JONAH IS ANGRY AT GOD (Outline)
July 12, 2009 --
PENTECOST 6 --
Jonah 3:3-4:4
INTRO: Today we look closely at another Biblical role model. Once again we discover that even well known role models in Scripture have their ups and downs. We recently studied this fact in the life of Elijah and David. Now we see Jonah as another role model who feels down. Jonah is really at the very top of God’s success. Jonah is consumed with his sinful human thinking rather than God’s divine pur-pose. This same limited earthly thinking infects every one of us. "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God" (1 CORINTHIANS 2:11). Who really fully knows the thoughts of God? We want to learn about the awesomeness of our God and his thinking.
JONAH IS ANGRY AT GOD.
I. Not because of men’s sins.
II. But because of God’s grace. We study what Jonah is really thinking.
I. JONAH IS ANGRY AT GOD: NOT BECAUSE OF MEN’S SINS
A. Verse 3a. This is Jonah’s second chance. The first time Jonah fled from obeying God’s word.
1. Previously Jonah left on a ship and almost drowned. Swallowed by a fish, Jonah lived.
2. Verse 3b. Nineveh was important to God. It would take three days to travel throughout it.
B. Verse 4. There would be 40 days for Nineveh to repent. Jonah travels and preaches only one day.
1. Verse 5a. Miracle of miracles!! This heathen city believed in God. God’s word is powerful.
2. Verse 5b. All the people showed their sorrow over sin. Even the king joins in, verses 6-8
3. The king decrees fervent prayer. The king demands a change from everyone’s wickedness.
C. Verse 9. The king knows that the God of Jonah is a merciful and compassionate God. “Who knows?”
D. Like this king, we also ask, “Who knows?” Do we truly, completely understand the great compassion that our loving Lord God Almighty shows to his creation? We are constantly in awe that the Lord does not treat as our sins deserve. Our sins pile up against us. Wickedness and rebellion are a way of life for us because of our inborn sinfulness. In spite of all of this our heavenly Father forgives, completely.
"’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’" declares the LORD. "’As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’" (ISAIAH 55:8,9). We can be thankful that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
E. Did Jonah make the people of Nineveh repent? Hardly. Certainly it was the message that Jonah brought that changed the hearts of this great city. The power of God working through his word is what makes a believer a believer. God’s word working in our hearts makes us sinners into people who repent. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (EZEKIEL 36:26,27). Note that it is the Lord who changes our stony hearts into hearts of flesh. The word of the Lord is sown into newly created hearts of flesh in order to spring up and bear abundant fruit. The Lord puts his Spirit into our lives to move us to walk in his footsteps. It is truly by God’s grace that we are saved. This is God’s gift to and for us. Salvation is not by our works, but God’s.
F. Sin is sin is sin. In God’s eyes there are no great sins or small sins. Sin is disobedience. Anyone who sins against one law of God is guilty of breaking all of it. There is no one on earth who does good, not even one. Not doing the good we know and ought to do is also a sin. Over and over we commit all too many sins that grieve our Lord. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"(ROMANS 6:23). We earn death because of sin. It is God in his great mercy who gives eternal life – freely. Who knows the mind of God?
JONAH IS ANGRY AT GOD. Jonah was not angry at men’s sins but because of God’s grace.
II. JONAH IS ANGRY BECAUSE OF GOD’S GRACE
A. The people of Nineveh miraculously repented. The king and his city trusted in God’s mercy.
1. “Who knows?” Well, God knows. God does show compassion and not judgment, verse 10.
2. This is to be a time of rejoicing. There is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
B. Verse 4:1. Jonah is very, very angry with God. Jonah thinks that God has done something evil.
1. Verse 2a. Jonah still believes and prays to God. It is an accusing prayer. Jonah is mad.
2. Verse 3. Jonah wants to die. We ask ourselves, “Who knows the mind of Jonah?”
a. Jonah knew God’s plans. b. Soon Assyria (Nineveh is its capital) would conquer Israel.
C. Humanly thinking Jonah could not comprehend why God would be gracious to Israel’s enemies.
1. Jonah did know God’s mercy, verse 2b. But Jonah wanted to limit God’s compassion.
2. Jonah shakes his fists at God in his raging anger. Verse 4. Jonah has no right to be angry.
D. Anger is not a pleasant characteristic. Do believers have any right to be angry at God? No, not really, never. But at times we might be like Jonah and fail to see the big picture. We do not nor can we always completely understand God’s will or plan in our lives. Sometimes in difficulties Satan urges us to blame God and become angry with him. Or we may have anger issues that we constantly struggle to control. "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (JAMES 1:19,20). God reminds us to count to ten, “be slow to anger”. God reminds us to think before we speak, “be quick to listen, slow to speak”. Be angry about the sin in our lives. Be angry about our many sins.
E. We have the example of God to help us overcome anger and sin. We have the motivation of God’s grace to remind us of how much we are forgiven. We cannot earn forgiveness. We certainly do not deserve forgiveness. Still God shows us his mercy and compassion. "And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" (EXODUS 33:19). Our loving Lord does not limit his mercy and compassion. The Lord God Almighty freely shows his mercy and compassion to all who need his mercy and compassion – all mankind.
F. Who of us truly, completely knows the thoughts and mercy of God? As we read and study we only begin to scratch the surface of knowing and believing God’s great love for each one of us. The ways of our gracious God are almost always the very opposite of our ways and our human mercy. "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy" (MICAH 7:18). There is no God like ours. Our heavenly Father delights to show us mercy. All too often we grudgingly show mercy. Worse we withhold mercy. Our heavenly Father is does just the opposite. The Lord reminds us how great is his love for us.
CONC.: Jonah was angry at God. This was anger in spite of the fact of the greatest miracle ever to take place in the Scriptures. Conservative estimates would place the population of Nineveh at 500,000 people. One day of preaching God’s word and ½ million people repent. Who knows the mind of God?!? Deep down Jonah really did. He quoted the prophet Joel. "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity" (JOEL 2:13). JONAH IS ANGRY AT GOD. May we always be angry at our sins and never, never at God. Our sins earn death and deserve eternal punishment. Instead of eternal punishment God gives us eternal life in heaven by his free grace. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer (Please read all of Jonah – as soon as possible. It is only 4 short chapters.)
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min. (Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF / 10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
PENTECOST 5 readings:
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-33;
2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-9,13,14;
MARK 5:21-24a, 35-43;
(PSALM 30)
