FLEEING FROM THE FATHER
Jonah 1:1-17
By: Dr. Timothy F. Lee
"Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, {2} Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. {3} But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. {4} 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 like to be broken. {5} Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. {6} So the ship master came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. {7} And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. {8} Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? {9} And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. {10} Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. {11} Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. {12} And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. {13} Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. {14} Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. {15} So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. {16} Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. {17} Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
1. Many have been the foolish who would flee from the Father.
a. The sinner flees from the conviction of his sins.
b. The saint flees from the commission to His service.
2. Nothing has ever been gained by running from God.
3. We all need mercy from the Lord, and the shortest pathway to mercy is to confess our sins and follow the ways of the Lord.
4. Notice how this message develops as we consider "The Foolishness of Fleeing from the Father."
I. JONAH’S RESPONSIBILITY (1-2) - "Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, {2} Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
A. The Servant’s Distinction - "The Word of the Lord came unto Jonah."
1. His was a Divine call. Without it no service should be attempted; with it, none avoided. We should have Samuel’s attitude - "Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth."
2. His was a secret call. It was not sent by the assembly, but by the Lord. We get our instructions of what we are to do when we are in our prayer closets.
B. The Servant’s Destination - "Arise, go to Nineveh." Nineveh was in the heights of its glory days. It was a rich, corrupt, godless, center of evil.
1. The place was dangerous. Moral courage is required in those who would rebuke popular sins.
2. The people were disagreeable. The Ninevites were hated by the Israelites. There is too much of that in our society today. God has room in His heart for all. Let us lay aside prejudices that hinder God’s work around the world and around here. Let us pray for willing minds and obedient hearts, so that the world can be reached with the Gospel.
C. The Servant’s Duty.
1. He was to denounce the wickedness of he people. They lived in luxury, riotousness, witchcraft. They were cruel and idolatrous. Sins of today must be denounced by the people of God. It is easy to just say and do nothing.
2. He was to proclaim the nearness of God. They did not know that their wickedness had come up before God. God sets our sins in His light.
3. He was to announce a coming judgment (3:4) - "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." People still need to be told about the impending judgment of God.
4. He was to be ready to receive and preach every message God gave him (3:2) - "Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee."
II. JONAH’S REACTION (3) - "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD." Scripture does not try to cover up the sins of the saints. It shows them in all their wickedness. Jonah was in direct disobedience to his calling. This should be a warning to all of us.
A. Many, Like Jonah, Flee From The Way In Which God Would Have Them Go. He knew he could not escape God Himself, but he decided not to be His servant. Similar conduct is to be found among us today.
1. God calls men to prayer. We hear of the benefits; we are conscious of the duty and privilege, yet we avoid it.
2. God calls men to service. We know there is work to be done, but we shut our eyes, or leave it to someone else, or get busy and neglect it. Some are afraid they might do more than someone else.
3. God calls men to give themselves to Him. At times, they are almost persuaded; but then they wander away into a far country.
B. It Is Not Always Easy To Avoid The God-Appointed Way. Jonah wanted to get away from God’s call, but it cost him money, time and trouble. God has a hedge of holy influence around you. You have to go over these to escape Him.
1. The hedge of a Godly home.
2. The hedge of the preached Word of God.
3. The hedge of a praying people.
C. God Does Not Forcefully Stop Those Who Are Determined To Go Wrong. We want Him to, but He won’t. Jonah had no problem going to Joppa: he found the right ship; he paid the fare; he headed for Tarshish with everything OK. Soon he would be away to a distant land and away from his duty to God.
1. It is usually rather easy to slip away from God.
2. You may be troubled by your conscience, but favorable circumstances outwardly make it easier to bear.
3. You just stifle your convictions while you make your way to scenes of pleasure and sin. God will not erect a barrier before you.
4. Time may come when He will even leave off speaking to you altogether (Hosea 4:17) - "Ephraim is joined to his idols: let him alone."
III. GOD’S RESPONSE (4-6) - "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 like to be broken. {5} Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. {6} So the ship master came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not." When man forsakes God, God does not forsake man. Adam fell, and God provided redemption. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Had Jonah completed his voyage to Tarshish, we would just know him as a disobedient prophet. But God gave him a new start.
A. God Sometimes Sends A Storm To Arouse A Wrongdoer. Jonah was in the lower part of the ship asleep - that is just like sin. The tempest caused him to be awakened. God will use storms in your life.
1. Illness has caused many to cry out to God.
2. The forsaking of friends, the death of a loved one, failure in many ways: all have been used to arouse and rescue us. It don’t to be that way.
B. God Uses Unlikely Agents To Bring A Wrongdoer To Repentance. Here, it was a heathen ship master.
1. God often chooses foolish things to confound the wise.
2. He will even use you and me in His service.
C. A Man May Be In Great Danger Without Even Realizing It. Johan slept. He may have dreamed of happier days, but the realities around him made those days as if they did not exist. Even the sailors knew he was not right with God.
1. Worse than this are those who are asleep and think they are awake.
2. They live in a dreamland of the present and of pleasure.
3. Heaven and hell, death and judgment: these are not realities to them. They think it will be many years in coming.
4. It is time for all these dreamers to awake!
D. God’s Way Of Salvation Is The Only One. It is useless to row hard. There is no safety for them except that ordained by God.
1. The only way you can be rescued is to get to a point where no one can save you except the Lord.
2. It is then that you will cast yourself completely upon Christ.
Conclusion:
1. If you are not a Christian, would you come right now and receive Christ by faith?
2. If you are not a surrendered Christian, would you come right now and get started in the right direction?
