Bricklayer illustration
2 kINGS 14:25 – Jonah was the same man and lived in the northern kingdom in the early to middle 700’s B.C. around the time amos was crying out aginst the sins of Israel and saying that God was going to raise up a nation against her, namely Assyria (Amos 6:14). God at the same time told Jonah to go preach to Nineva, Assyria’s chief city
Outline of Chapter 1 –
- Jonah did not go east but got in a boat bound for Tarshish (probably in Spain)
- god hurls a stom against the ship
- When the prayers orf the crew prove useless, they awaken Jonah and tell him to pray
- they cast lost to see who guilt brought the storm – Jonah
- They ask who he was – 1:9
- they ask him what might still the storm – Jonah replys in 1:12
- The crew threw Jonah overboard
Then the first thin that happens is what?
- not the fish
- but a cry of distress for mercy
- Only then does God send a big fish to swallow Jonah.
Fallen Condition Focus: We tend not to cry out to God in our distress becasue we don’t understand his mercy.
Jonah is a historical Person – Matthew 12:39-41
Theme: We can be thankful that God answers his children when they cry to him in Distress. (2:1-2)
Queston: How and why does God answer us when we call on him in distress?
When we cry out in distress…
1. God answer us in spite of our guilt (Jonah 1)
2. God answers us in spite of His judgement (2:3-4)
3. God answers us in impossible circumstances (2:5-6)
4. God answers us in the nick of time.
5. God answers uu in stanges
6. God answwers us in order to win our undivided loyalty and thanksgiving (2:8-9)
7. God answers us to help us become merciful like He is. (Chapter 3-4