JONAH'S TWO RESURRECTIONS:
FROM SIN AND SELFISHNESS

JUNE 1, 2008
MF Blume
  Scripture Text:

Jonah 3:3-4:1   So Jonah arose, and went unto Ninevah, according to the word of the LORD. Now Ninevah was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.  (4)  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Ninevah shall be overthrown.  (5)  So the people of Ninevah believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.  (6)  For word came unto the king of Ninevah, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  (7)  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Ninevah by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:  (8)  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.  (9)  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?  (10)  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.  (4:1)  But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

  Message:


Jonah was told to preach to Ninevah but instead took ship to Tarshish in the opposite direction to escape the will of God to preach.

 Jonah 1:4   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.

 The mariners of the ship knew it was that odd that something supernatural was occurring.

Jonah 1:5-6   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 shipmaster 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.

 They prayed to any god they knew, and even told Jonah to pray to his God!

 They finally realized that throwing things off the ship did not stop this supernatural tempest, so they concluded it must be some PERSON responsible.

 They cast lots, which was commonly done in those days in faith that God would actually intervene and make the lots reveal who the culprit was.

 Pro 16:33   The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

 Jonah 1:7-8   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?

 Jonah told them he was a Hebrew and that he was running from God.


 Jonah 1:8-13   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.

 Rather than throw this SINGLE MAN overboard into the sea, and remove the danger to themselves, these heathens continue to fight for JONAH, and save him by attempting to row to land rather than save themselves by throwing him overboard.

 But it was to no avail.

 Jonah 1:14-15   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.

They all were grieved  at the thought of casting Jonah overboard, which is why they did not do it when he told them to.

Then the storm ceased.

 Jonah 1:16   Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

 Think of these people!


 Jesus said the sign he would give to the people of Israel was that of Jonah.

 And then the heathens worshiped God and sacrificed to him!

Jonah 1:17   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.

 God prepared one more thing to get Jonah to preach to Ninevah.

 Jesus' Gospel is the good news of the DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION that saves our souls.

 Chapter one of Jonah could be said to speak of the DEATH.

 AND GOD PREPARED THE WHALE, just as the death of Jesus was prepared and planned for by God.

 Act 2:23   Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

 Act 2:23 CEV  God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross.

 And the BURIAL could be seen in chapter 2 of Jonah.

 Jonah was in the whale for the entire chapter 2.

And the whole chapter is spent on Jonah praying quite eloquently for mercy from God.

A WHOLE CHAPTER!

Jonah 2:1-10   Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,  (2)  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.  (3)  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.  (4)  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.  (5)  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.  (6)  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.  (7)  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.  (8)  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.  (9)  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.  (10)  And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

 And Chapter 3 shows RESURRECTION.

 Jonah is out of the whale, as Jesus came out of the grave so that the world, like Ninevah might at least hear the Gospel and be saved if they would obey it.



 But while a three days occurs for JONAH TO BE SAVED, another three days occurs for JONAH TO LET GOD USE HIM.

 We think salvation is just for us.

And God did indeed save US each from sin and hell.

 Jonah needed a THIRD DAY to escape his self-centredness and total lack of understanding why God wanted to use him.

 If Jonah's resurrection from the whale represents our salvation from sin, for which we are VERY grateful, as he was, to God, then the NEXT THREE DAYS Jonah experienced, in which God taught him about his need to love others represents how we need to get FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT FOR MINISTRY, by GETTING SELF OUT OF THE WAY.

It is like there is a RED SEA barrier to cross for us, and a SECOND JORDAN RIVER barrier to cross so God can USE US.

What is fascinating in this is that we spiritually RESURRECT with Jesus when we have the Spirit baptism and are filled with it.

Everyone is FILLED with the Spirit when they receive it.

 It doesn't leak out.

It gets pushed down and squashed out of influence over us.


God fixes to give JONAH a whooping!

 Jonah 3:3-4   So Jonah arose, and went unto Ninevah, according to the word of the LORD. Now Ninevah was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.  (4)  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Ninevah shall be overthrown.

AND ONE DAY passes when travels in and preaches.

Jonah 3:5   So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Jonah 3:10   And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Ninevah repented.

 Jonah 4:1-5   But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.  (2)  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.  (3)  Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.  (4)  Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?  (5)  So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

WE FIND OUT WHY HE WENT TO TARSHISH TO ESCAPE PREACHING!

We read this about ISRAEL:

Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

 When God spoke to Jonah to go to Ninevah and cry against their wickedness, Jonah knew God had to destroy them, but God would cancel it all if they would repent.

Jonah did not want to see them saved.

Scholars have pointed out that Joel 2:13 indicates ISRAEL WOULD NOT REPENT.

 The forty days did not yet pass.

Scholars say verse 5 notes he went out of the city and waited to see if God would destroy Ninevah anyway.

 That would make it ANOTHER DAY, DAY TWO, because he went ONE DAY's journey into the city.

 
Jonah 4:6-8   And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.  (7)  But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.  (8)  And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

 THE THIRD DAY ARRIVES.

God prepared a gourd for Jonah to be shaded from the HEAT of the sun.

 He said the same thing when he saw Ninevah repent.

 Jonah 4:3   Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

 He was going to die, alright, but not as he thought.

God was fixing to kill that miserable selfishness he had within.

 Jonah 4:9   And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

 God asked him if he was justified in his complaint.

 He asked the same thing earlier as well when Jonah said it the first time in seeing Ninevah spared.

 Jonah 4:4   Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

 By saying this about Jonah's disregard for Ninevah's salvation, and also for his grief over the gourd's destruction, God is CONNECTING SOMETHING ABOUT NINEVAH AND THE GOURD.

GOD IS SETTING JONAH UP.

And we see what it is here:

 Jonah says HE IS JUSTIFIED in being upset over the destruction o the plant.

 Jonah 4:10-11   Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:  (11)  And should not I spare Ninevah, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

 
AND JONAH'S BOOK ENDS RIGHT THERE!

ABRUPTLY!

God's words of rebuke are left ringing in our ears!

It leaves you reeling!

 He had more compassion for a PLANT than thousands and thousands of people.

CONTRAST THAT WITH THE HEATHENS:

 The heathen mariners had more concern over Jonah when they knew it was one man's fault they all were feeling God's wrath.

Rather than throw him overboard, they tried rowing to shore.

 It was a three days journey through all of Ninevah, alright.

But not only physically.

 He was so eloquent about mercy of God for HIMSELF to be saved.

Read chapter 2.

 Jonah 4:1-3   But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.  (2)  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.  (3)  Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

 He wants to be killed, when he was so distraught and hurt and smashed down in the whale that he prayed a fancy prayer that takes up just about the whole chapter of John 2 in order to NOT BE KILLED.

Church, God wants to FILL YOU after another THREE DAYS.

Eph 5:18-21   And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  ...(21)  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

 Eph 3:14-19   For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  (16)  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  (17)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  (18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 THIRD DAY RESURRECTION TO A FURTHER SPIRIT INFILLING

Eph 5:18 shows Paul telling people with the Spirit to be filled with it.

This proves you can HAVE the Spirit within, but not be filled with it.


When we receive the Spirit, we are FILLED as well with it.

When you FULLY YIELD to the Spirit, you are FULLY INFLUENCED by the Spirit.

Picture the Spirit as something that GROWS.

And when our lives are occupied by SELF and the things that benefit US and thoughts of how wonderful WE are, the fishtank for God's Spirit in our lives is very small.

The Spirit cannot enter our lives until we are submitted to Him.

 Mat 5:13-16   Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  (14)  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  (15)  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  (16)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 The verses above propose we have a great treasures inside, BUT IT MUST COME OUT.


You experience the Holy Ghost baptism because you went through a three days and nights worth of identification with Jesus.

 It was death to sin that allowed Him to fill us with His Spirit.

But to fill us with His Spirit again so that it is not just freedom from sin we enjoy, it is death to selfishness and disregard for the lost around us we must experience.

 People come to church once they get salvation, and never feel an ounce of burden to come hardly any more so that GOD CAN USE THEM to reach others!

The Jonah complex!

 After a point in time, you come to the place spiritually where you do not come to the altar to feel a nice fuzzy feeling for yourself from God's Spirit inside, but to come and let God's inside MINISTER to someone else so they can know Him, too!