One of the best-selling albums of all-time is Joshua Tree by U2.  The album came out in 1987 when Ronald Reagan was President and “Platoon” won the best picture award.  The album has sold over 25 million copies.  When our son was a baby, I would stand with him and rock him around dancing to these songs and lyrics, not understanding the impact they would have on my life.  There are many other songs from Joshua Tree that you would likely pick as a personal favorite, such as,“With Or Without You”, “Where The Streets Have No Names”, and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”.  The 5th track on the album is “Running To Stand Still”.  This is my favorite U2 song.  We were certainly happy in life however, I needed to do something about where we were going.  Something was still missing. I still hadn’t found what I was looking for. I honestly couldn’t take it anymore.  I wanted to run from the darkness in the night. I was crying without weeping, screaming without raising my voice.  I was running to stand still.  

This song is about addictions. Things that we know are bad for us but even so we continue to do.  We know we need to do something, generally we choose to do nothing.  The song's lyrics paint a picture of seeming contradictions.  We can be addicted to a long list of things like money,  work, drugs, ourselves, and even hurry and busyness.  Take a deep breath and let it out.  Do it again. We are going to talk about the book of Jonah and the lessons God wants us to learn and apply.  When you’re battling giants and especially addictions, we need God.  We need a helper, someone to teach us and bring to our remembrance the things that He said to us.  

Jonah was a reluctant prophet called by God to proclaim the truth.  You may have heard about Jonah – the man swallowed by a great fish.  We discover Jonah was someone who runs from God, then runs to God, and finally runs with God (or at least somewhat).  It may be hard to admit but we are like Jonah.  We don’t know if Jonah ever really got it.   This is our chance to be sure we do.  

Jonah Runs From God

Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh and preach that if they don’t change their ways God would destroy them.  Jonah jumped on a boat and went in the opposite direction.  Jonah didn’t do what God asked him to do.  He thought he was invisible to God.  God sends a great wind and storm (imagine a Cat 5 hurricane).  The sailors and Jonah were learning that God controls all things, even nature to accomplish His will.  Only one person on the boat wasn’t worried and he was sleeping down below.  The sailors discover the sleeper and they ask his profession and learn that he is a Hebrew and fears the Lord.  The sailors asked Jonah what they should do and he said to throw him into the sea and the storm would calm.  The men continued to row to land however the storm continued to grow.  The sailors prayed to God to not let this man cause them to die.  Then they threw Jonah into the sea and it was immediately calm.  The men feared God.  Then the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.

When God speaks we need to listen and pay attention.  God still speaks to us today through His Word, through other people, through prayer, through the Holy Spirit, through circumstances, and through nature.  Like Jonah, we may not have listened to God’s voice and been obedient to His request for our lives.  Naively we may have thought we were hiding from God, not recognizing we can’t hide from God.  Jonah also hated Ninevites.  We realize Jonah had a heart problem and a lack of love for others.  This is a big problem in our world today.  When we hate and disagree with what someone may be doing we too can be guilty of not loving our enemies and not loving our neighbor as Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:43 and Matthew 22:39. We need a life moving towards His Word not away from it.  Are you guilty of running away from God and not living out His Word and commands?

Jonah Runs To God

Jonah was in the belly of this large fish for three days and three nights.  It must have been overwhelming.  Jonah experienced the miracle of God’s grace and sovereignty.  He prayed to the Lord for forgiveness from his disobedience and thanksgiving that he was alive.  He prayed for deliverance from the depths of the sea and the moorings of the mountains in the sea.  The Lord then spoke to the fish and it spit him out on dry land.  We learn that neither the fish nor Jonah had control but that God alone is in control.  

Being a prophet Jonah modeled his psalm and prayer, from the belly of the fish, after the Book of Psalms. The Psalms were written earlier in history and he would have studied them as a Hebrew student.  We learn that while Jonah’s words appear righteous, his actions are not.  He doesn’t walk the talk.  Ouch! I don’t know about you but I am guilty of that too.  We should strive that our actions and words align with the righteousness of God.  We see that Jonah was thankful the Lord forgave him but Jonah denied that same forgiveness to the Ninevites.  We need a life that is confessing sin rather than empty words of righteousness.  Are we guilty of saying righteous things when our actions are not?

Jonah Runs With God

Jonah miraculously finds himself back on dry land and this time he is ready to accept God’s calling.  God tells him again to “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”  Jonah went to Nineveh and when he arrived he cried out and said “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”  This is a short sermon.  The people of Nineveh and the king repented, prayed to the Lord, and turned from evil and violence.  The Ninevites, like the sailors, averted disaster.  Nineveh repented and God relented.  Praise God!  The pity is that it didn't stick to future generations.  Nineveh was destroyed by God in 600 b.c.  Unfortunately, history would confirm that for at least some, the Ninevites faith was not genuine.  Our learning, the task is not over when repentance occurs but only when the following generations have been discipled and believe.  It would be a tragedy to experience the grace of God and not tell others about it.  Are we guilty of keeping our faith to ourselves?  Afraid, not boldly sharing our faith with those we encounter in life.  Given the current times, I feel convicted that we are not doing a good job living out and sharing the Gospel message.  In Matthew 12:41, Jesus is talking with the scribes and the Pharisees who are asking for a sign, and Jesus says, “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The Ninevites heard one short message while the Pharisees heard many sermons directly from Jesus.  We need a life committed to sharing the Gospel and teaching future generations.  What actions are you taking to help ensure future generations know the Gospel message?

Jonah Runs With God? 

Jonah had preached a sermon that was given to him by God and the people believed.  Praise God! But we find Jonah was not happy and angry.  What pleased God displeased Jonah.  Jonah was being self-centered and narrow-minded.  Do not let your anger or anxiety erode your trust or faith in the Lord.  We learn it is all about Jonah.  We can think that God is with us more than others.  Jonah had a heart of stone.  He failed to understand that God’s grace extends to everyone.  Jonah was guilty of bad theology.  The application of good biblical theology in the wrong way.  When our theology is bad it will lead to despair and anger like Jonah.  God attempts to teach Jonah and correct his bad theology.  God provides a vine that eases the sun from Jonah’s head and he is grateful.  God had now provided wind, a fish, a vine, and finally a worm.  Unfortunately, Jonah still needs an attitude adjustment.  He did not understand God’s teaching.  Jonah has greater concern for his personal comfort than the spiritual well being of Nineveh.  In John 13:34, Jesus said, “A new command I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  And from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 “Now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the great of these is love.”  We need a life that is concerned about people, not things, and not comfort.  What opportunities is God providing you to learn and grow that we are not obeying?

The Lord bless you and keep you.

Pat Price