Jonah’s Disobedience and God’s Mercy
The Book of Jonah is about the chastening and mercies of God, highlighting the terrifying and comforting truth of Him.Jonah resisted God’s command to preach to Nineveh because he wanted God to destroy them, as they were against Jerusalem.Jonah knew that God was merciful and might spare Nineveh if they repented, so he decided to do his own thing.“The first mistake we make is when we disobey God. When God’s Word has been clear in our lives. And when we begin to look another direction and see a different picture. We begin to do our own thing.”God’s Chastening and Restoration
God’s chastening of Jonah was also a restoration, as Jonah was rejecting God’s sovereignty, will, and purpose, just like the people of Nineveh.Even in a horrible, miraculous place like the belly of the fish, Jonah recognized that God was keeping him alive and that God wasn’t finished with him.“When they throwed him overboard. What he found waiting on him was an ark of salvation. And when that fish swallowed him down. Brother Jonah realized. God ain’t done with me.”Pastor Tommy expresses gratitude for God’s chastening hand, which proves God’s love.“Thank God for the chastening hand. For the times when He’s taken us when we should have. Lord, God had every right to cast us away…which is merciful and gracious and kind.”The Book of Jonah is a warning to obey and serve God.“If you think for one minute you’re going to get away with anything you’re wrong.”God deals with people differently, some with a snap of the fingers, others with a stern word, and some, like Jonah, who are more hard-headed.God’s Sovereignty and Love
God is sovereign and in control, and He will get what He wants out of you.“He don’t need your advice nor your opinion. He knows exactly what he wants out of you. And let me give you some news. He’ll get it.”God could have given up on Jonah, but He loved him and made a way for him to escape from the impossible situation.God will chase and strip away the blinders of sin to bring His children back to Him.“He’ll chase you. He’ll chase in you. He’ll strip from your eyes the blinders of your sin. And He’ll get you to the place that you’re ready and willing to serve Him again.”The Book of Jonah is an encouragement that God will deliver His people and not be resisted.“People throughout all the history of mankind have read about this man who resisted the will of God only to find out that God will not be resisted amen.”Once you are God’s, you are not your own anymore, and He will continue to work on His children.God’s Love for Backsliding Children
God’s multiple miracles and mercy toward Jonah remind us that there is no limit to God’s love toward His backsliding children.“You see, God loves us. He don’t just love them that are good. But He loves them that are trying to be bad.”Even when Jonah despised God’s word and was willing to die rather than obey, God was already working on his behalf.“Jonah may be in a place where he has despondent, where he has become the enemy of God, but the very minute they throwed him over that ship, what Jonah didn’t know was that God was already working.”God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and take him to the bottom of the ocean until He was done doing business with him.God loves His children and will help them if they obey Him.“And He’ll help you if you’ll obey Him.”Everyone has their own “fish” experience where God takes them down to accomplish His will.“Likely everybody in here that’s been saved for any amount of time, you’ve got your own fish somewhere. You’ve got your own experience that you can speak of where God took you down.”The Pearl of Wisdom in Jonah 2:8
Verse 8 of Jonah chapter 2 contains a pearl of wisdom and the summary of the entire book: “Those that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”This verse sums up what Jonah learned through his experience with God.Even when we make up our minds not to do God’s will, He will move into our lives and open our eyes.“And brother if it ain’t today it will be…but may I say to you today brother that in the end we’ve got a God that loves us he has never stepped away from us and friend even when we make up our minds that we’re not going to do the will of God, I’m glad that friend he didn’t take no for an answer.”It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God, who will bring us home by whatever means necessary.“And it’s a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God. You may scoff today and you may say there ain’t nothing to it. But brother, there’s plenty to testify here this morning that God don’t play games and He’ll bring us home with whatever means He needs to bring us.”Regardless of what it takes to come to ourselves, there is one trying to make us come to ourselves.“Regardless of what it takes for you to come to yourself, ain’t you glad that there’s one. Trying to make you come to yourself.”Lying Vanities and Forsaking Mercy
Jonah penned the verse about lying vanities, summarizing what he learned about God and himself.When we turn our view from the world and God’s commands to ourselves, it becomes vanity and self-will, separating us from God.“Every time that we begin to turn those things. The perspective of life inward. You’re going to find out that it’s nothing but vanity. It is nothing but self-will. And these are things that will separate you from the fellowship of God.”Vanity is the futility and emptiness of earthly pursuits and worldly desires when separated from God.“The definition itself is the futility and emptiness of earthly pursuits and worldly desires when they are separated from God.”Vanity is basically what you want to do, focusing on yourself and your desires.“When you look in the mirror, you’re looking at you. Your focus is on you. Your intentions are upon you. Your desires are upon you.”Jonah realized that his troubles began when he started serving himself instead of doing what God said.Lying vanities whisper in our ears, telling us we don’t need to mind God or do what He says.“Those vanities that whispered in his ear and said, Jonah, you don’t have to do that. Jonah, you don’t need to mind God. Jonah, you don’t need to do what God said.”If you are not right with God, a lying vanity is keeping you from Him.“If you ain’t right of God, God knows that today. And it’s a lying vanity keeping you from Him.”Lying vanities will tell you falsehoods, but God’s word tells the truth.“They’ll tell you a falsehood just like they speak it to me. But you understand today, they can lie all they want to. I’ve got something that tells the truth.”When life is all about self and not God, it’s impossible to enjoy Matthew 6:33 (seek ye first the kingdom of God).When you follow self and listen to the lies of vanity, you lose the mercy that ought to come from your heart for those who are dying without God.“When you serve yourself, you’ll miss the purpose of Jesus Christ. Who the Bible said clearly was to seek and to save that which was lost.”When we observe lying vanities, our focus leaves those in need and centers on ourselves, causing us to run from God.“When we observe the lying vanities as Jonah did, our focus leaves those that are in need and begins to center upon ourselves. And we’ll run from God.”Examples of Lying Vanities
Pastor Tommy questions if the problem with the church worldwide is that they have no mercy for sinners anymore.“I wonder today that if the problem with the church worldwide. I wonder today if the problem with the heart of God’s people around this globe this morning is that they have no mercy for a sinner anymore.”Lying vanities make us apprehensive to share the truth of Jesus Christ because we worry about what others will think.“It’s those things that say, oh, but they’re going to think something of you. They’re not going to like you anymore. They’re not going to befriend you anymore.”David’s lying vanity told him that nobody would know about his sin with Bathsheba, leading to the murder of Uriah.David’s decision to number the people was driven by lying vanity, resulting in the death of thousands.The prodigal son’s lying vanities told him that his father didn’t care and that he should take what was coming to him and leave.Achan’s lying vanity led him to steal from Jericho, resulting in the death of his entire family.Samson’s lying vanities led to his downfall.The Remedy: Repentance
The remedy for observing lying vanities is repentance, found four times in Jonah chapter 2.Jonah cried to the Lord in his affliction, and He heard him (verse 2).Jonah looked again toward God’s holy temple (verse 4).Jonah remembered the Lord when his soul fainted (verse 7).Jonah vowed to sacrifice and give thanks to the Lord (verse 9).Jonah got right with God, and God heard him.God spoke to the fish to vomit Jonah out, testing his repentance through action.“James said it like this way. He said faith without works is dead. It’s one thing to be in the belly of a fish and you crying out and saying I will do what you said. But you know what the test is? If you do it.”Jonah ran to Nineveh and preached the word, showing that he had learned his lesson about lying vanities.Conclusion
There are many earthly pursuits and worldly desires that are simply vanity, snares of the adversary to drag us down into self-pursuit.“There are a lot of earthly pursuits that are simply vanity. That’s the truth, people. There are a lot of worldly desires that our flesh has and they are all just lying vanities.”If you think you are better than Jonah, David, Samson, or Achan, you are wrong, as there is nothing but vanity in mortal flesh.“Because if you think for one minute you’re better than Jonah, you are not. You are not better than David. You’re not better than Samson. You’re not better than Achan.”If you believe the lies of your flawed flesh and follow your own pursuits, there is a “fish” out there with your name on it.“If you don’t turn from self-absorption, self-love, self-following, and get our heart on others’ mercy, we’re going to miss out. We’re surely going to receive chastening of God.”Pastor Tommy encourages listeners to be honest and acknowledge if they have been following themselves and serving God half-heartedly.The chastening of the Lord is not joyous, but afterward, it yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness.“Now the chastening of the Lord for the present is not joyous…He said but afterward, after He’s done, He said it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby.”It would be easier to forsake yourself and follow God, as He said, than to endure chastening.“He said, if any man ain’t willing to forsake himself, take up my cross, follow me. He can’t be my disciple.”
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