Jonah May 17





 

There is a third reason that I have chosen the book of Jonah.  This book, this story, shows in many ways how God converts a sinner to Himself.  I cannot think of a more evangelistic book than the book of Jonah.  It shows how God saves men.  How many of us went the opposite way when we first heard the word of the Lord.  How many of us heard it and rejected it, until finally, like Saul of Tarsus, we found that it was 'hard to kick against the pricks.' (Acts 9:5).  How many of us have experienced the severity of God's wrath in our rejection of Him.  I have known some to hear the Gospel, reject it and go on and on in their rejection for weeks and months and sometimes years, and eventually find out that God is going to have His way.  You see, you may win the battle but God will win the war.  And when God gets His hook in our jaw you may fit like a giant blue marlin; you may take off in the sea and run in the other direction; but God has a way of reeling you in, and this may be painful for you.  You will learn that 'salvation is of the Lord'  (Jonah 2:9). You may win the battle - God will win the war.

Now let us examine this text.  We are told that God in His faithfulness came to Jonah.  'The word of the Lord came to Jonah' (Jonah 1:1).  God's faithfulness to you is in letting you hear the Gospel.  The kindest thing that anybody ever did for you was to invite you to hear the Gospel.  And the most valuable thing that you will ever hear are the words of the Lord that there is good news - Christ died for sinners: The most valuable thing that ever comes to any man is the world of the Lord.  Has it come to you?  Has the word of the LOrd come to you?  Listen, that is the most valuable thing in this world.  People today are looking elsewhere for values, laying up for themselves treasures on earth.  But there is something more valuable than money.  It is the word of the Lord.  The greatest deprivation ever to be brought to ay man is that he does not get to hear the word of the Lord.  Maybe you are discouraged; maybe you are  despondent and perhaps the outlook is gloomy; I grant that it is.  But has the word of the Lord come to you?  The worst thing that can ever come to a country is not the famine of financial reverses.  Recently here in England we knew what it was to have a famine of rain and many people are still suffering losses as a result of that, but the worst thing of all is a famine of the word of God and I suspect this is at the bottom of all our troubles.  I ask you, have you been one of those to whom the word of the Lord has come?  If so, you are a blessed person, indeed.  Oh, what value has been imparted to you that you could be singled out to hear that word.  Has it come?




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