Jonah by Stephen Coffin

Jonah is a prophet, but he’s in rebellionagainst God

• the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. (2Kings 14v25)

God says: Go to Nineveh
Jonah goes in the opposite direction

• Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. (1v3)

• Does what we believe control how we act?
• Jonah thought he could escape God’s will and so change what would happen
• He didn’t want God to forgive his enemies

God sends a storm
Jonah is asleep
The sailors pray to their gods
Jonah admits his wrong

• I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land. (1v9)
• I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you. (1v12)

• Do we see God as in control of what happens?
• Are we willing to admit when we are wrong?
• To change our ways of seeing God
  • To confess our sins
  • Are we willing to entrust ourselves to God?

Jonah prays (read chapter 2)
Jonah prayed his heart out to God, honestly

• Do we?

He realised God was with him in his danger & despair

• Do we?

He recommitted himself to God

• Do we?

God repeats his call to Jonah to preach to his enemies

• Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. (3v3)

Jonah calls for repentance
They are truly sorry
God forgives them

• When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (3v10)

Jonah is angry

• Do we obey God?
• Are we quick to repent of wrong?
• Have we accepted God’s forgiveness?
• Are we glad to see God bless others?

Jonah waits to see what will happen
God provides a plant to shelter him from the burning sun
Overnight a worm destroys the plant, which makes Jonah angry
God asks him to compare his anger over the destruction of the plant with how God feels about the people & animals he’s decided not to destroy
We’re left to decide the end of the story for ourselves!

• Do we get angry with God?
• Are we self-centred or do we truly love others?
• Where is our compassion?
  • you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity (4v2)