Episode 116: Learning from Jonah’s reluctancy

In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting

mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world

and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and

enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge.

Sanctify our souls by Your truth, and grant that we may be

obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at

every hour. O You who enlightens the

rational with the knowledge of Your greatness.

Do enlight, O my Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate

upon Your holy and divine Scriptures at all times, O Lord

of all, Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

Forever Amen. Matthew Chapter. 20 verse 40.

Jesus says for just as. Jonah was in the belly of the.

Fish for three days. And nights thus the Son of Man

will be in the heart. Of the earth for three days.

And three nights, those who last.

Thursday was concluded the. Rogation, The commemoration of

the Rogation of the Ninevites. I take this time to pray that

the Lord will hear your supplications and will reply to

them according to His perfect will and His perfect timing.

It is one of the most precious gifts that God has given the

Assyrian community, the Ninevites worldwide, that

through this rotation a lot of lessons are learned.

Today I want to. Talk about the Ninevites.

Themselves we have. Done that in the past.

How? Through this through the.

Ninevites, we learn how despised sin is before.

God which? Takes man to the point.

Of destruction, sometimes by. God or other times?

In the absence of God, we learned that regardless of who

gives a message of. God, we don't look at the

person, we listen to the. Message just as Jesus.

Said to his disciples, the priests, and the.

Pharisees they sit. At the throne of Moses.

What they say do, but what they? Do don't paraphrasing.

We learn that to what extent is man to perceive the wrath of God

through the Ninevites? We learn the type of repentance

that doesn't change God's mind, the type of repentance that

brings forth the mercies of God and they supersede the

righteousness of God. And we learned that when the.

Mercies of God. Are bestowed and provided.

Graciously. By God, what life?

We must live. I spoke to that.

But I don't want to. I don't want to harp on that.

I don't want to continue more on that.

What I want to do is learn from Jonah and in particular his

reluctancy to obey God. And where it ended him.

I'm going to going to read just chapter one of the book of Jonah

and we're going. To discuss and expand now the.

Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Mehta or Matthew,

saying, Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and preach against

it, for their wickedness came up before me.

God calls Nineveh a great city. But Jonah rose to flee to

Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Jopa,

and he found a ship going to Tarshish.

So he paid the fare, and went on board to go with them to

Tarshish, to flee from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was

a mighty Tempest in the sea, so that the ship was in danger of

being broken. Then the marinas were afraid,

and cried every man to his guard, and they threw the

warriors that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it.

But Jonah had gone down into the inner hold of the ship, and he

lay and was fast asleep. So the captain came in to him,

and said to him, Why are you sleeping?

Arise, call upon your God. Perhaps God will deliver us that

we perish not. And they said everyone to his

fellow, Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose

'cause this evil has come upon us.

So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Then they said to him, Tell us for what 'cause this evil has

come upon us, what is your occupation?

And when he had told him everything, then they said to

him, What shall we do that the sea may be calm for us?

For behold, the sea continues to be more tempestuous against us.

Jonah said to them, Take me and cast me into the sea, so that

the sea may be calm to you. For I know that for my sake this

great Tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the man rode hard

to bring the ship back to the land, but they could not, for

the sea became more tempestuous against them.

Therefore they cried to the Lord, and said, We beseech you,

O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not

upon us innocent blood, for thou art the Lord, and has done as it

pleases thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast

him forth into the sea. And the sea seized from its

raging, and the men were greatly terrified from the presence of

the Lord. And they offered sacrifices of

righteousness to the Lord and made vows.

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish, and it swallowed up

Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish 3 days and

three nights. Let's go very quickly and very

briefly through that and see what we learn.

Beloved, from verses one to three, we see that Jonah is

called to go the Nineveh. Jonah is reluctant to accept the

yoke of ministry. It was a ministry.

Go and preach, go and talk, go and tell, go and warn, but he

was reluctant and we're going to say why?

Number one, never be reluctant when God calls you to a

ministry. And how does God call to a

ministry? Through his church?

Not God told me, God said to me, God speaks through his church.

God's breaks through his vicars, the bishops, the priests.

When the church calls you to a ministry, that is God himself

calling you to ministry. Just as Martin Luther writes in

his catechism, when the priest is giving, or let me paraphrase

it, when the priest is giving the prayer of absolution and

reciting the prayer of absolution, it is as if God is

giving absolution. Don't be reluctant when the

church is calling you for a specific ministry, and don't be

discouraged when there is no calling because God is not

calling. But wait.

Jonah also is reluctant because he fears false prophecy.

Now if he had gone to the city of Nineveh and he would have

prophesied what was coming upon them and it didn't happen.

He was scared for his life. Who knows what they would have

done? Now this is, you know, we're

speaking now prior to God's mercies upon the city of

Nineveh. Jonah's journey, we learned, was

somehow encouraged or influenced by his concern over his people.

Israel, you know, the Israelites, the Pharisees and,

and you know, the Seducees and all these different types of

sect, they only saw themselves to be the people of God and God

was only for them. How can it be that the Gentiles,

we saw this during Jesus's ministry.

How can the, how can he be sitting with the Gentiles?

How can he be eating with the Gentiles?

It was the same. So he had that same zeal.

How can I go and preach to A to the Gentiles, a Gentile nation

and bring them back and, and you know, deliver them from the

wrath of God. But one thing he forgot is that

God cannot be escaped, beloved, and the Foley of escaping God is

great. Never ever question God when he

works in the life of any mankind, any human being on this

earth. Yes, the Christians are the

children of God by faith in Jesus Christ and by baptism, but

everyone is the the, the, the creation of God, every person on

this earth God loves. When God sent his son to the

world, it was because he loved the world.

You know, John 316 doesn't quote God so loved those who would

have believed in him or who were going to believe in him.

No, for so God loved the world. That's why Jesus died.

That's why God killed his Son and gave his Son to be killed.

Not because there was a punishment and God had to

punish. So he punished his Son.

Hence, my Lord, my Lord, why do you forsake me?

That's the time when the Father good turned his face against the

Son. No, no, these are false

teachings, beloved. No, the God, God loves the Son.

Twice we heard the the cry from heaven.

This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

Listen to him. So no, no, it was the act of

love that saw the Son of God hanging on the cross.

We cannot escape, beloved. We cannot escape the will, the

calling of God. Amos, Amos Chapter 9, verse 3.

Amos 9:3

And if they will hide at the top of Carmel, from there I shall

search and I shall take them. And if they will hide from

before my eyes in the depth of the sea, there I shall command

the serpent, and it shall bite them.

Do you really think you can? You can escape God's calling,

escape God's commandments, escape God's warnings?

Do you truly think that you can, you can somehow do away with God

where God has no power over you whatsoever?

You are so misled by Satan. Rebuke Satan in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe on earth, maybe God will

allow you to live your free speech, free will, free choice,

Yes, that's that. Liberties from God.

Praise me to His name, that there will come a time where no

one can escape the righteous judgement of God, Can they?

He searches all. He goes on to say, My eyes are

in the depths of the sea. There I shall command the

serpents, and it shall bite them.

Verses 4 to 17 we see Jonah's escape fails.

You want to escape God, you will fail.

You want to go against God, you will fail.

You want to kick against thistles or pricks, you will

fail. You will come out second best

because you are going against the Almighty God, the Almighty

Father and Son and Holy Spirit one God.

You will come out second best. You may be you may be in a good

position for a period of time. That is only God giving you time

and the the the opportunity to repent, to come back and to wake

up to yourself. But when God decides it is time

for me to strike now, it is time for me to strike my blow now.

God help that person. So Jonah fell the escape.

Beloved, in verse four, we read the perils of the ship, right?

Nothing is secure when God is against us.

You can be hiding in the ship and thinking, I mean, Jonah

would have think, would have been thinking, that's it.

I'm going Nineveh is South, Tershishi is north.

I'm going two different. Ways right thinking that he's

escaped it. No, no, no, no, because it went

against God's will and plan. No, he could not escape.

The Mariners cry out and attempt to lighten the ship, right?

What do they do? They start tossing out water.

They start tossing out some of their equipment.

But it was still too heavy. You know why?

Because there was a very heavy cargo in that boat.

And that was Jonah and his sins. Come to me all you who are heavy

laden, right beloved? Sin will cripple us, sin will

make us hunchback, sin will slow us down.

And every time we we approach the great land I put that post.

If your sins are slowing you down, why don't you fast through

fasting and praying and coming to the Lord and receiving His

gracious, merciful forgiveness? Then we become light.

How many of you will testify to this?

We enter the church our last episode.

We enter the church heavy laden. We leave the church so light

because we have been forgiven. Jonah was not ignorant.

Ignorant of God's power. Beloved, Jonah was a Sinner and

he knew God's power. So tossing out everything else

except the most heavy cargo, it didn't work.

And again in verse 9, we read that Jonah knew it's God's

power. Jonah was not ignorant and he

was not denying God's power. In verse 11, we read the storm

intensified even more, more. You know why?

Because God created everything, beloved.

Everything on the face of this earth is a sermon of God.

The ocean is a sermon of God. The trees, the animals, the air,

the sun, the moon, the stars, We ourselves, we always refer to us

as unworthy servants of God. God can use anything in this

world. Remember the the ass or the

donkey of Balaam who opened its mouth and spoke?

God opens, opened her mouth and spoke.

Today God uses another one of His servants and that is the

ocean. Psalm 77, verse 16 The waters

Psalms 77:16

saw you, O God, the waters saw you, and they feared, and even

the depths shook, because they are God's handiwork.

They are God's creation for a perfect purpose when God calls

them to be used. Verses 12 to 13 Jonas says,

throw me into the sea, but the sailors rode toward the land.

Now what does that teach us, beloved?

The sailors resisted Jones pleading and entreaty.

Why, it was all divine in spite. Beloved, nothing is ad hoc, you

know, chance, maybe Good luck. You're lucky.

No, nothing is ad hoc, you may say.

Well, what about those who gamble?

Do you say that God has a hand in that as well?

God allows gamblers to win millions and millions of

dollars. Well, you know, God knows this

is happening. God is not justifying gambling.

No, no, no, no. But it may be that the Lord will

allow something to happen within that act so that that person can

come back and repent and, and thank God for the, for the, for

the blessings and do good with that money.

Which again, you know, one man's loss is another man's gain, but

one man's gain from another man's loss can be another man's

greater gain. One man who loses and another

man wins could go and help those who need, who are needy, who are

feet, who are starving, who are, who are naked, who are homeless.

I'm not justifying gambling. So don't, don't start, you know,

Oh gosh, a Gennar just justified gambling class.

A Gennar just approved gambling. No, God is in full control,

beloved. He can do what He pleases.

His thoughts are not our thoughts and our ways are not

his ways. There is a reason why the

sailors didn't toss him out and they try to row to the land.

To teach Jonah to be a lover of humanity and to be submissive,

teaching us today, we must love everyone.

Beloved, do you know why God rightly claims and commands that

we must love our enemies and to pray for them?

Because for God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten Son to his enemies. We were his enemies, Beloved

brothers, OK, stop, stop. Listen to this.

You're an enemy of God. Just because you've repented and

you've come to Christ praise his name.

You were an enemy of God, yet he still sent his Son for you.

So why can I not or I it's it's difficult for me and it's not

fair for me to love my enemy and to be submissive to God's

commandment. That's why they didn't toss him

out. There was a lesson to be

learned. It's as though he's crying to

John and saying, imitate the sailors, imitate the them who

neither despise the single soul nor neglected a single body.

They didn't. They could have immediately

tossed him. And when they did, we know that

it wasn't in spite. See, notice they threw a board,

the wares and the merchandise beloved, that were in the ship

into the sea. But the ship was not getting any

lighter because the entire cargo still remained within it.

And that was Jonah, who was through his will, a burden, a

heavy cargo. In verse 14 we read that the

sailors cry out to the Lord as a great pilot there, though there

needed to be a great pilot there.

The ship pilot understood from his experience that the storm

was not a a a a a usual. It was an unusual storm, that

the blow was God sent and that the surging ocean was superior

to human skill. It was it was beyond their

control, and that the hands of the helmsman.

Were of no advantage. No one could do anything.

This is not it's like when when when the king of Nineveh during

the lenses. This is not a fight that we can

this is not a fight of weapons and swords.

No, no, no. This is a fight that we must

fight. It's a spiritual battle.

We must we must we must go into and be engaged in through

fasting and through praying. And they did that.

They fasted well, they didn't fast, but they were praying.

The sailors acknowledged the just judgement of God when they

knew that this man is trying to run from God and this is the

punishment. Will they start crying out and

saying, Lord, forgive us, We don't want to shed innocent

blood, but this must be done to save our lives.

And in verse 15, Jonah casts, is cast into the sea, and the sea

is calm. You know when you cast all your

hope life unto the Lord, there is calm when you cast your will,

your choices, your decisions unto the Lord.

There is calm when you cast yourself before the Lord's feet.

And as we mentioned last episode, that church, when

you're kneeling before the Lord and you're prostate and your

head is on the ground, you're actually actually hitting your

forehead on the ground before the Lord and you're crying out,

Lord God, forgive me, I am a Sinner.

Then there is calm, beloved, there is peace.

There is tranquility. Now they didn't cast out Jonah

in disgust. No, he submitted himself.

He said it's me, cast me out. Now there's a comparison here

and I want to start by reading Mark chapter 14 verses 48 to 49.

Mark 14:48–49

And now we see what prototype was Jonah and all of this.

But Jesus answered and said to them, to those who came out to

to arrest him. Have you gone out as against the

band of robbers? With swords and with.

Clubs to seize me. I was with you every day when I

taught in the temple, and you did not seize me because you

know what, it wasn't my time. I now will submit myself, but

this has happened that the scriptures may be fulfilled.

I will submit myself because it is according to the scriptures,

meaning it is according to my Father's plans and it is

according to the perfect will of my Father in heaven.

Jonah is thrown into the sea in chapter verse 17 and a great

fish swallows Jonah. Wow.

Now we're we're now starting to to compare Jonah and Jesus,

right When we study the story of Jonah, the force of the

resemblance becomes striking. Beloved, Jesus was sent to

preach repentance. So was Jonah, though Jonah fled,

not knowing what was to come. Jesus came willingly to grant

repentance for salvation, and he knew that he would root

salvation. Jonas snoozed in the ship and

was fast asleep, snoring like a lamb amid the stormy sea, by the

way, while Jesus by God's will was sleeping and the sea was

stirred up. But there was a purpose for

that, it was the purpose of manifesting the power that was

vested in him who was asleep. This all happened during Jesus

time to show his power over nature because nature is the

servant of God. We said nature is the servant of

God and now we can we'll see that Jesus in his divine power,

praise and glory be to His name, because he is the Lord God.

He he seizes, he he, he speaks the sea to come.

They said to Jonah, what are you doing asleep?

Listen to this, rise up. Our Jehovah Witness brothers and

sisters and those who don't deny Jesus divinity.

Listen to this. They said to Jonah, rise up.

Call upon your God that God may save us.

The apostles in Matthew chapter 8 verse 23 said to Jesus Christ

Matthew 8:23

our Lord God, the Lord God, Lord save us.

He is God, praise and glory be to his name.

Say Amen, honk your horn if you're driving notice.

Call upon your God to save us and the apostles cry out to

Jesus Lord save us. Jonah said, pick me up and throw

me into the sea that it might quote down, quiet down for you.

Christ himself rebuked the wind and the sea, and there came a

great come. Why?

Because nature is a servant of God the creator.

Jesus is God the Creator praise between his name.

Matthew 826 Jonah was cast into the belly of a great fish, but

Christ of his own will descended went down to the to the to the

place of a you know, went down in a belly of an invisible fish,

which was death. Christ went down into the tomb.

He went down to death. He went down of his own will,

beloved, why? To make death powerless over

those who had died, who had slept prior to Jesus Christ.

There were righteous people, there were holy people who had

died. So Christ showed himself.

He didn't go to hell. Jesus didn't go to hell.

Jesus went to Shoal, to Shoal death, where the souls were

kept. Now those souls among the souls

of the wicked, the souls of the righteous and the wicked were

were kept and they were bounded. They were in bondage.

But when Jesus showed himself, it is as though one of the

fathers writes beautifully. I think it's in John Chrysostom

that when he went there, he said you have no power over them, but

I entrust them into your hand. They are only a depository into

your hands until I return. I will one more time reclaim

them from you, those who are righteous.

And in Hosea chapter 13 verse 14, there's a prophecy.

Hosea 13:14

I shall deliver them from the power of the lower world and I

shall redeem them from death. God says this, I and Jesus that

said that because he is the great I am, He is the Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our God.

So learning from Jonah, be careful when God calls, don't be

a fool and try to run away. Don't us escape.

Don't you're going to end up in a Whirlpool.

You're going to end up in the ocean.

Don't in many other ways, by the way, when, when, when God calls,

nothing can deter God from receiving and fulfilling and,

and, and, you know, acting and performing what God wants.

You know I love the verse that God says the word that comes out

of my mouth will not return empty back to me, but would it

would have performed and acted as I please.

So let's learn from Jonah, beloved, let's do it the easy we

say in a serum posh now shooter, let's do it according to God's

perfect will. When God calls you say when and

where when God sends you don't say how and why.

When God claims you, don't ask what, you just give.

Give everything to the Lord who is calling us every day to

holiness and righteousness, praise and glory be to His holy

name, now and at all times and forever.

Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's

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Until next time, God bless you all.