Exposition by Max A Forsythe
We begin today by considering the prophet Jonah. You know the story well. The word of the Lord had come to Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh. There he was to preach against the city's wickedness. And what was Jonah's reaction? He ran away. He tried to flee to Tarshish! Along the way, Jonah had an interesting experience. You remember, of course, Jonah was swallowed by a Great Fish. Evidently, this fish was ill through the providence of God. Because, Jonah was not consumed by the acids of the Great Fish's stomach. In fact, like some of the larger sick sea creatures today, it beached itself upon the sea shore and deposited Jonah in safety! Of course, Jonah was a little worse for wear.
He had not had luxury accommodations. He had not even traveled tourist class. In fact, his quarters had been a little cramped! He probably couldn't move, there wasn't any light. And I am certain that at first, he thought he was going to die. And what did he do? Well, like a lot of people who find themselves unexpectedly in a mess, he prayed. Isn't this the way of the world? Very many people know that there is a God. They know that he has at least ten commandments. And yet, like Jonah, they run away. At least until, they too end up in the jaws of a predicament. And like Jonah, very many people pray to God in their despair! Like Jonah, you too have fled from what God has commanded. Now, we won't get specific about all the possibilities. But, you all realize that the Holy Spirit has convicted you regularly of your short comings and your out and out enjoyment of sin.
We do hope and pray for each of you, that like Jonah's prayer in our Children's lesson, the he has heard your cry. Also, like Jonah, we hope and pray that each one here tonight will know that Salvation indeed comes from the Lord. All of this, you can see in Jonah's prayer in Chapter 2.
Well, back to our story. We had left Jonah lying exhausted on the beach. If he had the energy he would get up and run from the smell of himself. But, what happens? We see in Chapter 3 that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time! You don't have to guess what Jonah is going to do this time do you? He went to Nineveh and preached. And what happened? The Lord blessed his work. So much so that Jonah was surprised. In fact, Jonah was even a little upset with the turn out of events. But the Lord is patient, and he lovingly teaches Jonah another lesson about His concern for wicked sinners who do not appear to be his own people.
How often does God have to put us in a box to gain our heartfelt attention? I remember back to the first year that I taught. I had a student who kept falling asleep in one of my classes. After a few weeks, I got tired of it and brought in a large appliance box and hid it behind my book shelves. After fifteen minutes, I took the box out and the other students helped me reassemble it and place it up and over the sleeping student and his desk. Then unexpectedly, the fire alarm went off and the box began jumping all over the place to the amusement of the whole crowd of students. Today, I could probably be sued, but twenty years ago it was taken as good fun. That student never ever dozed off in my class again! I got his attention and in the prayer before us, Jonah admits that the Lord has his attention much as we should give to the Lord God of this His universe. Let us see how Jonah feels upon being delivered from the depths. Verse one tells us that inside the great fish, Jonah was conscious and that in his distress he called to the Lord.
There in that constricted place, he understood that the Lord had heard his prayer. The second phrase to verse one echoes the first and this phrase is especially applicable to our Lord during his three days and three nights in the grave. In verse three, we see that Jonah realizes that the Lord caused his grief, which in his case and usually in ours comes because we do not obey the clear commands of our God. How often in ways small and large, we like Jonah deserve every single problem that comes our way. How often do we momentarily feel banished or engulfed? Jonah couldn't even swim, he was tangled in seaweed and was sinking fast. When he was swallowed by the fish, did he really consider that an improvement in his condition?
Why is it so many people have to be swallowed almost whole by the great symbolic leviathan or Satan and all his henchmen as it were? I know of at least half a dozen situations where young men and women or those old enough to know better have gotten themselves into a deep dark pit without any help from anyone else. You can almost see them descend, yet no advice is good enough to keep them from their troubles, they cannot be held back by mere human assistant programs. Only when some people bottom out do they like Jonah admit that their life is ebbing away, and then and only then do they remember our Lord. In those bleak moments only a few remember our God.
Yet, according to God's promises and mercy, salvation comes in answer to prayers like Jonah's. Oh how good it would be if such experiences as Jonah's didn't have to happen to people, but we know the nature of mankind's heart and as in Jonah's case the Lord gains their attention so that they can pray the prayer of Jonah. May Jonah's prayer be yours today so that you do not have to forfeit the grace that could be yours even as it was Jonah's.
Resources Used:
Barclay, William. Daily Study Bible: Matthew 2.
Dietrich, Suzanne de. Layman's Bible Commentary: Matthew
Lindsell, Harold. "After 3 Days & 3 Nights", Christianity Today
(01 Apr 77)
MacLaren, Alexander. Expositions of Holy Scripture: Matthew 2
Places Preached:
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America)
Box 132049 -- Columbus, OH 43213-8049
Jnh 02a 07 April 96
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