God Pursues the Ninevites

Transcription

1 Session 8 God Pursues the Ninevites THEOLOGICAL THEME: Salvation belongs to the Lord. Did you ever try to run away from home? I did. For me, doing so revolved around a particular disagreement that I had with my parents over whether or not it was appropriate for me to own a pet monkey. While I was confident it was, they firmly disagreed, and so I saw my only option as running away to somewhere I could be free of their oppressive and monkey-discriminating ways. I soon realized there were a few holes in my plan. Did you ever try to run away from home? When? What happened? What about running from God? Have you ever felt like you were running from God s plan and purposes? Why might we do that? In this session we see how God goes to great lengths to pursue people, even when they have no interest in being found. God pursues sinners of all kinds in order to bring them to Himself. Jonah was a prophet who rejected God s call and ran away from his enemies. Unlike Jonah, Jesus heard God s call and ran toward His enemies. While we were still sinners, He died for us, and now He commissions us as His people to pursue others with the good news of His love. Voices from the Church Behind all our mission stands the unshakeable determination of God to be known throughout His whole creation as the living God. 1 Christopher Wright 74 Date of My Bible Study: 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

2 1. God pursues a disobedient prophet (Jonah 1:1-5,15-17). 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. 3 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. 4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. This was not the first time Jonah had heard the word of the Lord. God had used Jonah to declare His grace and coming blessing to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 14:25). But this message was different. God was not sending Jonah to the Israelites; He was sending Jonah to their foreign enemies the Ninevites. And He was not sending Jonah to declare a message of prosperity but a message of impending judgment. This was a chance for Jonah to get in the face of the enemies of God s people; it was an opportunity for him to declare judgment, no doubt a message many of the Israelites had hoped and even prayed for in their day. Jonah did indeed get up like God told him, but instead of heading straight for Nineveh, he bought a ticket on a ship headed the other direction. Why do you think Jonah was so reluctant to speak the word of the Lord to the Ninevites? When have you felt like Jonah, uneasy about what God was calling you to do? Session 8 75

3 See, Jonah knew God well enough to know that God is gracious, compassionate, and full of mercy. Furthermore, he knew that God was giving the Ninevites a warning, inviting them to repent. Jonah could see how this was playing out: he would go to Nineveh, he would speak the word of the Lord, the people would repent, and God would forgive them. No judgment. No destruction. And his hatred for the Ninevites bound him to hold back the message of God from them. Just as God was unwilling to give up on the Ninevites, so He also was unwilling to let Jonah go his own way. While Jonah was running from God, God was pursuing Jonah, and the means of that pursuit was a mighty storm. The storm that God hurled into the sea was so terrible that the hardened sailors suddenly turned very religious. There are no atheists in foxholes, or on ships in a God-sized storm! Eventually the crew knew what Jonah knew, that this storm was no accident but instead was brought on by Jonah s disobedience. Jonah simply could have acknowledged his disobedience, asking the crew to turn around and row for shore, for he had resolved to stop running from God (a pointless endeavor anyway). But Jonah, even now, was too full of pride and hatred to bend his will to that of God s. He would rather die: 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. 17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Do you typically see yourself as Jonah in this story or as the Ninevites? Why is it important that we learn from both? 76 Personal Study Guide

4 2. God forgives Jonah and the Ninevites (Jonah 2:7 3:5). Apparently, the belly of a great fish is a fine place to reevaluate your priorities. Jonah, like the Ninevites, was disobedient, living in the middle of God s discipline, and he needed to repent and ask for forgiveness. He had to, in a sense, preach the message to himself that God had given him for the Ninevites. And when he applied the same message to himself, he was thankful for the same character of God that had driven him to such rage days earlier. Jonah 2:7-9 records part of Jonah s prayer from inside the fish: 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord! 10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. How has God used discipline in your own life to bring you in line with His will? Put yourself in Jonah s place. How would your perspective have changed after being inside the great fish? Session 8 77

5 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you. 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day s journey. And he called out, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. There were no flourishes, no clever illustrations. Unlike some of his contemporary prophets, Jonah wasn t required to illustrate his message through physical actions. Instead, it was a simple pronouncement of God s judgment. Miraculously, the message was incredibly effective. When we are called to speak the Word of God, we might feel inadequate, afraid, or vulnerable as we do it. But the bowing of the mighty city of Nineveh reminds us that God s Word is living, active, and able to cut to the soul and spirit of humankind (Heb. 4:12). We can speak the Word of God confidently, not because we are great orators but because of the inherent power present in the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but we can preach the message of repentance with hope in our hearts, for the city of Nineveh repented from the least to the greatest, and God saw what they had done and relented of His judgment. He did the same thing with us when we repented and trusted in His grace through Jesus Christ; He will do so again and again with every sinner who repents and turns to Jesus. Does it surprise you that Jonah s simple message was so effective? Why or why not? 78 Personal Study Guide

6 3. God exposes the source of Jonah s anger (Jonah 4:1-4). 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? What did God want Jonah to realize with His question? How would you respond if the Lord asked you why you were angry with Him? Despite all that had happened in the previous few days of Jonah s life, he was still unwilling to confront his own heart issues. Like the Ninevites who were clinging to idols, Jonah was clinging to the idol of his own hatred. He simply couldn t let it go, and his refusal to do so revealed that though He intellectually recognized the magnitude of God s gracious compassion, he could not put it into practice himself. Voices from the Church God breaks down walls and leads His people out into the world with good news: forgiveness is possible through repentance and faith. Tribal attitudes melt away when constantly exposed to the warm embrace of our missionary God. 2 Like Jonah, we must confront the long-held Trevin Wax prejudice and hatred in our hearts that might cause us to withhold forgiveness and compassion from others. When we bear ill will toward others, we show that we have not truly understood and experienced the fullness of God s grace given to us. Session 8 79

7 Later, in the New Testament, Jesus told a story that relates our own experience of forgiveness to the way we forgive others (see Matt. 18:21-35). In response to Peter s question about how much and often we must forgive others, Jesus told a story about a servant who had been forgiven an extravagant debt. Having had his own account settled, he promptly went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a relatively small debt. Instead of extending the same forgiveness he had received, seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. (Matt. 18:28). Later, the master heard about all that had happened and summoned the slave: You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart (Matt. 18:32-35). The truth is Jonah was right. The Ninevites deserved to be punished for their wickedness. No doubt there are people in your life and in our culture who deserve the righteous judgment of God just as we also do. Jonah likewise deserved to be punished for his disobedience. The sailors even deserved to be swallowed up by the sea for their idolatry. But as Jonah feared, God is gracious and compassionate. Why do we rejoice in the troubles of others? We love the grace of God as long as it applies to us, but we become disgruntled with a God who loves our enemies. 99 Essential Christian Doctrines 21. God Is Merciful Mercy refers to God s compassion and is often expressed in God withholding something, such as punishment for sin (Eph. 2:4-5; Titus 3:5). Both mercy and grace are undeserved, meaning humanity can do nothing to earn God s mercy and grace. If one could, then it would no longer be the free gift of mercy or grace. Yet these are precisely the people whom we are meant to run toward. But so many of us find ourselves in the same state as Jonah, emotionally distancing ourselves from the people whom God loves. Logically we know that we cannot hide from God, but that does not stop us from trying. 80 Personal Study Guide

8 Conclusion The sad story of Jonah reveals how deeply we can resent other people. We draw lines based on culture, race, disease, and background, and those lines cause us to be disobedient to God s plan. But as we see from Jonah, God wants to reach the unreachable. Perhaps the saddest part of the story of Jonah is that we don t know how it ends. Did the prophet come to his senses and repent himself? Did he die up on that hill? Did he return to Israel as a bitter and angry man, never to be used of God again? While Jonah s ending is uncertain, ours is still before us. How will your story end? Will you sit on the hill of disobedience, or will you rejoice in and share of the gracious character of God in Christ? Voices from Church History For Jonah was a servant, but I am the Master; and he came forth from the great fish, but I rose from death. He proclaimed destruction, but I am come preaching the good tidings of the kingdom. The Ninevites indeed believed without a sign, but I have exhibited many signs. They heard nothing more than words, but I have made it impossible to deny the truth. The Ninevites came to be ministered to, but I, the very Master and Lord of all, have come not threatening, not demanding an account, but bringing pardon. 3 John Chrysostom (circa ) CHRIST CONNECTION: Jonah was a prophet who rejected God s call and ran away from his enemies. Jesus heard God s call and ran toward His enemies. While we were still sinners, He died for us. Session 8 81

9 HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us to put aside our tribal attitudes and break down walls as we share the news that forgiveness is possible through repentance and faith. 1. What prejudices and sinful attitudes do we need to confess so we can obey Jesus command to make disciples of all nations? 2. What are some specific ways we should be relying on the power of God s Word in our group? In our church? In our community? 3. Whom does God want to reach in your life? Are you running away from or toward that person? How can God use you to call that person to Himself? 82 Personal Study Guide

10 Notes SESSION 1 1. A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperOne, 1961), J. D. Greear, Only One God Was Mutilated for You, JDGreear.com [online], 10 July 2013 [cited 15 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: 3. Michael Catt, The Power of Persistence (Nashville: B&H, 2009), 20. SESSION 2 1. Martin Luther, as summarized in Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, by Roland Bainton (New York: Meridian, 1995), Paul Gerhardt, Give to the Winds Thy Fears, Indelible Grace Hymn Book [online; cited 21 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: 3. Gary Inrig, 1,2 Kings, vol. 7 in Holman Old Testament Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2009) [WORDsearch]. 4. Dane C. Ortlund, Edwards on the Christian Life (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 95. SESSION 3 1. Larry Crabb, Inside Out (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2007), Oswald Chambers, Biblical Psychology (Oxford: Partridge, 1920), Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000), 25. SESSION 4 1. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day (Nashville: B&H, 2006), Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1 39, vol. 15a in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2008) [WORDsearch]. 3. Reginald Heber, Holy, Holy, Holy, in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), Mount St. Helens: From 1980 Eruption to 2000, U.S. Geological Survey [online], 1 March 2005 [cited 27 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: 5. Trevin Wax, Counterfeit Gospels (Chicago: Moody, 2011), John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1 39, in The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986) [WORDsearch]. 7. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1 39, vol. 15a in The New American Commentary [WORDsearch]. 8. Robert Speer, quoted in The Contemporary Christian, by John R. W. Stott (Downers Grove: IVP, 1992), 328. SESSION 5 1. Anonymous, The Epistle to Diognetus, in The Apostolic Fathers in English, by Michael W. Holmes (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), C. H. Spurgeon, Expiation, The Spurgeon Archive [online], 1864 [cited 28 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: SESSION 6 1. Ken Hemphill, The Names of God (Nashville: B&H, 2001) [ebook]. 2. Scotty Smith, Objects of His Affection (Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing, 2001), 29. SESSION 7 1. Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, trans. Julie Rose (New York: Modern Library, 2009), Nancy Guthrie, The Word of the Lord: Seeing Jesus in the Prophets (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), Philip Bliss, I Will Sing of My Redeemer, in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), 281. SESSION 8 1. Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God s People (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), Trevin Wax, Jonah and the Mission of God, in The Mission of God Study Bible (Nashville: B&H, 2012), John Chrysostom, quoted in The Prophet Jonah in the Writings of the Church Fathers, Mystagogy [online], 21 September 2009 [cited 15 February 2016]. Available from SESSION 9 1. Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David McCasland (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2008), George Whitefield, in Whitefield Gold, comp. Ray Comfort (Gainesville, FL: Bridge- Logos, 2006), David Prior, The Message of Joel, Micah, and Habakkuk, in The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998), David Wilkerson, God Will Restore Your Wasted Years! World Challenge Pulpit Series [online], 26 March 1990 [cited 15 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: SESSION Mary Willson, Tears in Memphis, The Gospel Coalition [online], 11 September 2014 [cited 15 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: 2. Jerome, Six Books on Jeremiah, , quoted in Jeremiah, Lamentations, ed. Dean O. Wenthe, vol. XII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) [WORDsearch]. 3. Greg Laurie, Let God Change Your Life (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2011), 171. SESSION Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), John Wesley, The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart, Christian Classics Ethereal Library [online], 21 April 1790 [cited 16 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: 3. Rhett Dodson, Our Hearts, Desperately Deceptive, The Gospel Coalition [online], 18 March 2012 [cited 16 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: 4. Francis A. Schaeffer, True Spirituality (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1971), 15. SESSION Lesslie Newbigin, A Walk Through the Bible (London: Barefoot Ministries: 2011), W. A. Criswell, Is There Any Word from the Lord? Criswell Sermon Library [online], 12 January 1964 [cited 16 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: SESSION Matthew Henry, Ezekiel: Chapter 37, The Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible [online; cited 17 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: 2. C. H. Spurgeon, The Restoration and Conversion of the Jews, Spurgeon s Sermons Volume 10: 1864 [online], 1 June 2005 [cited 17 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: 3. Cyril of Jerusalem, Lecture XVIII, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. VII, eds. Philip Schaff and Henry Wallace (New York: Cosimo, 2007), Personal Study Guide

11 About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Personal Study Guide ESV Volume 5, Number 1 Fall 2016 Eric Geiger Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor Daniel Davis Content Editor Josh Hayes Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN ; or make comments on the Web at Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project : Adult Personal Study Guide ESV (ISSN ; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription address changes, subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unit 1: Mary Jo Sharp (sessions 1,2,4) is an assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University and is the founder and director of Confident Christianity, a non-profit apologetics ministry. A clear communicator with a heart for people, she finds great joy in sharing the deep truths of her Lord and Savior. She and her husband, Roger, have one daughter. Adam Dooley (sessions 3,5,6) serves as the senior pastor of Sunnyvale First Baptist Church on the northeast side of Dallas. He is a two-time graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has also served as an adjunct professor. Adam is married to Heather, and they have three sons and one daughter. Trillia Newbell (provided the unit 1 session plans) is the author of Enjoy (forthcoming, 2017), Fear and Faith, and United. She is the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Trillia is married to Thern, and they reside with their two children near Nashville, Tennessee. Unit 2: Michael Kelley lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Jana, and their three children: Joshua, Andi, and Christian. He serves as the Director of Discipleship for LifeWay Christian Resources. Michael speaks across the country at churches, conferences, and retreats and is the author of three Bible studies and the book Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God. WRITERS