Chambersburg Bible Church

Text: Jonah 1
Topic: Investigating Theology in the Book of Jonah

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What wisdom can we glean from Jonah’s life and about our great God that will keep us from making the same mistakes that Jonah made?

• It is impossible to escape the presence of the Lord
  • God is omnipresent
  • John 4:20-24John 4:20-24
    20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. ²¹ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  
    – God is not bound by geography
  • Psalm 139:7-12Psalm 139:7-12
    7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? ⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. ¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. hideth...: Heb. darkeneth not the darkness and...: Heb. as is the darkness, so is the light  
    – “Where could I possibly go to escape the presence of God?”
    • Can I climb higher than God so that He can not reach me?
      • What if I ascend into heaven? – God is there!
    • Can I dig lower than the presence of God can descend?
      • Suppose I descend into hell? – God is there!
• It is impossible to escape the all-searching eye of God
  • Men and women attempt to flee the presence of God today
  • By denying His existence – atheist
  • The fool has said in his heart that there is no God
  • I do not believe, therefore, He does not exist
  • By denying His salvation – the lost
  • By avoiding His will

Supporting Texts:

• Proverbs 24:30-34Proverbs 24:30-34
  30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; ³¹ And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. ³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. considered...: Heb. set my heart ³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ³⁴ So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. an...: Heb. a man of shield  
  
• Jonah 1:1-10Jonah 1:1-10
  Jonah ^{1 1} Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Jonah: Gr. Jonas ² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. ³ But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 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. sent out: Heb. cast forth was like...: Heb. thought to be broken ⁵ 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. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. ⁶ So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. ⁷ And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. ⁸ Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? ⁹ And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. the LORD: or, JEHOVAH 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. exceedingly...: Heb. with great fear  
  
• Jonah 3:4-9Jonah 3:4-9
  4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. ⁵ So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. ⁶ For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: published: Heb. said nobles: Heb. great men ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. ⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?  
  
• Jonah 4:2Jonah 4:2
  2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.  
  
• Amos 9:2Amos 9:2
  2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:  
  
• Hebrews 4:13Hebrews 4:13
  13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.