Jonah 1:13

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Jonah 11-3 The Reluctant Prophet
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What is Jonah about?

• It is not about a fish (mentioned four times), or
  a great city (named nine times), or even a
  disobedient prophet (mentioned eighteen times).
  Its about God (mentioned thirty-eight times).
• The Book of Jonah is about the will of God and
  how we respond to it.

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Who is Jonah?

• 2 Kings 1423-26
• He lived during the reign of Jeroboam II (786-746
  B.C.).
• He was a prophet cf. Amos 37
• Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He
  reveals His secret counsel to His servants the
  prophets.
• He predicted the territorial expansion of Israel.

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What do we know about Nineveh?

• It was an old city, founded by Nimrod (Genesis
  108-12).

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• It was an important city of the empire called
  Assyria.
• Sennacheribs palace without rival
• Ishtar temple
• Ashurbanipals library
• The Assyrians were known for their military might
  and brutality.

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• Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 B.C.) wrote,
• I flayed the skin from as many nobles as had
  rebelled against me and draped their skins over
  the pile of corpses.... I cut off the heads of
  their fighters and built with them a tower
  before their city. I burnt their adolescent boys
  and girls.... I captured many troops alive I
  cut off of some of their arms and hands, I cut
  off of others their noses, ears, and
  extremities. I gouged out the eyes of many
  troops. I made one pile of the living and one
  of the heads. I hung their heads on trees around
  the city.

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• The Assyrians were hated by the world.
• Nahum 319
• There is no relief for your breakdown, Your
  wound is incurable. All who hear about you will
  clap their hands over you, for on whom has not
  your evil passed continually?

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• Hosea prophesied the Assyrians would take the
  northern tribes into exile.
• Hosea 115
• They will not return to the land of Egypt
  but Assyria he will be their king because they
  refused to return to Me.

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• In the Bible, Nineveh was regarded as the seat
  of the greatest enemy of the kingdoms of Israel
  and Judah and most biblical references are to its
  fall.

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• Jonah, arise and go to your mortal enemy and
  preach against them. Arise, go to the city that
  belongs to the nation that will take you captive.
  Arise, go to the nation that is known for it
  brutality and tell them how bad they are. Arise,
  go to a group of people who do not know your God
  and tell them their god is false and they need to
  repent.

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• He is fleeing from the presence of the Lord.
• Gods presence represented more then just
  physical proximity, it represented a relationship
  with Him (cf. Gen 416). To seek Gods face was
  to seek Gods will and blessing. To leave Gods
  presence was to come under His judgment.

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• Jonah wished to escape, not beyond the power of
  God, but away from the stage on which God was
  working out his purposes and judgments.

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Gath-hepher
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• It has been estimated that their journey via
  many ports of call could have taken as long as a
  year, so when Jonah paid his fare he is likely to
  have parted with a considerable sum of money.
  Jonah had to have his own way and pit himself
  against the Almighty, cost what it may.

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Jonah for Today?

• God calls us to go.
• God knows our sin. (cf. Rev 20)
• Sin is a downer.
• We can run, but we cant hide. (Psalm 139)
• Numbers 3223 be sure your sin will find you
  out.

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Jonah 11-3 The Reluctant Prophet