"Doing right for the wrong reasons" - Jonah

Jonah
“Doing right for the wrong reasons”

The purpose of the prophets was to disclose God’s will to Israel. Because divination was forbidden the true and legitimate means by which God’s will would be delivered to His people was through the voice of the prophets (Deuteronomy 18:15-22)

The role of the prophet was to take the “Palestinian Covenant” (Deuteronomy 28-30) the specific promises and warnings of God then ‘speak over’ the people with the violation and corresponding judgment of God.

- They were the “holy spirit” of the day. Their words brought about conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment.

While their messages are pointed and “harsh”, giving a picture of ‘doom and gloom’ since their words are from the immutable and eternal God of all comfort and grace the prophets would supply a glimmer of hope.

Each prophet has essentially 4 basic elements:

- Rebellion – willful disobedience.
- Consequence
- A description of the coming judgment / repentance
- A promise of future deliverance and restoration

The book of Jonah is unique in that the focus is not on the message of the prophet to the people the focus is on the prophet himself.

The pattern is still similar:
- Rebellion
- Consequence (swallowed by a fish)
- Repentance
- However, Jonah was not restored (at least we are not told here)

The theme of the book is that God is concerned for all people, not from a universalistic perspective but rather from a term called “common grace” – that some of God’s blessings in this life are given to all people in general, not just believers.

Describe the story… of Jonah.

Jonah is a foreshadowing of the new covenant and the enlargement of the kingdom to include Gentiles that is spoken of throughout the NT.

- It is the seeming unfairness of bringing hope to those who don’t deserve it that is the issue.

In the OT obedience (love) was a matter of merely following the law – the dos and don’ts – the heart (mind, will and emotions) did not play a part.

- “I don’t care how it gets don’t… just get it done.”

In the NT there is a shift in obedience, from law to grace, and while there is still a list of dos and don’ts – the focus UNDER GRACE is not on “getting it done” the focus NOW is on WHY it get’s done = the heart.

- “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22)

In today's culture the cry of a legalistic obedience is far reaching:

· “Just do it”
· “Make it happen”
· The ends justify the means

There is a bent towards law in every person – why? Because the law is easy, law is external, law removes any personal involvement, “It’s just the way it is…” I don’t have to care about you under the law I just do it because that is what I’m told to do.” But living under the LAW is unsustainable.

Grace, while more difficult (“do not murder” to “Don’t even think angrily”), is sustainable because the power comes from God. It does not make “sense”… but His ways are not my ways. Yet it is common to find a theology under grace that is bound in the heartless methods of the OT and we sit back and wonder why we are not living the victorious life promised by Christ.

Under law there are a number of motivational factors that cause people to obey – see if you recognize any of these in your own life:

- Fear – 1:5 – “Then the mariners were afraid…”

· Fear is a motivator that has it’s roots in intimidation…

· Intimidation is akin to witchcraft.

- Chance – 1:7 – “and the lot fell on Jonah.”

· “Time and chance happen to us all…” (Eccl 9:11)

· This is obedience from being caught. “Had it not been for that ‘lucky’ occurrence… I’m not sure I would have ever done it.”

- Desperation – 1:17 – “And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

· “In the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven… and gave them a savior who saved them from the hand of their enemies.” (Neh 9:27)

· Doing right out of desperation; the motivation is to “stop” whatever is taking place – not to initiate an encounter with God… not from faith = Romans 14:23 – “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

o Doing right out of desperation often involves a short sighted decision hence, the choice is not “best” rather it is mediocre.

- Depression – 2:5 – “The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me...”

· Again, right behavior proceeds out of sin = Genesis 4:5 “but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” And the usual partner with obedience from depression is anger/bitterness.

- Pleasing people – while there is not a verse for reference imagine, if you will, the people of Nineveh.

· I’m sure they thought Jonah was a great guy

· He comes along (against anything they have ever seen) and “helps them”.

· I would imagine after he left they sat around and thought… “How good was that, that he would come and tell us…?”

· Never realizing that Jonah’s heart was far from them

· We do this when we are different in public than we are in private – different at church than we are at home.

While these factors may motivate us to obedience (to doing the right thing)… they do nothing to transform the heart.

- Still angry - 4:1 – “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.”

- Still defiant – 4:9 – “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”

Using the law in an effort to transform the heart is impossible = it was tried for hundreds of years… How many of you have tried to stop doing wrong and start doing right by creating a list of rules? Memorizing scripture is a method (law) like this.

- The bent toward rules for transformation is part of this culture.

· Our culture emphasizes concept and principal over experience.

· For instance, I can get an MBA and never be taught by a person who has owned their own business.

· The common thought is, "If I can “recite” it… then I must have understanding." Does anyone want to have a brain surgeon who can “recite” the procedure but has never experienced it?

· Understanding (knowing) something is not being able to recite it.

You see… being able to list off “what to do” does not change the heart. We have all been there; I CAN TELL you that doing this thing will ultimately lead to disaster, I know the steps to “get out” of this mess. Yet I continue to re-engage in the behavior or attitude. WHY? Because obedience that comes from a mind-set established on rules places us under the OT law. A graceless existence. (destined to repeat behavior)

- We cry out for grace, God says you’ve got it, we put methods in place, and God says you’re back under law… no grace.

Listen, I’m not saying that it is not necessary to have parameters like “fleeing evil” – what I am saying is that if I believe that fleeing evil is how victory is maintained = I have just walked away from experience and by doing so… cannot have grace or understanding. There comes a time in every person’s life when they must face their nemesis. No more running, no more hiding.

It is only when the enemy is defeated through experience that the heart is transformed.

- Choosing to trust.
- Releasing judgment and condemnation.
- Stopping/starting a behavior despite “what you think will happen”.

In the case of Jonah, while he did the right thing, his heart was far from God.

It is possible to “do the right thing” but not receive the blessing associated with it.

- Doing right… because you are told it is “right” has a few different results:

· It will last for a season – 4 months then it will arise again.

· It will harbor a spirit of resentment toward the law (lawgiver).

· There is no “joy in obedience” = no peace despite “doing the right thing”.

How to transform the heart to “right”.

- It is a matter of mind-set; living life from there to here.

- It is a matter of aligning you heart with what God declares.

- Why do right… because of what you have been given.

- If God did nothing else for you… it would still be enough = you have the promise of heaven.

- Jonah never “got it” and for all we know he lived a miserable life of rules he did not like and a life of misery.