Jonah Chapter 1

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Introduction: We begin a series this week on the book of Jonah. Jonah is perhaps the most disputed book of the 66 in the Word of God. People thinking from a purely worldly viewpoint have a hard time believing a man could have been swallowed by a whale and cast up on dry land after a period of three days. However, I know we can believe this record as fact.

Jonah is the fifth book of what is traditionally referred to as the Minor Prophets. The book is a record about a man of God who was chosen as God's instrument in proclaiming God's message to the Assyrians, particularly to the idolatrous pagans of Nineveh. This book is also a revelation of the amazing grace of God as He deals in mercy and patience with His servant who at first refused to carry out his divinely appointed task.

Jonah is a unique book in the sense that it not only is a biography of a passionate prophet, but it also gives a prophetic preview of Christ's burial and resurrection (Mt.12:39-40) and a remarkable prophecy of the entire history of the people of Israel.

In chapter 1 we are shown a classic illustration of the folly of trying to run from God and His calling upon one's life. Whatever God's will for our life is, we must submit to it and obey it without question, doubt, or hesitation. We all have trouble now and then that makes the simplicity of obeying God seemingly impossible.

I. Jonah’s Call and Commission

Jonah 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

Jonah 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

God had a task to be done and chose from among His servants, Jonah, the son of Amittai. Jonah was a tried and proven prophet of the Lord who served during the rule and reign of a wicked king named Jeroboam (II) whereby he predicted that this king would reclaim some territory for Israel which had been lost under previous administrations. (2 Kings 14:23-25)

When was the term “The Word of the Lord” first used in the bible? No, this is not the first account. In Genesis 15 and verse 1, the bible states:

Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Jonah’s call came from the Lord, as does all truly called ministers of God. Jonah’s command was to go to Nineveh and to cry against it. Nineveh was a Gentile city and its inhabitants were considered enemies of the Jews. God wanted Jonah to go down and declare judgment was to come to this great city. God declared that the city was wicked in his sight in verse 2. But he did not heed God’s call, and decided that he would prefer to go another direction as we find in verse 3.

God destroyed man by the flood due to wickedness.

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