"Hide and Seek" 7-7-24

Overview

Hide and Seek with God

Like a toddler who hides under a blanket and giggles, certain he cannot be seen, we sometimes imagine we can slip out of God's sight. The opening chapter of Jonah confronts that illusion directly. When the Lord called Jonah to go northeast to Nineveh—a violent, depraved capital of the Assyrian Empire whose wickedness had "come up before" God Jonah 1:1-2—Jonah ran the opposite direction, boarding a ship for Tarshish, nearly four times the distance to the west. He wasn't fleeing the journey or even the danger of Nineveh. As he later confessed, he fled because he knew the Lord was "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing" Jonah 4:2. Jonah did not want Nineveh to be forgiven.

You Cannot Hide—and That Is Good News

Jonah's flight "from the presence of the Lord" Jonah 1:3 was as futile as a child hiding behind a couch. Scripture is clear: nothing escapes God's sight. "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?" Psalm 139:7-10. No sin—of unbeliever or believer—goes undetected. Our thoughts, words, deeds, and intentions are all open before Him. At first that feels terrifying, because we know the darkness we carry. But the One who sees all is also the One who seeks. The Lord declares, "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed" Ezekiel 34:16, and Jesus says, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" Luke 19:10. Being found by God is not exposure to wrath but rescue by mercy.

What We Cannot Do, God Has Done

Jonah ran west, but his sin ran with him—and ours does too. We cannot separate ourselves from our transgressions no matter how far we travel. Only God can do that: "As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us" Psalm 103:11-12. The holy, righteous, divine Son entered creation, lived a perfect life, carried our sin to the cross, and rose from an empty tomb. That victory was claimed for you and given to you in the waters of baptism.

Living as Those Who Have Been Found

Spiritual maturity involves a kind of "object permanence" of faith: trusting that God is present, just, merciful, and active even when we cannot see Him, even in the deepest trials. So we stop hiding. We bring our sin and lay it at the foot of the cross, where it has already been forgiven. We are nourished by Word and sacrament and the fellowship of God's people, and from that strength we are sent—called like Jonah, but willingly—to proclaim the good news that no one needs to hide from the Lord, because He will find you every time.

Transcript

How you played hide and seek with a toddler? 3s

It's not very difficult. 8s

My favorite is when a little kiddo will run wanting to hide for all himself in the middle 10s

of the family room floor, but feel that he is completely hidden because his blanket is over 19s

his face. 23s

And he giggle, with anticipation as his mom comes into the family room, where's little 24s

Johnny under the couch? 31s

No. 33s

See, see, see, see, where's little Johnny under the chair? 34s

No. 38s

He he he until he surprises his mom by removing the blanket and exclaiming, here I am! 38s

Now, what's his mother ever? 45s

Ever? 49s

An aware of where? 50s

Little Johnny what? 51s

No. 52s

Of course not. 54s

Of course not. 55s

But little Johnny thought that he could hide, that he could hide from his mom. 56s

Another story of hide and seek with a toddler, my nephew. 63s

We were at a home, and my nephew was continually trying to drink out of his friends 67s

to pick up and we'd all tell him no, that is not yours. 73s

No, and he'd still try to snag it. 77s

Well, a few minutes later, all of a sudden we hear this little noise from behind the 79s

couch. 83s

He had taken the sippy cup and run behind the couch and thought that he was hidden, and 85s

that no one could see him as he engaged in taking his friends juice. 92s

Hide and seek. 101s

Hide and seek is really fun. 102s

And today, we are going to have a really fun Sunday drive. 104s

Normally, when we open the book of Jonah, immediately we think we are going to talk about 109s

a fish, we think we're going to talk about being in the belly of the fish, but we're 115s

not doing that today. 121s

We're not doing that. 123s

We are going to visit Jonah, but we're going to see the game of hide and seek that he 124s

thought. 130s

He could get away with that he thought he was engaging in, but we're going to buckle up 131s

because we're going to take a drive. 139s

We're going to drive to the Mediterranean Sea for our for our Sunday drive today and see 141s

see where where Jonah lands. 148s

If you would, please open up to the the book of Jonah. 153s

This is on page 813 of the Old Testament. 158s

If you're using a Pew edition of the Bible, it's Jonah chapter 1 page 813 in the 163s

Old Testament. 170s

Jonah was a prophet. 173s

He was a messenger of the Lord's. 175s

And as such, he was supposed to deliver God's word. 180s

God would send him forth to proclaim whatever it is the Lord wanted to proclaim. 185s

And receiving his newest call is exactly where we begin with our text today. 194s

Look with me, please, at verse 1. 201s

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah's son of Amitai saying, 204s

go at once to Nineveh, that great city and cry out against it. 208s

For their wickedness has come up before me. 214s

Now Nineveh was the oldest and most populist city. 218s

It really was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. 223s

It was situated right on the east bank of the Tigris River. 227s

It was a place where I lot of trade would happen in its day and age. 231s

It was really known as this cultural and intellectual center. 237s

It was not thought of poorly within the Assyrian Empire. 244s

However, Nineveh was a site of sin. 252s

It was a site of depravity. 256s

It was a site of wickedness. 258s

It was not in line with God. 260s

And it didn't seek to be in line with the one true God. 266s

And what we find as the Lord says in verse 2, 272s

He says that their wickedness has come up before me. 276s

The wickedness of Nineveh was not hidden. 280s

They didn't try to hide it. 284s

They didn't feel the need to hide it. 285s

It was in the open for everyone and anyone to see. 288s

And what we want to remember here is that even if they tried to hide it, 293s

God sees all. 299s

God is holy. 301s

God is righteous. 303s

God is just and he is the only one who can see all, 305s

who will see all and who has the right to exercise judgment upon the sin that is before him. 311s

So we see that this sin of Nineveh is before the Lord. 321s

We know that no sin ever goes undetected, 325s

whether it is of an unbeliever or a believer. 328s

Sin does not go unattected from the Lord. 332s

So look with me at this first beginning part of verse 3. 336s

So Jonah receives this call to go to Nineveh because he needs to proclaim the word of the Lord 341s

and tell them of their wickedness because the wickedness is before the Lord. 346s

And Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish. 350s

The Lord had called Jonah to go to Nineveh proclaiming their sin, proclaiming their need to 356s

repent that the Lord's judgment was going to come upon them. 366s

Now Nineveh was about 550 miles to the northeast of where Jonah was. 372s

That's a long trip to make. He was called to go 550 miles northeast of where he currently was to 379s

proclaim God's judgment upon Nineveh. That is a very long trip, but it's not the length of the trip 391s

that moved Jonah to flee to Tarshish. Well, we know that Nineveh was a city that was great and 401s

steeped in sin. The prophet NAM writes in the third chapter of Woe to Nineveh. He says, 413s

Ah, city of bloodshed utterly deceitful full of booty, no end to the plunder. 421s

The crack of whip and rumble of wheel galloping horse and bounding chariot, horsemen charging, 428s

flashing sword and glittering spear, piles of dead, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end. 436s

They stumble over the bodies because of the countries, because of the country's 444s

accountless, sorry, debaucherys of the prostitute gracefully alluring mistress of sorcery 450s

who enslave nations through her debaucherys and peoples through her sorcery. I am against you 456s

says the Lord of hosts. In second kings, we read of the King of Assyria who departed and went home 462s

and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of his God, two of his sons struck him 472s

down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat and a different son ramed in his place. 479s

This is a city that was deep, in thin, steeped, in violence. They were not strangers to the violent 487s

death and they were not strangers to the coup and the taking of one's life. They were steeped in sin. 497s

It's a city that is filled with thin and destruction that Jonah had been called to proclaim 507s

the Word of the Lord to, but it wasn't the Nineveh and fear of the Nineveh that moved Jonah 513s

to flee to Tarshish. So it wasn't the long trip. It wasn't the thin. Why exactly would Jonah 523s

be moved to flee his call? He tells the Lord exactly why he fled. In chapter 4 of Jonah, 536s

he prays, he prays, oh Lord, is not this what I said while I was still in my own country. That is why 546s

I fled to Tarshish at the beginning for I knew. This is key. I knew that you are a gracious God 553s

and merciful, slow to anger and abounding instead fast love and ready to relent from 561s

punishing. Jonah was moved to flee to Tarshish because he didn't want God to have compassion. 570s

He didn't want God to forgive those in Nineveh, Nineveh and he didn't want them to have the 586s

opportunity to repent. Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish, but he set out more than just fleeing 595s

Nineveh or the direction of Nineveh, look with me please at verse 3. 607s

Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to 614s

Japa and found a ship going to Tarshish so he paid his fair and went on board to go with them to 620s

Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord. He didn't want to be in the presence of the Lord. 626s

Jonah wanted to flee from God because he didn't want to be present and he didn't want to 636s

lean into the call that he had in God. In Scripture, oftentimes we see the West being this directional 649s

of a back of kind of a backdoor of behind and the east is the front or moving forwards. And notice 661s

here that Nineveh is to the northeast so he could have if he had leaned into his call he would have 670s

been going northeast into Nineveh, but instead he went to flee to Tarshish which is West. He tried 678s

to flee or escape the Lord out the back door and not only is Tarshish out the West but he would 687s

have to cross the entire Mediterranean Sea to the very very furthest point west of the Mediterranean 697s

Sea. Tarshish was 2,500 miles away from where Jonah began. This is nearly four times the distance. 707s

Four times the distance that he had been called to go to Nineveh to proclaim God's word and instead 722s

he tried to flee over five times or four times the length to Tarshish to be away from the presence 729s

of the Lord. And when Jonah got on to that boat, when he got on to the ship he didn't just 738s

date on the ship but he was going to double down on his hiding effort and we read in verse 5 748s

of Jonah chapter 1 that Jonah was fast asleep below deck. 756s

Jonah was a servant of the Lord. He should have known better. 765s

He should have known that he cannot hide from God in Psalm 139. We read, where can I go from your 774s

spirit or where can I flee from your presence? If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the 789s

farthest limits of the sea even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me 797s

fast. Jonah's attempt at fleeing the presence of the Lord. Jonah's attempt at thinking that he could hide 807s

from God was very much like my nephew hiding behind the couch thinking that no one would discover him 817s

in his naughty behavior. Jonah should have known better. You can't hide from God. You cannot hide 827s

from God. And when we think of that considering our own sin, considering all that we have done 843s

we've said considering all the thoughts that have gone through our minds, maybe we had enough 853s

controlled to hold them back from escaping our mouths but they were there and we consider the depth 860s

of the darkness of where we can go in our humanity and to know that we cannot hide from God 870s

to know that no one and nothing is hidden from God considering our sin that strikes beer to the 882s

very core of our being. But it shouldn't. It shouldn't because the Lord has another word for us. 891s

Instead of hearing this, that the Lord that we cannot hide from the Lord instead of hearing it as 906s

a fearful reminder. Let us hear it as the toddler who anticipates his mom, the one who he knows 915s

loves him as he anticipates her finding him in the prophet Ezekiel we are told that the Lord says, 923s

I will seek the lost and I will bring back the straight. Jesus tells us in the gospel of Luke 930s

that Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. Nothing is hidden from God. None of our 938s

thoughts, none of our words, none of our deeds, none of our intentions. Nothing is hid from God. 949s

But in our sin, in our sin God is hidden from us. In our sin we cannot seek the Lord. 959s

But it is the Lord who seeks us. It is the Lord who knows exactly who you are, who seeks you 974s

and calls you to be his own. God comes to us through his word. God comes to us making 985s

himself known, making his compassion and his grace and his mercy known. God seeks you. 997s

And God comes to you and tells you that he loves you so much. He thought after you so much that 1007s

he would enter into creation itself. The holy righteous divine one would enter into creation 1015s

and would live. His holy righteous and divine life only to take it to the cross so that he could 1023s

give his own life and he could give his own spirit for your sin so that your eyes may be opened. 1032s

And you may know that you have been found and you have been washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ. 1046s

In sin, Jonah tried, he tried so hard to run as far as he could as far as the east and from the west, 1056s

Jonah tried to run, but he could not flee God. He could not flee the presence of God. He could not 1069s

flee the mercy of God. He could not flee the justice and the love of God. And we can't flee 1078s

God either. And we may try to flee. We may try to leave our sin. But what do we find in our own 1090s

efforts that we are circled right back to our sin again and we fall because we cannot 1101s

remove ourselves from our sin. As far as we try to run west away from our sin, it follows, 1108s

it never leaves us because we cannot separate ourselves from our sin. But God alone, 1118s

God alone makes our sin as far as the east is from the west. In Psalm 103, 1129s

we read that as far as the heavens are high above the earth, so great as his steadfast love toward 1138s

those who fear him, as far as the east is from the west. So far he removes our transgressions 1144s

from us. We cannot remove our transgressions. We cannot remove our sin from our selves. But the Lord 1153s

in his mercy entered into creation, he took our sins upon himself and he died one for all sin. 1166s

And we know that his death, his sacrifice for all sin was accepted because the tomb 1176s

three days later stood empty and remains empty for all eternity. And that victory over sin 1183s

was claimed for you. And it was given to you as you were washed in the waters of baptism. 1195s

Hayden's seek is a really fun game. I really enjoy playing it and it is really fun, not difficult, 1207s

but very fun to play with toddlers. But really Hayden's seek is an elaborate 1214s

elaborate version of a game that I think everyone in here has played at one point or another 1221s

with a baby an infant called Pikaboo. Hayden's seek is really just an elaborate game of 1227s

Pikaboo. And Pikaboo is actually a very important game for infants to play. It is really 1234s

important in their development to understand that object permanent, that if something disappears, 1243s

you can't see it. It still exists. It is still there. As we develop in our faith lives, 1254s

as we mature in our faith lives, it is very important for us to understand and have that object 1266s

permanent, that God exists, that He always has existed, always will exist, and that we have been 1277s

called to be His for all eternity, and nothing is shaking that. That is a permanent. God's love 1289s

for you is permanent, and His forgiveness of your sins is a permanent in your life. 1300s

And so even when we face the most difficult trials or crises that we could ever dream of or 1310s

imagine, and we wonder why don't I see God? We still know He is there, and we know that He is active, 1318s

and we know that He is just and merciful and loving, and we trust this. And so as we come to service, 1334s

we, after we, instead of trying to hide, we bring our sin and we lay it down at the foot of the 1346s

cross, and we know that that sin has been forgiven, and we lay it down and we are strengthened, 1356s

and we are fed and we are sustained through His word, through His sacrament, and through being in 1367s

very present of the fellowship of brothers and sisters as children of the Lords, and is through 1375s

it is through this strength, then, that we go forth every week, because we are called by God. 1385s

We are called as the Lord's servant, to proclaim the good news, to proclaim the full truth 1398s

of seeking repentance and receiving forgiveness. And so we use this time, this time of nourishment, 1409s

this time of strength, this time of being built by the Word of the Lord, 1420s

to go forth and to proclaim that good news, that sins are forgiven in Christ and Christ alone, 1429s

and that no one, no one, needs to hide or try to hide from the presence 1438s

of the Lord, because He will find you every time. 1450s