Father Mapple’s Sermon

Today on Renewing Your Mind a dreadful storm comes on the sip is like to break but now when the boat some calls all and so light nerves. When boxes bails and jars are clattering overboard when the wind is shrinking and the men were yelling at every plank funders with tripling feet right over Joan as Ed did all this raging to malt. Jonah sleeps his hideous sleep seafood reading a portion of the movie was he going to the Great American novel unsurpassed by any other horse.

He was captivated by Herman Melville's classic because of its theological symbolism. He was convinced that the whale is but a symbol of God himself sure that with you because Darcy's message that is going to be a bit different from going to learn a valuable lesson from this Old Testament prophet, I think the greatest sermon ever preached on the book of Jonah was perhaps never really preached.

The only time I heard it I heard it in the movies and the preacher was Charles Laughton.

He was in this movie. Delivering a sermon that was composed for unlawful not for a Sunday morning service. It's my favorite novel course Moby Dick in the opening chapters of that great work we find Ishmael on the Sabbath day before he set sail and joins Ahab for his pursuit of the great white whale.

We find Ishmael roaming through the streets of New Bedford in search of the Whalers Chapel and enters into the chapel at Sabbath morning and the minister father Marple rises to the pulpit and delivers a sermon on the book of Jonah not going to do something, I almost never do and that is, rather than give my own exposition of Jonah or any other tax that we might be working on. I'm going to ask your indulgence as I read for you today portions of that magnificent exposition that Melville gives us through the lips of his character. Father mappable of the Whalers Chapel in New Bedford. We read in Melville's Moby Dick. These words whereafter father mappable has risen to the pulpit. He says sip makes this book, referring to the book of Jonah containing only four chapters for yarns is one of the smallest strands in the mighty cable of the Scriptures.

Yet what depths of the soul. Jonah's deep sea lines sound.

What a pregnant lesson to us is this prophet, what a noble thing is that Canticle in the fish's belly help Bill alike and boisterously grand. We feel the flood surging over us. We sound with him to the kelpie bottom of the waters seaweed and all the slime of the sea is about us, but what is the lesson that the book of Jonah teaches shipmates it's a two stranded lesson a lesson to us all.

A sinful man in the lesson to me as a pilot of the living God has sinful man. It is a lesson because it is the story of the sin hard heartedness suddenly awake and fierceness with punishment, repentance, prayers, and finally the deliverance and joy of Jonah and then he goes on and tells of how Jonah encounters his difficulty because he has disobeyed God and father mappable says with this sin of disobedience in him. Jonah still further flouts that God by seeking to flee from him. He thinks that a ship made by men will carry him and the countries were God does not rain but only the captains of this earth. He sculpts about the wars Joppa and seeks a ship that is bound for Tarshish, there lurks perhaps a hitherto unheated meaning here. By all accounts Tarshish could have been no other city than the modern Cadiz. That's the opinion of learned men, and where is Cadiz shipmates Cadiz is inspecting so far by water from Joppa as Jonah could possibly have sailed in those ancient days when the Atlantic was an almost unknown.

See see not, then shipmates the Jonah sought to flee worldwide from God, miserable man almost contemptible and worthy of all scorn with slouching act and guilty eyes skulking from his God prowling among the shipping like a vial burglar hastening to cross the seas so disordered self condemning in his look. Had there been a policeman in those days. Jonah on the mere suspicion of something wrong would have been arrested before, he touched a deck how plainly he's a fugitive. No baggage, not a hatbox valise or carpet bag.

No friends accompanying him to the wharf with their audio and at last, after much dodging search, he finds the Tarshish ship receiving the last items of her cargo as he steps on board to see its captive in the cab and all the sailors from the moment desist from foisting in the goods to mark the strangers evil by Jonah sees this man in vain.

He tries to look all ease and confidence in vein assays.

His wretched smile, strong intuitions of the man assure the Mariners. He can be no innocent in their game.

Some but still serious way one whispers to the other tack.

He's robbed a widow, Joe dear Mark him he's a bigamist or Harry Ladd. I guess ease the adulterer of the broke jail in Olga Morris Corbett like one of the missing murderers from Sodom another runs to read the bill that stuck against the smile upon the wharf to which the ship is more to offering 500 gold coins for the apprehension of a parasite and containing a description of the person he reads then looks from Jonah to the bill, while his sympathetic shipmates now crowd roundabout Jonah prepare to lay their hands upon him frightened. Jonah trembles summoning all his boldness to his face only looks so much more. The coward he will not confess himself suspected but that itself is strong suspicion.

So he makes the best of it and when the sailors find him not to be the man that is advertised. They let him pass and he descends into the cabin characterize the captain.

It is busy – currently making out his papers for the customs was there all held harmless question mangles Jonah for the instant he almost turns to flee again but he rallies I seek a passage in this trip to Tarshish, how soon silly Sir less for the busy captain had not looked up the drone of the man now stands before him, but no sooner does he hear that hollow voice that he darts a scrutinizing glance.

We sail with the next coming tide. No sooner Sir soon enough for any honest man that goes a passenger Jonah. That's another stab, but he swiftly calls away the captain from that sent house sale with you. He says the passage money, how much is it.

I'll pay now for it is particularly written shipmates as if it were a thing not to be overlooked in this history that he paid the fare thereof, before the crafted sale taken with the context. This is full of meaning.

Jonah's Capt. shipmates was one whose discernment detects crime and anybody's cupidity exposes it only in the penniless in this world shipmates sin that pays its way can travel freely and without a passport.

Whereas virtue if a popper is stopped and all frontiers so Jonah's Capt. prepares to test the length of Jonah's purse where he judge him openly. He charges him thrice the usual Simon it's assented to. Then the captain knows that Joan is a fugitive, but at the same time resolves to help a flight that paves its rear with gold had one Jonah fairly takes out his purse, prudent suspicion still molests the captain. He rings every coin defined a counterfeit, not a forger anyway matters and Jonah is put down for his passage point out my state room services Jonah. Now I'm travel weary, and I need sleep that looks like it's is the captain there is thy room. Jonah Anderson would lock the door, but the law contains no key hearing him foolishly fumbling there.

The captain laughed slowly to himself another something about the door of convex cells being never allowed to be locked from within, all dressed in dusty as he is.

Jonah throws himself into his birth and finds the little state room ceiling, almost resting on his four years close Jonah gas then and that contracted hole sunk tube beneath the ships water line.

Jonah feels that heralding pre-sentiment of that stifling our when the whale show hold them in the smallest of his bowels words screwed it its axis against the side, a swinging lamp slightly oscillates in Jonah's room and the ship healing over towards the wharf. With the weight of its last bales received the lamp flame and all, though in slight motion still maintains a permanent obliquity with reference to the bow and truth. Infallibly, strata self and is made obvious the false lying levels among which it the lamp alarms and frightens Jonah is lying in his birth, his tormented eyes rolled around the place than the bus for successful fugitive finds no refuge for his restless glance.

But that contradiction in the lamp more and more appalls him floor-to-ceiling side there. All raw all so my conscience hangs in the ground straight upward so it burns but the chambers of my soul for all in crookedness like one who after a night of drunken revelry highs to his bed, still reeling, but was conscience yet pricking him as the plunging's of the Roman racehorse, but so much the more striking steel ties into him as one who is in that miserable plight still turns and turns in giddy anguish.

Praying God for annihilation until the fit be back in at last, amid the world of woe. He feels deep stupor steals over him as over the man who bleeds to death for conscience is the one, and there's nothing to stanch and so after soar wrestling in his birth.

Jonah's prodigy of ponderous misery drags him drowning down to sleep and now the time of tide is come the ship or cables from the deserted wharf. The unshared trip for Tarshish, all careening glides out to see that ship my friends was the first of recorded smugglers. The contraband was Jonah, but the sea rebels. He will not bear the wicked burden, a dreadful storm comes on the ship is like to break but now when the boat some calls all hands to lighten her when boxes bales and jars are clattering overboard when the wind is freaking and the men are yelling and every plank thunders with trampling feet right over. Jonah said in all this raging to malt. Jonah sleeps his hideous slick sees no black sky and raging sea feels not the reeling timbers and little here's the European see the far rush of the mighty whale which even now with open mouth is cleaving the seas after high shipmates Jonah was gone down to the sides of the ship a birth in the cabinets.

I have taken it and was fast asleep, but the frightened master comes to him and streaks in his study are what made of cellulose sleeper awry and startled from his lethargy by that darn awful cry. Jonah staggers to his feet, stumbling to the deck grasps the shroud to look upon the sea, but at that moment he is sprung upon by a panther billow leaping over the boards. Wave after wave leaps into the ship and find no speed event roars flooring aft until the mariners come Naida drowning while still afloat and ever is the white moon shows her affrighted face from the steep gullies in the blackness overhead cost Jonah sees the rearing bowsprit pointing higher court would soon be downward against towards the tormented deep errors upon tears run, shouting through his soul, and in all his cringing attitudes. The God fugitive is now two plainly known the sailors market more and more certain grow their suspicions of him, and at last fully to test the truth by referring the whole matter to high heaven.

They fall the casting lots to see for whose cause this great tempest was upon them a lot is Jonah's that discovered and then how furiously they mobbed them with their questions. What is on occupation once, stalled by country.

What people but Mark now my shipmates the behavior of poor Jonah the eager mariners, but asking who he is and where is from, whereas they not only receive an answer to these questions but likewise another answer to? Would buy them but the unsolicited answers force from Jonah by the hard hand of God that is upon I am a Hebrew. He cries and then I fear the Lord, the God of heaven who was made to see in the dryly fear Jonah a high well Midas though fear the Lord God that straightway he now goes on to make a full confession, whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled but still are pitiful for when Jonah not yet supplicating God for mercy since he but to well knew the darkness of his desserts. One wretched Jonah cries out to them to take him and cast him forth in the sea, for he knew that for his sake. This great tempest was upon them. They mercifully turn from him and seek by other means to save the ship but all in vain. The indignant Gail Howells louder and then with one hand raised, invoking Lee to God with the other they not on reluctantly lay hold Jonah now behold Jonah taken up as an anchor and dropped into the sea when instantly and loyally calm us flutes from the east and the sea is still has Jonah carries down the Gail with him leaving smooth water behind he goes down in the whirling heart of such a master list commotion that he scarcely leaves the moment when he drops seething into the yawning jaws awaiting him and the whale shoots to all his ivory teeth, like so many white bolts upon his prison and then Jonah prayed, but observe his prayer and learn a weighty lesson for sinful, as he is. Jonah does not weep and wail for direct deliverance. He feels that his dreadful punishment is just he leaves all his deliverance to God contending himself with this, in spite of all his pains and kinds. He will still look toward his holy temple and here shipmates is true and faithful repentance, not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment in hell pleasing to God which this conduct and Jonah is shown in the eventual deliverance of him from the sea and the whale shipmates. I Do Not Pl., Jonah before you to be copied for his sin, but I do place him before you as a model of repentance, sin not, but if you do take heed to repent of it. Like Jonah, that's not the end of the sermon that was preached by father from Apple and New Bedford. He goes on with some concluding remarks that I will take the time to illustrate what I like about this rendition of Jonah from the pen of Herman Melville is that Melville takes an ex-substantial look at the story he gets into the very skin of Jonah. He makes the text come alive. All that's a bad thing to say because the text already is alive, I should say that the text makes Melville come alive. But Melville, who had such a love affair with the sea, and all things associated with sailing identified with this human being who was a fugitive from God. Perhaps he was the model for Melville's own red burn who sought refuge in a foreign land, but it's obvious that he understood the heartbeat of Jonah and of those who would seek to flee from the presence of God that I commend to you the reading of the full text of the sermon from Herman Melville the suit is uttered through the lips of father Matt: if you have the opportunity ever to see the film version of Moby Dick. You will take note of the portion of the sermon that is given on the screen by Charles Laughton but more importantly, we should he the advice of father methyl himself that we emulate Jonah not in his sin. But in his spirit of penitence, which is marked for most by his acknowledgment that his punishment is just how like David is Jonah at that moment where in David's magnificent Psalm of repentance. Psalm 51 in his spirit of contrition in his broken and contrite heart. He asked God to treat them according to his mercy, and not according to his justice. And yet at the same time acknowledges that God would be perfectly right perfectly just and perfectly clear to bring the full judgment of his wrath upon David's own head. That's the posture of Jonah. That's the posture of all who come to. That's a crucial warning on repentance for all of us and it's one of the lessons we learned today from Jonah when he was lost at sea. Glad you joined us today for Renewing Your Mind of Dr. RC Sproul's eye-opening presentation here on the story of Jonah say what a source he will be with us that with a final word in just a moment, what we just heard is one of five lessons from Dr. Strohl series on Jonah and for a limited time will send you the entire series on MP3 CD for your donation of any amount you can call us at 800-435-4343 only will you see the gospel of the Old Testament, but you learn surprising lessons about God's sovereignty and his mercy. It's all there in RC's audio series on Jonah again. You can reach us by phone at 800-435-4343 or online@renewingyourmind.org if you'd like to deepen your study of God's word. We invite you to visit Lincoln here connect. It features more than 100 interactive courses with some of your favorite Bible teachers, including Dr. RC Sproul along with Dr. W. Robert Godfrey and Dr. Steven Lawson. You can delve into your favorite topics on your own or with family members or friends. Just go to connect.linear.org and now here's RC with a final thought force in our time today. I didn't have the opportunity to complete Melville's rendition of father Michael sermon on the book of Jonah.

But I would like to read now it's conclusion is father Michael addresses his words, not so much to the layperson as he does to the clergy and servicer any clergy who are listening to this to keep father mappable concludes his sermon with these words. Finally, Jonah did the Almighty's bidding, and what was that shipmates. It was to preach the truth to the face of falsehood, that was it. This shipmates is that other lesson and woe to that pilot of the living God who slights it. Woe to him whom this world charms from gospel duty. Woe to him who seeks to pour oil upon the waters. When God has brewed them into a Gail woe to him who seeks to please, rather than to appall woe to him whose good name is more to him than goodness. Woe to him who in this world. Courts not dishonor woe to him who would not be true even though, to be false or salvation PA woe to him who is the great polyp Paul has it while preaching to others is himself a castaway thank you for joining us today for Renewing Your Mind. I hope you will be with us tomorrow we will have a number of assumptions about Jonah. One of them is that he was swallowed by a whale.

Is that accurate RC will address that in other aspects of Jonah tomorrow on the Wednesday edition of Renewing Your Mind