God’s Sustaining Love - Brydon Seventh Day Baptist Church · a great part in encouraging Israel’s expansion, despite the growing menace of Assyrian power. This geographical and

God’s Sustaining Love Study Scripture: Jonah 1:7-17.

Lesson 10, May 6, 2017.

INTRODUCTION

Our Study Text begins our look at a mystery about a prophet of God, a man whose life was committed to God, who spoke to God and to whom God spoke directly, and who saw how God had graciously worked through him to save his nation. This man was well versed in Scripture and he knew the nature of the Almighty God and the Covenant keeping King of Israel. In addition, his life experiences made the nature of the God he served abundantly clear. The mystery is therefore why would such a man can be so opposed to doing what God commanded him to do This clearly was a character issue and this is a character mystery. This Book of Jonah therefore forces us to look closely as this undoubtedly powerful man of God, identify with him, examine him, and in so doing discover who we are deep down in our soul, and discover our own motivations. Let us never forget however that here we will discover the God of Israel and His incredible sustaining lover His errant and wayward child. We marvel at this as we see God showing most clearly that our faithful ministry in the past and in the present, does not qualify us to ever disregard God’s sovereign will, to challenge His authority, to act against His will, and in so doing act despite our tiny knowledge of reality and our puny understanding act as if we want to be in the place of God.

Key Verse

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. Jonah 1:10

God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

We are also made more aware of God’s sustaining love to those He created, despite and even when they were enemies of God, and in vicious rebellion. So look at yourself. One writer asks: “Many of us express a desire to hear from God so that we may know what he wants us to do. But, do we really want to hear a word from the Lord? It may depend on what that word is. It may come as a surprise to us that we may not be as receptive to a word from the Lord as we think we are. What if the Lord were to ask you to do something that wasn’t your job? What if he were to ask you to do something that involved risking your life? What if he were to ask you to do something that could bless an enemy? What is he were to ask you to do something that cause personal embarrassment. Is there something that we are missing? Something about the Lord’s word to us being precious? Do you sense that God might be pursuing you- either overtly or subtly? Who are you? Has someone who apparently wants nothing to do with faith ever reminded you in some way concerning what you are supposed to do? And well you know the Lord has a penchant for stretching his people”. Remember as you read the Study Text that the Lord is relentless with His children, and He is very creative. He gives us, as He gave Jonah, a second chance. The Reluctant Prophet, Prodigal Prophet, the Unwilling Missionary, the Reluctant Ambassador;

these are some of the labels attached to Jonah, the main character in today’s lesson. While it is not

unusually for some of God’s prophets to balk at carrying out His commands (Ex. 4:9-11; Jer.1: 4-8),

our prophet is unique in his petulance and the extent to which he went to disobey and foil the plan

of God.

Typically, when the people of God are disobedient sooner or later they land in ‘hot water’ and we

will see that ‘our man’ soon lands in some very peculiar and uncomfortable circumstances, in

pursuit of his own agenda rather than God’s.

Another unusual thing about Jonah is that he was sent to prophesy directly to pagans, rare for

prophets who generally prophesied to Israel, though sometimes they did prophesy about pagan

nations while staying in their native country.

There is a mention in 2 Kings 14: 25, of Jonah prophesying to the Northern Kingdom in the middle

of the 8th Century B.C. before the devastating invasions and deportations that ravaged both Northern

and Southern kingdoms eventually. Jonah was however primarily a prophet of the northern kingdom

of Israel.

Israel at this time under Jeroboam II had expanded its northern borders and had enjoyed some

prosperity, all according to the prophecy of Jonah. God apparently despite the evils of the Northern

God’s Eternal, Preserving, Renewing Love

Kingdom had in His grace and mercy allowed Israel to regain much of the territory lost to earlier

Syrian invasions, likely expecting the nation would see His working through the prophet Jonah and

turn to Him and away from their base idolatry. Note therefore that God acted to support His people

though the nation was in disobedience to God at the time.

The verses in 2 Kings referring to Jonah’s ministry in Israel, suggest that Jonah’s prophecies played

a great part in encouraging Israel’s expansion, despite the growing menace of Assyrian power. This

geographical and military expansion under Jeroboam II would have required great nerve, and the

prophet’s role in motivating Israel’s rulers and their army would have been crucial.

Note again that these prophecies of Jonah indicating God’s support for the Israelite action were

made despite the evil nature of the rulers and people. God was merciful to them, but this did not

change their attitude toward Him.

It is likely that in the back of Jonah’s mind as he saw the vile rejection of God despite His mercies

was the nagging suspicion that God’s would be similarly gracious and forgiving to the incredibly

wicked and idolatrous Nineveh if they repented of their iniquities, a repentance which was

something of course his own nation did not deign to do.

We will see that when a believer is out of fellowship with God and we sin that sin affects others and

as one writer states it

“wreaks trouble and perils and misery that is more significant than almost anything you can

imagine. Homes, families, and churches and communities can be wrecked by a Christian out

of fellowship with God”

And also in this regard:

“The greatest sufferers are not always the greatest sinners…A rebellious prophet may cause

untold suffering. In fact, I think we could even put it this way, that a rebellious preacher of the

word of God is more dangerous than an atomic bomb”.

The rulers and people would have respected and feared Jonah and welcomed his presence among

them, but this view of him would have undoubtedly changed when they learned he was responsible

for Nineveh’s repentance. He would certainly not be welcomed and his life might even be in danger

from Jeroboam II and his cronies. This was an additional reason for Jonah not wanting to go to

preach to Nineveh.

Jonah’s ministry might be seen then, as being tied to Israel’s expansion and would have hardened

his nationalism and connected him in a very personal way to the continued good fortunes of the

nation. This might help to explain his later intransigence to doing anything that would be beneficial

to the enemies of Israel even if commanded to do so by God.

Historically our story is set in the time of the Assyrian Empire with Nineveh its capital city. The

Assyrians were a fierce, cruel and feared people and their fledging empire was certainly perceived

as a threat in Israel. Israel had been attacked by Syria and Assyria in the past and it is in this sort of

tense situation that Jonah is commanded to go warn his enemies as it were.

God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

This is the history to Jonah’s hostility toward Nineveh and his reluctance to warn that city of God’s impending judgment, as he had been commanded to do.

Interestingly skeptics and liberal scholars had long pooh-pooh the Book of Jonah as a ‘fish story’ and the Bible’s portrayal of Nineveh as a very large city, contending that no city that size existed in those times.

Archaeologists however, have unearthed the considerable ruins of Nineveh and the size is quite as the Bible suggest. Archaeological excavations at Nineveh showed the city itself was approximately eight miles in circumference and probably had about 175,000 regular inhabitants.

The reference to the “three days journey” is not however to be taken as referring to the breath of the city itself, but to the entire administrative district of Nineveh which was about 30 to 60 miles across. The Hebrew text uses a word that does not distinguish between the metropolis proper and the administrative district.

In any case, the words used do not imply that Jonah journeyed as far as possible to walk in 1 day, but merely that he entered the city and begun to preach his message in various areas.

Of course those who have a problem with the supernatural as well as those who are willing to ignore the facts of nature have a field day with a fish swallowing a man.

Some have remarked frequently that the true whale has such a narrow gullet that it could only swallow comparatively large fish, but nothing like the size of a man. Jonah 1:17 however, refer to a “great fish” and not a whale. But though most of the true whales cannot swallow a man, it is said the sperm whale or ‘cachalot’ most probably can. The great larynged pouch in that mammal has enough air supply to save a man from drowning.

In addition, various publications have also related accounts of incidents similar to the story of Jonah, though none record the sublime prayer and composition of worship that the Book of Jonah records.

The Book also differs from other prophetic books in that it does not contain prophesies but deals

with the disobedient personal actions of one of God’s prophet.

Jesus himself certainly accepted the historical veracity of the Book as seen in his sign of the prophet

Jonah remarks in Matthew 16:4, Matthew 12:38-40 and Luke 11:28-30 .

Today’s lesson once again illustrates God’s sovereignty over men and nature, His concern for all

people and the fact that He responds to repentance with forgiveness.

God’s gracious and merciful attitude towards a city will be in sharp contrast to the unforgiving, selfish and mean-spiritedness of Jonah. MOST IMPORTANT TRUTHS TO BE LEARNED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN 1. Every step out of God’s will is a step downward. Jonah found a ship going “down” to Joppa, went “down” into the ship, went “down” into the sea, went “down” into the belly of the great fish and as chapter 2:3 said he went “down” into the deep. It is all down, down, down. 2.There is much difficulty in getting back into God’s will. It is so easy to depart, and so hard and painful to get back 3.There is divine providence. Christian writers stress that Christians need this almost more than anything else in their practical daily living. There is divine providence that guards our steps. But there is also a satanic providence that would seek to capture us and guide our steps.

God’s Eternal, Preserving, Renewing Love

THE TEXT Verses 1–6 . Jonah is commissioned to go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it…. He is commanded to preach to them about their sinfulness and call them to repentance. We are not told how the word of the Lord came to Jonah This is probably the only time in the Old Testament where a prophet is to actively pursue Gentiles, generally Israel was to provide a passive witness. The Gentiles were supposed to see the difference between their societies and Israel and be attracted to Israel. Nineveh is called great for its size (3:3; 4:11) and influence. Nahum the prophet spoke of the wealth, arrogance, wickedness, deceit and idolatry of the city. The magnitude and barefacedness of their sins had reached a crescendo and God was particularly affronted by it. (See Sodom Genesis 18: 20-21). Assyria’s military strategy was wicked and cruel. They did not have enough population to leave garrisons in conquered places so they left them a powerful message. They would take the rulers and the elite before the people and torture them. One writer tells us: “They used to like to take their hands and reach down into the mouths of their victims and grasp their tongues and wrench the whole tongue out-that conveyed a message too. But that was not all they did. They would frequently take a man, lay him out, or make him lie down upon the ground, fasten his arms and feet to stakes. And when they had stretched him to the place where the skin was almost ready to tear, they would take a long knife and cut it at the appropriate place and begin to tear off the skin. And they would flay the person alive. And they would take the skin and hang it on the city walls in order that as you came to the city you would get the message”. The Assyrians’ strategies made them greatly feared. They were very evil. When sins come up before God, imminent judgment looms for the sinner. Fittingly Jonah’s name means ‘peace’, as God graciously sent a messenger of peace before unleashing judgment. Jonah for reasons he revealed later (4:2) refused to obey God’s command. Instead of heading northeasterly to Nineveh located on the Tigris River, he went to Joppa (present day Jaffa) where he paid his fare and boarded a ship heading west for Tarshish. Tarshish is believed to have been somewhere in the Western Mediterranean or even Spain. It was at least 3 months’ journey be caravan but faster by sea. Going to Tarshish would be an expensive and clearly Jonah has enough wealth so that he could flee from God and could afford to pay his own expensive fare. Some speculate that Jonah disobeyed because he feared that not only would the Ninevites repent and be spared God’s judgment if he were to warn them, but that they would show-up hard-hearted Israel with their repentance and then receive God’s special favors reserved for his covenant people. This despite Jonah’s own confession that he just did not want to see the city spared and God’s had given His own promise that Israel was his peculiar treasure. Jonah’s attempt to flee…the presence of the Lord does not mean Jonah thought he could get away from God’s presence. Jonah just wanted to be physically so far away from Nineveh that God could not use him to warn the city. While the Omnipresent God would be in Nineveh, Jonah would not. In a sense he resigned his prophetic ministry. Jonah it seemed took the position that some Christians hold today that some people just should not be saved, for whatever reason they might have. Clearly this deciding who should and should not

God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

receive God’s gracious forgiveness is his province and the fact is none really deserve salvation, and those saved are only so on account of Christ death. Here God’s control over nature is demonstrated. The Lord sent out a great wind…. Psalm 135:7 He bringeth the winds out of his treasuries…, Prov.30:4 Who hath gathered the wind in his fist… The storm was so ferocious the ship was in danger of breaking up. Sin brings storms and tempests into the soul, into the family, into churches and nations. Sometimes the Lord sends storms into the lives of his disobedient people to force them to chart the right course and turn to him.

The wind was sent after Jonah to return him to God and his duty, and it is a great show of God’s

mercy when we are reclaimed from our disastrous rebellion, even if it is by a storm.

We can assume that these seasoned sailors had probably seen storms at sea before, but it appears

they recognized a supernatural element in this particular storm and were terrified. They all began to

petition their respective gods for mercy and jettisoned the cargo (Acts 27:18, 19, 38) in an attempt

to save themselves and the ship.

This was probably a merchant ship and these men would suffer considerable material loss by

dumping the cargo overboard to save themselves. The point here is; life is vastly more precious than

anything material and those who spurn God’s gift of eternal life in pursuit of the material

do themselves no favors.

Very likely these sailors worshipped gods they believed had influence and control over the seas.

However, for all the many gods that they called to, none could help and as they would soon learn

only one God has power over the storms and the seas.

In sharp contrast to the frenzied prayers and activities of everyone else on board, Jonah was fast

asleep below deck as the storm raged. Neither the noise of the storm or his sense of guilt awakened

him.

Note sin has a stupefying effect, for as believers are lured away from God, they are lulled into a

false sense of security and become increasingly oblivious to the mounting danger of being estranged

from God. They become complacent where the things of God are unconcerned and become

insensitive to the signs pointing them back to Him.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the

deceitfulness of sin. Heb. 13:3.

The captain of the ship found Jonah sleeping and in a tone of surprise and consternation ordered

Jonah to pray to his, Jonah’s God in the hope that God might have pity and save them.

It was a severe rebuke to Jonah and the people of God in general, when through our disobedience

and neglect of duty we expose ourselves to the reproof of the people of the world in spiritual

matters. How ironic that a pagan sea captain is ordering the prophet of God to pray.

Note, there is no indication that Jonah did pray. It is a difficult thing for a Christian to pray in the

very act of disobedience, conversely it is a most dangerous situation when a Christian for whatever

reason finds him or herself in a situation where one can’t pray.

God’s Eternal, Preserving, Renewing Love

Verse 7. The sailors were convinced that somehow God or the gods had been offended and that the

storm was some form of divine retribution that had them in imminent danger of death. Their prayers

had gone unanswered and as they grew increasingly desperate they seemed to have concluded that

someone among them must have done some terrible crime to bring such a calamity on them.

They suspected each other and typical of sailors and the superstitious decided to cast lots to see who

the culprit was (Prov.16:33) and surprise, surprise it turned out Jonah was the reason for their

difficulties.

Note it is desirable to know the cause of our difficulties so that whatever is amiss may be corrected.

The thought among the sailors was there was no reason why the entire ship perishes on account of

one individual. Given the gravity of their situation this was not only expedient but just. (See

Caiaphas’ ironic use of this logic in John 18:14).

Verses 8 – 10. The men immediately besieged Jonah with a series of questions seeking

confirmation that he was in fact the one that had incurred the wrath of God and brought them to the

brink of disaster. What was his nationality, occupation and the nature of his offence?

The questions must have all come at Jonah at once as the men were in a state of panic with death

looming.

Jonah without elaborating identified himself as a Hebrew and a worshiper of the true God. His God

was the Creator, the maker of the sea and the dry land. His God was no other gods for He made

everything and was far superior to all other gods. He controlled the wind, the waves, and the seas,

and his God also controlled the dry land.

Notice that the disobedient or even the unrepentant can often describe God accurately, without the

implication of the descriptions having any real effect on their vile behaviour. Simply mouthing

words about God with a great deal of pride is not sufficient. The heart and the will must match the

words which are spoken from the lips.

Typical of the unrepentant guilty, Jonah is somewhat tight-lipped but he does disclose his

disobedience to God.

With this statement, everything suddenly came into focus for the sailors: Jonah was a

Hebrew prophet who had fled from God. It was Jonah who caused the storm. Jonah’s sin

had endangered the entire ship’s crew.

Often times we do not consider the immediate or ultimate consequences of our

disobedience, nor can we foresee the whole picture, suffice to say often many innocents are

imperilled by our actions and we will not escape God’s judgment.

The reaction of the sailors was telling. This man’s God controlled the seas. They were now

exceedingly afraid of this God. On top of their obvious fright, they were shocked and aghast

at his defiance. They were appalled not only as his disobedience but that he had chosen to

disobey the God that created the sea and the dry land. (See Abimelech’s rebuke of Abraham

Gen. 20:9)

God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

Here the sailors seemed to intimate that they would not have offended a God such as Jonah’s. This

would put Jonah to shame as up to this point he obstinately did not repent and seemed set on bearing

the consequences of his disobedience.

Verse 11. Jonah’s answers did clear up the picture somewhat for the anxious sailors, but the storm

still raged and none of the danger had passed. The wrath of Jonah’s God had not abated any, so they

asked Jonah the logical question; “what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?

Note, it is not enough to discover the sin that is the source of our troubles, if we do not repent and

forsake that sin, we only make bad worse.

The sailors now knew Jonah was a prophet of God and though delinquent, they still thought

it prudent to inquire of him what should be done to him to ease the storm, or placate God.

The sailors would take Jonah’s directions to be God’s will in that situation. The sailors certainly

thought they were now caught up in matters well beyond their control. They already had the pagan

belief that what happened on earth was due to the thinking, the opinions, the desires, and the

activities of the gods in heaven.

Note great caution should be exercised when bringing sanctions against God’s representatives.

“…Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” Psalm 105:15

Verse 12. Jonah gives the word and plainly takes the blame for the storm, assuring the sailors the

sea would then be calm for them. “Take me up and cast me forth into the sea…..”

His assurance that the sea would be calm after he was thrown overboard indicated this course of

action was God’s will.

Jonah did not leap into the sea himself, for justice had to be done to him and the mariners would be

the instruments of justice. But some believe that Jonah’s priority was to save Israel and if he could

get these pagans to throw him into the sea and into certain death, at least he would not be around to

preach a message of repentance to the hated Nineveh who would then have a chance to repent and

benefit from the incredibly great mercy of God. He would thwart God’s intentions.

Some suggest that Jonah was a type of Christ in that he elected to die to appease God’s wrath, so

that the sailors would be spared. The fact is Jonah was in rank disobedience and fully deserving of

his impending fate, Christ on the other hand was completely innocent and acted in total obedience to

God.

Verse 13. The sailors to their credit were loath to carry out Jonah’s instructions though in mortal

danger as long as he remained on board, but who wanted to be the one to toss a prophet of the

Creator overboard. They faced a dilemma, they must die if they tried to save him and they feared

they would also die if they killed him.

Maybe they were impressed by his willingness to die so they would be spared, for whatever reason

they desperately redoubled their frantic efforts to row the ship to land. To no avail, the sea and

storm became even more intense and ferocious and they were beaten back by the waves. One writer

looks at this scene and states:

God’s Eternal, Preserving, Renewing Love

“The Hebrew text gives the impression that they really began to row. They began to “dig”.

And you can see these men taking big, deep strokes with their oars as they try to make dry

land because they remember that this God, this Jehovah, is the one who made the heavens and

the sea and also the dry land, so perhaps if they can deposit the prophet on dry land,

everything will be alright. So they rowed hard for the land.

And I think I’m really a little surprised at this. The world seems more honorable than the

church. These men do not want to throw Jonah out. I think if I had been there and one of the

heathen, I would have tossed him over immediately. But they are disturbed- they are

beginning to be under conviction themselves, apparently.

And so finally they pray”.

Verse 14. Their last valiant effort having failed, the mariners realized that Jonah’s solution was

now their only option.

However before tossing Jonah these pagan sailors prayed to the one true God. Not as before

when…cried every man unto his god.. but to Jonah’s God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

They earnestly asked God to spare them and not to punish them for Jonah’s death.

The sailors regarded Jonah’s death as innocent blood for he had done nothing worthy of death while

with them and they could not judge the situation between him and God; so they acknowledged

God’s sovereignty and right to do as He pleased, seeing themselves as mere tools of His judgment.

The sailors had a real sense of God’s power and were rightly concerned not to incur His wrath.

God is to be feared and held in awe and reverence.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. Hebrews 10:31.

Verse 15 – 16. Jonah was thrown into the sea and immediately the winds ceased and the sea

became calm.

Notice that God answered the pagans’ prayers. They had prayed while Jonah did not have any desire

to pray to save anyone’s lives.

They did not die because of what they did to Jonah. God did not lay Jonah’s blood on them, though

Jonah’s blood was not really so innocent.

The men reacted with amazement and a reverential fear. They realized that all they had surmised

was true; Jonah’s God was the true God; his running away had brought the storm and throwing him

overboard had indeed stilled the storm.

We are told they offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows. They praised God and were

thankful that He had spared them, they reacted to God most proper, they worshipped Him and

committed their lives to Him.

The word used for “sacrificed” means to slaughter an animal, and so apparently there were some

live animals left on the boat.

God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

But note that they were not like many of us who make vows when we are in the middle of terrible

danger and when we promise God all kinds of things if only He would remove the danger and save

us.

These men made vows and sacrificed when the danger had already passed. So their vows seems to

have been genuine vows, and their belief in the true God was real.

In trying to avoid preaching to the Ninevites, Jonah had witnessed to the sailors and they came to

faith in God. But remember that it was a great shame that it was an unbelieving pagan shipmaster

that had to call on the fugitive prophet to pray. It should have been him calling on them to pray to

his God.

God’s purposes must be fulfilled and will be. We cannot thwart Him in any way and only multiply

our problems when we are disobedient.

Verse 17. In the midst of judgment God showed mercy.

God prepared a fish which swallowed Jonah and he remained in the fish’s stomach three days and

three nights. This fish did not just happen along but was part of God’s design.

God is sovereign over all His creation.

There is much speculation about all aspects of this verse; Iis there a fish that could swallow a man,

could he have survived the fish’s stomach for three days and three nights. To some this proves the

story a fable. Fact is this is a minor miracle for the Creator of the universe. In any case there have

been other similar cases when a man has been swallowed by a fish and has lived to tell the tale.

Note that Jesus makes references to this episode in the Gospels. (Matt.12: 28-40; Luke11: 28-30).

We know therefore it was a real historical incident.

To this point Jonah had not yet indicated any new willingness to obey God and go warn the city of

Nineveh, only a willingness to die for his disobedience. His obstinacy was foolhardy and dangerous

as his recent and present circumstances clearly showed. Still God intended to have the city warned

and Jonah would be his instrument, willingly or not.

CONCLUSION

God went to great lengths to reconcile his wayward prophet and finally Jonah prayed. After

reflecting on his recent experience and even more, finding himself alive inside a fish, Jonah must

have recognized God’s overture, manifested in his great forbearance, mercy and discipline of him.

Here was a prophet of God, obviously a man of prayer who was so compromised by his on-going

disobedience his prayer life dried up. This is a sad comment on Jonah and on any Christian who find

themselves in situations where they cannot pray because of their disobedience.

The prophet is presented as very much alive during his imprisonment. He was fully conscious and

coherent, both mentally and emotionally. He was able to compose a penitential psalm and to

worship his God.

God’s Eternal, Preserving, Renewing Love

It took much suffering to get Jonah to this stage. Later we see that he needed still more suffering to

move him along the path to proper obedience.

But often it is ‘incarceration’ by God’s hand that most often lead His children to recognize their sin,

and pray honestly.

But God’s love keeps on going. It is always there to sustain even fugitive believers, unbelieving

pagans who turn to Him, and repentant wicked people like the people of Nineveh.

Still God’s children will eventually turn to Him, even if it has to be from the belly of a fish. Few can

claim to actually match the desperation of Jonah’s situation, but many have had their ‘fish’s belly’

and prayed to God and like Jonah was heard.

Christians ought always to pray (Luke 18:1) but more so when we are in trouble. Even if our

troubles are on account of our disobedience, if we pray in humility and sincerity God will hear us.

(Jeremiah 3:22)

Prayers can be made anywhere and in fact circumstances often dictate that prayers are made

anywhere. Graciously God answers prayers from all locations.

God showed that He exercises His sovereignty and His love over His creation. This time He did it

by having a fish obey His command.

Today’s lesson certainly showed a dramatic reversal of roles. We have a prophet of God in

determined rebellion, refusing to pray and seemingly blind to God’s providential acts of

reconciliation.

He was concerned with his and his people’s superior relationship with God, and his intense desire to

keep God’s mercy, blessing, and compassion for his own, and not for pagans, certainly not for his

‘bad’ enemies.

He was not interested in having God bless and be gracious to penitent strangers.

We too must be careful that we pay attention to the spiritual needs of pagans, and do not ignore

them, whether they be like the sailors whose needs Jonah ignored, or those needs of the terrible

people and rulers of Nineveh.

On the other hand, there is a crew of pagan sailors who are quick to recognize the supernatural, who

respond to the Creator when they come to know Him with worship and pledge allegiance to Him.

God was gracious, patient and forbearing to Jonah in his rebellion but this did not even catch his

attention. God had shown grace and favor to Israel in their disobedience but Jonah was determined

to deny Nineveh the grace and mercy of God.

Jonah seemed to have been intoxicated with a sense of national pride and selfishness and sought to

restrict God’s grace and mercy to his people only.

God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

Jonah stands out as all that the people of God should not be, but notice how patient God was with

him. Likewise, we must exercise patience with our brethren who appear to be operating counter to

the will of God.

God loves all people and His special relationship with Israel does not restrict His grace and mercy to

Gentiles. All who sincerely call upon His name will be heard, as God responds to repentance with

forgiveness and mercy.

God’s ‘will’, will be done by whatever means He chooses and all of His creation is at His disposal.

The questions as to whether or not God imposes His will on His rebellious servants or on His

enemies must be raised here.

It seems clear that though some like to argue that people have the free will to choose what they want

to do, there are quite severe limitations imposed by God.

God reserves the right to forcibly change the minds of people, generally by bringing to bear on them

very unpleasant circumstances.

But a succession of people such as Balaam, Jonah, King Nebuchadnezzar, the Apostle Paul and

others, have learned that God will not refrain from using force to bring about His desired end. The

pot cannot sensibly demand from the Potter why it was made that way.

It is therefore not wise to behave as if you can do as you wish, for God will not be able to do

anything about your actions.

God is undoubtedly forbearing and longsuffering with sinful humanity. But we must never forget

that God is sovereign. He is a great God. He is patient and kind to His own and to those who oppose

Him.

But people of God must reject silly actions, and advise sinners to also reject silly actions. This is a

great challenge to all of us, as we bring to bear our ministry of reconciliation. See 2 Corinthians

5:17-21.