The danger of successfully creating a God who is like us, is in doing so, we no longer have a God and now we are on our own.

Jonah 1:1-3

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” 

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. 

Jonah 1:4-5

But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. 

Psalm 139:7–10

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Sovereign

Jonah 1:9-17

Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” 

And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?” 

“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” 

Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” 

Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. 

First, create a category for a Good God to allow evil things.

Redemption

Unless Jonah can see his own sin and see himself as living wholly by the mercy of God, he will never understand how God can be merciful to evil people and still be just and faithful. 

God’s provision may not feel like provision.

Romans 8:37–39

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.