Introduction: It is said that the Book of Jonah is a gem of a literature that throws great light on the love of God than most of the other books. To show the extent of God’s grace -the message of salvation is for all people.

History: The Assyrians were proud of their military strength and power and prided before the other nations and were known for their cruelty then. It is said that Assyria was a great but evil empire. It was Israel’s most dreaded enemy.

Message: "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah". This is the truth. The word of God always comes to us because God is speaking still and He has not ceased from it.

How the word of the Lord came to Jonah doesn’t matter. Whether through consciousness of another’s need. It may have come through the study of the Word, through the call of a friend. What matters is that the word of the Lord did come to Jonah.

Even as the word of the Lord came to Jonah it comes to us when He impresses upon our hearts, through the need of a situation, when studying His word, through the sermon, while praying, etc. Even now the word of the Lord is coming to us in our situation.

What did the Lord say to Jonah?

"Arise and go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it, for its wickedness has come up before me".

It must have been hard for Jonah to believe that he has heard right.

Was it possible that Nineveh is a great city inspite of the fact that it was a heathen city?

Was it possible that Nineveh grieved God because of its wickedness?

Could it be possible that God really loved Nineveh though it is outside the covenant?

Maybe Jonah did not want to believe, but he had to believe it. He had to realize that

The love of God is wider than the measure of man’s mind

Even we feel that it is absolutely useless to preach to some folks. May it be a family. community or even a people’s group. We often feel that some folks are not worth the redemptive price that Jesus paid, but we often fail to understand that in every human being there is an unsatiable hunger and unquenchable thirst that only God can satisfy. And its His desire that none should perish — 2 Peter 3:9

Jonah feared that Nineveh might repent, which he did not want to happen. Because he believed that God was the God of Israel only. He believed that God blessed Israel in two ways. First He blessed her by giving her gifts spiritual and temporal. And He blessed her, in the second place, by sending calamities upon her enemies. An abundant harvest in Israel was a blessing from the Lord. A famine in Nineveh was also a blessing from the Lord. Jonah was firmly convinced that the prosperity of a nation other than his own meant calamity to Israel.

It is a very human trait in us to feel that another’s advancement is in some way a blow to ourselves. It is equally a human trait to feel that another’s down fall and disgrace in some way adds a bit of luster to our own crowns.

This duty that God asked Jonah to do seemed to be distasteful to Johan, he somehow chose to disobey.

Therefore, he rose up to flee to Tarshisb.

There are only two roads even in our lives: Nineveh and Tarshish.

Nineveh is in the will of God and walking in it is walking in fellowship and communion with God and being in His perfect will.

Taking the road to Nineveh, although it may seem tough, but yet God will be with us even as he was with Joseph in the dungeon.

Tarshish is a pathway to disobedience, which when walked will not be in fellowship with God totally out of His will, fellowship and presence.

But Tarsbish is the city of HAVE YOUR OWN WAY, DO AS YOU PLEASE, TAKE IT EASY. Things would seem rosy, but struggle would be heartache.

Tarshish is a city where people seldom sing but often sob. It is a city where nobody looks joyously into God’s face and call Him Father.

Tarsbish for a Jew at that time was the most far away place, yet Jonah was willing to go away from the presence of God.

The Bible doesn’t say that Jonah disobeyed his duty, but it says that he disobeyed God. Remember that whenever we do not do what God want’s us to do, then we are not disobeying our duty, but God Himself and renounce His friendship.

Maybe initially for Jonah he must have felt out of place. As long as sin breaks your heart and causes you to cry and feel out of place, there is hope for you. You can turn to God in repentance. But when you get contented with sin and it doesn’t bother you anymore then we are in danger.

In today’s situation the danger of Jonah is common inside and outside the Church.

We want the church to grow. We want great things to happen, but yet many of us are doing practically nothing. The discouraging things is we have a lot of useless people in the church of God, but the trouble is they are contented with their uselessness. Probably they feel that is God’s best for them.

When we write out our religious programme and look at it? How will we feel. What does discipleship cost us.

What is involved in our allegiance to the Lord.

Just coming Friday after Friday and making a small contribution. Just this and nothing more.

The Sunday School is not our burden.

The Prayer Meeting/Intercession/Night Vigil is not our burden.

Visiting the new members and giving an helping hand to those of us who need us is not our responsibility.

Helping by our presence and our prayers to give spiritual fervor to all the church services is not our responsibility.

We want to reach heaven and have the best for us but without any cost.

As we are running away from our duty, you know what it is. This is a needy world. This is a needy Church. It has an opportunity to touch the uttermost parts Oman and even the earth if it is spiritually alive and mighty. Are you making your contribution by accepting your responsibility or have you turned your back upon it for no other reason than just this, that it is too much trouble? If it is true, may the Lord wake us up now.

So Jonah turned his back on his duty and turned his back on God. But though Jonah forgot God, God in His mercy has not forgotten him. God still loves Jonah, still longs for him and still hopes for him. And so in mercy He sends a storm for him.

May the Lord send us any kind of storm rather than allow us to fling ourselves eternally away from His presence. It is said that God will never allow a man to go comfortably and peacefully to eternal death. He never allows any man to be lost until He has done His best to save him.

Then the tap on his shoulder to wake him up. "What meanest thou, 0 sleeper? How is it that you can sleep amidst all the agony, amidst all the danger that is about us? When the situation is as it is, how is it that you are not on your knees? Rise and call upon thy God."

For us, What do you mean by sitting idly and stupidly in the House of God Friday after Friday and never do anything. How is it that amidst the tremendous issues of moral life and moral death that you can be as complacent and as undisturbed as the dread?

When Jonah came on to the deck, it changed him. There is no difference between the fear stricken crew and himself. The need of both was common. They were all threatened with death. They all needed somebody to save.

We people differ in many respects but we are all alike in this: We have all sinned and we all need a Saviour - Jesus Christ.

He came to know that since we are one body, one member could not suffer without all ~ members suffering with it. His rebellion against God has brought wretchedness upon himself and also on all that sailed with him.

The situation with Saint Paul, a man who obeyed God intricately, was different. "Cast me overboard"

A man who few days ago despised the heathen is now will to die for them. That shows that God had made him a new man.

It was a hard price to pay. When the tempest of this world ‘s sin was to be still there was no cheaper way than for Christ to allow himself to be thrown overboard.

"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone; but if it die, it brings forth much fruit"

If you will do this today, stop running from God and turn and walk with Him, you will find that Nineveh is not a city of restlessness and wretchedness. But you will find that it is a city rich in fellowship with God and in the blessed experience of that peace that passeth all understanding.

Application: Which was are you going to travel this hour. Out of this door you will go in a moment, which direction you want to head - Nineveh or Tarsbish? May God grant you the grace that every step you take from now onwards may be towards Nineveh.

Conclusion: The Book of Jonah shows us the full picture of God’s love and compassion that leads us to realize that no one is beyond redemption. Similarly, the gospel is for all those who will repent and believe. Begin to pray for those who seem to be furthest from the kingdom, and look for ways to tell them about God.

The story of this reluctant prophet should teach us to determine to obey God, doing whatever he asks and going wherever he leads.

We learn about God’s Omnipotence: All powerfulness and sovereignty of God. Although Jonah tried to run away from God, yet God controlled the situation: stormy sea and a great fish.

God taught Israel a lesson through Jonah of God’s love for all people and their missionary purpose.

Through the disobedient prophet God communicated a message to the nation of Israel that all in this world have an opportunity to turn to God in repentance. Israel though they boasted about being God’s people yet disobeyed Him most of the time. AMEN.