WEDNESDAY 30 August 2023 “JOPPA” (Jonah & Peter)

 In about 970bc during the reign of King Solomon, Joppa was a strategic seaport. Solomon made an economic treaty with King Hiram of Tyre who supplied King Solomon’s workmen with select timber logs from Lebanon. The logs were floated by sea to Joppa, then carried inland to Jerusalem for construction of the great Temple and probably Solomon’s palace! (2 Chronicles 2:16) These two projects required about 20 years, (2 Chron. 8:1) with hundreds of thousands of workers, (2 Chron. 2:18) to complete! 

In 790bc Jonah boarded a ship in Joppa, bound for Tarshish, trying to run away from God’s assignment to warn Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian kingdom, of God’s pending judgment against them. The Ninevite army was ruthless and as they conquered nations the destruction, they inflicted was merciless.

Jonah was convinced God would someday unleash HIS mighty judgment on Nineveh but instead God’s message to Jonah was shocking to Jonah: “The word of the LORD came to Jonah… ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me. But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. Jonah went to Joppa where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, Jonah sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD!” (Jonah 1:2,3)

Perhaps you remember the story? A great storm arose, and the ship was taking on water. Jonah told the sailors the storm was his fault; God had sent judgment against Jonah because he refused to do what God had told him to do. The sailors threw Jonah overboard and the storm calmed down. Jonah was then swallowed by a great fish and spent three days inside the belly of that fish crying out to God.

After three days, the great fish spewed Jonah up onto dry land. Jonah records what happened to him next: “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I gave you.” (Jonah 3:1) Jonah did and a powerful work of God took place in Nineveh as the people, and even their king, repented before God and God did not bring on Nineveh the judgment devastation He had warned of. 

It’s a powerful picture of the patience, the love and the mercy of God, isn’t it my friends? Both the history of Joppa and Nineveh were profoundly impacted by these events! And we can only imagine how Jonah’s life was profoundly changed by this experience with God. Have you ever been given a second chance by God?

In this very same city of Joppa, 8 centuries later, we meet a precious lady and the apostle Peter. The year was about 35ad. Tabitha (Dorcas) was a follower of Jesus living in Joppa. She was gentle and generous, ‘always doing good and helping the poor’. She died and her friends sent for the apostle Peter who came to Joppa and prayed asking God to raise Tabitha back to life…and she was shockingly resurrected from the dead! You’ll find that story in Acts 9:36-42.

We can only imagine the dramatic results in Joppa of this resurrection experience! Peter evidently decided to stay on in Joppa for a while encouraging the followers of Jesus there. Dr. Luke, the author of Acts, tells us Peter was welcomed to stay in the home of another man named Simon. His vocation was a tanner of animal hides and Acts 9:43 tells us he lived by the Sea. I’ve often wondered if these two Simon’s were able to see the wharf where the ships docked in Joppa, and if so, how often did they talk about Jonah’s story?

Acts 10 tells us that one day Peter was praying on the rooftop of Simon the Tanner’s simple home when Peter experienced a vision. A sheet filled with animals was lowered from heaven and Peter received instructions from the Holy Spirit to accompany servants of Cornelius, a Roman military officer, who came inviting Peter to Caesarea. (Acts 10:20) Peter went with them to Caesarea and found the Roman centurion Cornelius’ home filled with Gentiles wanting to know about Jesus! 

As Peter shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with these Gentiles, suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon them! Luke records it this way: While Peter was speaking the words of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles!” (Acts 10:44) 

Amazingly God was showing the Jewish Christians that Jesus, the Son of God, had come to earth to bring God’s Redemption Plan to ALL people, of ALL ethnic and religious backgrounds.

My friends, I end today where I began. I wonder what the spiritual history is of your town or city? What great things has God done over the years, the decades, even the centuries in your city? More importantly, what do you sense God wants to do in your city NOW, in 2023, and what role does God want YOU to have in what God wants to do in your city?

I urge you to talk with God about this, asking God to show you what HE sees as the story of your city, past, present and future, and your part in that story! And here’s a great song to help us consider this, my friends…