Jonah 2:8 - Let’s Talk About Idols

Last time in Jonah we looked at his wonderful prayer recorded in ch.2, vv.2-9 – a prayer that poured from his heart when he finally turned back to God in humility. Jonah had run from the God of grace in foolish rebellion, but God didn’t abandon him or issue final judgment to him. Instead, God pursued Jonah and received him back – and as a result of this profound experience of grace, Jonah was given the strength to recommit himself to God by faith.

We looked closely at verses 2-7 of his prayer, but as I said at that time, there’s so much “meat on the bone” in verses 8 and 9 – so much to consider. On the next Lord’s Day, next Sunday, which is also “Reformation Day,” we’re going to look in depth at verse 9.

But today, verse 8, and with this verse, we’re going to talk about idols. Jonah obviously refers to himself when he says, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Apparently, Jonah had been paying regard to vain idols. But what does that mean? Was he bowing down before little statues in worship?

Well, typically when we see the word “idol” in the Scriptures, we think of these carved or “graven” images set up and worshipped by pagan nations. Jonah didn’t have any of those. He was a good Israelite prophet. But he did have idols.

Now – full disclosure – the Hebrew word translated here as “idol” isn’t one of the Hebrew words most often used in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and other OT books in reference to false gods. But “idols” is a very sound and biblical translation of Jonah’s word choice, and it helps us understand the heart behind his irrational behavior after God called him. Jonah’s regard for his idols was the cause of his behavior between the time of God’s call to Nineveh and the time of his entry into the belly of the great fish.

How irrational was it? Jonah went it the opposite direction from God’s commanded will (in other words, he did the opposite of God’s clear Word to him), and he got on a boat to sail to the other side of the known world in an effort to flee, Scripture says, “from the presence of Yahweh.” So he left his home and his nation, and he paid good money to do this.

What did Jonah think would come from that effort? What did he think the result would be? Did he really think he could accomplish that?

Have you ever done something foolish – something clearly contrary to God’s Word – and later on someone asked, “What were you thinking?” Or maybe later you came to a point where you asked yourself, “What was I thinking?” Here’s the thing about the idols of Jonah’s heart: as long as paid regard to them or clinged to them, he wasn’t thinking – not clearly. His thinking was clouded by sin.

Scripture teaches that every person possesses a sinful nature. We read a summary of the Bible’s teaching on that early in worship. To further explain, John Calvin defined the sinful nature as “a hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused into all parts of the soul, which first makes us liable to God’s wrath, then also brings forth in us those works which Scripture calls “works of the flesh,” Works of the sinful nature: desires, thoughts, and behaviors contrary to God’s holiness.

The sinful nature causes us to hope in anything over and above God. Jonah’s sinful nature produced decisions guided by false hopes; in fact, that’s what we should understand Jonah to be saying in verse 8. “Vain idols” could be translated “empty vanity” or “false hopes.” So, put differently, Jonah says, “They who cling to empty vanity” or, “They who operate on false hopes.”

But you see, Christ saves us from our false hopes. Christ lived, died, and rose to redeem the people of God in both the OT and NT eras from devotion to false gods and to devotion to the true God. Jesus restores us to true hope.

When a person is dead in sins, he or she is ruled by the sinful nature and therefore helpless against this habit of idol-making. When a person is born again, he or she is not ruled by the sinful nature, but they are still influenced by it, and so the habit for idol-making is still there. This is why Calvin wrote, “Man’s nature…is a perpetual factory of idols.” Our hearts grasp at all kinds of things in which to put our hope.

But as the apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1, “According to [God’s] great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” And for that reason, we need to talk about idols – we need to think about and pray about our false hopes and how they affect us, so that by the power of Christ and His gospel we may reject them and hope only in Him.

We can take away two important truths from Jonah 2:8 that will help us. You can see them printed for you in the WG on page 6. Jonah’s experience shows us that, first of all, great danger awaits those who cannot recognize their false hopes, but also, deep satisfaction awaits those who cling to the only True Hope.

Now, how can you identify the idols of your heart? It helps to think about what causes you to sin in your desires, thoughts, or behavior. What pushes your buttons, and what’s going on in your heart at that time?

To clarify, the idol is not the sinful nature; rather, the idol is what the sinful nature influences you to lay hold of in place of God. For Jonah, one idol was his great pride in being an Israelite chosen by God. Another was his own comfort. Going to Nineveh wouldn’t be comfortable. Another was reputation. What would his fellow Israelites think of him for preaching to their enemies? These led him to these absurd efforts to try to leave God.

In what ways do you aim to break free from God’s commands? Try working backwards, starting with the clear sin in what you think, feel, or do. What circumstances produce irrational desires, thoughts, or behaviors in your life? What are those things that, if something or someone comes between you and it, you would get angry or depressed? What pushes you toward walking by sight rather than by faith? What is in – in your heart – that you really want and believe that you need to live?

Here’s something else to get you thinking. I’ve spoken before about two lists in the NT, one composed by the apostle Peter, the other by the apostle Paul. Paul says “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Similarly, Peter says that believers should aim to grow in moral goodness, moral wisdom, self-control, faithfulness to God in our sufferings, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. This list is Peter’s version of the “fruit of the Spirit.”

These two lists are in total agreement and they compliment one another. They give us a good picture of what false hopes do not produce in believers. So you should think about what produces the opposite of those in your life. Idols of the heart produce other results.

Here’s a short list for you to think about. Each one is an effort at human autonomy: ways we try to break free from God.

One idol of the heart is the exalting of self-will over God’s will. The goal is autonomy in making decisions. In your heart, you say, “I know what’s best for me; I don’t need God’s direction.”

Another false hope is exalting inner comfort over God’s truth. So the goal is autonomy in finding peace. In this case, your heart says, “I just want to feel comfortable, even if it means avoiding what’s true.”

Another idol would be exalting worldly acceptance and relevance over faithfulness to God. The goal is autonomy in finding approval. So, the heart says, “I’d rather be liked by people than to stand apart for Christ.”

Another false hope is exalting personal control over full trust in God. The goal is autonomy in managing outcomes. So the heart says, “If I can manage every detail, I won’t have to depend on God.”

Another idol is exalting unity over principle. The goal is autonomy in keeping the peace. The heart says, “It’s better for everyone to be happy than to risk conflict for the truth.”

I’ll give you one more. It’s the heart idol of exalting worldly pleasures over holiness. The goal is autonomy in the pursuit of happiness. The heart says, “I just want to be happy; obedience to God won’t make me happy.”

Like Jonah, we need to identify our vain idols. Each one results in these attempts to live life apart from God. Each one results in efforts to get away from God’s good will and way. Hopefully you can see how what Jonah did was a result of the idolatry of his heart. False hopes caused him to go against God, but he couldn’t see them at the time.

Great danger awaits those who cannot recognize their false hopes. The idols of your heart will drive you to do things you shouldn’t do. They will compel you to live in a way that is not the best way for you to live. They will lead you in the opposite direction of God’s way for you.

In the belly of the fish, Jonah had some God-ordained time for self-reflection and self-examination. We need to take time to do that as well. Worship together on the Lord’s Day is meant to aid you in this. Our other times of teaching and prayer and fellowship help also. And then there’s your opportunity to draw near to God daily, to behold the glory of Christ and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him.

By God’s grace, we recognize our false hopes, admit them to God, and renew our hope in His grace. And as a result, we can avoid the danger. But Christ secured so much for His people than just avoiding the dangers of false hope. He enables us to enjoy the deep satisfaction in knowing and following Him.

Look at verse 8 again. “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” There’s a logical progression here. When we cling to false hope, we leave true Hope.

What is this “steadfast love?” This is a common OT phrase. It’s Yahweh’s love for those to whom He had bound Himself in His covenant of grace. This is covenant love. It is, therefore, unfailing love – but you must understand that this love is unfailing because of God, not because of us. In the fuller picture – in light of the NT and the person and work of Christ – this steadfast love is God’s all-sufficient and ever-abounding grace towards us.

Those who live based on false hopes leave grace. But notice that Jonah did not lose grace because He had never earned grace.Jonah didn’t choose Yahweh; Yahweh had chosen Jonah. In and through this unearned covenant love, Jonah had God forever, and therefore, he had access to real Hope. Deep satisfaction awaits those who cling to the only True Hope.

When you let false hopes dictate what you feel, think, say, or do, you’re turning from the gracious love of God. The sinful nature causes this. Even the people of God do this! But by the gospel’s power – by the power of Christ Himself, who is the gospel – we can recognize our false hopes, and we can turn from them and cling to Jesus.

All the fullness of true hope dwells in Jesus Christ our Lord. Have you trusted in Christ alone? And will you turn from your false hopes today? Jonah realized that by doing what he did, he had rejected what he needed most. What he needed most was a deep, life-changing knowledge of God’s grace toward him.

As we go to the Lord’s table now, we need such a knowledge on the forefront of our hearts: that we can and should set our hope fully on Christ, on the steadfast love of Yahweh, which is hope only in God’s power and wisdom – hope in the ways and will of God as revealed in the Word of God and to which we are graciously guided by the Spirit of God.All of this was accomplished through Jesus Christ who loved us, and He invites us to His table.

Please bow with me in prayer.