Episode 53: Hearing God when I Don’t Want to

Episode 53: Hearing God when I Don’t Want to

Aug 18, 2024 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Jonah is a fantastic story of a God who never gives up on us despite our attitudes and actions. A God who cares for everyone no matter what they have done. A God who values honesty and isn’t afraid of our anger. A God who loves our questions. A God who desires relationship. The story of Jonah can be likened to the story of the Prodigal Son – the lost, repentance, forgiveness, the elder son’s bad attitude, the Father who keeps reaching out. Join us in this latest episode of the ‘Hearing God’ Podcast as we look at how Jonah in the Bible heard from God.

Episode Notes:

Background to Jonah:

  • God asked Jonah (living in a city near Nazareth in Israel) to go to Ninevah (Mosul in Iraq today) to preach repentance due to wickedness in that city and tell them God was going to destroy them.
  • 7th Century BC, Ninevah was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. No love between Israel and the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians would conquer cities and rape and take captive the women and kill the men and children. The Assyrians would tear off the lips and hands of their victims and skin them alive.
  • Nahum 3:1-4 tells us what Ninevah was like – a city of blood, full of lies and plunder, war, fighting, corpses in the middle of the street, prostitution, and witchcraft. Jonah thought they would kill him. Likened to a Jew during World War 2, hearing God say go to Hitler and tell Nazi Germany to repent.
  • Instead, Jonah ran in the opposite direction as far as he could go.
  • He went to the port and hopped on a ship across the Mediterranean Sea bound for Tarshish (southern Spain).
  • God sent a violent storm. All the sailors were afraid, calling out to their gods. Jonah went to sleep. (Some Christians go to ‘sleep’ and hide out in places that protect them from the world.) The Captain was angry at Jonah.
  • Sailors said let’s cast lots to see who is responsible for the calamity. Lot fell on Jonah.
  • Jonah said, throw me into the sea as it’s my fault. The storm will become calm.
  • As soon as they threw Jonah overboard, sea calmed. Sailors greatly feared the Lord and offered a sacrifice to Him.
  • God provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah for 3 days and 3 nights (foreshadowing what would happen to Jesus. Matthew 12:39-42)
  • Jonah became greatly distressed and cried for help. Jonah repented and said I’ll do whatever you want me to do.
  • Fish vomited Jonah onto dry land.
  • God said – great. Now go to Ninevah and preach the message I give you that I will destroy them.
  • Jonah obeyed God and went to Ninevah.
  • Ninevites believed God after the first day of Jonah preaching purely repent. They repented. Fasted. Put on sackcloth.
  • One of the most prominent gods of Ninevah at the time was Dagon, the fish god. This man comes out of a big fish, claiming to be sent by God, and goes to the city called ‘house of fish’ who worship the fish god. Only God can orchestrate that with His sense of humour. This affected the people of Ninevah far more than if Jonah had gone to them telling them there was no Dagon fish god.
  • When God saw their repentance, he relented and didn’t bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
  • Jonah became angry with God and said God was unfair. You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love.
  • Jonah sat down in the scorching heat and made a makeshift shelter to protect himself from the heat. God provided a leafy plant to grow quickly and provide shade.
  • The next day, God provided a worm to eat the plant so it withered. Jonah became angry and said it is better for me to die than live.
  • God said, “You’re only concerned about yourself. I’m concerned about the 120 thousand people who needed to know about me.”
  • Jonah was both reluctant and rebellious. He developed tunnel vision and felt that death was his only option. Depressed. Distraught. Dismayed.

First Principle: God speaks through your life

  • Sometimes we think it is all above ‘Ninevah’ when, in fact, it is all about us. God wanted to do a work in Jonah’s life.
  • Jonah played out the story of the Ninevites in real life. God sent the Ninevites a prophet who had just been through his very own rebellion and repentance to preach to a rebellious people the message of repentance.
  • Jonah ran away based on his feelings. Be careful of trusting your feelings or those impulses, even circumstances e.g. Jonah had the money for the fare to Tarshish. Sometimes we can think that the circumstances stack up – ‘God-coincidences’ – still need to check it out.
  • It can be so easy to justify your position and what you feel or think God told you to do.
  • Reading the book of Jonah is like holding a mirror up to our face. We see the worst parts of ourselves magnified.

Second Principle: God can give you direct instructions

  • God gave Jonah specific instructions. Go to Ninevah. Say this.
  • Ask questions of God. Clarify with God.

Third Principle: God speaks through circumstances, physical situations and nature.

  • God is Lord over nature – storm at sea. Vine grew up.
  • Through circumstances – swallowed by great fish, the vine grew up for shade and shelter. Jonah still bitter.
  • Look at your current circumstances: What is happening in your life right now? What is God trying to tell me through these circumstances?
  • God uses anything to speak to people. He used the weather these fishermen knew and understood to show His power and majesty. They turned their heart to God after witnessing the raging sea calm down. God used Jonah when he was unwilling.

What if you find yourself like Jonah – reluctant or angry at God.

  • Be honest with God. He knows already.
  • Jonah misses the 120,000 people around him. He misses reality. Does God have your attention?
  • Get stuck into reading the Bible, chatting with God, and thanking God.

Summary:

  1. God speaks through your life.
  2. God can give you direct instructions.
  3. God speaks through circumstances, physical situations and nature.

Prophetic Activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “God, is there an area of my life where I am not fully trusting You or am being rebellious?”
  • “God, what would You love me to do about this?”

Time Stamps:

[1:29] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[5:34] – Background to the story of Jonah.

[13:08] – First Principle: God speaks through your life.

[16:03] – Second Principle: God can give you direct instructions.

[17:49] – Third Principle: God speaks through circumstances, physical situations, and nature.

[19:53] – Recap the principles.

[20:23] – Prophetic activation.

[21:14] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[23:04] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Jonah
  • Nahum 3:1-4
  • Matthew 12:39-42
  • Acts 17:16-34
  • Psalm 103:8
  • Exodus 34:6
  • Psalm 145:8

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