Jonah: Who is the True God?[Bible Study]

Jonah 2:7-10

We all have a sincere and human desire to be a part of the right tribe. From the sports teams we follow and root for, to the brands we choose to wear on our bodies, we are constantly making decisions on what and who to endorse because of some particular reason or another. Maybe we root for the Blazers because we grew up near Portland, Oregon. Maybe we wear Nike because we love the way it looks. Either way we have made a decision to follow that team or wear that clothing brand over the others that exist. It could be more simple than that. A 4 year old who thinks blue is THE best color on the planet doesn't need a reason why. Blue is the best for this child because it is. Period. But at the end of the day, we do like to have some sort of validation for why we believe the things we believe. Do we have a certain view because it's truly our view or have we been programmed into believing that view? No matter what, we can all agree that we hold the views we hold because we think we are right. 

Many times have I been out preaching the gospel and have been confronted by someone telling me “Why Jesus? There are so many gods out there and so many religions, why am I supposed to believe yours is the correct one?” I have debunked this idea before. Just because so many options exist does not mean that as a result, there is no right option. The amount of options available have no actual correlation between what is true and false. 

Let’s put this in perspective. If we play a global scale game of hide and seek, and you drop me off at the Portland International Airport and count to…let's say, a few hours (whatever that is in seconds) I can basically fly anywhere in that amount of time. Will you find me in Egypt? What about New York City? What about Hong Kong? Does the fact that all these places exist where I could be hiding actually mean that I am nowhere? Absolutely not. Even if you are overwhelmed that I could be anywhere in the world and your choices are seemingly infinite, I exist somewhere. In the same way, just because many religions and “gods” exist, that does not mean there is not one true God. His existence is not extinguished simply because of the existence of imposters.

I believe with all my heart that this one true God is Jesus. I got saved at age 21, so this is not some belief system that I grew up with and therefore believe because “if it was good enough for ma and pa it’s good enough for me”. God revealed Himself to me over the span of my 21 years of life and through all the ups and downs He has walked beside me even when I did not know it. It may haven taken 21 years but I believe with my whole heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is that piece that so many people in this cursed world are missing. Buy why Him? Why Jesus?

Well, as we look at Jonah 2:7-10 I will show you 3 differences between Jesus and the rest of the so-called “gods'' that people preach today. This is not meant to be a complete dismantling of false religions out there, or a complete rebuttal on where their religious system are broken. This is meant to be a birds eye view on how the character of our God differs from others.

It's important to understand that our God is the only God who can do anything for anyone. He came to earth as a servant and died for us because He loves us. He is so much different than any other god that is preached. Let’s begin looking at how He is different:

1.Our God hears, false gods do not

Jonah 2:7

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Jonah prays to God, and God hears him. This is so simple. I am not taking this verse and trying to make it into something it is not. But the simplicity is why it’s so powerful. We tend to forget these kinds of things. Because this concept is so simple, that being, God hears us, people tend to overlook it. This should not be the case. What a privilege it is that our God hears us! What a blessing it is that the creator of every particle in existence cares about listening to what we have to say. All our pain, struggles, doubts, victories, happiness or whatever emotion we have, He is invested in. When we pray to God and talk with Him He listens and He cares. We have direct access to God. The fact that He even gives us the time of day is such a blessing. We are sinners, we wrong each other constantly, we wrong God, yet He desires to hear from us, as if we have something to offer Him. He is genuinely pleased when we seek to converse with Him. 

Have you ever noticed how If you're talking with someone you really respect you tend to listen closely and hang on every word, but while talking with someone you don’t respect much you sort of just nod your head but you're not really listening? (come on don’t let me be the only vulnerable one here).

Well, I submit this: What could God, who created everything, who has absolute power over all things, gain by lending His ear to a sinner like me? The answer.. He loves us. When my beautiful, amazing children come to me and tell me things, I am not trying to gain anything. I love them so much that I simply want to hear their sweet and precious voices. I rejoice in the fact that they want to talk to me. Quite frankly, I don’t listen to them with enough intent like our God does. Often I find myself too busy, or I lack interest, and I take for granted these beautiful moments that one day I will cry my eyes out over not being able to return to. Our God, however, will never fail my children like I do and will continue to do. Our God, however, values every single moment we spend with Him, and He is ALL IN  on listening to us. He is invested in us. 

He loves us and treats us far better than we deserve, and far better than we treat each other. I love my family with all my heart, but do my actions always show this? No. Sadly. But I pray every single day that God would help me love and treat my family like He loves and treats them. Our God is a love greater than we can wrap our heads around. No matter what mess you find yourself in, whether you have created it or not, pray to God because He hears you! He’s listening. Even when sometimes it feels like He isn't. In the book of psalms this is seen clearly. 

Psalm 4:1  Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

20:1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

22:1-2  My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

28:1-2 Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

40:1-2 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

What’s up with David? Does God hear him or not?David seems to be going back and forth all through the book of psalms in regard to his prayer life with God. Of course God hears us, but In the psalms you have the highlights of David going through ups and downs in life just like we do. At some points David is pronouncing that God hears him and how thankful he is about it and other times he’s wondering why God doesn’t hear him. 

This so accurately shines light on our human emotions. We have times where we don’t feel like our prayer is working or that God doesn’t hear us, while at the same time we KNOW He hears us and that He has answered our prayers before and He will do it again! Something I’ve learned is that we MUST deal with these emotions, these mountain tops and valleys, these ever changing emotions we have. When you are happy God hears you, tell Him! But at the same time when you feel like He’s distant, or doesn’t care, or doesn’t hear, tell Him that as well!

It’s important we are open to God and pour our hearts out to Him. He already knows anyway, you should just lay it all out and allow God to help you pick up the pieces. We should be open when we are struggling with our faith. It happens. It is ok. We need to support each other. Never shame your child, your spouse, or friend when they confide in you that they are having issues with their faith. Pray for them and encourage them. 

God hears us. Going to any other “god” will not gain anyone anything, because they can not do anything for anyone. They do not hear your prayers, they do not see your sacrifice, they lay silent in your darkest hour indefinitely. Take a look at what Moses tells the children of Israel:

Deuteronomy 4:27-29 

27 And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you.

28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Other gods are simply made by men's hands. (or more often these days are made up entirely in their minds). We were made by God in His image, we don’t make God. Notice it says they don’t hear nor do they eat. Why is that mentioned ? Is this out of place? No, it’s really not. All throughout time people have offered food and drink to false gods. Go to many restaurants in the Portland area and you will see statues with little food and drink offerings. People all around the world lift their hands and their voices to a god that does not hear them. I would love to see these people at some point question if their god really even cares about them at all.

2. Our God cares, false gods do not

Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Our God is merciful, we see this all over the Bible. But those who observe, or adhere to lying vanities(false gods) it says that they forsake their own mercy. See, the mercy of God is available to all, and sadly people reject that mercy and try to find mercy some other way. They try to please some other fake god out there, and by doing that they are losing out on the opportunity to have the one true God’s love and mercy. It's important to understand, THEY do it to themselves, anyone who lives without the true God is choosing to accept some other counterfeit. Christ is available to ALL, He died for all, He made salvation easy, and people choose to make things harder on themselves. 

Many people choose lying vanities over the one true God. These people choose to place themselves under the bondage of a false religion.  And when people reject the true God they voluntarily destroy themselves in the process. We must weep for these people, we must lovingly show them the errors of what they believe, because God doesn't want even one of them to die and go to hell. He wants them to trust Him alone and be saved. Maybe you are a Muslim, or Mormon, or Catholic...please, understand that your belief system is false, you are trusting LYING VANITIES, and you are forsaking your own mercy. You are forsaking the truth and simplicity of the one true God.

1 Kings 18:22-29 (this is the battle of elijah vs the prophets of Baal) 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

Notice the odds. 1 against 450. Honestly, It doesn't matter that it's Elijah alone vs 450 prophets of Baal. The fact of the matter is that Elijah serves the true God, and the prophets of Baal don't. Plain and simple. No matter how many people are for something, it does not make it right by default. And of course, no matter how few people are for another thing, it does not make that wrong by default. That is not how morality works. 

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

Elijah issues a showdown. “Let’s see who the real God is”, let’s see who answers by fire. Elijah has great confidence in the Lord here, and so should we! Now, I will say, we defend God’s Holy name because we love Him, but do not get so carried away in defending God that you think He actually needs you to defend Him. 

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

Notice that the prophets of Baal are cutting themselves and crying to a god who doesn't hear them. Elijah mocks them. “How intolerant Elijah”. You know what, we do need to love people, of course, but that doesn't mean you can't show someone how wrong their views are. When you have 450 men jumping up on an altar cutting themselves, bleeding all over, and screaming out to a false god who does not care about them, you should speak up. You should love them enough to speak up.

Today we have people destroying themselves by trusting in false gods as well, and we should speak up. It doesn't mean you have to mock them, but if you truly believe you are right for believing in Jesus, and they are going to go to hell for all eternity for not believing in Jesus, you should at least try and tell them the truth. It's okay to point out to someone they are wrong. There is nothing intolerant in lovingly telling someone the truth. We should all be willing to hold up our views to scrutiny. 

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

We have already talked about how false gods can't hear you, but notice here it says that Baal didn’t regard his prophets. All their cutting themselves and yelling and praying, is all for nothing. Their false god doesn't care about them, he doesn't care if they all bleed out and die while calling out to him. The lives of these men mean absolutely nothing to Baal. 

Not unlike these men, we have religious people today who are desperately trying to be heard and cared for by a god that does not exist. My heart breaks for the lifelong Catholics that constantly adhere to rules, confess their secret sins to a man calling himself father (which the Bible condemns), and attend mass, all in the hope of being accepted and saved. They are seeking love from an unloving god. This is not who our God is. The true God is so different. I am thankful to serve a God who hears me and truly cares about me! 

3.Our God delivers, false gods don’t

Jonah 2:9-10

9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Salvation is of the Lord! Salvation is of the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ! People turn to false gods, and they turn to all kinds of imposters to make it through in this life but the truth is, only God can deliver us. The news can't deliver us from our troubles. The president, doctors, teachers, even our spouse can't deliver us. Our safety and our well being truly lies in the hands of Jesus. All of our trust needs to be in him, there is no salvation (both eternal and physical) in anyone or anything but the Lord!

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved

“Oh you Christians just think you're right and all other religions are wrong” Yep. Exactly. Christianity is exclusive. The Bible doesn't teach this universalist nonsense that says we all just make it into heaven no matter what you believe. It's not true. What we believe matters. When I am out preaching the gospel I quickly try and determine what the person believes, because that is the first priority. Christianity IS exclusive because Christ is the only way to be saved, but it's also at the same time INCLUSIVE because anyone can be saved if they truly want to. 

All other religions teach something vastly different. They teach you must live a certain way, or please a certain god more days of your life than you displease him. It’s like a seesaw with our eternal lives hanging in the balance. It just isn't how salvation works.  The Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved! That's it! Simply trust Christ and do not let your eternal resting place be determined by which side of the seesaw you end up on. That is a broken system to trust in. Salvation is completely free and easy, but even though it's easy,  sadly many people still die and go to hell every single day because they trusted in someone or something that could not deliver them. 

Jonah 3:10  And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

God delivered Jonah! Even though Jonah had been so disobedient up to this point, we saw he prayed to the Lord in true repentance for how he had acted, and God heard him and delivered him. Notice that God spoke to the whale He had prepared for Jonah, and at God command the whale to vomit out Jonah. God controls the entire universe at will. To compare God to any false god is just plain silly and it's ridiculous. All other false gods fall flat on their face in comparison to the majesty of our God, in comparison to His glory. 

1 Samuel 5:1-5 (when the philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant from the children of Israel)

1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

The ark of the covenant was used in the most Holy Place in the tabernacle, it represents God’s presence with the children of Israel. And the Philistines thought it was reasonable to place it next to their false god Dagon. Many people try to simply tack on Jesus to their grocery list size of gods and beliefs, like “oh yeah Jesus too, we better include good ol’ Jesus in with Buddha, Allah and Gandhi.” But our God does not play that game. HE alone is God and will not share His glory with another. 

3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

This image of Dagon, their false god, can’t even stand to be in the presence of God. Literally. It fell down on its face in front of the Ark of the Covenant. All other gods do not compare to our God. 

Philippians 2:10-11 

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Just like Dagon fell to his face, everyone will one day bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Everyone who scoffs at Jesus now, will one day bow the knee, and know that they denied the only person who could deliver them from an everlasting hell. God wants to save everyone, but they have to be willing to trust Him and stop trusting in false gods, false ideologies, and stop trusting in themselves.

Christian, understand that this is serious, we must help people understand that whatever they are trusting in that isn't Jesus, is only going to destroy them in the end. 

We should be happy and thankful God hears us, let's tell the world that God wants to hear them call upon His Holy name and ask for salvation. We should be happy God cares for us, let's tell the world they could have that same care. We should be happy that God has delivered us eternally, and continues to deliver us from our trials day by day, let's tell the world that God can deliver them from an everlasting hell, and deliver them day by day from the struggles of this life. 

If you are not sure that you are going to heaven, please get this settled today by clicking here: How to Go to Heaven.

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