NEW SERIES | JONAH
NEW SERIES | JONAH, THE MERCIES OF GOD
THIS SUNDAY | This Sunday, we are starting a new sermon series in the book of Jonah. A small, four chapter book that speaks prophetically to the times that we are in and the need for God’s mercy not just in our lives, but for others as well.
Jonah is a book that has worked its way into the main stream of our culture with Jonah being swallowed by a great-fish. From movies like Pinnnochio, where he is swallowed by a big whale as well as the famous book by Hermin Melville, Moby Dick. When books and other literature arise to a popular level, we have a way of dismissing the contents of them, because we assume we already know it. Jonah will require of us, to steady deeply what it means. In order for us to get gems from this book, we need to dig deep into the mines of the text.
WHO’S JONAH | There’s not much for a background we know of Jonah. However, there is a little bit we do know about him through the scriptures. First and primarily, we learn that Jonah was a prophet. We learn that Jonah is a prophet, while serving under King Jeroboam II. We read in 2 Kings: “23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. - 2 Kings 14:23-25
We read that Jonah is a prophet under King Jeroboam II, an evil king, who is continuing to spread wickedness in Israel from his father and the king cares primarily about military conquest as he is fortifying their city walls while neglecting worship of God. Jonah serves under him. And the role that Jonah would have had under him, as a prophet, was to be a mediator between God and God’s people, Israel. A prophet would receive of word of God and give it to man, and speak with authority from God saying “Thus says the Lord.” However, although Jonah is a prophet, his role as a prophet is wholly unique!
WHO’S NINEVAH | Every prophet speaks from God to God’s people, Israel. Often rebuking the nation for its’ idolatry and lack of trusting in God. However, Jonah is called by God not to Israel but rather is called to a gentile city called, Ninevah. God says to Jonah “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” - Jonah 1:2 Ninevah was the leading city for it’s economy and religious center to the goddess, Ishtar. The reason God calls Jonah to them is because “their evil has come up before me.” Historians speak of Assyria as one of the most wicked countries of its time. They were referred to as a "terrorist state" as well as another historian saying they have “as gory and blood-curdling a history as we know.” God sends Jonah to this wicked nation, with a simple message; “repent!”
And miraculously, they are a nation that repents at the preaching of Jonah. Because of their repentance, Jonah is furious with God!
WHY THIS BOOK NOW? | Why start this book now? I can’t think of a better time to have the discussion of justice and mercy from the book of Jonah. We just saw on the news this last Sunday, (January 18th, 2026) a group of protestors storm into a Minnesota church in protest against the killing of, Renee Good. They came into a church and stopped the worship service from taking place, to demand justice for Renee Good. It’s the same thing we saw with George Floyd riots back in 2020. People (and us) want justice against others, but not justice for ourselves. For ourselves, we want mercy.
And we find ourselves stuck between these two thoughts and this is where Jonah finds himself. Justice against Ninevah and Mercy for him and Israel. What Jonah wants, is what we want, a god of our own making who does our bidding for us. However, a god of our own making is not a god that saves the world. But there is in fact a God who does save the world.
In Jesus, a greater Jonah has come! A greater prophet in Jesus arrives, not with anger against the world, but love for the world (John 3:16) As Jonah is angry that Ninevah repents at his preaching (Jonah 4:1) Jesus comes and weeps over Israel, because they did not repent at His teaching. (Luke 19:41-44) Jonah wants justice! Jesus wants to be the “just and the justifier” (Rom. 3:26) of the people who place their faith in Him. And Jesus comes with the same message from Jonah of repentance.
Will we listen? Or will we desire to have a god of our own making who does our bidding for us? Who only gives justice to others and mercy to us?
THIS SUNDAY | This Sunday, we are starting a new sermon series in the book of Jonah. A small, four chapter book that speaks prophetically to the times that we are in and the need for God’s mercy not just in our lives, but for others as well.
Jonah is a book that has worked its way into the main stream of our culture with Jonah being swallowed by a great-fish. From movies like Pinnnochio, where he is swallowed by a big whale as well as the famous book by Hermin Melville, Moby Dick. When books and other literature arise to a popular level, we have a way of dismissing the contents of them, because we assume we already know it. Jonah will require of us, to steady deeply what it means. In order for us to get gems from this book, we need to dig deep into the mines of the text.
WHO’S JONAH | There’s not much for a background we know of Jonah. However, there is a little bit we do know about him through the scriptures. First and primarily, we learn that Jonah was a prophet. We learn that Jonah is a prophet, while serving under King Jeroboam II. We read in 2 Kings: “23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. - 2 Kings 14:23-25
We read that Jonah is a prophet under King Jeroboam II, an evil king, who is continuing to spread wickedness in Israel from his father and the king cares primarily about military conquest as he is fortifying their city walls while neglecting worship of God. Jonah serves under him. And the role that Jonah would have had under him, as a prophet, was to be a mediator between God and God’s people, Israel. A prophet would receive of word of God and give it to man, and speak with authority from God saying “Thus says the Lord.” However, although Jonah is a prophet, his role as a prophet is wholly unique!
WHO’S NINEVAH | Every prophet speaks from God to God’s people, Israel. Often rebuking the nation for its’ idolatry and lack of trusting in God. However, Jonah is called by God not to Israel but rather is called to a gentile city called, Ninevah. God says to Jonah “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” - Jonah 1:2 Ninevah was the leading city for it’s economy and religious center to the goddess, Ishtar. The reason God calls Jonah to them is because “their evil has come up before me.” Historians speak of Assyria as one of the most wicked countries of its time. They were referred to as a "terrorist state" as well as another historian saying they have “as gory and blood-curdling a history as we know.” God sends Jonah to this wicked nation, with a simple message; “repent!”
And miraculously, they are a nation that repents at the preaching of Jonah. Because of their repentance, Jonah is furious with God!
WHY THIS BOOK NOW? | Why start this book now? I can’t think of a better time to have the discussion of justice and mercy from the book of Jonah. We just saw on the news this last Sunday, (January 18th, 2026) a group of protestors storm into a Minnesota church in protest against the killing of, Renee Good. They came into a church and stopped the worship service from taking place, to demand justice for Renee Good. It’s the same thing we saw with George Floyd riots back in 2020. People (and us) want justice against others, but not justice for ourselves. For ourselves, we want mercy.
And we find ourselves stuck between these two thoughts and this is where Jonah finds himself. Justice against Ninevah and Mercy for him and Israel. What Jonah wants, is what we want, a god of our own making who does our bidding for us. However, a god of our own making is not a god that saves the world. But there is in fact a God who does save the world.
In Jesus, a greater Jonah has come! A greater prophet in Jesus arrives, not with anger against the world, but love for the world (John 3:16) As Jonah is angry that Ninevah repents at his preaching (Jonah 4:1) Jesus comes and weeps over Israel, because they did not repent at His teaching. (Luke 19:41-44) Jonah wants justice! Jesus wants to be the “just and the justifier” (Rom. 3:26) of the people who place their faith in Him. And Jesus comes with the same message from Jonah of repentance.
Will we listen? Or will we desire to have a god of our own making who does our bidding for us? Who only gives justice to others and mercy to us?
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