October 8 Service
Jonah 1:1-3
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
Pastor Don provided an excellent apologetic and introduction to the book of Jonah. If you were not able to attend Sunday, please take time to listen to the sermon via the app, it will establish important context for this sermon series.
Jonah was a prophet of God who enjoyed his assignment up to this one. What is the role of a prophet? A prophet speaks on God’s behalf to His people, proclaiming truth, giving God’s commands, providing God’s direction, offering warnings against sin, and calling people to repentance. Up to this point, prophets spoke to the people of Israel, God’s people. This is the first time God is sending a prophet to speak to a foreign people. Johan doesn’t like it.
Nineveh was a well known city and in its day was one of the largest. Its location is in current day Mosul, Iraq with 6 countries at its borders: Syria, Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Nineveh was evil in the sight of God with sin rampant, “for their evil has come up before me.” This is a foreign people, not God’s chosen people, but God desires to have mercy on them.
The book of Jonah at its core is about sin and identity and the book is broken into two sections: 1) avoiding God by rebelling, and 2) avoiding God by obeying. This is congruent with the Parable of the Prodigal Son(s) where both turned their face away from the father but in different ways, one running and rebelling and the other obeying but with disagreement and anger in his heart.
God speaks to Jonah, giving him a new assignment as His prophet, “Arise, got to Nineveh…” Jonah did not like this assignment. So he sets course for Tarshish, the opposite direction from Nineveh. The phrase, “from the presence of the LORD” is used twice in the first 3 versus, so we should understand what this means. The Hebrew meaning is to turn away from the face of God. Jonah is making a deliberate decision to turn away from God’s face, effectively saying, “I will not be a prophet on this one.” Why? Because he does not like what God is doing and doesn’t agree with God’s ways. This is one of the main points to consider and reflect on this week.
Reflection:
How are you like Jonah?
What’s the assignment or word to you that you are struggling with or simply don’t like?
How are you responding to Him?
If you are running from God’s assignment or word to you, take a few minutes and seek to TRUST God and turn back toward Him with humility.
What is God inviting you to see and what does he hope for in your response to Him?
Share what God has done in your heart this week with your community group and/or friends.
Grace and peace on this journey together,
Chad Hollowell
Executive Pastor
COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION
Don Logan
1) Read all of Jonah and begin to process the narrative and subplots of this story. What is this story about? What is it trying to communicate?
2) God always used prophets to pronounce judgement to awaken repentance. Peter did the same thing in the church’s first sermon in Acts 2. Is that how the church does it today? Is wrath or judgement taboo? Why do you think the church goes to good news without first pronouncing judgement?
3) What was Jonah running from?
4) What holds a greater identity to Jonah than God’s presence? What meant more to him than being with God relationally?
5) What do you care about more than your relationship with God? What “face” are you looking into to find your own identity?
6) Explain how one can avoid God through either rebellion or obedience.
7) Prayer and praise