Bible Study – Awake (1) – Return to GOD – July 19, 2015

This is lesson one (1) in our series entitled “Awake: The Call to a Renewed Life.”

Our focus scripture is Jonah 1:1-3; 3:1-5, 10.

GOD’S call to return to HIM demands a response.

For the next six (6) weeks we will explore various scripture regarding the call to a renewed life. The basis for this study is that America needs revival. But any revival must begin within each Christian. Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling within but we need to take inventory periodically. Are we connected to the true vine, JESUS, and growing and maturing and producing the fruit that remains. This is very perplexing and frustrating when we work in our own strength but when we focus on our relationship with GOD through CHRIST, it becomes a natural part of our lifestyle.

Unity is an outcome of having the right relationship with GOD. When Christians are connected to GOD through CHRIST in a genuine relationship, we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct our lives. Our lives are not a struggle but abiding in the relationship. It is CHRIST living through us. We are connected to GOD and then in turn we are connected to others individually and in community. The things of earth grow strangely dim and we behold more of HIM because HE moves from being an entity called GOD to FATHER. HE becomes our reality and that reality is personal.

The more I listen to various, supposedly intelligent, people regarding GOD; they say that GOD is not real. HE is some object people refer to when they are desperate. They cannot conceive of GOD speaking to modern day people, especially through the Holy Spirit.  They have never experienced the One True GOD of the universe and, therefore, HE does not exist. Experiencing and understanding Spiritual matters comes about only through a personal, intimate relationship with GOD by believing that CHRIST gave HIS life to pay the penalty for sin, in full, through the shedding of HIS blood. In doing so, HE opened the path to GOD for all who will place their faith in CHRIST.

Why CHRIST? It is because HE was GOD in human form revealing the way to salvation and the removal of the penalty of sin and its consequence, eternal death. The choice of eternal death or eternal life is every person’s decision to make here upon earth.

Our lesson focuses on the Prophet Jonah. 

We know some of the background on Jonah. He was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 8^th century B.C. during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.). In 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah delivered a message of encouragement to the Northern Kingdom:

25 He restored Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the • Arabah , according to the word the Lord , the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai (uh MIT igh) from Gath-hepher.

Let’s read Jonah 1:1-3:

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai (uh MIT igh): 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” 3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence.

GOD communicated with Jonah. GOD speaks to those HE calls in the way HE knows they will know and understand what HE is asking them to do. HE still does today regardless of what skeptics say, including many Christians.

GOD’S instructions were very clear. GOD called Jonah to go to “the great city of Nineveh.” Nineveh was an important city which was located in Assyria and founded by Nimrod as recorded in Genesis 10:8-12:

8 Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth. 9 He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord.” 10 His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of • Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

Nineveh was a wicked and barbaric city. The prophet Nahum had much to record about Nineveh. It would put what we know about ISIS today to shame e.g. prostitution, beheadings, witchcraft and torture of the most horrific kinds. Nineveh would become the capital of Assyria in about 50 years after Jonah’s ministry.

GOD made it very clear to Jonah that HE wanted him to go to Nineveh. Jonah responded quickly by going in the opposite direction. He bought passage to Tarshish, which is likely the Island of Sardinia, toward Spain. Some Bible scholars think it was Carthage on the coast of Africa. Either way Jonah was fleeing about 2,000 miles in the opposite direction GOD called him to go. If Jonah had gone to Nineveh directly, it would have been roughly a 500 mile journey.

There is speculation why Jonah defied GOD’S call. The answer is found in 

Jonah 3:10 and 4:1-3:

10 Then God saw their actions —that they had turned from their evil ways—so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.

Jonah 4:1-3:

1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. 2 He prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster. 3 And now, Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

We get to see the heart of Jonah and it is not pretty. He was honest about his feelings toward the people of Nineveh but notice even with his ungrateful heart, the people of Nineveh repented and became worshippers of the One True GOD, Yahweh. GOD forgave them and changed HIS mind and did not destroy them because they repented.

Isn’t it wonderful that GOD’S plans and success does not depend upon our attitude? This event gives us a great look at the heart of GOD. HE continues to reach out to all people in spite of our human frailties.

Jonah did not like the Assyrians/Nineveh-ites and he did not want them to receive any good fortune from GOD. Our prejudices often prevent us from obediently serving GOD.

Don’t we, as Christians, sometimes let our prejudice get in our way? When we do, it is a reflection of our hearts. GOD loves all people.

We know that GOD had to change the direction of Jonah. Jonah needed his heart changed as much or more than the people of Nineveh. So GOD prepared a big or great fish and it swallowed Jonah and delivered him onto the shore near GOD’S intended destination.

There have been limited stories of others having been swallowed by a whale and survived. Their skin was bleached by the stomach acid and they presented a ghostly sight.

After Jonah was delivered on shore near Nineveh, GOD called Jonah the second time as we read our next scripture.

Let’s read Jonah 3:1-3:

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the Lord’s command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk.

Jonah responded and preached GOD’S message. The fact that GOD brought Jonah through such an ordeal to deliver them HIS message showed the people of Nineveh that HE cared for them. This was likely the encouragement they needed to change their ways and appeal to GOD for forgiveness.

GOD is not eager to destroy but to forgive and restore those who repent.

GOD’S message to the people of Nineveh through Jonah is recorded in our next scripture.

Let’s read Jonah 3:4-10:

4 Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!” 5 The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in • sackcloth —from the greatest of them to the least. 6 When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he issued a decree in Nineveh: By order of the king and his nobles: No man or beast, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water. 8 Furthermore, both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish. 10 Then God saw their actions —that they had turned from their evil ways—so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.

WOW! What a picture of salvation and the love of GOD.

The fact that the GOD of the Israelites went to the extent HE did for the people of Nineveh to give them a heads up of their pending doom was also a message of hope. The Nineveh-ites repented, including the king. They repented, fasted and wore sackcloth. The king took off his kingly garment and put on sackcloth and sat in ashes to show his humility and repentance toward GOD. Our national leaders must repent and be genuinely involved in revival. The people of Nineveh responded and took the opportunity to appeal to GOD through their actions. GOD knows every heart and the fact that GOD did not follow through with HIS destructive plan reveals that their response was genuine.

We read Jonah 4:1-3 earlier, let’s read the rest of the recorded event in Jonah 4: 4-11:

4 The Lord asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made himself a shelter there and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God appointed a plant, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. 7 When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered. 8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind. The sun beat down so much on Jonah’s head that he almost fainted, and he wanted to die. He said, “It’s better for me to die than to live.” 9 Then God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “Yes,” he replied. “It is right. I’m angry enough to die!” 10 So the Lord said, “You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. 11 Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120, 000 people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”

It is good that GOD looks upon the hearts of others with compassion and love. HE probed Jonah with a question regarding his heart, “Is it right for you to be angry?” In essence, GOD was saying, Jonah, I know you love ME and worship ME but where is your heart for others? Jonah, you need to examine your heart. The compassion and love of GOD is expressed in John 3:16-18:

16 “For God loved the world •in this way: He gave His •One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

GOD tries to bring us into HIS work by opening our eyes to the places where HE is working. In the words of Dr. Henry Blackaby, “When we see where GOD is working that is our opportunity for us to join HIM.” LORD, open our eyes to your work and do not let our prejudice or bias prevent us from responding to your call. Christians can have a heart like Jonah.

GOD may change our direction but we may not change our hearts. HE never overrides our free will to choose.

GOD gave Jonah a second chance. Life upon earth is every person’s second chance for salvation through faith in CHRIST. GOD has sent HIS Only Son, JESUS, to all in the world with a message of destruction due to sin. But HE also has a message of hope and eternal salvation for everyone who repents of their sins and places their faith in HIM.

Today is the day of salvation. If you have not asked CHRIST to forgive you for your sins, now is that opportunity. After physical death, we do not have that opportunity. As we studied in last week’s lesson, choose you today who your will serve but for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Blessings!!!