The Compassion of YHWH
(Jonah 3:4-4:11)
The City Believed 3:4-5
4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
Exegesis: 3:1-3 is the beginning of Jonah’s venture on “dry ground.” Verse 4-5 now starts with Jonah’s first day of obedience. The transition of time period here marks a start of this new scene/paragraph from the first duration on dry ground to Jonah’s message and the Ninevites response to Jonah arrival. The is clear stated in verse 5a, “5 The Ninevites believed God.” The writer makes it very clear that the Ninevites took the message of Jonah to heart took drastic measures to get leniencies from YHWH. Jonah’s message: The essence of his proclamation was that Nineveh would be overthrown in only forty days. Interesting to note that the same Hebrew word (haphak, overthrown, destroyed) was the same word that was used to describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:25. The message the prophet was to proclaim was not merely threat. It is very clear that YHWH had every intention on following through with the message He provide Jonah to announce to the great city will be (haphak, overthrown, destroyed) in forty days. Within the context of Scripture forty days was often the period of testing (Gen. 7:17; Exod. 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8; Matt. 4:2). The most relevant to the present context would most likely be that of Gen 7:17, 17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.” Even being a pagan nations the story and the flood was passed down to every generation. Whether legend, myths or literal at the time Jonah’s simple message of that the city will “overturned” proceeding a time of forty days was no arbitrary number and certainly not unfamiliar with the catastrophe of the world. For the an Israelite the number forty is more significant. Exod. 24:18, “18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” A time of communion between Moses and YHWH. ). Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days before David stepped forward (1 Samuel 17). In 1 Kings 19:8 is when Elijah fled to Horeb under the guidance of the angel who led him and “. . . traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.” Being the one of the capital of the largest nation of the known world, such stories could not have been keep indigenously confidential within the populous of nation of Israel alone. Occupying a central position on the great highway between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, wealth flowed into it from many sources, so that it became the greatest of all ancient cities. Certainly it couldn’t just been wealth but also a great source of information and intelligence about nations that surrounded it, especially considering they plan of conquering it Israel was in the works. It’s likely the consider knowledge of Israel’s history from the time they left Egypt unto where they stood both as a nation and militarily was well known among the Ninevites. Jonah’s message of including 40 days did not seem like something that could have been easily dismissed. This could explain why the populous of Nineveh did not show any sign of ignoring the prophets message. “5 The Ninevites believed God.” Why did the city believe Jonah’s message? The city populous already heard about YHWH prior to Jonah’s arrival. Nineveh was Centre of worship of Dagon. Images of Dagon have been found in palaces and temples in Nineveh and throughout the region. Among the pantheons of Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean coast was the worship of Dagon was a fish-god. The name "Dagon" is derived from "dag" which means "fish." Although there was a deep affection from Dagon’s worshippers to their deity, the symbol of a fish in human form was really meant to represent fertility and the vivifying powers of nature and reproduction. It’s interesting to note that the god Dagon had already suffered defeat by the power of YHWH on two separate occasions. First account in Judges 16:23-30 at the death of Samson. Notice that Philistines were praising their god “Dagon,” when YHWH gave Samson the strength when he “reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood.” YHWH brought down the temple of Dagon, through His servant Samson. Second time was in 1Samuel 5:1-7. Dagon, fall face first on the ground before the ark of the LORD! Dagon “head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.” Verse seven declares Dagons defeat, “7 When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” As a result, spiritual awareness among the populous Nineveh as to who YHWH the God of Jonah was. “What better heralding, as a divinely sent messenger to Nineveh, could Jonah have had, than to be thrown up out of the mouth of a great fish, in the presence of witnesses, say on the coast of Phoenicia, where the fish-god was a favorite object of worship? Such an incident would have inevitably aroused the mercurial nature of Oriental observers, so that a multitude would be ready to follow the seemingly new avatar of the fish-god, proclaiming the story of his uprising from the sea, as he went on his mission to the city where the fish-god had its very centre of worship” In other words, Jonah survived a perilous journey inside of big fish on the beaches of a nation that worshiped the fish god Dagon. Jonah was delivered to the people who worship fish by the God who controlled the fish, thus reinforces the sovereignty of YHWH, Jonah 1:14b, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." In addition, there was a lot of unrest with the Assyria empire at the time also. The city was ripe for spiritual harvest. It has been suggested that the people were prepared to receive a prophet due to ominous omens that appeared previous to Jonah’s arrival. By the time of Jonah’s proclamation the Assyria had difficulty resisting its neighbors to the North, the Urartu mountain tribes who allied with their neighbors, the people of Mannai and Madai. These invaders pushed the northern border of Assyria south to within less than 100 miles of Nineveh.” The Syrians were pressed back to their homelands. Meanwhile in "the southern kingdom of Judah, King Uzziah built a strong kingdom. Side by side these two kingdoms flourished." As a result the Assyrian’s had been under a lot of international, military and diplomatic losses. Nineveh had suffered a severe plague prior to experiencing an eclipse of the sun two years later. They had been largely unsuccessful in repelling attacks from the north of the kingdom and had lost ground. The Ninevites, a pagan culture as the sailors in chapter, therefore believed some god was angry with them, they simply didn’t know which one. The Ninevites were notoriously known for their brutality. They would take another enemy leader and take a sharpened pole and drive it through the lower part of the chest. The pole is then raised, bearing the writhing victim aloft; then the pole is planted into a hole dug for it, and the man is left to die. Assyrians would also take babies and burn them alive while the parents watched. The walls of the city of Nineveh were spiked turrets or poles upon which they impaled foreign officers, still alive and suffering immeasurably. Their brutality was legendary, especially among the city populous who possible reviled in their superiority and lethargic disposition towards the human suffering of their enemies. One might add to this Jonah’s unique and recent ride inside the belly of a great fish. The book does not state that anyone besides Jonah was aware of the event, and it may have happened along a lonely stretch of beach. It is also possible that the event was witnessed by others and such a miracle would have been reported across the land. News of his rescue and his precarious voyage to Nineveh may have attracted considerable publicity in to the city of Nineveh itself. Fast and Sackcloth: The practice of sackcloth and ashes was familiar with being worn by those who are either greatly distressed or greatly penitent. Even among pagan cultures of the time. However, it the actual warring of sackcloth mainly reserved for the poverty stricken or customarily slaves. It was the personification of the humility and destination. It was the garments of beggars and the extremely needy and the utter dependent. A practice of self-depravation was a common in Jewish history as well (2 Sam. 3:31, 35; 1 Kings 21:27; Neh. 9:1-2; Isa. 15:3; 58:5; Dan. 9:3; Joel 1:13-14). A practice of self-depravation was accustom common among pagans as well to appease the gods whom they worship in order to grant requests, rewards and rescue in times of need. The sailors in chapter one (1:6, 14) after identifying the source of them calamity, did not hesitate to inquire as to what they must done to appease God whom Jonah served. The Ninevites did not want to perish any more than the sailors did. This is intuitive and innate conscience and sub conscience will to live imbedded into human nature and the Ninevites were no different.
Illustration: The difference between belief and trust. For example we can believe a lot things about George Washington the first president of the United States but we don’t really trust that Washington can do anything for us. But we can believe and trust that YHWH can do something for us. Charles Finney says, that repentance is "a change of choice, purpose, intention, in conformity with the dictates of intelligence. A turning from sin to holiness, or more strictly, from a state of consecration to self to a state of consecration to God, is and must be the turning, the change of mind, or the repentance that is required of all sinners." That’s exactly what happen to the populous of city, they believe YHWH they had a consecration to self to a state of consecration toYHWH.
Application: The Ninevites believed God, that is they trusted in both His messages from His prophet and the maybe they can trust He can have mercy on them. Nineveh had suffered a severe plague prior to experiencing an eclipse of the sun two years later. The international, military, diplomatic and spiritual losses all contributed to the Ninevites unrest and the city was ripe for spiritual harvest. What will it take for you to be spiritually ripe for belief? Loosing, prestige, power, influence, possessions, pride, money, relationships? What is that stands in your way of believing in YHWH? A miraculous survival of big fish. Miracles don’t always convinces other to believe. YHWH sent His prophet Jonah to a people that was ripe for spiritual harvest. We too have harvest field ready with those who are in our lives. People within our spare of influence. There’s an old saying, “walk what you talk,” which is true but if you don’t talk what you walk people will still never hear the truth in clearly. We need to do both. Will you believe YHWH when He speaks, do you believe the Word of God when you read it. Jonah Charles G. Finney affirmed this when he stated, "Converting sinners is the work of the Christian life. It is the greatest work to which we, as Christians, are especially appointed. It is the greatest work of life because it is so much beyond any other work in importance that it cannot be rationally regarded as anything other or less." In other words, the solitary reason for the existence of the church is the proclamation the Gospel of Christ in every aspect of human experience. Jonah was send by YHWH to people who were ready for conversation but where YHWH saw compassionate and love Jonah saw a violent enemy of Israel. What do you see when you in others, an enemy or an opportunity for God messages to be proclaimed. Do we see evil or do you see what God sees: compassion?
Transition: The Ninevites believed Jonah’s messages. They were looking for things left with no other option other than a entreating YHWH themselves not just in words but with action with sackcloth and ashes and fasting. These are the acts of desperate people who were relying completely on the one who not only treated them but who had and was well known for carrying out what YHWH declared. But what did they want to receive? What does our spiritual haverst want and long to experience? READ Key Center: Jonah 4:2b, you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love.
The King Decreed 3:6-10
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Exegesis: Chapter 3:1-3, the writer moves from Jonah initial arrival and the populous reaction to the King’s reaction to Jonah’s message of destruction. This new scene, 3:6-10 now moves from the general and broader picture of the Ninevites to specifically the King and God’s reactions of the King and the nation as a whole; which is a clear transition of thought. The point of this paragraph is clearly stated in verse 10. “10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” The writer seems to want to make it clear that YHWH too had a change of heart after seeing the reactions of the cities populous. The king of Nineveh: King Ashurbanipal (Ashur-Bani-Pal): King of Nineveh, he was known for being a scholar and being the most cruelest to his enemies. As a scholar, he is famed for amassing a significant library of the known world. This library was a collection and compilation of all the written history of all surrounding nations and empires in his time, which was in his royal palace at Nineveh. It also had thousands of clay tablets and fragments containing texts of all kinds from the 7th century BC. The Library of Nineveh (or Ashurbanipal), contained a wide variety of cuneiform texts on many varying topics from magical incantations, hymns, stories, divinations, mythological texts, letters, religious texts, songs, poems and texts on medicine and astronomy. This was one of the most power and feared man of the known world. His actions was nothing less than desperate. From his massive collection of literature in his library from all the known existing empires that surrounded him. He had intimate understanding of Israel’s written recorded history to date. Like the Egyptian Pharaoh, the Assyrian Emperor thought of himself as his god’s special representative on earth. They were highly efficient administrators. When the news of a Hebrew prophet who survived a perils journey and was delivered out of the clutched of their god Dagon, it must have terrified him. He identified with the populous that this was no mere idle treat and the YHWH was no God to be reckoned with. The God of Israel was well known for being the destroyers of empires and evil nation. From the massive degrading, humiliating and crushing blow on the super power of Egypt who never recovered from their defeat. Also the miraculous trumpet of over the mighty city of Jericho. Complying also with the continuous and successful military campaign against the Philistines on the other side of the river. He quick to identify that he and his nations were under divine judgment. He not only observed the populous reaction he was so terrified that he took more drastic measures of repentance. He not only covered himself in sackcloth and ashes but declared a fast and included all the animals as well. Why did the animals participate in fasting and the wearing of sackcloth? Students of the Bible are familiar with sackcloth and ashes being worn by those who are either greatly distressed or greatly penitent, yet in this passage we are introduced to cattle and other livestock participating in these customs. There is no explanation for this in the book itself and was clearly not a Jewish custom. Herodotus provides the answer for us (9:24) explaining this is an Asiatic custom stemming from their belief that animals share in the evil effects of man’s sin. He decree “everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.” This is divine answer to a divine problem. Judgment as been declared and in the kings heart he was convinced that YHWH meant business. After taking drastic measures and “up the anti” so to speak, he said something interesting, “9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." This reinforces the idea that he had intimate knowledge of the written history of Israel and their God. It’s almost as if he knew from history that there might be chance. If they made a complete turnaround and illicit the compassion of YHWH instead of the wrath of YWHW. This King was terrified in his being. king of Nineveh and it’s populous was so diligent in their actions that it moved the heart of YHWH. YHWH changed His mind about destroying the city. This reinforces what we learned in chapter one, 1:14b, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." It’s pleased YHWH to see the hearts and actions of the city and its king and He relented from his original degree of judgment. He’s YHWH and He will do was He pleases and in this case He choose to have compassions on a heathen nation who turned to Him.
Illustration: The noon day sun and the holiness of God (Word Picture). When you completely surrender to the holiness of YWHW and wholeheartedly place your very life into His hands and His will, it gets His attention. That’s true repeatence!
Application: What evil do you need to repeat of, what secrete sins do you need to give up, making excuses for and deal with before a holy and might God? Calling urgently up God, this was no passive action on the part of the King, do you think you any better than him? YHWH too can choose to have compassion on you, if you are willing to make a complete turn around and course of actions. Are you ready to wholeheartedly surrender to God. We have a choice to make ourselves, do we want to continue to insight a wrath of YHWH or the compassion of YHWH. He choose to have compassion on Jonah when he was in the belly of the fish, He had compassion on king and city of Nineveh and He can have compassion on you too. The reason why we can say that is, that Jonah himself knew in his heart when declared that, “you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love.”
Transition: The king of Nineveh and it’s populous was so diligent in their actions that it moved the heart of YHWH. You can experience that too? The King himself said exactly what he wanted. Out of his own lips came from what was in his heart, “9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." Do you, or can you bring yourself to believe that YHWH is “. . . a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love.” You can experience that too, you can if you give your life over to him. But did Jonah?
The Prophet Protested 4:1-4
4 1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." 4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
Exegesis: Chapter 4:1-3 is about Jonah’s reaction to the whole situation and his upward call of injustice. While the previous passage, 3:6-10, dealt with the great city of Nineveh and their reaction to the message of the prophet. A clear transition of thought again from the broader picture to the specific character of Jonah himself. The writer seem very intentional about exactly what was happening with Jonah and his disposition towards the Lord concerning the city of Nineveh. The writer culminates the scene with a question YHWH propose to Jonah, "Have you any right to be angry?" The point of this paragraph is clear as the writer points out what happens between YHWH and Jonah. Verse 4b, "Have you any right to be angry?" Jonah was displeased about the situation and began to explain to YHWH, His questions is self-evident, “have you a right to be angry. Everything else in the paragraph are details as to how and why YHWH would ask him. The writer not only culminates the scene but makes his point when question of YHWH is propose to Jonah, "Have you any right to be angry?" Why so angry? Prophet or patriot: It is almost humorous to note Jonah’s responses to God’s judgment and mercy. When facing death in chapter two Jonah cries out for life, yet in both chapters three and four Jonah laments “I would rather die than live” when being offered life. Why was Jonah so angry? Clearly his hatred for the Assyrians fueled his anger, but we can only guess at his despair here. His attitude was that these people were beyond redemption and that what they deserved was fire from heaven like Sodom and Gomorrah did many years before. Certainly not worth an Israelite prophet risking his neck in a futile mission to evangelize them. Jonah was mad at God because from his perspective YHWH has made a mistake. It’s pretty much poetic irony that it is out of Jonah’s own mouth comes the divine truth that he himself refused to extend to a heathen nation, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah want YHWH to do something for himself, destroy his enemies. YHWH called him to be a prophet not a patriot. As a patriot, he saw the enemy and desired them to be destroyed, but as a prophet he had responsibility to forth-tell an foretell the Word of God. Jonah allegiance was to YHWH first not his country. YHWH posed a rhetorical question to Jonah in verse 4b, "Have you any right to be angry?" YHWH has done what pleased Him, and in the context, an entire nation was converted and placed their faith in Him. This may not have been what Jonah desired but its YHWH will not Jonah’s that was accomplished. YHWH will do what He pleases, thus reinforces the sovereignty of YHWH, mentioned in Jonah 1:14b, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." Despite all that Jonah has been through within this narrative, he sill hasn’t learned that YHWH doesn’t do our will, we do His will! A characteristic that is antithetical for being a prophet of YHWH.
Illustration: Who is telling who what to believe and do. YHWH is who tell us what to do and what to say, not the other way around.
Application: Prophet or patriot? I wonder if there is anyone you think is not worth your trouble sharing the Gospel of Repentance because you just ’know’ they are too wicked or set in their ways? Are we caught so far in our hatful revenge then we are the Gospel of Christ? Do we make the decision to be prophet to those who we believe are corrupted or do you identify with Jonah the ardent patriot who only see an enemy instead of souls who need God.
Transition: The lessen we learn here is that YHWH will do what He pleases in His the sovereignty of YHWH, mentioned in Jonah 1:14b, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." In this situation it pleased YHWH to demonstrate. . . .Read Key Center!
YHHW’s Rebuke 4: 5-11
5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." 9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die." 10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Exegesis: Verses 4:1-3 was explain about Jonah’s attitude the writer seems to take great care in what Jonah went off east of the city. A clear transition of thought and scene changes here because it describes that Jonah went built a " shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city." However, the writer already established what happen to the city and now is clearly come back to the specially how the YHWH dealt with the prophet. The writer indicates here that while the city was in great repentance, fasting and praying, this situation between YHWH and Jonah here was happening on the 39th or 40th day. Either way, this paragraph moves to the specific activities (the vine, the worm, the sun etc.,) of YHWH and Jonah and not just Jonah’s attitude. The point is in verse 11b, “Should I not be concerned about that great city?" This is possible the crust of the message for Jonah personally. The point here is that YHWH tying to point out to Jonah the error of his disposition and teach him something about His character. The writer seems to emphasis what exactly took place between YHWH and the runaway prophet, and once again culminates the scene but makes his point when question of YHWH is propose to Jonah, “Should I not be concerned about that great city?" The east side of the city was opposite the Mediterranean and suggests Jonah may have walked through the entire city, a three day journey. Ironically to point out that was the furthest away eastward from largest body of water that was closest to the city, the Tigers River, which was west of the city. It seem as though he didn’t want anything to do with large bodies of water after his experience. Verse 5 clearly indicates that this was 39th or 40th day as Jonah waited to see what would happen. YHWH continued to manifest compassion for Jonah by providing him with a shading plant that relieved the discomfort of the blistering Mesopotamian sun. Interesting that this was the first time in the book that we find him happy, but it was associated with own comfort physically. He could have returned to the city and sought out a more contusive environment but perhaps he still futilely expected the city to fall. Coupled with the fact that these were not the kind of people he desired to be cozy with. It’s possible that Jonah viewed the plant as his rightful reward for obeying YHWH and reluctantly completing his assignment. Jonah’s anger was about YHWH’s nature of mercy and compassion that He extended towards the city, something he himself wasn’t unhappy about when he was in the belly of the big fish, facing impending doom of being devoured. Perhaps he should have remember that salvation come from YHWH, something that he himself personally experience but for some reason just couldn’t bring himself to rejoice for the salvation of the city. His anger grew as the 40th downed, the city was still remained and the plant had been eaten away and YHWH “provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint.” He could have felt YHWH was incite him when he discovered the plant chewed away by one of YHWH’s smallest and seemingly insignificant creatures, a worm. Jonah was concerned about the vine and YHWH reminds Jonah it’s not about him about the souls living in city of Nineveh. Jonah again had a deep desire to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." YHWH responded to Jonah with the lesson of the vine when He asked him, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" Jonah bitterly remarked, "I do," he said, "I am angry enough to die." Then the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well.” Then the finalized YHWH’s rebuke that ended the discussion when YHWH ask Jonah yet another rhetorical question, “Should I not be concerned about that great city?" The lesson is clear, Jonah a man in self-confidence of one who knew God’ character, (4:2) apparently had grown completely indifferent to the fate of God’s creation outside Israel. He had to let go of the self-centered, egotistical patriotism of being an Israelite and get a proper understanding that God’s love is for the whole world, even if they are the enemies. It’s very evident that the writer wanted to communicated in this narrative that YHWH is indeed compassionate to all mankind, not just Israel. YHWH listens to the heart felt change of repentance of the King of Nineveh and its populous and had compassion on them as he did Jonah when he too was helpless in the belly of death.
Illustration: What is our view of the enemy of our country. Irvin Dervishi a dear friend, whose family won a lottery to be sponsored to America from Albania. My sister sponsored them and I help assimilate them into America culture. Took them to eat their first Dairy Queen Blizzard, taught some basics of pool, taught them some basics things martials arts. My sister was help them with legal things because she knew their language. He entered the military after high school with desires to become a police officers. After 911 he severed in the war. It was his unity that caught Saddam Hussein. A few days later his unit was attacked with RPG and he died on the battle field. His death was difficult to bare. Now every time I see someone from the middle East, I struggle sometimes with not seeing the enemy that killed my friend.
Application: The Ninevites were choose to give up there evil ways, and Jonah was struggling with letting go of his patriotism and prejudices. He didn’t see it as evil (hatred) in his own heart. We don’t see us as bad as we really are. Are we willing to accept and show the Key Center to others. Are afraid to see what’s in our own heart, when we come face to face with a Omniscience God all will be exposed with no excuses. The lesson is clear, Jonah a man in self-confidence of one who knew God’ character, (4:2) apparently had grown completely indifferent to the fate of God’s creation outside Israel. He had to let go of the self-centered, egotistical patriotism of being an Israelite and get a proper understanding that God’s love is for the whole world, even if they are the enemies. Are we any different? Are we willing to extended Key center to others who we don’t think deserve to be saved?
Transition: Jonah couldn’t see pass his hatred, he saw the enemy, he saw judgment and justice and YHWH saw souls that were ready for spiritual harvest and His love extends beyond Jonah’s perspective. What you see, do YHWH as He really is. . . “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 4:2b)
The City Believed 3:4-5
The Prophet Protested 4:1-4
YHHW’s Rebuke 4: 5-11
YHWH as He really is. . . “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 4:2b)
