Desert Flowers #7

Overview

Jonah: A Desert Flower Pointing to Christ

Jonah ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II (793–753 BC), before Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom in 722 BC. Into that setting, God called His prophet to preach to Nineveh, the violent capital of Assyria—a city marked, according to Nahum 3, by plotting evil against the Lord, cruelty, plundering, prostitution, witchcraft, and commercial exploitation. That God would send a prophet to such a pagan people, while His own people struggled, displays a recurring biblical theme: God desires all to be saved. Paul echoes this in 1 Timothy 1:15, and Peter affirms that the Lord is "not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" 2 Peter 3:9.

When Jonah fled toward Tarshish Jonah 1:1–3, his problem was misplaced sight. As Luther observed, "He looked not to the word of God, by whom he was being sent, but to the work itself…and to the difficulty and magnitude of that work." That temptation is ours as well. When troubles loom, we fix our eyes on the storm rather than on the sovereign Lord—just as Peter began to sink when his gaze left Jesus. The storm God hurled at Jonah was not punishment for sin but mercy to keep His prophet from fleeing. And when Jonah was hurled into the sea and swallowed, even the great fish served God's purposes. There are no limits on God Almighty.

From the belly of the fish Jonah 2, Jonah prays in what Hebrew scholars call the "prophetic past tense"—speaking of deliverance as already accomplished though he is still inside the fish. This same grammar shapes the suffering-servant prophecy of Isaiah 53, communicating absolute certainty. Believers are freed to live this way: not vaguely hoping "it will all work out," but trusting that God has used—and will use—every trial for His glory and our good. Jonah's despair drove him to this confidence, and as Luther noted, despair is often the closest step to faith. God repeatedly brings us to the end of ourselves so that we might see Him as God and ourselves as His sheep, utterly dependent upon His grace.

The flower in Jonah's story blossoms in Christ Himself. Jesus declares in Matthew 12:39–40 that the only sign for an evil generation will be the sign of Jonah—three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Paul anchors the gospel in this very pattern: "Christ died for our sins…he was buried…he was raised on the third day" 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. This week, walk in the prophetic past—confident that God is sovereign, that He uses all things for His glory and your good, and that the fragrance of Jonah's story is fully revealed in the crucified, buried, and risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Transcript

Well, last week as we continued on, we were talking about complexity and simplicity with 0s

regard to the prophetic word. 6s

Sometimes you'll see as we study a direct application where there will be a prophecy 10s

given and then the scripture gives us the actual application of that prophecy. 15s

Sometimes you don't have that, so you look at the context, you look at the people involved, 21s

et cetera, especially as it's messianic and you can then draw the parallel and you can 25s

draw the application. 32s

We talked about a direct prophecy which was a single prophecy, for example Jesus born 34s

of a virgin that only applies to the Messiah or sometimes you'll have a dual prophecy 42s

where you'll have an application an ancient day and then also an application later on. 49s

We talked about appreciating symbols in the prophets and being content with how the prophets 57s

are arranged. 63s

Profits don't oftentimes present a chronological order and so you'll get these nuggets throughout 64s

the prophets and so the lighting and enjoying in the arrangement of the prophets, how God 74s

has arranged them. 80s

Today I want to examine with you the book of Jonah. 83s

For in the book of Jonah what you have is you really have these flowers that emerge in the 87s

very story itself. 94s

You see the flower emerging. 97s

Well Jonah was a contemporary of Jeroboam II who was king of Israel from 793 to 753. 99s

Remember the key date of 722 that's when the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. 108s

And so remember the dates 586 BC there you've got a deportation of the Jews from the southern 119s

kingdom to a Babylon 539 you've got the decree from Cyrus the tolerant Persian. 129s

So when you look at these dates it helps you place once again where we at in terms of the 135s

in terms of the narrative. 143s

So Jonah here is dealing with the northern kingdom or during the time of the northern kingdom 145s

prior to the Assyrians destruction of the northern kingdom. 152s

He was called to minister to the pagan city of Nineveh. 160s

There is an unusual nature in terms of God calling a prophet to minister here to a pagan 166s

a pagan people when God's people had so many so many problems. 175s

But God in his sovereignty shows Jonah for this task. 181s

What Jonah helps to reveal to us is God desires all to be saved. 186s

And so you see that theme throughout scripture and the sense that God's grace, 191s

the understanding that God's grace is meant for all is quite manifest in Jonah. 196s

Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria and except for the violence that is 203s

relayed in the book of Jonah that was occurring in Nineveh. 211s

We don't get a clear scriptural picture from Jonah in terms of the sin that was occurring there. 217s

But when you turn to Nehem, Nehem says that the sins here included plotting evil against the Lord 223s

cruelty and plundering in war, prostitution, witchcraft, and commercial exploitation. 232s

So Nineveh is a mess. It's just a mess. 241s

And Jonah here is called to bring the prophetic word of God to the people in Nineveh. 244s

And Jonah was not exactly thrilled about this call. He didn't like it one bit. 251s

Let's take a look at Jonah, the first chapter. A good way to find the book of Jonah is to go to 258s

the last book in the Old Testament, which is Malachi, and start to work your way backwards from Malachi. 264s

So there's Haggainaya, Zefania, keep working back in a crossover, Micah, then you hit Jonah. 274s

If you're in Obadaya, you're too far. So Jonah the first chapter, verse 1. 284s

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, some of Amatai saying, 295s

go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it for their wickedness has come 300s

up before me. But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 308s

He went down to Java and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid his fare and went on board to 317s

go with him to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord. There is much comedy in Scripture. 324s

Is there not? This is a comedic moment where Jonah feels that he can just 331s

sail away away from the presence of the Lord. So he's received the call from the Lord and Jonah says, 336s

I'm getting on the next boat, and I'm out of here, and we're just going to forget about this, 342s

and I will sail away. So he goes in the opposite direction of where the Lord wants him to go. 348s

Luther said this about Jonah. He said, he looked not to the word of God, by whom he was being sent. 357s

But to the work itself to which he was being sent, and to the difficulty and magnitude of that work. 367s

I'm going to repeat that again. He looked not to the word of God by whom he was being sent, 376s

but to the work itself to which he was being sent, and to the difficulty and magnitude of that work. 384s

That's a gays problem, isn't it? It's so true in our lives. Is it not that so often when we 394s

are feeling pressure or stress or anxiety or worry, we're just looking in the wrong place. 402s

Looking in the wrong place. Jonah looked at the wrong place. He looked at Nineveh. He knew exactly 409s

what's going on in Nineveh. He gets the call, I want you to be the prophet to Nineveh. In other words, 415s

I want you to go and confront the people in the reality of their sin. And his eyes are on Nineveh 421s

instead of God, instead of the word. That's our challenge, isn't it? You know, whatever obstacle 429s

comes up or whatever challenge comes in life and immediately we become focused upon the challenge 437s

instead of the sovereignty of God who is Lord over all. Jonah's eyes, as echoed by Luther, 444s

were misplaced. Let's continue on in verse 4 of chapter 1. 455s

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that 461s

the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid and each cried to his God. 468s

They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. Jonah, 476s

meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had laid down and was fast asleep. 482s

The captain came and said to him, what are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your God. 489s

Perhaps the God will spare us a thought so that we do not perish. 495s

The sailors said to one another, calm let us cast lots so that we may know on whose account 502s

this calamity has come upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, 507s

tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? 515s

What is your country and of what people are you? My name is Hebrew. He replied, I worship the Lord 521s

the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. Then the men were even more afraid and said to 528s

him, what is this that you have done for the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the 534s

Lord because he had told them so? Then they said to him, what shall we do to you that the sea 541s

may quiet down for us? For the sea was growing more and more, tempentuous. 548s

God had not sent the storm because of Jonah's sin but to keep the prophet from flee. 557s

He didn't send a storm because of Jonah's sin. He sent it to keep him from flee. We go on 567s

to the sea and then they said to them, pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will quiet 578s

down for you. For I know it's because of me that this great storm has come upon you. 582s

Nevertheless, the men rode hard to bring the ship back to land but they could not for the sea 589s

grew more and more stormy against them. Then they cried out to the Lord, please O Lord, we pray. 593s

Do not let us perish on account of this man's life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood. 600s

For you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you. So they picked up Jonah through him into the sea 606s

and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord even more and they offered a 612s

sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah 619s

and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 627s

Once again, there is a little comedy here. Isn't there? Here is one who was trying to flee 635s

from the presence of the Lord. The Lord sends a storm to stop his fleeing. Then this one who 643s

thought it was bad to go to Nineveh now winds up in the belly of a fish. So Jonah's time period 650s

here. These are difficult days here for Jonah. So Jonah, he's a prophet of the Northern Kingdom. 660s

He goes in the opposite direction. The storm is to stop him from fleeing. He's thrown overboard 667s

and he swallowed by a large fish. Chapter two. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God from the belly 673s

of the fish, saying, I call to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me, 685s

out of the belly of sheol I cried and you heard my voice. You cast me into the deep into the heart 694s

of the seas and the floods surrounded me. All your waves and your billows passed over me. 702s

Jonah is still inside the fish here. He's not safe on dry ground but he is speaking in the past 713s

tense as if this has already happened. This is what is called the prophetic past tense. 722s

It is speaking of an event as if it has already occurred. It's a tense that is used to 737s

communicate absolute certainty. When you think of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, 748s

that's in the past tense talking about the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is communicated 757s

as if it has already happened. That's the communication of the certainty that indeed the Messiah would 764s

suffer. Here, Jonah is using the prophetic past tense and he is communicating in the past tense 770s

as if it's already happened but he's still in the belly. Here's the gracious word. God 778s

and so when a situation happens instead of saying, well, it's all going to work out. 795s

That's more of a secular approach. Isn't it? It's all going to work out. That's what the world says. 803s

With the prophetic past tense, you can say, and God brought me out of this problem. 812s

So the prayer then can be, I thank you, Lord, that you have brought me out of this problem. 820s

Even though you're right in the midst of the problem, you can speak with the prophetic past tense 827s

because you know that God will use whatever situation it is, remember to His ultimate glory and 832s

to Your ultimate good. He will use that so you can speak and live in the prophetic past tense. 840s

So instead of wondering what good God is going to bring out of a situation, 848s

you can live in the prophetic past tense in knowing that God will indeed bring it out in His good timing. 854s

And there you live in the confidence amidst the storm. What's the temptation? Again, 861s

the temptation is for our eyes to become upon the storm. Remember what happened to Peter? 868s

When he starts walking on the water, he's fine when he looks at Jesus, when he sees the storm, 875s

he begins to sink. And so God takes the eye and the gaze and he says, now look here, look at me, 880s

look at my promises. That's what Jonah is doing. He speaks in the prophetic past tense. He knows of 889s

the sovereignty of God and he knows that indeed God will bring good out of this. 896s

God frees us then to live in that tense. Okay, back to chapter 2, verse 4. 907s

Then I said, I am driven away from your sight. How shall I look again upon your holy temple? 917s

The waters closed in over me. The deep surrounded me. Weeds were wrapped around my head 926s

at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever. Yet 933s

you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. Previously, Jonah had tried to get away from God. 940s

And now he laments, I'm driven away from your sight. This is a separation issue here, isn't it? 955s

From God's perspective, God wants all people to be saved, all people not to be separated from him. 965s

Let's take a peek in the New Testament in 1 Timothy chapter 1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 973s

Acts and Romans, 1 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 981s

then you hit the tea books, 1 2 Thessalonians, and then 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy, chapter 1, 987s

1 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 15, 997s

1 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 15, that we read, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, 1011s

that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost. 1017s

Let's go to 2 Peter, chapter 3. Keep going toward revelation. 1025s

1 Peter is nestled here right before 1 John. 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 9. 1033s

The Lord is not slow about his promises, some think of slowness, but his patient with you. 1055s

Not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. So what's the promise of his second 1061s

coming again? So he's not slow, he's patient, he wants all to come into relationship. 1069s

Jonah feels the terror of what it means to be truly separated from God. We see in Holy 1078s

Scripture that when God's mercy has been exhausted, God will allow people not to be in His presence. 1085s

We see that in Matthew 25, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1. We see that ultimately here. 1094s

God's mercy will come to an end. We live in the age of God's grace. When He comes again, 1103s

He brings it all to a close. The world to a close, it's rolled up, it is destroyed, 1110s

the new heaven and the new earth is created, and God's time of grace comes to an end. 1118s

Jonah here experiences despair. And Luther said that despair is the closest step toward faith. 1128s

It's despair. Why is that? Because when we despair, when we despair of our ability to solve 1139s

our problems on our own, when we despair of our inability to save ourselves, 1147s

we listen more closely by the grace of God to the Word of God that comes to us. 1156s

And so despair is the closest step to faith. So when you're ministering to people 1163s

and you hear despair out of them, understand what that is. That is the next step closest to faith. 1171s

When they despair of their self, when they despair of their situation, when they despair of their 1181s

inability to redeem themselves, then by the grace of God, God is bringing them to the end of 1185s

themselves. God is constantly doing that in our lives, isn't it? God constantly brings us to the end 1193s

of ourselves where we say, help. He constantly brings us to the end of ourselves where we realize 1201s

that we are not masters of our own destiny. We're not. The world teaches that. Self-actualization 1209s

movements teach that. That you just simply name it and claim it and you can form your own 1219s

own future and all of that. We don't see that anywhere in Holy Scripture. That any place, 1224s

God is always the one who is Lord of our situation and Lord of our life and that we are nothing but 1231s

His humble servants. And He continues to bring us to the end of ourselves where we realize who it is 1240s

that we are. That He is God and that we are not. What does God love? But God loves the 1247s

contrite humble spirit. He loves the contrite humble spirit who understands that everything that we 1256s

have comes from God. Every blink of the eye, every beat of the heart, everything comes from God. 1266s

All the provision that it comes from Him, it's all the blessing of Him. We were created to be, 1273s

remember what animal God says, we are the most like, the sheep, right? And you know, that's not 1280s

really a complimentary word, right? That we're sheep. I mean sheep are defenseless, they're helpless, 1285s

they will not survive on their own. I mean, that's who we're compared to. So God is continually 1292s

bringing us to the end of ourselves. And as He does that, what do we understand a new? But we 1299s

understand His grace and His love and His power. And so often He uses the challenges and the 1307s

difficulties in life to do just that. Because when things are going great in our lives, 1313s

when the winds that are back and all, and we say, oh, it's just going great in our life, 1321s

there is the temptation for us to begin to say, look at the wonderful life I have made for myself. 1325s

And my, I must be such a good person that God so blesses me. Because remember, what was the question 1334s

in ancient day? Question in ancient day was, what did you do? Remember the counselors of Job, 1341s

they came and said, what did you do here? That all of this calamity has come upon you. You see, 1346s

they believed in this relationship of this kind of works righteousness. And in our sinfulness, 1353s

we can start to think that indeed all of the blessings is a result of our imagination, our 1358s

annuity, our talent. You fill in the blank. And God reminds us, you do understand who you are, 1367s

you do understand that you're absolutely dependent upon me. God brings us constantly to that point. 1378s

He brought the Jonah there. Okay, chapter two again, verse seven. As my life was ebbing away, 1384s

I remember the Lord, and my prayer came to you into your holy temple, those who worship vain idols 1393s

forsake their true loyalty. But I with a voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you what I have vowed, 1399s

I will pay deliverance belongs to the Lord. Then the Lord spoke to the fish, it spewed Jonah out 1406s

upon the dry land. Our temptation is to always live as if God is limited. Jonah gives us the example 1416s

of one who understands he's absolutely dependent upon God. He lives in the past tense. 1432s

And if God wants us to be swallowed by a whale and to be spewed forth, God's in control of that. 1441s

And that can happen that there are no limits on God Almighty. Okay, that's the introduction. So here's 1449s

my point. What Jonah reveals to us is a foreshadowing of the events of the life of Christ. 1459s

The flower that emerges is in the very story itself of Jonah. Let's go to Matthew, the 12th chapter, 1470s

please. Matthew, chapter 12, verse 39. Matthew 12, verse 39. 1480s

Matthew 12, 39, we read this. But he answered them in evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign. 1504s

But no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days 1514s

and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be 1525s

in the heart of the earth. You then have the application of the prophet Jonah and the flower is in 1533s

the very life, in the very situation that he lived. And the flower then is applied ultimately to the 1545s

Lord Jesus Christ. Let's go to 1 Corinthians, the 15th chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 3. 1554s

For I handed on to you as a first importance, what I in turn had received that Christ died for our sins 1577s

in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day 1586s

in accordance with the Scriptures. That he appeared to seepheus, then to the 12, then he appeared to more than 500 1593s

brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, those some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to 1601s

all the apostles, last of all as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. There you have the beauty, Christ 1610s

death, Christ resurrection, indeed the eyewitnesses with regard to the resurrection. Jonah then the flower is 1620s

in the story we see it applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. This week as we go about our activities may we 1631s

by the grace of God be a people that live in the prophetic past, in the sure confidence that indeed God is in control, 1640s

in the sure confidence that God is sovereign, in the sure confidence that God uses all for his glory and for our 1649s

ultimate good and that the flower that we see in Jonah, blossoms forth in all of the beauty of its fragrance, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1658s

who was died, who was buried and rose again. We'll continue next week as we bring this walk in the flowers in the desert. 1672s

Do look closely. 1684s