Man Versus God

Jonah 1:1-17

What’s defiance? A willful disobedience to clear commands. Sometimes we disobey because we’re ignorant, confused, or fearful. But that’s weakness, not defiance. Defiance is a willful refusal to do what you know is right. It’s doing what you know to be wrong. Children do this. A five year old girl argued back to her mother. Finally the mother had enough. “Sit in the corner now and stay there.” She complied, but after a few minutes she yelled, “I’m sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up inside!” But it’s not just a problem with youth - it’s everyone’s problem. We’re all inclined to defiance. Why do I say that? We go against conscience - we know what’s right, but we don’t care. Or we know what’s wrong, but do what’s wrong anyway. Religious people are guilty. Yes, religious people can be the most defiant. We know God’s laws, but we just won’t do them. We know what pleases him, but please ourselves more. We’re defiant. And this is despite knowing that God’s merciful and patient. In this message, we’ll examine this defiance of a man in 2 parts. Firstly, defiant man versus merciful God. Secondly, divine God versus mortal man.

Firstly, defiant man versus merciful God. In this account, we learn God called Jonah to preach to Nineveh. Jonah was a prophet. But he didn’t obey. He was defiant. But he wasn’t always defiant. Verse 1 says, “Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai.” The phrase - the word of the Lord came unto - shows us Jonah was called. He was not self-appointed. And he’d been a prophet before. In 2 Kings 14:25 his job was to tell Israel how God would bless her. Everything he said came to pass. That’s what prophets do. That’s their job - to tell people what God wants them to know. In Deuteronomy 18:18 God says, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren…and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” So yes, whatever God wanted Jonah to preach, he preached. Sure, it’s an easy job to tell people God will bless them. But it’s another thing when prophets warn defiant people. But it’s another thing when he doesn’t like the message.

Jonah was called to preach to Nineveh, but he refused. He was prejudiced. God told him in verse 2 - “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.” There were 3 commands - arise, go, and cry against. Jonah was to go immediately. “Arise!” Stop everything and go! The word “go” means to depart. Leave home and go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. And this was unusual. Jonah was a Jewish prophet, but was told to go to another country. And how should he preach? He was to cry out against them! Their wickedness had caught God’s attention. But verse 3 says he disobeyed. He decided to run away in the opposite direction. Why? The reason is simple. The fact that God was sending a prophet to warn and to preach judgment showed his mercy. It gives people the chance to repent. If you want to punish someone - say your child - no warning is necessary. Warning gives opportunity to get right. And here he sent Jonah to warn because he was merciful. God was merciful even to such a wicked city.

In the ancient world, Nineveh was well-known for her evil . She had done much evil against Israel. The Assyrian empire had a reputation for shocking war practices. When they attacked a town, they’d impale survivors on stakes. The leaders would cut off their enemies’ heads and wear them around their necks. After a battle they’d pile up the heads of enemies in pyramids. Why would God show such mercy? God says - I’ll show mercy on whom I’ll show mercy. And here, God was giving them a chance to repent by sending Jonah the prophet. You see, preaching was God’s way of showing grace. The possibility of repentance was still there. And this was something Jonah knew. Which is why he didn’t want to go. He didn’t want them to repent. He was prejudiced. He was unforgiving.

So he was defiant towards his merciful God. In verse 3, after God told him to go and cry against Nineveh, he did the opposite. He rose up immediately and departed from the presence of God - his rising up and going was against God’s commands. And he went to great lengths. He went to Joppa, a pagan port city; because he wouldn’t be recognized. From there, he intended to travel to Tarshish. Nineveh was 800 kilometers northeast; a 3 month journey. But Tarshish was possibly the most western tip of the Mediterranean - in Spain; thousands of kilometers away and a one year journey. Verse 3 says he paid the fare. And it would’ve been expensive. It was a Tarshish ship - an ocean liner - not a small fishing boat; one that could travel across the Mediterranean. But how could he afford this? He’d have needed money - possibly selling his possessions or maybe stealing. Defiance is costly. And defiance deceived him. Tarshish ships aren’t always at port. They take a year to reach their destination and another year to return. But it so happened a Tarshish ship was there. He could’ve thought he wasn’t defiant because circumstances were right. Oh, God didn’t really want me to go to Nineveh - look at how smooth things are. He wasn’t serious. I’m not really disobeying - if he really wanted me to go, that ship wouldn’t be here! The lies we tell ourselves - if she didn’t want me to get angry, she wouldn’t have done that! I’m justified to drive any how - I was cut off. No one’s home - I have the internet and privacy. I mean, she just left her wallet there - she should’ve been more careful.

Just because we’re defiant in doing wrong, even when things seem to go right - doesn’t mean God doesn’t see it. It doesn’t mean we’ll get away with it. That’s the lie of defiance. And defiance has a way of deceiving us. And this showed his disobedience. Verse 3 starts and ends with the same line - he went away from the presence of the Lord. Jonah was a prophet - he knew God was present everywhere. No one can hide from him! But he was simply refusing to obey. Folks, we’re defiant. Even those who don’t worship God. They have their morality. They know right from wrong. But they still go against conscience. They do wrong. They’re sinful. The Bible says all have sinned and come short of God’s glorious standard. Not only do we go against our standard, we go against God’s. We lie, cheat, hate, rebel, and demonstrate our pride; we sin against each other in thought, speech, and action. We’re offended and we hurt others, we’re angry and we take vengeance. We’ve read about the recent car accident. Yes, there are many theories about who was wrong. But there was definitely defiance and sin - whether pride, anger, recklessness, etc. But there’s also sinful response - the online responses of doxxing, stirring up emotions, misinformation. But will people stop? No. There’s defiance in us all. And everyone has some sense of judgment - that one day they’ll be held accountable for their actions. But the Bible says man suppresses this truth - and that’s why they think they can get away with it. That God doesn’t see. But going against conscience is inconvenient, costly, and deceptive; but we love disobedience more. That’s why we’re defiant. Even towards a merciful God. But we must know this - God is not mocked. Our sins are seen by him. The merciful God is also a divine judge.

Secondly, divine God versus mortal man. He's a divine judge. And here, we see his strong response toward defiance. After God instructed Jonah, verse 3 immediately says - “but Jonah”. God wanted to show mercy towards undeserving and sinful people; “but Jonah!” And we can identify with this - we know what’s good, but we don’t do it. We know what’s sinful - but we do it. How did God respond to Jonah? He responds strongly, justly, divinely. Verse 4 - “But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” Verse 3 - but Jonah. Verse 4 - but the Lord. God’s not mocked. He sent a great wind that almost broke the ship. But why? Was it for punishment? Revenge against defiance? You mean God is so petty? No. Now, to be clear, God is just in responding to every defiance with his justice. But this was sent to turn Jonah back to obedience. No one can successfully defy God. If God called him to go Nineveh, Jonah would go. No one can oppose God’s sovereign purpose. He may be patient at first but he’ll respond. Jonah was a mere man - a mortal. How could he defy God? How can we mere mortals defy God?

But we must understand, there was a merciful element. If God was only just - then every time we sin, every time we go against conscience, he’d destroy us. But God demonstrated mercy even in this great storm. In verse 5 the sailors were afraid - “Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.” They were suffering the consequences of Jonah’s sins. They almost drowned because of God’s justice. In panic, they prayed to their gods. This is amazing because sailors are hardened men - not known for prayer. In literature, you have Captain Ahab who fiercely chased his whale; Captain Hook who chased Peter Pan; movies portray fearless sailors like Jack Sparrow. But they prayed because they were afraid. In their fear, they jettisoned their cargo. Precious cargo they took on their 2 year trade route. It was their living. But what’s the use of a living, when you’re dead? On the contrary, Jonah was asleep. Verse 5 - “But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.” The captain woke him and discovered he was guilty. Immediately, they asked him - verse 8 - What’s your job? Where do you come from? What nationality? Why this evil on us? And Jonah answered - verse 9 - “I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.”

He identified God by his name - Jehovah. Now, the sailors would’ve known about Jehovah. How he rescued Israel from Egypt, how Jericho was conquered, how Goliath was slain by David. This was the God that created sea and dry land. How did they respond? Verse 10 - “Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.” Notice the degree of fear. In verse 5, they were afraid, but they didn’t know of whom. In verse 10, when they knew it was Jehovah, they were greatly afraid. They knew God was angry with him. And this was the amazing thing. In verse 14, they started to pray to God.“Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.”

Jonah ran from God, didn’t pray. These pagan sailors went to God and prayed. They asked to be saved. They acknowledged his sovereignty - “for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.” They had knowledge while Jonah suppressed knowledge. Now eventually, Jonah asked them to throw him overboard. Once they did, the seas calmed down, verse 15. From raging to calm. How did they react? Verse 16 says they feared the Lord greatly, and offered sacrifices and made vows. When they saw the justice of God, they feared. When they saw the mercy of God, they reverenced God in worship. They offered sacrifice. No longer did they worship false gods. And they made vows. They didn’t make vows for God to save them, but made vows after God saved them.

But Jonah was still defiant, But God responded patiently. Rather than worshiping God, he was hardened and defiant, both to God’s justice and mercy. During the storm, Jonah was fast asleep - exhausted but probably relieved he escaped God. Now, when he was awoken, the captain pleaded with him in verse 6 - “What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.” Arise, call upon thy God. Remember these verbs? God used them - arise, go, cry against Nineveh. Here - arise, cry out to your God. Now, the call from the captain was a merciful call by God. Jonah should’ve realized that if he prayed and repented, all would be well. But he didn’t - the storm didn’t cease. He didn’t repent. A hardened and defiant conscience can’t pray. He was hardened to mercy and justice. When they cast lots it fell on Jonah, who admitted - “I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.”

To be clear, he wasn’t preaching. He just answered their questions - what’s your name, what’s your job, where you come from etc. He was a Hebrew who served the God of the Hebrews. And when asked what they should do, he told them to throw him overboard. Verse 12 - take me and throw me into the sea and the sea will be calm, because I’m the cause of the storm. Now, was it because he was nice and wanted to save them? No. If he wanted to do that, he’d repent, and ask them to sail back so he’d go to Nineveh. But no. He wasn’t ashamed. Instead he’d rather die than obey. He was so hardened that he did nothing to save them. Instead, they demonstrated mercy. Verse 13 - the men rowed hard. They wanted to save him. But his hardened heart was still defiant. Now, when he was cast overboard, we see in verse 17 - “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Despite the defiance of Jonah, yet God continued to show patience. He prepared a fish to rescue Jonah from the waters. And preserved him for 3 days and 3 nights - even after all his defiance.

Friends, what do we see here? We see defiant man, unable to go against God. Even if he went against God, there was a reckoning. The unbelievers repented and turned to God. And eventually Jonah did. No one can mock God. But why would we? He’s a gracious God, willing to save even the Ninevites. Now, we may ask - how can he? He should destroy them for their sin! But what about us? Should he not destroy you? You’re sinful - it’s only a matter of degrees. We’re defiant - it’s only a matter of what we can do in our defiance. If you can defiantly drive through traffic and ignoring all traffic rules and get away with it, you will definitely do that. If you can be angry and throw a tantrum with no consequences, you will definitely do that. If you can hurt, maim, steal, lie, commit filth with no consequences, you will definitely do that because you’re defiant. Even religious people here. But we have a just God. But a just God who shows mercy. If only we repent and turn to him, he will save us from the storms of his final judgment.

And why can he do that? How can he show mercy to the Ninevites? It’s because he offers a substitute to punish in your place. God came in human form, as the Lord Jesus Christ, so that he could identify with man. But he was not defiant. He obeyed all of God’s commandments. And he offered himself to be punished by God on behalf of sinners who would trust in God. The pagan sailors knew of this God, and they saw his power. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Christian God - the only living and true God - and you know he’s a just God. But you also know that he’s a merciful God. Willing to forgive anyone - any sinner - no matter the depth of their defiance - when they come to him in repentance, believing that he has provided a substitute for sinners. Even to you religious or moral people - you’re outwardly respectable - but what about your defiance in heart? If you think the Ninevites don’t deserve mercy, you’re right. But neither do you. Your righteousness doesn’t match God’s standard. And you know it. While Jonah ran away from God, Jesus obeyed God to the end. When the pagans awoke Jonah during the fearful storm, he did nothing - he was unmerciful. When the disciples awoke Jesus during the fearful storm, he was merciful and saved them. He rebuked the storm and it calmed down. Because he is the God who made the seas and dry lands. Jonah willingly went overboard in defiance - die than obey God, die accept a merciful message; Jesus willingly went to the cross, to face the seas of God’s wrath for sinners. While Jonah would rather die than obey; Jesus would rather obey than live. That’s why he can remove God’s judgment from you if you believe in him. If you acknowledge your sins, he can save you from God’s anger and justice. And when you believe in him, he can remove your defiance against God. He died, and was buried for 3 days, but he came forth triumphant. He had obeyed God and triumphed over sin. And that’s why he can be a savior of those who come to him. Even the most wicked.

Is God patient with you? Yes. Is he merciful towards you? Yes. How do you know? You’re listening to this message today, preached to you - that God is a just and divine God with great power. He will judge you, unless you acknowledge your defiance and sin, and your need for a savior. You can still follow the way of Jonah - moralistic, outraged, prejudiced, unmerciful; or you can humbly fear God, accepting the sacrifice he has provided. Man versus God. You won’t win. You can only receive his divine mercy.