Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:07.190
Let's turn to God's Word and Jonah
Chapter two. Jonah Chapter Two. This
2
00:00:07.309 --> 00:00:10.349
is on page seven hundred and seventy
four, if you grabbed one of the
3
00:00:10.470 --> 00:00:16.589
black bibles off the cart in the
back. Jonah, we read in Chapter
4
00:00:16.789 --> 00:00:20.429
One, was given a command of
the Lord. Jonah, a prophet of
5
00:00:20.510 --> 00:00:25.859
the Lord, one who was called
and ordained to speak God's word. He
6
00:00:26.019 --> 00:00:29.660
was given this command to go and
to preach to the great city of Nineveh,
7
00:00:30.100 --> 00:00:36.689
one of Israel's enemies. Jonah decided
he'd rather not. He decided to
8
00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:41.130
go his own way, as he
puts it, to flee the presence of
9
00:00:41.250 --> 00:00:46.689
the Lord, to have life on
his own terms, in his own way.
10
00:00:48.170 --> 00:00:53.280
And a great tempest was thrown upon
the sea. He was sailing away
11
00:00:53.799 --> 00:01:00.200
from his duties, and eventually he
was thrown overboard from this ship. And
12
00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:04.230
we read this. And in chapter
two, after Jonah was swallowed by a
13
00:01:04.349 --> 00:01:10.909
fish appointed by God. Then Jonah
prayed to the Lord, his God,
14
00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:18.430
from the belly of the fish,
saying I called out to the Lord out
15
00:01:18.430 --> 00:01:23.099
of my distress. He answered me. Out of the belly of SHEOL.
16
00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:27.420
I cried and you heard my voice, for you cast me into the deep,
17
00:01:29.140 --> 00:01:33.650
into the heart of the seas and
the flood surrounded me. All of
18
00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:38.290
your waves and your billows passed over
me. Then Ayus. Then I said,
19
00:01:38.290 --> 00:01:41.849
I am driven from your sight,
I am driven away from your sight,
20
00:01:42.250 --> 00:01:47.680
yet I shall again look upon your
Holy Temple. The waters closed in
21
00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:53.879
over me to take my life.
The deep surrounded me, weeds were wrapped
22
00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:59.079
around my head. At the roots
of the mountains, I went down to
23
00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:05.629
the land, whose bars closed upon
me forever. Yet you brought my life
24
00:02:05.790 --> 00:02:10.310
from the pit O, Lord,
my God, when my life was fainting
25
00:02:10.389 --> 00:02:15.099
away, I remembered the Lord and
my prayer came to you, into your
26
00:02:15.180 --> 00:02:22.659
Holy Temple. Those who pay regard
to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast
27
00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:27.219
love, but I, with the
voice of Thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you
28
00:02:28.539 --> 00:02:35.770
what I have vowed. I will
pay salvation belongs to the Lord, and
29
00:02:35.889 --> 00:02:40.090
the Lord spoke to the fish and
it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
30
00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:46.560
May God be praised in me,
as word be a blessing to us.
31
00:02:46.960 --> 00:03:14.139
He may be seated the water that
is described here, the sea that
32
00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:21.099
is described in Jonah chapter two.
This water is not the calm water that
33
00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:24.340
you sit on. That you perhaps
travel hours to to go sit on a
34
00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:30.250
beach and look at to observe it's
coming in and it's going out, to
35
00:03:30.449 --> 00:03:37.729
feel the breeze blow on you and
I be comforted, find relaxation, spend
36
00:03:37.810 --> 00:03:45.400
a Saturday afternoon. No, this, this sea that Jonah has found himself
37
00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:51.800
in, with a great fish that
has swallowed him, with weeds that are
38
00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:55.629
wrapped around his head, with sinking
down further and further into the depths,
39
00:03:57.669 --> 00:04:06.550
is a sea of terror, water
of judgment, of God's wrath. The
40
00:04:06.669 --> 00:04:13.819
water is not always a calm,
nice place to go vacation at. The
41
00:04:13.979 --> 00:04:17.779
water is. Water is kind of
a strange thing in some ways. In
42
00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:21.019
the lot out of ways it's a
fearful thing. In fact, throughout the
43
00:04:21.139 --> 00:04:27.689
world we have many monsters, stories
of monsters who live in the waters.
44
00:04:28.370 --> 00:04:32.410
The lochness monster, old Nessie,
right in the waters of Scotland, and
45
00:04:33.370 --> 00:04:41.160
there are others, Nin Kinanda,
fifty footlong dragon monster of the African Mangrove
46
00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:48.120
swamps. Each children who wander away
from home, kids watch out. There's
47
00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:54.509
Bunyip, who lives in the Australian
creeks and other waters, kind of like
48
00:04:54.550 --> 00:05:00.189
a large kangaroo. He kills people
by hugging them and then eating them.
49
00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:06.540
There's your Karuna from the Amazon River, like a human but with a backwards
50
00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:13.660
head and backwards feet, he kidnaps
people, marries them, pulls them down
51
00:05:13.660 --> 00:05:19.540
into his underwater city forever. Why
do we have these stories? Why do
52
00:05:19.660 --> 00:05:26.529
these these things exist? Well,
no doubt they're based in some truth.
53
00:05:26.730 --> 00:05:31.490
There are monsters under the sea.
The Sea is a terrifying place. It's
54
00:05:31.490 --> 00:05:36.839
a scary place, let's say,
a place that takes the living from us,
55
00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:42.839
a see that takes our lives.
It pulls us down under places that
56
00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:46.920
are dark, that we can't see. Now Jonah, too, is no
57
00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:54.589
fanciful myth or story, it's true. It's it's God's word, and the
58
00:05:54.670 --> 00:06:00.470
fish that swallows Jonah is not some
kind of crazy beast, human monster,
59
00:06:00.550 --> 00:06:06.019
kangaroo thing. It's a big fish, just a normal big fish, but
60
00:06:06.139 --> 00:06:14.980
it swallows Jonah, swallows him in
judgment, but ultimately also in salvation.
61
00:06:15.860 --> 00:06:19.649
We love the water, of course, water, we say, is life,
62
00:06:20.810 --> 00:06:27.329
but water is also predictable. What
can provide your food is also the
63
00:06:27.490 --> 00:06:31.529
means of a flood, and this
is especially true in places like Israel,
64
00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:38.720
places like Arizona, where our major
rivers are all dried up and even in
65
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:42.800
Israel, where the Jordan flows,
it's not a very useful river. It's
66
00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:46.430
pretty steep, flows quickly. You
can't really muse it for very much.
67
00:06:47.110 --> 00:06:50.430
There's not very many people that live
along its banks and work with it.
68
00:06:51.269 --> 00:06:57.750
Ultimately it flows into something called the
Dead Sea, which itself isn't a very
69
00:06:58.069 --> 00:07:01.060
useful thing, at least in terms
of building a civilization on. It's not
70
00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:06.899
like the Nile, for example,
where you can control it and flood lands
71
00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:14.860
and and create a dynasty. Fishing, crop production, all of these things
72
00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:18.410
are possible when you have water,
but in a desert you are very dependent
73
00:07:18.610 --> 00:07:23.050
on it. It's it's unpredictable.
You wait on it, not from the
74
00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:28.529
ground really, but but from above. The rain and when will it come,
75
00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:32.759
and how much? All of these
things we wonder and we struggle to
76
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:38.079
control it. On the one hand, we we wait and we wait for
77
00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.160
it to rain here and our own
city, and then when it finally does,
78
00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:46.509
it'll crash through a canyon and take
a whole family with it. So
79
00:07:46.709 --> 00:07:50.870
we try to control water and those
who are able to control it are,
80
00:07:50.990 --> 00:07:57.430
as I said, powerful, they
become kings, they become empires. They
81
00:07:57.509 --> 00:08:01.100
can master the monster when they can
make it work for them. But we
82
00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:05.100
all know from history and our own
experiences that this is limited. Right.
83
00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:13.649
Eventually the dam's break, the levees
overflow. Some of you have lived through
84
00:08:13.689 --> 00:08:18.209
these kinds of experiences. You know
what it means when our mastery of water
85
00:08:18.970 --> 00:08:26.449
a sort of falls apart. One
of our biggest bills for our government here
86
00:08:26.529 --> 00:08:31.440
is pumping water, getting it here
to the desert, to our dry land.
87
00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:37.399
Being able to control these things is
what makes a strong but we learn
88
00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.110
in the Bible and we know from
history that man never fully controls the water.
89
00:08:43.389 --> 00:08:46.309
And that's true of all nature,
isn't this is something that God is
90
00:08:46.389 --> 00:08:52.149
making very, very clear in Jonah, something that we all know on a
91
00:08:52.190 --> 00:08:56.740
regular basis but we often forget and
ignore because of the power in which we
92
00:08:56.899 --> 00:09:03.419
have been able to manifest over our
natural resources. Ultimately, there is a
93
00:09:03.500 --> 00:09:07.899
limit to that mastery, a limit
to that control, and it doesn't take
94
00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:13.289
very much. Even byhind my house, which is not anywhere near any kind
95
00:09:13.289 --> 00:09:16.129
of great river, which is right
in the middle of the desert, it
96
00:09:16.289 --> 00:09:20.570
took one or our last reign,
one rain for just a few minutes and
97
00:09:20.690 --> 00:09:24.799
I had about, you know,
three feet wide of water rushing through the
98
00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:31.200
back in seconds. Really, Pharaoh, you might remember from the stories and
99
00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:39.029
Exodus, was mystified when the Nile
turned to blood. And can you imagine
100
00:09:39.070 --> 00:09:43.110
what he felt when the Red Sea
closed in on him and his armies?
101
00:09:43.149 --> 00:09:50.669
He, who considered himself literally a
God, in control of the Sun and
102
00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:54.860
the Moon, of the Nile,
of the many waters around him, who
103
00:09:54.899 --> 00:10:00.940
is able to establish his great city
and his great kingdom, to control these
104
00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:03.860
people, to be a master over
these slaves, to be a great people
105
00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:09.250
and to have a great name,
all of a sudden crushed by the very
106
00:10:09.330 --> 00:10:15.250
things he thought he can control.
Jonah thought he could run from God.
107
00:10:15.409 --> 00:10:20.049
Jonah thought he could escape using the
waters. I'll get on this ship all,
108
00:10:20.330 --> 00:10:24.679
I'll pay for this ship. The
sailors know what they're doing. I
109
00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:31.480
will go my own way. And
it was nothing for God to throw a
110
00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:35.350
tempest on the waters, to create
such a storm that these sailors are afraid
111
00:10:35.549 --> 00:10:39.789
for their lives and calling out to
any God that they can think of and
112
00:10:39.950 --> 00:10:45.950
ultimately to the one true God,
as Jonah says, the God who made
113
00:10:45.990 --> 00:10:54.419
the sea and the dry land.
There is nothing in your life that God
114
00:10:54.500 --> 00:11:00.860
doesn't control. This is something that
Jonah wasn't thinking about or ignoring or I
115
00:11:00.980 --> 00:11:09.210
don't know, but it certainly wasn't
moving him to act and believe and live
116
00:11:09.330 --> 00:11:13.370
in a certain way. And this
is true of the water that Jonah was
117
00:11:13.529 --> 00:11:20.720
finding himself sinking, deep, deep
down into. God controls every drop,
118
00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:26.240
from the little trickle of water that
goes down the pleats of a Sawaro to
119
00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:31.000
the great rushing waters that rush through
a canyon. Every D rob is his
120
00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:39.389
faithful servant, like an enormous,
aqueous army, all at his command,
121
00:11:41.269 --> 00:11:48.620
every drop controlled and moved and directed
by him, bringing life sometimes and at
122
00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:54.500
other times waging war. What's the
difference, though, between those two things?
123
00:11:54.899 --> 00:12:01.419
Why does God employ one or the
other? Why does he put this
124
00:12:01.690 --> 00:12:07.049
army or the army of the wind
or the army of the land or human
125
00:12:07.210 --> 00:12:11.090
hearts or whatever it is he desires? What makes him choose one thing over
126
00:12:11.210 --> 00:12:16.279
another, to use it for life
in one instance or to use it for
127
00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:22.720
death in another? Jonah story teaches
us that God is sovereign, but it
128
00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:28.440
also teaches us that God is holy, that his will is good. Why
129
00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:35.269
did Joan, why did God want
Jonah to go to innover to preach to
130
00:12:35.350 --> 00:12:41.190
them a gospel of repentance. Jonah
will later say, in anger, anger,
131
00:12:41.389 --> 00:12:46.340
that Jesus Forbid, forbade earlier.
We read in Matthew Five. He
132
00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:52.980
says that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast
133
00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:56.899
love, relenting from disaster. Jonah
confesses this. He says, I know
134
00:12:58.139 --> 00:13:01.769
this is true about you, Oh
God, and it is true. See,
135
00:13:01.809 --> 00:13:05.970
the devil wants to trick us.
He wants us to look at God's
136
00:13:05.009 --> 00:13:11.129
great power and and accuse him.
That's who Satan is. He's an accuser.
137
00:13:11.289 --> 00:13:16.759
To consider God's great power and not
trust him, to accuse him of
138
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:22.240
evil, to accuse him of not
being good. But God is always good.
139
00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:28.269
God is always doing things for good
ends, righteous ends, holy ends,
140
00:13:28.950 --> 00:13:35.509
things that are about beauty, about
order. When you flee from order,
141
00:13:37.070 --> 00:13:41.860
when you flee from beauty, when
you flee from righteousness, where do
142
00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:48.820
you find yourself? Chaos, disorder, death, frustration, vanity and a
143
00:13:48.860 --> 00:13:52.779
whole host of other things. That's
what happens when we move away from God.
144
00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:56.610
That's what happens when Jonah moved away
from the presence of the Lord and
145
00:13:58.649 --> 00:14:03.929
it doesn't happen that way. Sometimes
it happens that way every time. Now
146
00:14:03.049 --> 00:14:07.330
sometimes we feel like we're getting away
with it. We say, Oh,
147
00:14:07.450 --> 00:14:11.559
it's not happening, like Jonah,
the sailing away on the ship, you
148
00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:15.159
know, the sailors, you know, doing their normal duties, tying their
149
00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:20.519
robes and going about their normal days. Jonah thinking, yeah, that was
150
00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.710
a good choice. I'm not going
an inhim. That's crazy. The waters
151
00:14:24.789 --> 00:14:30.990
calm, the ship is moving off
on the way to Tarshish, but only
152
00:14:31.070 --> 00:14:39.059
for a time. What appears to
be a moment of of relaxation, a
153
00:14:39.179 --> 00:14:43.059
moment of God's pleasure, even now
it's all right, or or of God's
154
00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:48.860
lack of authority or power? What
is it really it's God being patient,
155
00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:56.610
it's God waiting and giving us time
to turn and repent, but those who
156
00:14:56.649 --> 00:15:05.250
don't often suffer watery consequences. We
have many lessons of this, and doing
157
00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:07.879
it it was one of them.
The Red Sea is another one. Or
158
00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:13.639
how about those flood when God saw
the evil of the world continue to grow
159
00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:20.240
and grow and grow and grow until
he could not tolerateate, tolerate it anymore
160
00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.629
and in the spirit of all goodness
and righteousness, the Justice said this cannot
161
00:15:24.669 --> 00:15:31.549
be, I cannot allow this.
Yet one more day and the waters broke
162
00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:35.059
out from the heavens and from the
deeps and flooded the world in judgment,
163
00:15:37.379 --> 00:15:41.500
whether it's by water or fire or
some other punishment, those who flee from
164
00:15:41.539 --> 00:15:45.940
God, flee from his wheels,
will flee from his will, will always
165
00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:50.809
come under this kind of judgment.
It may not happen immediately, but it
166
00:15:50.970 --> 00:15:54.929
will happen, and, if not
in this life, in the next.
167
00:15:54.929 --> 00:16:00.129
How can we know, well from
these examples, from this history that's recorded
168
00:16:00.210 --> 00:16:06.320
from us, from our own sense
of justice in this life, that it
169
00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:11.080
has to be true that righteousness wins? It has to be true that good
170
00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:15.320
wins the day. This is what
all of our stories are about, all
171
00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:22.389
of our movies are about. Every
push in the in a checkoutline, every
172
00:16:22.429 --> 00:16:26.990
time somebody cut you off on the
road, every time somebody does something that's
173
00:16:26.029 --> 00:16:32.309
unfair. We have this sense in
us, it's built into our very souls,
174
00:16:32.750 --> 00:16:40.779
to desire goodness and justice and fairness. Given that that is so deep
175
00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:44.379
within us and made in the image
of God, who is all of these
176
00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:49.809
things, do you really think that
God will simply let all that go and
177
00:16:49.929 --> 00:16:55.850
say, I guess I don't care
about goodness anymore. I guess I don't
178
00:16:55.889 --> 00:17:00.330
care about justice anymore. Well,
if that were true, that would be
179
00:17:00.330 --> 00:17:06.720
the most horrible ending to everything.
Of course it's not true. God is
180
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:14.599
unchangeable in his Justice, in his
goodness, in his power, and he
181
00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:18.309
uses these things for those end and
so we can know, be on the
182
00:17:18.390 --> 00:17:22.750
shadow of doubt, that God will
and does always judge. So that is
183
00:17:22.789 --> 00:17:26.670
a good thing, of course,
except for all of us who raise our
184
00:17:26.710 --> 00:17:30.900
hands and say that we are worthy
to be judged. It's good and sort
185
00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:36.339
of this big sense of things in
terms of how all things work out in
186
00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:41.019
the end and that goodness ultimately wins. But what about us who've done bad
187
00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:48.329
things, who do bad things,
who deserve justice, who have been who've
188
00:17:48.369 --> 00:17:55.289
deserved condemnation, the condemnation of justice, people have been like Jonah, who
189
00:17:55.329 --> 00:18:00.839
have run, or perhaps even now
are running away from the presence of God.
190
00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.160
Satan, at this point will whisper
in your ear and say, see,
191
00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.920
God is mean, he's mean,
he doesn't want you to enjoy yourself,
192
00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:12.750
he doesn't want you to have what
you want. You should hate him,
193
00:18:14.509 --> 00:18:17.589
you should avoid him. If you
can't avoid him, you should hate
194
00:18:17.589 --> 00:18:22.269
him. This is how Satan accuses
a god in order to destroy you.
195
00:18:25.349 --> 00:18:30.779
Don't believe his lies. Don't believe
what he says. God is a god
196
00:18:30.019 --> 00:18:34.140
of goodness and Truth and beauty and
justice. He does what he does not
197
00:18:34.259 --> 00:18:40.779
because of some kind of arbitrary selfishness, but because he is good and he
198
00:18:40.900 --> 00:18:48.250
wants good for all things. God
clears away evil and injustice because he is
199
00:18:48.410 --> 00:18:53.009
holy. Satan wants you to think
that to be away from God is better,
200
00:18:55.089 --> 00:18:59.319
that to be away from him is
safer, is more enjoyable, to
201
00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:03.400
be in the arms of Satan is
better than to be in the arms of
202
00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:07.480
God. Of course he will say
these things. He is the great accuser,
203
00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:11.150
he is the great lie he is
the Great Liar. And when we
204
00:19:11.230 --> 00:19:14.190
are clinging to our sins, when
you're in the midst of that moment where
205
00:19:14.349 --> 00:19:18.109
the only thing that matters to you
is satisfying this desire or having pride in
206
00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:22.710
yourself, or whatever it is,
these lies will seem very nice. They'll
207
00:19:22.750 --> 00:19:29.579
sound very good. It's what we
call in psychology confirmation by US right,
208
00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:34.660
you want to hear that thing.
It sounds good because you've already decided what
209
00:19:34.819 --> 00:19:42.289
you want. When we prize our
desires in our sinful ways more than we
210
00:19:42.410 --> 00:19:45.809
love God, of course we don't
want anything to do with him. Of
211
00:19:45.970 --> 00:19:51.490
course we despise him for calling him, calling us back to himself. We're
212
00:19:51.529 --> 00:19:55.160
like a toddler that goes and sees
a pretty snake on the ground, a
213
00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:59.640
pretty deadly snake, and picks it
up and then when their father slaps their
214
00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:02.759
hand and knock the snake out,
we say hey, why are you so
215
00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:07.470
mean to me? I want my
snake all right. That's what Jonah is
216
00:20:07.829 --> 00:20:11.109
is doing. He's upset on the
boat before chapter to. He saying,
217
00:20:11.950 --> 00:20:14.230
you know, I just put me
to death. I don't care about this
218
00:20:14.390 --> 00:20:18.910
thing. I want what I want. That's not fair. We wine and
219
00:20:18.069 --> 00:20:21.819
then the devil says, see,
I told you he was a bad father.
220
00:20:22.059 --> 00:20:29.099
Of course it's all ridiculous. It's
just our sin. These are lies,
221
00:20:29.619 --> 00:20:33.859
the lies of our sinful hearts.
The truth is is that God is
222
00:20:33.900 --> 00:20:37.490
all powerful, but unlike our power, which we use for both good and
223
00:20:37.809 --> 00:20:45.130
evil, God's power is always used
in conjunction with justice and goodness and truth.
224
00:20:45.250 --> 00:20:49.079
He only and always puts down the
evil and holds up the good.
225
00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:56.319
He's like the Superhero of all our
stories, except he's real, except he's
226
00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:00.319
perfect and infinitely strong and always does
his does what is right. To put
227
00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:07.269
it another way, he's not a
superhero, he is God. He is
228
00:21:07.789 --> 00:21:11.990
God, the God who controls everything, as Jonah says, rightly, the
229
00:21:12.190 --> 00:21:18.740
sea and the dry land. Those
who reject God not only following under his
230
00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:22.940
wrath, like Jonah, but,
as Jonah says in his prayer and Jonah
231
00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:29.500
chapter two, those who cling to
idols and forsake God, reject their hope
232
00:21:30.740 --> 00:21:34.329
of steadfast love. Is that what
you want to do? And clinging to
233
00:21:34.410 --> 00:21:38.289
your sins, not only to flee
and from the presence of the Lord and
234
00:21:38.450 --> 00:21:47.319
come under his just judgment and wrath, but to also reject your only hope
235
00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:56.640
of steadfast, eternal love? I
hope not to be in the presence of
236
00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:03.470
God. The thing that Jonah is
fleeing from is to be under his protection.
237
00:22:03.670 --> 00:22:07.349
It's to be under the power of
his goodness, in his strength,
238
00:22:07.509 --> 00:22:12.390
like a like a hen that holds
her chicks down underneath her wings, or
239
00:22:12.470 --> 00:22:18.660
like a fortress that defends against its
enemies, like a husband that loves his
240
00:22:18.859 --> 00:22:25.700
wife, like a soft blanket that
shuts out the cold, or like a
241
00:22:25.819 --> 00:22:33.130
cup of water in a dry and
weary place. God is good. To
242
00:22:33.329 --> 00:22:37.769
know him, as good to follow
him, as good to be in his
243
00:22:37.930 --> 00:22:45.720
presence is good. How can we
be in the presence of God then?
244
00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:56.759
How can we stop fleeing and start
coming toward him? We receive it through
245
00:22:57.160 --> 00:23:03.670
his son, named Jesus. This
Jesus is also spoken about in the Bible
246
00:23:04.150 --> 00:23:14.619
later on, and Jonah, but
foretold in a way here, prophesied about
247
00:23:14.700 --> 00:23:19.700
here. Jesus will say this himself, that he comes as a greater prophet,
248
00:23:19.740 --> 00:23:27.890
as a Greater Jonah. How is
that? Why is that? Well,
249
00:23:27.890 --> 00:23:34.250
Jesus is a greater prophet than Jonah, because when Jesus goes down into
250
00:23:34.849 --> 00:23:42.279
the waters of judgment, as the
cross is called in the Bible, Jesus
251
00:23:42.359 --> 00:23:47.599
doesn't go and come under God's wrath
and judgment because of his own sins.
252
00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:52.759
Jesus never fled the presence of God. Jesus never said I want what I
253
00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:56.710
want. No, Jesus, as
the son of God, had his will
254
00:23:56.750 --> 00:24:04.430
always perfectly a with the will of
the father. Jesus indeed had indeed walked
255
00:24:04.509 --> 00:24:12.180
always according to obedience and truth.
And so when Jesus went to judgment.
256
00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:18.619
He went not for his own sins, but for yours and from mine.
257
00:24:21.380 --> 00:24:27.210
Jesus left the presence of the Lord
in order to bring us into the presence
258
00:24:27.250 --> 00:24:33.809
of the Lord, and he does
that by conquering sin and death. When
259
00:24:33.849 --> 00:24:37.490
Jesus goes down, down, down
under the judgment of God, by dying
260
00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:41.640
a death on a Crost, he
does that to get to the root of
261
00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:48.599
the problem, to get to the
very bottom of things, to sin itself
262
00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:55.470
to death itself. Jesus undergoes this, and it's symbolized in this way at
263
00:24:55.470 --> 00:25:00.549
the very beginning of his ministry,
when Jesus goes into the waters of Jordan,
264
00:25:00.509 --> 00:25:03.829
the rivers that, like the Red
Sea, would cross and the people
265
00:25:03.950 --> 00:25:08.299
of Israel would pass through, a
kind of baptism, the New Testament calls
266
00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:14.180
it, and Jesus stands in those
waters and is baptized by John for repentance
267
00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:18.220
of sins. How could that be
when Jesus had no sins to repent of?
268
00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:23.569
Because he was preparing for a ministry
in which that's what it was all
269
00:25:23.609 --> 00:25:27.849
about. Him doing it for us. And you remember what happens in those
270
00:25:27.890 --> 00:25:36.720
waters of Jordan. The father's voice
comes down upon the sun and says this
271
00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:44.880
is my son, in whom I
am well pleased. Jesus is vindicated publicly
272
00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:49.230
as the righteous one, as the
justified one, not as the one who
273
00:25:49.269 --> 00:25:55.190
is swallowing down and Sang, God
save me, I'm a sinner, but
274
00:25:55.269 --> 00:26:02.910
who rises victorious over sins and says
to God save them, these whom I
275
00:26:03.190 --> 00:26:11.940
have died for. The Jesus is
work on the Cross is compared to a
276
00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:15.539
baptism. Is said by Jesus himself
that the waters would come over him,
277
00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:18.930
the waters of judgment, as they
did in the Red Sea, as they
278
00:26:18.970 --> 00:26:23.170
did in the flood, as they
did in other places. In Luke fifty,
279
00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:27.250
Jesus says, I have a baptism
to be baptized with, and how
280
00:26:27.410 --> 00:26:33.720
great is my distressed until it is
accomplished? Mark Thirty Eight. Jesus said
281
00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:37.880
to them, you do not know
what you are asking, he says.
282
00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:41.200
To James and John, he says, are you able to drink the cup
283
00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:45.319
that I drink, or to be
baptism with? To be baptized or sorry,
284
00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:49.750
and to be baptized with the baptism
with which I am to be baptized?
285
00:26:51.750 --> 00:26:56.630
This was long after the Jordan event, but right before the cross.
286
00:26:57.509 --> 00:27:03.619
Jesus goes to the Cross and he
compares it to a baptism, because baptism
287
00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:07.420
in the Bible is very much like
we see happening here with Jonah. It
288
00:27:07.579 --> 00:27:11.539
is a passing through the waters of
judgment, being cleansed, washed, saved
289
00:27:11.619 --> 00:27:18.450
and brought to the newness of life
Jesus. But that happens for us in
290
00:27:18.609 --> 00:27:22.849
the salvation of God. As Jonah
says, salvation below longs to the Lord.
291
00:27:22.730 --> 00:27:26.329
But when we come to the New
Testament we see how all of that
292
00:27:26.529 --> 00:27:30.400
is. It comes because Jesus,
as he says to the woman at the
293
00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:34.960
well, I can give to you
the waters of life. Jesus has a
294
00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:41.960
way of transforming the waters of judgment
into something that bring us salvation, waters
295
00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:48.190
that feed US eternally, waters that
are no longer scary and frightening, but
296
00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:53.750
for ours, but for our our
salvation. When Jesus suffered on the cross,
297
00:27:53.789 --> 00:27:59.019
he underwent a similar trial that Jonah
went through, but it was different
298
00:27:59.099 --> 00:28:03.579
in this one huge way. Jonah
was saved because of God's mercy given to
299
00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:11.339
him in Christ. Jesus was saved
because of himself, and that matters a
300
00:28:11.420 --> 00:28:17.130
big different. That matters a great
deal. I'll say when you're drowning,
301
00:28:18.849 --> 00:28:25.410
I mean that both literally and figuratively, when you find yourself in trouble,
302
00:28:26.890 --> 00:28:32.359
whether that's physical trouble or or trouble
in your soul, what are you going
303
00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:37.319
to cling to? This really matters. Who are you going to call out
304
00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.910
to? Are you going to call
out to yourself? Are you going to
305
00:28:41.950 --> 00:28:45.470
be thrashing and being pulled down under
the water and say, Oh, there's
306
00:28:45.509 --> 00:28:48.190
my arm, that'll help me,
there's my leg, God know that it
307
00:28:48.390 --> 00:28:52.710
is. The scene looks ridiculous,
right, a thrashing, drowning person cannot
308
00:28:52.829 --> 00:28:59.940
save themselves. Or are you going
to grab some floating flats, some that's
309
00:29:00.059 --> 00:29:07.019
happens to be walking bar or floating
by a Christmas bonus, a facebook like,
310
00:29:08.259 --> 00:29:14.890
a friend who is nice, the
possibility of a romance? Are these
311
00:29:15.089 --> 00:29:18.529
going to be the things that you're
grabbing onto, your holding onto when you're
312
00:29:18.569 --> 00:29:25.440
drowning? This is what we do, but what we're really grabbing onto is
313
00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:30.799
monsters. Our sinful desires, are
wicked loves that are just weights that pull
314
00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:36.599
us down more and more and more. They are like the seaweed encircling us
315
00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:42.549
and drowning us. We can't trust
anything but one thing, and that is
316
00:29:42.630 --> 00:29:48.029
Jesus Christ, because him and him, any him and any him alone is
317
00:29:48.109 --> 00:29:55.859
where we find the salvation of the
Lord. That's why he came, that's
318
00:29:55.940 --> 00:30:03.859
why he was sent to do this
great work, and this work was for
319
00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:07.089
us, and you can reflect on
this when you reflect on your own baptism.
320
00:30:07.170 --> 00:30:17.490
I'll close with this. Colossians twelve
says, having been buried with him
321
00:30:17.529 --> 00:30:23.559
in baptism in which you were raised
with him through faith in the powerful working
322
00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:29.000
of God who raised him from the
dead. In this you have been saved,
323
00:30:29.079 --> 00:30:33.480
you have been brought from death to
life, or, as Paul says,
324
00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:37.829
in Romans six, three four.
To these Roman Christians, he says,
325
00:30:37.869 --> 00:30:41.990
do you not know that all of
us who have been baptized into not
326
00:30:41.190 --> 00:30:49.380
ourselves but into Christ, Jesus?
We're baptized into his death, which is
327
00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:56.339
to say into his judgment, into
the sacrifice, into the blood. We
328
00:30:56.539 --> 00:31:03.140
were buried, Paul says, therefore, with him by baptism into death in
329
00:31:03.299 --> 00:31:06.730
order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of
330
00:31:06.769 --> 00:31:11.130
the father, we two might walk
in the newness of life. That's why
331
00:31:11.250 --> 00:31:15.650
is a Christian. If you belong
to the Lord. You can look at
332
00:31:15.650 --> 00:31:19.640
your baptism, just like Jonah looked
at his, and say salvation belongs to
333
00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:26.440
the Lord. This is evidently clear. It's all symbolized and promised right here
334
00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:32.359
in this work of God. I
have been buried with my Lord in faith,
335
00:31:32.440 --> 00:31:36.309
or I've been buried with my Lord
into his death. I walk into
336
00:31:36.309 --> 00:31:40.869
the new in the newness of life, and all because of him. We
337
00:31:41.069 --> 00:31:48.619
have these gifts because we trust him
and not ourselves. And so this is
338
00:31:48.900 --> 00:31:52.339
my promise to you, that's based
not on my word but on the very
339
00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:57.660
word of God, that when you
put your faith in Jesus Christ, you
340
00:31:57.940 --> 00:32:04.289
no longer have anything to fear,
not the waters of this world, not
341
00:32:04.410 --> 00:32:08.250
the greatcoming judgment of God at the
end of the world, not the fires
342
00:32:08.329 --> 00:32:14.930
of hell, not pretend things,
not real things, not anything, because
343
00:32:14.970 --> 00:32:21.440
under God all things are used to
bless you, to build you up,
344
00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:25.079
to lift you up, to strengthen
you and him. There are indeed trials
345
00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:30.150
that Christians faith in this life,
but they are trials that God is using
346
00:32:30.269 --> 00:32:35.950
not to judge us, because judgment
is past in Christ, but to sanctify
347
00:32:36.069 --> 00:32:39.630
us, to build us up and
to draw us more closely to him.
348
00:32:42.670 --> 00:32:49.500
This is what we learn from Jonah's
baptism in Jonah chapter two. When you
349
00:32:49.579 --> 00:32:52.500
put your faith in Jesus Christ,
you come out from under the wrath of
350
00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:57.700
God, you come under his protection, in His grace, and you can
351
00:32:57.779 --> 00:33:06.210
proclaim from today and forevermore, salvation
belongs to the Lord. Let us pray
