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Jonah Restored Three Pivotal Things
Jonah 2

By disobeying God, Jonah lost the most pivotal three things. Though he had money and honor, he had hit rock bottom.
Jonah 1:17 says, “Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” When Jonah, trying to run away from God and mission in search of freedom, was in danger of drowning in the stormy sea, God provided a huge fish for him. This is God's love for His chosen people.

God disciplines Jonah. Why? Because He loves him. Mr. Shin Ho-beom, a former Washington Senator was adopted to a family in the United States at the age of four. He testified, “I had a really hard time under my adoptive father not because he abused me but because he didn't reprimand me while he scolded his own sons. Once I did something seriously wrong during my adolescence. Finally, he reprimanded me. I wept with joy. I thought, 'I am indeed his son, too.'” Hebrews 12:5 says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves.”
“Disobedience ends in eternal judgment.” No, that is Satan’s lie! God did not abandon Jonah just because he disobeyed. God prepared a huge fish and had it swallow Jonah and confined him inside its belly for three days. God saved and protected Jonah from the stormy sea though he had disobeyed. This is God’s unfading and everlasting grace (Hesed).

For Jonah, being inside the belly of the fish must have been unwanted, uncomfortable and repulsive. But being swallowed and confined in the belly of the huge fish was salvation and protection to Jonah. In that stormy sea, if he was not swallowed by the fish, or if he gets out of there, he will die. I want you to experience it, being swallowed by God-provided fish. Do you feel free though you are away from God in worship, prayer and mission? That is very dangerous and destructive. Do you feel confined in Jesus and his mission? You are safe, protected and blessed.

You say, "Gee, I don’t like to be confined by the law of God and church. I will live as I please," you will flounder and die in the sea of money, pleasures, and ego (sin). Inside that fish's belly, Jonah finally began to pray to the Lord God. And he restored three things he had lost.

First, God, my Master.
Verse 1 says, “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God." Where did he pray? Inside of the fish, probably worse or worst situation. He had a few chances to pray to God. God said to him, “Go to Nineveh and preach.” Instead of praying to God, he just ran away. In the storm, while all unbelieving sailors prayed to their gods, Jonah just slept. Even when it was revealed that this storm was because of Jonah, instead of praying to the Lord, he told them to throw him to the sea. Finally, when he was in the belly of a fish, at death’s door, he prayed to the Lord, his God. This is the benefit of hardship,

Jonah’s “The Lord my God,” is indeed the most fundamental confession to every human being. “Lord, you are my Master.” Jonah again realized that he was not the master of his life but God.

In verse 2, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.” This is a great transition from distress to God. Distress is always coming and going away. Therefore, do not just sit at the distress. Instead, look at God and cry out to Him. Prayer is the restoration of relationship with God, the Father. “Father, please help me.”

Verse 3. “You hurled me into the depths.” In fact, the sailors threw him to the stormy sea. However, Jonah saw God working behind the men. His eyes were opened to see God. Verse 4. “I will look again toward your holy temple.” Jonah longed for God’s presence and worship.

Today, there are people whose worship, prayer, tears and relationship with God have dried up arguing they are too busy and tired. Outwardly, they say, “I believe in God,” but they follow their feelings, plans. money or human relationship. They skip worship service easily. Jonah’s longing for the temple again means he accepted God as his Lord, the Master. We are tired, frightened and worrisome because we try to decide everything on our own.

Once, Germany considered itself as the master judging and deciding everything on her own. That was the Weimar Republic. However, after World War I, they came to know that their judgments and decisions were wrong. “Ah, we are too tired to make any more decisions.” Then, instead of accepting God as their Master, they chose Hitler as their master.

Erich Fromm’s ‘Escape from Freedom’ analyzes this. Humans strive to make their own judgments, but before long, they get tired and end up following the judgments made by another voice (idol). Do you know what the characteristics of idols are? They boost our pride. It drives us to avoid difficult things and achieve what we want by any means. It is an idol’s judgment, but it subtly deceives you into believing it is your own just as the devil planted the thought in Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus for money. How many people have stumbled as they consider the thoughts planted by the devil as their own?

Man’s first mistake and failure was trying to judge good and evil on their own by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “I am the master. I Judge and decide.” No. Life is given to you and me by God and when we obey him, paradise comes to us. God is the Master of you and me.

Don’t play God. Or we only become slaves to sin, wasting our precious time, materials and talents and fall into chaos.
God said to Jonah, “Rise and go to Nineveh and preach there.” But Jonah disobeyed. He judged that the people in Nineveh were not deserving God’s mercy. So he went to a resort, Tarshish. He became the master of his own life. This was the way to emptiness and destruction. Still, by God’s marvellous mercy, he came to his senses that God was the master of his life.
The biblical model of relationship between God and man is "the shepherd and the sheep." What could sheep do? Nothing except listening to the shepherd's voice and following him. Folks, we are like sheep. I pray that you may acknowledge that God is your master, listen to His voice, and follow Him.

Second, direction.

If we live according to our own thoughts, our direction is bound to be wrong. "Jonah, go to Nineveh." Nineveh lies to the northeast of Israel. However, he headed west, Tarshish (Spain). He had lost the direction. If the direction is wrong, no matter how zealous you are, the end is destruction. That is why zeal without right direction is so frightening and destructive. Direction is more important than zeal, efforts or speed. The direction Jonah must go is not a resort, Tarshish, but the land of mission, Nineveh.
Look closely. Why is direction crucial? Because time is on your side. If your direction is wrong, as days and years pass, you drift further and further away from God, His eternal kingdom and true purpose of life. On the other hand, though you may go a little slower, if your direction is right, you will eventually get there.

Do you want to get good GPA or research result? Do you want to make a lot of money? If you try to get there fast by following your own plans, and methods, you might have something within your grasp soon, but you will drift further away from God that you will end in either emptiness or destruction. Jonah, why are you continue to drift away from me to fall into the swamp of death? Out of heavenly mercy (hesed), God sent him a wild storm and put him inside the belly of a fish so that he could regain his sense of direction.

For three days in the belly of fish, he must have suffered a lot or even dead. His self-centered, disobedient, self-righteous and self-seeking ego would be dead. Then he must have set the right direction, Nineveh. This is blessing because of no more wandering and no more energy and time wasting.

Are you heading to Tarshish, a resort of the world or Nineveh, the land of God? I hope you set the right direction that is to follow Jesus in worship, prayer and gospel work.

Now, most campus students’ direction is high grades, pleasures and money. Even among those who know God, they think so lightly, “Worship, prayer, mission now? I'm busy. I'm tired.” That is why they miss Sunday worship service easily and do not pray to the Lord. They do not know sacrifice and devotion. Because the majority is walking on this path, heading toward God and His calling is difficult.
However, if our church continues to follow Jesus through worship, prayer and mission, a road will be made for many young people.
Keeping the Sabbath day and attending prayer meetings is not a big deal. Going to August’s retreat is not a big deal. Nevertheless, we are creating a road to do greater things. It is to ignite a small spiritual spark on this campus and in Canada, and to prepare for future world mission. If we repeat this, a new road in our campus is created. If we pave the right road, more people can walk on it.
Most students study, earn money, and travel during their breaks. However, there are some young people who, while studying and working, remain steadfastly devoted to the Lord in worship, prayer and mission. In our campus, there are some young souls heading toward Nineveh, not Tarshish. This is the right direction. This is the path Jesus walked on the earth. This is the road to the cross of Jesus and his resurrection. Jesus is the way. Folks, believe in Jesus and walk on the road He walked.

Third, purpose.
Man who does not know why they live is tragic because they do not know or have lost life purpose. “Jonah, arise, go to Nineveh and preach there. Rescue people there.” However, Jonah disobeyed. Then he lost his life purpose—his mission. He began to wander aimlessly. He didn’t know why he lived. This is a chaos and crisis. Having little money or achievements is not a crisis but having no life purpose is real crisis and chaos. To lose one’s life purpose is to lose everything and to destroy one’s own life.
In the belly of a fish for three days, Jonah prayed to the Lord and restored his life purpose, ‘preach and rescue souls.’ This is true blessing.

When life purpose is restored, one uses the means (gifts) properly. Jonah once diligently preached God’s word to Israelites. But, he disobeyed God’s command to go to Nineveh. Consequently, he lost his life purpose. Then instead of using the money God gave him to rescue lives from sin, death and eternal hell, he traveled and slept. Because he lost his life purpose, he failed to use money properly.
A homeless man died. When it was revealed that he had a million dollars in his bank account, many were shocked. “Oh, he had so much money; why did he live such a hard life and finish his life so miserably?” His daughter lamented deeply upon seeing his father’s account. “I don't want such money from a father like him.” Money without purpose. This man’s only joy was the pleasure of accumulating money. He died while saving money. There are people who say, “making money is quite thrill.” This is sick. Money is meant to be spent, not saved. The real value of money is in spending it.

Japanese people save money diligently. However, during the global financial crisis in 2008, all their savings vanished into the air. That is why ordinary Japanese people remain poor despite their hard work and saving. We must pray for Japan. You need to cultivate the joy of spending money.

Our church recently made an offering for those suffering from the earthquake in Venezuela. One student offered 50 dollars. Honestly, I was deeply moved. Folks, study hard. For what? To do God’s work. To rescue souls. Make lots of money. For what? To do God’s work. To rescue souls. Misha and Uche offer tithes. I am grateful that they honor God and their offerings are used to save lives.
Once Jonah ran away from God. But he restored his life purpose and mission inside the belly of the fish and returned to Nineveh. This is a blessing.

Folks, do you know that this mission is a blessing? Why? Because of joy and eternal rewards from God. There is joy when you carry the mission of preaching to save one soul and some. The joy that comes from money, knowledge, pleasure, and fame is relativistic and temporary like wind that soon disappears. This is not true joy but pretending joy. Still, many chase after this. It is pitiful.
Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Daniel 12:3 says, “those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”

You, Christians, go to Nineveh, not Tarshish. How long would you be headed for Tarshish wasting your precious time, money and talents? Go to Nineveh. Like firefights who wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to rescue the nation and people, go to Nineveh and rescue the weary, wandering and dying souls by teaching them Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Where is your Nineveh? Nineveh can be your campus, home, or workplace. Go and preach there. If you preach in obedience, you will hit the jackpot. Jonah used his money and for this mission, and in that short time, 100,000 people repented and were saved. I pray that you live such a powerful and valuable life.

Verse 9 says, “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good.” He restored life purpose to glorify God and give gratitude him by carrying out the mission given to him. The final state of a person who has discovered God is gratitude and devotion.