A SPIRITUAL MARATHON! #3

RUNNING WITH GOD

God now HAS His Man, Jonah! In the process of God calling Jonah to take His message to Nineveh, Jonah had rebelled, disobeyed God's Marching Orders and ran from His presence. (Jonah, Chapter One) Jonah was subsequently disciplined by God and in response cries out to God for help; he "ran back" to God in sorrowful repentance. (Jonah, Chapter Two) Now, we turn to Jonah, Chapter Three. It is in this chapter we are going to find a definitive statement of God's Love, Mercy, Grace and Faithfulness!

(I encourage you to stop here and read the third chapter of Jonah. If you have not already, please go back and read chapters one and two and my two previous blogs on Jonah.)

The First thing we see in Chapter Three is a huge declaration of GOD'S FAITHFULNESS! "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time. . . ." (verse 1) Jonah had now been delivered ("vomited out" to be exact) from "the belly of the fish." (Jonah 2:10) This word "then" tells us that God rescued Jonah in answer to his prayer, and for His Purpose! Jonah's deliverance was not in vain, for no reason! God's plan and purpose had not changed! Jonah's stubborn rebellion and even his running away from God did not alter God's word, mission or command! He was rescued and given the opportunity to start all over for the second time; God brought Jonah back to where it all started! Let's not think for one minute that OUR will and actions can deter God from accomplishing His will and fulfilling His mission! He will not be deterred! Out of God's faithfulness, He will chastise us and "then" bring us back to the "starting gate."

"The Word of the LORD came again". . . .! God's Word does not change! He said everything He means and means everything He said! In His Olivet Discourse, which was the last description of end-time events given to His followers, Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away (still in the future) but my words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35) Jesus told this to His disciples to teach them that His Words are eternal and reliable and trustworthy! So, the words of God that Jonah received in the beginning were the same words he received the second time. What has God said to us that we've either ignored, run away from or disobeyed that He needs to speak again? We can be sure the words He repeats to us will be the exact words spoken previously! His Mission for us does not change either! God's plan and purpose are "set in stone" as we say when we speak of permanence. God still wanted Nineveh to hear His message of warning! His Personnel for delivering His message had not changed! Jonah was still His Man and God's dealings with him were intensely personal! "The word of the LORD came to Jonah." (verse 1) Let me say here that I really, believe we today would personally hear from God more if He knew we would indeed listen and obey His words! Are we in the spiritual place of listening and obeying God? He faithfully and patiently gives us the opportunities to respond to Him positively! Let's don't shrug them off, for the rest is up to you and me! "The word of the LORD came to Jonah THE SECOND TIME! This involves a two pronged statement:

1) It is a statement of God's compassion and patience toward Jonah, himself! God did not dismiss or by-pass Jonah. God did not say, "Jonah, you're fired!" Rather, God demonstrated His love and patience to Jonah!

2) It is a statement of God's mercy and grace to wicked Nineveh. God did not wait for Nineveh to become "good" or "righteous" before He showed those residents His love and grace; the people of Nineveh were shown His mercy and grace while they were still extremely wicked! This is still very true of God's desire for people today who are sinful and wicked! "For God so loved the world (people), that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish (for eternity) but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17) "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) The Apostle Paul goes on to say, "For if while we were enemies (of God) we were reconciled to God. . . ." (Romans 5:10) And, "when we were weak (without strength), . . .Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6)

So, we see from these verses of Scripture that God's grace is far-reaching as well as powerful! (See last week's blog citing the lyrics to the hymn, "Wonderful Grace Of Jesus"!) His grace is truly persistent; I honestly don't know what would cause God to give up His intention to give His grace to people! His message is given persistently as well. Note this: God's message has grace and mercy; man's message has only information! If we are only being exposed to information, we are in the wrong environment!

Second, this passage in Jonah, Chapter 3 clearly reveals JONAH'S RESPONSE! When God again told him to "Arise, go to Nineveh. . . and call out against it the message that I tell you", (verse 2) what does Jonah do with this command? Here is his response: Obedience and Brokenness! "So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh. . . ." (Jonah 3:3) Jonah submitted his own will and desire to God; he surrendered his stubbornness and rebellion. Obedience to God and brokenness before or in His Presence are absolutely what God requires of any and all! The Psalmist said, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17) Jesus said, ". . .unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24) A broken and contrite spirit and heart is a death to our hard, stubborn, rebellious heart and is pre-requisite to obedience! Obedience to God is a result of a broken and contrite spirit! "And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26 - New International Version)

Third, we read of JONAH'S PREACHING! He went straight to Nineveh and told the people of God's coming Judgment. "And he called out, 'yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.' " (verse 4) It was a bold, but simplistic message; very much to the point; nothing elaborate or sophisticated about it! It was clear and understandable! WATCH THIS: In this complex, confused, chaotic, and ungodly world and culture we live in, we, too, need a simple, non-elaborate, unsophisticated, bold and clear message from God's Word that is surely relevant and understandable. Our message can be like the blind man who was healed by Jesus, who said, "I once was blind, but now I see." We don't need a master's degree in theology to share the good news of the gospel to those we come in contact with.

Fourth, NINEVEH REPENTED! Note that Jonah did not tell them God would relent if they repented. However, in verses 5-10, we read:

• "And the people of Nineveh believed God." They were convicted and repented.

• "They called for a fast and put on sackcloth." - a sure sign in that day of humility and repentance!

• Even the King of Nineveh put on "sackcloth and sat in ashes".

• The King proclaimed an official fast throughout the land.

• The King told all the people to "call out mightily to God." (verse 8)

• The King told everyone to "turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in your hands," (verse 8)

They hoped that "God maybe would turn and relent from His fierce anger, so we may not perish." And of course . . . ."When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he said he would do to them, and he did not do it." (verse 10)

You see, God always requires a response to His message! God's Word includes Grace that brings Repentance, Humility and Change in people! In Matthew 12:41, we read that Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, "The men of Nineveh will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here."

Please join me next week for the concluding blog of this mini-series on Jonah!