it is, but in

times, like those, we just feel more closer to God.

Because we know that he can get us through it.

Jonah realized that. And we would do ourselves a

world of a world of good. If we would realize that two

moments, like this can bless us because it allows our lot allows

us to refocus Our Lives to Christ and to rededicate our

life to him. This certainly was Jonah

situation and the hidden made him want to do what God had

commanded him. And so because of this prayer as

we see in verse number 10 of chapter 2 and so the Lord spoke

to the fish and it vomited Jonah upon the dry land.

In other words, God gave him a second chance and God will ever

give us a second chance too. Because he wants us to do what

is right? And if it takes two or three or

four chances, God is willing to give us those chances and praise

be to him because of that. Now, it's at this time that the

Lord gives Joan another command. The message doesn't change the

command doesn't change. He wants Jonah to dude just as

he had told him before because he says in chapter 3 now verses

1 and 2. Now the word of the Lord came to

Jonah the second time saying, arise, go to Nineveh that great

City and preach to it. The message that I tell you,

that's exactly the first message that he gave him.

And so Jonah took God's command this time because we find in

verses 3 and 4 of chapter 3. So, Jonah arose and went to

Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.

Now the animal was an exceedingly, great City at three

day journey and extent and Jonah began to enter the city on the

first day's walk. So he cried out and said yet

forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

And so we see that Jonah goes up to the city of Nineveh.

If it says it was a great City and it was a three-day journey

in extent in some debate as to what this phrase.

Me. But I, particularly believe that

it refers to the extent of the city being so great.

Some have tried to measure the cities with based upon the

three-day journey, and some would suggest that this city is

about five to eight miles across.

And if that's the case, Joan has got quite a bit of preaching to

do. Around the city of Nineveh.

He's got some work to do. But when Jonah enter the city,

he began to preach this message and it's simple, it's short.

It's pointed yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

even if it was just that simple today, Well, this message was

enough to get the people to believe God and the change their

ways. These people changed in fact,

the Bible goes on to say that they were sackcloth they fasted

and it was a widespread movement throughout the entire city and

the word got to the king and the King did just the same as the

rest of the people who were hearing this message from Jonah.

And he even made a decree that all men, but not only men, but

all animals to should neither eat nor drink to the due to the

message of the prophet of Jonah. And the King even commanded that

everyone turn from his evil way. And from the violence that is in

his hand and verse number 8. And the reason why as verse

number 9 says, was to try to escape the wrath upon them.

They didn't want to destruction. They want to be saved too, and

so here was their moment of repentance.

And so listen to verse 10. Then God saw their works and let

me emphasize works here. He saw their works that they

turned from their evil way and God relented from the disaster

that he had said he would bring upon them and he did not do it.

God, spared them. Why?

because they heard the message and they repented, that's why

they change their ways. And if you talk about a perfect

example of repentance, here's a perfect example of repentance

repentance is not just not being sorry for what you've done.

Repentance involves works as was evident with these people here,

in Nineveh, it involves first, hearing the message and then

being sorry for what you've done.

But it doesn't stop there because it also involves making

a change in your mind that you're not going to do that

again. You're not going to do that

again. And then produce Works to show

your repentance unto the Lord God Almighty.

It was God's mercy that had spared Nineveh because of their

change and the same is true today.

It is God's mercy that spares us from his Wrath. when we change

our lives to do his will, And we are, we should be so thankful.

That god holds his wrath from us because of the repentance that

we show. Because none of us want to feel

the wrath of God. None of us. but our attention

now moves on to chapter 4, Now. When people change their lives

for the better, when people decide to dedicate their life to

the Lord. There is great rejoicing

involved. I mean there's gladness.

Even the Bible says there's there's rejoicing in heaven over

one sinner that repents I mean, not only yes, but even Heaven

rejoices over those who change their lives to dedicate their

lives with the Lord. But Jonah here.

It's a different story and it's remarkable to me.

The fit that Jonah polls here in chapter 4 about the great change

that the people of Nineveh made. Due to this message preached to

them, it says in verses 1 through 4, but at this please

John exceedingly and he became angry.

So he prayed to the Lord and said, ah, Lord was not this.

What I said when I was still in the country, therefore, I fled

previously to tarshish for. I know that you were gracious

and merciful god slow to anger and abundant in the loving.

Kindness one who relents from doing harm therefore now.

Oh Lord please take my life from me for it is better for me to

die than to live then the Lord said Is it right for you to be

angry? Jonah was obviously upset that

God had showed his mercy upon Nineveh.

In fact, this was the very reason why Jonah did not want to

go to Nineveh. It wasn't because of the miles,

it wasn't because he feared his life is because those people did

not see fit to receive salvation or Mercy from God.

In Jonah's mine, at least. He said, I knew that you were

going to be merciful to them. They change their mind.

That's why I didn't want to go in the first place.

Please kill me now. Get it over with.

You talk about a poor attitude. Jonah.

Had a poor attitude here. Well, it didn't matter how

Wicked those people were it didn't matter what they had done

as long as they repented, God was merciful.

Unto those people got Jonah just didn't see fit for these people

to repent. He had chosen Destruction for

these people now In view of Jonah's attitude this calls for

some self-examination on my part of an early on all of our part,

you know. Sure we may not have the kind of

hatred and anger that Jonah had towards our fellow man.

But perhaps we need to be careful about prejudging.

Who should hear the gospel of Christ?

I'd made it's easy to stay within our own comfort zone

until those around us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

After all, it's comfortable for us because these people are our

acquaintances, they're our friends or our family.

But when you consider the big picture, the gospel is just not

for them, it's for everybody. Everybody.

It's for the wealthy, the middle class the poor.

It's for those who don't have any shelter, it's for those who

have hit rock bottom and so on and so forth.

It's for everybody. We interact with all kinds of

people in our lives. Sometimes sometimes we may have

a we make become interacted with a person that may be a complete

stranger. Sometimes we have visitors.

We have visitors this morning. We're glad that you're here this

morning. We're so glad that you were

here. We have all kinds of people that

we interact with and it doesn't matter why people come here.

Whether it be for maybe their own personal reasons, maybe

they're looking for something, maybe, look, they're looking for

directional, at it does not matter.

But as we as a member of the body of Christ, a child of God,

we cannot prejudge others in their motives or why they're

here. Well, we're glad that they are

here and we have the awesome privilege to tell them about the

saving power. Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful privilege that is after all.

That power has saved me, it is saved you and it could save

other people. Let's not withhold that from

someone, let's not put forth that wall.

And risk someone salvation because we might have the

attitude of Jonah that they don't deserve salvation or

they're so. So, so down there, lap that,

there's no way that they could ever come back up.

Let's not make that decision for them.

Let's offer them, the gospel and let them make the choice,

whether they want salvation or not.

We have a great Duty and responsibility but also a

wonderful privilege. To tell the lost to any are to

tell the gospel to 81. And just think we might gain a

brother or sister because of that.

And praise be to God when souls are saved because of the

preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well, Jonah had this bad attitude, he had prejudged him.

He wanted judgement upon these people.

But God had a lesson to teach to Jonah.

It says in verses 5 through 8, so John and went out the city

and sat on the east side of the city and there he had made

himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade to he might see

what would become of the city and the Lord God prepared a plan

and made it come over, came up over Jonah that it might be

saved for his head delivered to deliver him from his misery.

So Jonah was grateful for the plan but as morning dawn the

next day, God prepared a worm. So what was that?

So it and so it damage the plant that it withered, And it

happened when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement

East Wind and the sun beat on Jonah's head so that it grew

faint, then he wished death for himself and said it is better

for me to die than to live. Now, you thought Jonah was mad.

Before? Jonah was even hotter now

because of what has is happening now, all these things are

happening there. I mean, he's waiting there for

the destruction of Nineveh and all these bad things are

happening. Now, this great way in the shade

now at the shades gone there. Now this great winds picked up

nothing's going right for Jonah, Please kill me is what he's

pleading with the Lord. But the lesson that God was

teaching, was this in verses 9 through 11, then God said to

Jonah, is it right for you to be angry about the plants?

and he said, it is right for me too, angry to be angry, even a

death but the Lord said, You've had PD on the plant for which

you have not labored, nor made it grow which came up in a night

in Paris tonight. And should I not pitting in Ava

that great City in, which I'm more than 120,000 persons who

cannot discern between the right hand or their left and much

livestock. so, the lesson is this, if Nona was so concerned

about the plan over, which he had no control whatsoever,

should he have had some understanding of God's

compassion for city was the Lord had total control over well,

certainly, he should have souls are more important than plants.

And Jones should have realized that.

He advised the plant Over The Souls of the city.

Now, just by way of passing, it mentions 120 120,000 persons,

who cannot discern between the right hand and the left most

agree that's talking about children.

And if that's the case, we could kind of make a rough estimate of

the number of people within the city.

It has been said to be, at least maybe 600,000 people in the city

of Nineveh. If that's the case that just

shows about the great great epic proportions of repentance in

this city. Oh, and yet Jonah, didn't even

care. What is that attitude?

And none of us should ever have that type of attitude toward

other people. Well, I don't know if Jonah ever

changed his mind after this because this is simply how the

story ends. I would hope that he did.

But this story of Jonah should stay stay in our hearts because

of its great teachings. And we've learned three things

this morning from the story. Number one, we learn to not run

from the Commandments of God because if we do, we're going to

be held accountable for it. And we going to be punished for

it. If we choose not to do, what

God's will is number two, we learn not to prejudge others and

make our own decisions. Whether there's fit Or not to

receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And the number three, we have learned what true repentance

has. Again repentance.

Just doesn't mean I'm sorry it involves Works, involves works

May the example of many of us repentance, remind us of what

Jesus said again. In Matthew 12:41 says the men of

Matthew 12:41

Nineveh will rise up in the Judgment with this generation

and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of

Jonah And indeed. A greater than Jonah is here.

And certainly greater than Jonah is here, and that's the Lord

Jesus Christ. And he preaches, the same

message as Jonah did to the people of Nineveh.

He preaches repentance He preaches to change your life.

Change your life, put your life in a direction that God would

want you to live. Come to him be saved by his

gospel. Obey the word of the Lord and

you will be saved by it. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

information or you would like to receive a free Bible

correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True

Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.