THERE is marvellous resonance, joy, and assurance in this opening verse of chapter three. It marks a whole new beginning in the life of Jonah. The book of Jonah commences in the same way. Then Jonah ran away from the Lord and refused to obey his word. Now after all the trouble Jonah experienced there is this new start. All that has past seems to be forgotten. It is as if God has forgotten all the past, and treats it as if it has not happened. It is as if the first disobedience to God's word has never occurred.

There are two main threads that reveal themselves here in this verse. One is the sure purpose of God. The other is that human sin, even the sin of God's servants, do not in the end upset the purpose of God. Wrapped up in this is the wonder of God's grace in Christ. Let us seek to open up these threads.

GOD'S SURE PURPOSE.

From the beginning of this historical record in the book of Jonah we have been shown that it was was God's purpose to do a mighty work of grace in the city of Nineveh at the time when Jonah lived. We know from history that many, many years later Nineveh returned to evil ways, and that then God's judgement on sin fell and the destruction of the city was the result. In the time of Jonah, however, God had a purpose of grace which we will see unfold before us in this chapter.

When God chose Jonah as his instrument in his purpose, Jonah hated the idea of God showing mercy to a Gentile city. In his cultural upbringing God's blessing was believed to be only for the Jews. Jonah knew how this cultural conditioning permeated the whole of Jewish society, and if he went to Nineveh and preached there, and the result was that the people turned to God, and God had compassion on them, then Jonah believed his ministry to his own people would be greatly hindered. He felt that any authority he may have had in his preaching to the Jews of the Northern Kingdom would be eroded. Jonah loved his people. He saw them going away from God. He desperately wanted them to return to the Lord, and not find themselves rejected by the Lord because of their idolatry. It was for this reason he did not want to go and preach to Nineveh. Even though he was given a message of judgement, somehow Jonah knew that the people would hear the message, acknowledge their sin and the judgement it deserved, and repent. He knew somehow that this was the purpose of God and that the result was that God would be gracious to them. And this is why he had run away in order to avoid carrying out God's plan.

That God had purposed the salvation of the people in Nineveh at this time has to be why God sent Jonah to the city to preach. The fact that they repented at the preaching of Jonah reveals this. The reason is that nobody heeds the warning of God's judgement unless God in his grace works repentance. These days, even in the state of godlessness in the UK, there are many true preachers preaching the true Gospel of God, and we know that so few heed the message. In our own individual witness we know that we can explain the Gospel as clearly as we can, and still find no interest in the ones to whom we speak. The fact is that if anyone repents it is because God has purposed such blessing for them.

God's purpose for Nineveh was blessing. Jonah at first did not want such blessing to happen, and this is the reason for his disobedience. God's purpose seemed to be thwarted, but this was not the case as we now see. God was not taken by surprise by Jonah's action. Even his sin was taken into account. Indeed we can go further and say that God purposed such disobedience, even though it did in no way mitigate Jonah's guilt. All was taken into account in God's sure purpose. The fact is, as I hope we shall understand, that Jonah's first disobedience and all that Jonah went through because of it, was necessary for Jonah to be prepared and made fit for the service for God he was to perform.

Satan, in his exploiting of Jonah and tempting of Jonah, did not know this, but even in his evil purpose he was carrying out God's sure purpose. Jonah was put through the fire of Satan's malice. Satan felt he was triumphing over the purpose of God, but instead Satan was performing the purpose of God. God is sovereign over Satan as over everything else, and so we find that God's purpose never fails, as it did not fail here. The Word of God came a second time to Jonah, and this time Jonah was prepared and he obeyed.

This sovereign invincible purpose of God has its difficulties for us. So many questions rise in our minds. The ungodly bring reasons in their wisdom why such declarations can't be upheld. It is felt that human freedom, and even responsibility, is overthrown. It is felt, perhaps, that if this view of God's sovereign rule is upheld, nobody can be blamed for their actions. If God purposed it how can anyone be blamed.

The truth is that Jonah acted according to his own wishes when he disobeyed God, and he found when God challenged him that he could not escape the responsibility of his actions, and he knew that all he experienced was just. In our limited minds and understanding we can't resolve our difficulties, but the truth is that human beings do what they desire in the wickedness of their minds, and they do it freely. How this can be true and the sovereign purpose of God be true we can't explain, but it is what the bible reveals. None of us can say that God made us sin in any way, for we know we do so of our own free will.

We have this tension set for us in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. We read it in Acts 2:22-24. I will quote these words here in full for they are so important and revealing. Peter preaches “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep hold on him.”

Let us look carefully at what Peter says. Let us remember he was speaking under the direct power and influence of the Holy Spirit. Peter plainly states that it was God's purpose that Jesus should be handed over to the powers that be, the Jewish leaders and people, together with the Roman authority headed by Pilate. This was God's set purpose. It was by God's foreknowledge, that is God planned it even before the foundation of the world. That this is in fact the truth is seen in the teaching of Jesus about himself. He said that he must go to Jerusalem and submit to the wicked hands of men. He taught why this was to be so. He taught that he had to give his life a ransom for many. By this he was telling his disciples and us who read the Gospels, that it was God's set purpose that Christ should give his a life as a ransom price. The whole bible, New and Old Testaments, explain what this ransom was for. He was wounded for our transgressions. Jesus was sent by God in his set purpose to take the punishment for the sin of many. In the set purpose of God Jesus' death was so that the just punishment for sin might be fully met by the suffering and death of Jesus. It was God's set purpose that Jesus should suffer the death and hell which sin justly deserves, so that God could then justly save and forgive those who believe in Jesus. This was the set purpose of God. This is what Jesus came into the world to do, which he knew from his earliest consciousness as a human being.

If this was so how can the Jews be responsible for their actions in crucifying Jesus? How can Pilate be blamed? God had planned it to happen and happen this way. Yet Peter tells us that the Jews and Pilate had no coercion place upon them. They did what was in their wicked hearts and minds. They did what they wanted to do. They felt and knew no compulsion to do this dreadful act but the compulsion of their own wicked desires. It was because of the sin in their own hearts that they acted as they did. They showed that they were acting according to their own wishes when they said before Pilate that the responsibility was upon them and their children.

The fact is that none of us can say, when we are honest, that our sin is not our fault. We may bring reasons to excuse our sin, but that we sin freely according to our own desires, we know deep in our hearts. The truth is that no one on the day of judgement will be able to look Christ in the eye, and say they can not be blamed for their sin.

THE BLESSING OF GOD'S SURE PURPOSE.

We may not be able to resolve this dilemma but it is rich in blessing to those who receive it with faith.

God had purposed blessing for Nineveh. Jonah's strong desire to thwart this purpose did not effect God's purpose in any way, but rather strengthened it. The delay in the effecting of God's purpose in no way hindered or altered or diminished the fulfilling of the whole purpose of God. In fact all the experiences God put Jonah through because of his disobedience made him better equipped and able to perform God's will. All Satan's efforts strengthened the purpose of God rather than weakened it or spoilt it.

How dreadful it would be if this was not so. How could we be sure of anything. How could we be sure that we will persevere to the end, and be safely brought to God's heavenly country. If God's purpose can be thwarted, there is no security for us. If God had to change his plans when events upset his plans it would leave everything open for God's will to be thwarted. How could we be sure that evil would not triumph in the end if Satan can overthrow God's plan. Whatever the difficulties which we may see in the truth of God's sovereignty, take that away and the difficulties are a hundred times worse. To deny God's sovereignty makes him weak like mankind, and prone to defeat.

As far as believers in Jesus are concerned God's sovereignty is the anchor for our souls. It is our assurance that we have not, and will not, believe in vain. God being sovereign, his promise to us of everlasting life can not fail. God being sovereign even our sin can't cause us to be lost. God being sovereign, like Jonah, his purposes for us will be fulfilled.

There is chorus which used to be very popular, and with this is I will close this sermon for it expresses the assurance of God's sovereignty for all who believe.

“God is still on the throne, and he will remember his own;
Tho' trials may press us and burdens distress us,
he never will leave us alone;
God is still on the throne, and he will remember his own;
His promise is true, He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.