Jonah Part A
Begin YouTube Video TIMELINE Above at 18:30
(*Transcript beginning in this post corresponds to 18:30 on the Timeline of the audio Track of the video above and goes to 31:21, the end of the timeline for Part A of the YouTube archive of this sermon)
David: So we as the Bible students, as we behold these things, we're to learn the lesson if it all. 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 anything: let them not feed, nor drink water. Now this is thorough repentance. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and a cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? So what conviction was rested upon this king of Assyriah?
Huh?
Class: The spirit of truth.
David: The spirit of truth. Some ministers say that when Jonah walked into the city he was white from digestion. Do you think that's a possible reason that the king of Assyria repented? Because he saw a monster? I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I know not so. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. So God chose not to bring his wrath upon them. Now the next focal point of this lesson. What kind of person was Jonah? That's the question. What kind of character had this wonderful prophet developed after coming so close with eternal ruin? What kind of divine Christian deportment was he now to show? Let's review. The man had been given a message from God. He ran from this divine responsibility. So definitely we can conclude that he did not have a full scope or comprehension of God's greatness. He ran and he tried to escape from the presence of God by going to a boat, and in the boat the sea arose, and all the men's lives were in jeopardy. They all cried to their own god.
And then Jonah had the nerve to say, well it's my God who's causing this, because I serve the God who made heaven and earth. Of which the men hearing this statement didn't throw him over yet, because - do you think they really believed him?
Class: No.
David: No. Because no man who served that kind of God would be running away from him. So they row even harder don't they? But finally they realize they better do something. So they say, God, don't hold us chargeable for innocent blood. Why not? He's the one who said, let me go over. So they sent him over, the sea went calm. Now they believe, don't they? The death of this unfaithful prophet - that is as far as they're concerned it's death- these men believe in the God of Jonah. Now they know from now on that you don't run away from the God who made heaven and earth, right? And that's the God they better fear - least likewise they also end up taking a boat trip ending up in the ocean too - , dead. Now - so see - God's wisdom is revealed in this story, isn't it? But nevertheless God had prepared a fish. So God was working from two avenues. God had now saved these seamen, now it's time to save Jonah - to convert Jonah the hypocrite. The fish vomits Jonah and the word of the LORD comes to Jonah saying; now go cry unto this great city of Nineveh. Jonah now convinced of the authority and power of God goes to Nineveh and cries against Nineveh - but nevertheless Nineveh repents. Now Jonah should be thoroughly converted. This wonderful man of God that your Bible talks about should be thoroughly brokenhearted at the wonderful mercy of the Almighty. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 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. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Why? Jonah is going to be called, as far as he thinks, a false prophet. Do you understand the scripture, and what it's trying to portray? The unthankfulness, the unrespectfulness, the selfishness, the audacity of this man of God. The city repents. What minister would love to see his congregation repent of their transgressions and prepare for the kingdom to come. Not so of this man. This man who came so close to death in that he was the digestive part of a whale, a man who{unintelligible} was spit up, mangled with puke of a whale, now is angrier,because deep down inside his pride is eating him up more then the acid in the fish. He'd rather die than to have to face not having his prophecy be fulfilled. Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? You hear that same statement echoed from something we heard earlier before. Who can tell me where that was echoed from?
Class: Cain and Abel.
David: Cain and Abel. Cain chose to do his own predetermined will. Whereas, Abel chose to follow the revealed will of God, didn't he? That's what we're talking about. The present truth - the revealed will of God. In other words, do you do well that you're angry? I mean - is this what's going to make you a better person? Doest thou well? Is it advantageous for you? Is it the present thing you should occupy your time in? So Jonah went out of the city, and he sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And the LORD GOD prepared a gourd. This is interesting. It say's a {palmquest} in the margin. And made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. What was the cause of Jonah's grief? He's worried about being a false prophet, isn't he? A man who had just gotten eaten by a whale is worried about being a false prophet. A man who had just had an experience - I mean this is an unreal story, isn't it? A manifestation of the hardness of some men's hearts. The wickedness of some of man's own selfish purposes. So Jonah was exceedingly glad of the gourd, wasn't he? Why? Because the gourd covered him, the leaves kept the heat off of his head, and wasn't he happy. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did rise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. The lesson's clear, isn't it? Some people serve God because they have to and all along the way they're selfish, evil, wicked people. What possible lesson can you derive from this book? And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. What kind of spoiled brat is this. Have you ever had a child that wanted two cookies when you gave him one? And he won't eat the one because he can't have the other one? What is wrong with a child like that? Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd. Why? Covered him - kept him from the heat. For the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons. How many is that? That cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? What does that mean? These people don't know nothing. Did the men that Jonah occupied the ship with - did they know the living God?
Class: No.
David: No. Did Jonah?
Class: No.
David: No, Jonah knew of - Jonah knew - but yet Jonah had some sever character problems didn't he? Now Jonah would have been well happy, you can see from this story, if God would have brought Sodom and Gomorah's fire upon Nineveh, right? Because Jonah would have been the great prophet throughout his country, you know? The great prophet who had proclaimed fire upon this evil city. We'd read the story of the fire came upon Nineveh, and we'd thought wow, what an awesome prophet. And it would have said, and Jonah exceedingly rejoiced in the LORD his God, and said to the LORD, Thou hast tramped over my enemies, and subdued those who were against me under the soles of my - right? The story would have ended; Wow, what an awesome prophet. But we read this book in the Bible, and we think to ourselves; man what a sorry person. The only thing he loves about God is when God does something good for his personal self, and as far as anybody else, Jonah could care less. Now Mike, why do you think inspiration has permitted this book to be in the Bible? Many scholars of today say that it's in there because it was just a fairy tale - it's not really true. Anybody got an opinion? Mike? Come on you're a ministerial student. Let's hear it.
MARK: YouTube TIMELINE 18:30
(*Written Transcript beginning in this post corresponds to 18:30 and on the Timeline of the audio Track of the video above and Ends at 31:21. This concludes Track “Jonah pt A by David Koresh, April 25th, 1989” to follow this written transcript. The Next post resumes the Written transcript with the YouTube Sermon Archive “JONAH pt B by David Koresh, April 25th, 1989” beginning at 00:01 on the timeline.)
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