Jonah Redux — E.A. Johnston

The Book of Jonah and the Authority of Scripture

I believe, friends, one of the best uses of our time is reading our Bibles. And I also believe that one of the most profitable uses of Bible study is the Book of Jonah. Because of our familiarity with its story, we don't hear many messages on it unless it's a children's Sunday school class.

We don't even read it enough ourselves because we feel we already know the plotline and the eventual outcome. I firmly believe in the authority of God's Word and the authenticity of the story of Jonah for, my Lord Jesus said it was so, and that's good enough for me, even though it's not good enough for some egg-headed professor who is a doubter of God's Word rather than a doer of it.

But I highly recommend reading the Book of Jonah over and over and then over again because it is rich with new treasures every time I read it. I've preached out of Jonah a lot, and it's always a new message, rich with the truths of God.

I like reading Jonah because he reminds me of me, hard-headed, obstinate, full of human infirmity, yet still used of God as a preacher of His righteousness. I stand in awe of the sovereignty and providence of God as seen in the pages of Jonah.

God's Justice, Compassion, and Mercy

And I see an almighty God of justice, ready to drop hell out of heaven like He did on Sodom, but also see a God of compassion and mercy and pardoning repenting sinners. I see a long-suffering God with His difficult saints, working in and through them to bring them into further obedience and deeper usefulness to Him.

Jonah is also a well of a story, and it stirs me every time I have the great privilege to preach out of it, as I am about to do for you now, friends. The title of my message today is Jonah Redux. The word redux is from the Latin, and it means to lead back, as in a thing or person that has gotten away, but redux made its way into the English language as an adjective, always used post-positively, meaning they follow the words they modify, so redux means brought back, Jonah brought back.

And it's a significant word as it applies to our book of Jonah. Jonah was a runaway prophet who was brought back. The wicked inhabitants of Nineveh, by the preaching of Jonah, were brought to repentance and I believe salvation, as they were brought back and reconciled to God.

I can look at the numerous occasions in my own life where I was redux, brought back time and time again to a merciful and compassionate God who loves me with an everlasting love. God cared about the sinners in Nineveh, and He sent a preacher to them to cry out repentance in God's name.

And God cared enough about this big sinner, E .A. Johnston, to send a preacher to me. Let me tell you, friends, God cared enough about you to send a preacher to you as well, and I'm here today to address both saints and sinners alike with this incredible fish story that can change your life as well.

Jonah Redux: Rebellion, Repentance, and Restoration

Well, that's my introduction, and it was longer than some of my messages, but here we go with Jonah Redux. And let me give my preacher brethren an outline for Jonah, and feel free to use it if you want to.

Chapter 1 is about the rebellion of Jonah. Chapter 2 is about the repentance of Jonah. Chapter 3 is about the repentance of Nineveh. And Chapter 4 is about the repentance of God. Now some say, God is holy, how can He repent?

I'm not talking about repentance from sin, but God repented of destroying the city because of their repentance. And God may just repent of destroying wicked America if only the sin-loving and bloody nation will repent and turn back to Him.

Jonah knew the heart of God, and he was familiar with the attributes of God. He lists them in Chapter 4 in verse 2. Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repented thee of the evil.

Jonah’s Rebellion and God’s Providential Discipline

In Chapter 1 of Jonah, we see a prophet on the run. Do you know there were folks in our churches a day in the same condition, disobedient to the call of God on their life and on the run. I like how circumstances arise in Jonah's life in the form of a ship rolling on a storm-tossed sea.

God does some of His best work when it looks like we're about to drown. God took Jonah down as far as He could take him, and even wrapped some seaweed around his hard head. Yes, friends, Jonah Chapter 2 is rich with how God deals with a servant of His, how in our rebellion He will so orchestrate our circumstances by His providence to bring us to the end of ourselves and to be Jonah redux, brought back, only brought back into further usefulness to God.

I believe God is looking for Jonah today, a man brought from the depths of purging and preparation to go cry against the wickedness of the land with the authority of heaven, saying repent, repent, or just go on to hell.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord

I believe the right man, fitted for the right time, can bring a nation to its knees. I see the compassion of God in the souls of men in the book of Jonah, and I also see the sovereignty of God in the salvation of men.

For we see in Chapter 2 and verse 9, salvation is of the Lord. Jonah was a religious bigot who didn't love folks like God loved them. What do you mean, preacher? You saying that God loves the sinner? I believe that's what my Bible says.

When the rich young ruler walked away from Jesus, he walked away as a sinner in rebellion, and the text says, then Jesus, beholding him, loved him. He loved a sinner like me, and he loved a sinner like you, but we still have some religious bigots today in our churches who don't like folks, and they refuse to go out and share the gospel of the Son of God and preach repentance so folks can get saved.

They don't have a burden for souls. Oh, dear tightly wrapped friend, pray that God will give you a burden for souls. And we see in Chapter 3 how a sinful city is brought to its knees in humility and rebellion and repentance by man willing to stand before them crying, thus saith the Lord.

Nineveh’s Repentance and the Call to National Humility

If only some of us preachers would get on fire for God and get so sold out to the gospel that we would not fear man, but only fear God and cry out with authority, thus saith the Lord. I believe we could get some folks saved.

I see in Chapter 4 how God repents of destroying that city and that generation, for he later destroys it a hundred years later, but he spared a nation when it repented and turned back to him. The king of Nineveh sent out a proclamation through the land, who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that would perish not.

And the old boy was right. I believe godless America and godless England and godless Scotland and all the rest of the godless nations around this rotating earth, if they would only do what is necessary and repent and turn from their wicked ways and humble themselves, I believe God would turn from his fierce anger before he destroys the whole sorry bunch of us.

The Invitation to Be Brought Back

Well, that's my message on Jonah Redux. How about you, friend? Will you be brought back as well?