The Return of Jonah ~ Jonah

Описание: The Return of Jonah ~ Jonah 1:17-2:10

A. Jonah the disobedient prophet becomes Jonah the disciplined prophet
B. Before he was running away from the Lord, but here he returns to the Lord
C. Before, Jonah was a non-profit prophet, but here he becomes a praying prophet
D. As we look at Jonah’s deep sea adventure
1. Our decisions affect our relationship with God
2. God is actively involved in our life
3. Wrong decisions do not bring joy and happiness
4. Wrong decisions bring loss, hurt/harm to others, sickness
5. Wrong decisions will lead to problems you can’t get out of

I. Jonah’s deathly affliction (v2)
A. Jonah notes that he prayed because of his affliction (v2)
No escape could be found (v6)
B. David prayed because of his affliction too
1. Ps 119:67 "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word."
2. Before affliction straying; in affliction, learning; after affliction, knowing.
There is an undeniable connection between affliction and pain and sin
1. Ps 119:67 "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word."
2. John Mason—“By affliction God separates the sin which he hates from the soul which he loves.”
C. Jonah’s dying thoughts (D, E)
1. Jonah is overboard because of his rebellion against the word of God
a. Jonah is drowning (vv3, 5-7)
b. Jonah is closer to death than he is to life
2. Concerning: his affliction, his relationship with God, his foolishness
a. What will your last thoughts be before you go out into eternity?
b. What will your dying prayer be? What will you be praying about when you slip into eternity?
D. God was behind it all (v3)
1. It was God who cast him into the sea
2. All that had happened to Jonah was no accident—that would be frightful enough!
a. It was not chance, but Providence! (1:15; 2:3)
b. Runaway Jonah was being pursued by the Lord God
c. Spurgeon, “God doesn’t allow His children sin successfully.”
d. Rev 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
e. Hebrews 12:5-8, “… My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”
3. God has a method of teaching
a. Jonah needs to learn some lessons
b. No human efforts can deliver one out of the hands of God—no truancy allowed
E. That God had cast him from His presence (v4a)
1. What feeling could be more dreadful?
a. To be cast out of the presence of the Lord is to be hopeless
2. Jonah wanted to run from the presence of the Lord and once he was there, he found that is the last place he wanted to be!
a. He got what He wanted
b. You don’t want what you want
3. The fear of every saint in a backslidden condition (Jonah, David)
a. Ps 51:11, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”
4. The fate of all who die without Christ
a. 2 Thess 1:9, “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

II. Jonah’s prayer in desperation
A. “cry”—there is passion in his prayer; he wants God!
1. You may not pray much when you live but you will when you die
2. The best thing to do when you’re in affliction is to seek the LORD in prayer
B. The deepest woe cannot keep us from God when we pray!
C. Jonah could have prayed when he was on the ship
1. The mariners begged him to (1:6)
D. Prayer of repentance
1. God’s discipline was not wasted upon Jonah
2. Praying, turning to God in repentance (v1)
3. Repentance is the beginning of the way out!
E. Where there is repentance there will be confession (v8)


III. God’s intervention
A. Thank God for His intervention!
1. God sent the storm, God sent the whale
2. God speaks to the whale
a. Nothing tastes worse than a backslider (v10)
b. Some would like to say about Jonah that, “You can’t keep a good man down”
B. Jonah gives thanks (v9)

IV. Lessons
A. Rebellion will take you farther than you want to go
1. He went down further than he wanted to go (v6)
2. He paid more than he wanted to pay
3. He stayed longer than he wanted to stay
B. God’s children cannot run from God
1. There is no place to hide
2. Running away won’t solve any problems
C. God is Sovereign!



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