Intro: All of us want to know that others are concerned about us. When people don’t appear to be concerned about our pain and problems we think they don’t care. What God is telling Jonah today is that He is concerned about all His creation. God is especially concerned about those outside His covenant family in need of grace. God is taking Jonah and the church to the school of grace. Jonah is so concerned with himself that He is blind to God’s concern for a city about to be destroyed in judgment. God’s heart and our mission are clearly seen.
I. Jonah’s heart for himself
A) Jonah’s pride and prejudice
I knew it I knew it I knew it. I knew you weren’t going to do what I wanted God! This is why I tried to run away in the first place, Jonah complained. Talk about your tantrums.
We are much like Jonah. When God does things that we don’t agree with or that are contrary to our selfish ideal we throw a fit. Jonah was trying to tell God, “You know that getting rid of Nineveh would be best for your plan Lord!
If it weren’t just like us we would have to laugh. This is your country God and destroy the Muslims must be your plan. It can’t be your plan for socialism to rise its ugly head in America can it? Are you even paying attention God?
Jonah is really worrying about his reputation rather than God’s. 2 Kings 14:25 Jonah got some street cred with his Jewish brothers. If God gives grace to the Ninevties his reputation will be ruined. So much like us Jonah goes melodramatic just kill me God!
Jonah is missing out on the joy of what God is doing because of his self-centeredness. His anger and pride have blinded Him to the amazing miracle of grace that God is doing. I mean how many preachers would puff out their chests and say, “God sent me to Little Rock to preach and man I rang the bell 120,000 people responded.”
When we can’t see beyond our selves we become blind and bitter. You will miss what God is doing in the food pantry if you are only concerned with you. You will miss what God does at Immanuel and all around you if you are only concerned with you. God wasn’t just concerned with Jonah and Israel He was concerned with His entire creation. This is challenging Jonah’s theology and worldview.
B) Jonah’s displeasure and discomfort
The word translated displeasure comes from the Hebrew word evil or calamity. It was a disaster to Jonah that God was granting grace to Nineveh. This same word is translated evil when talking about the Ninevites in 1:2, 3:8. Jonah’s attitudes were just as evil in God’s eyes as were the Ninevite’s actions. We must guard against a self-righteousness that makes us think we are better than anyone. Jesus clearly told us take the log out of your eye before you deal with the speck in someone else’s.
If we look closely we find that it was Jonah’s personal discomfort that really made his temper flare.
Jonah 4.6 This is the one and only time in this book that we see Jonah pleased. Jonah is only happy when he gets what he wants.
What is the biggest problem with being pleased with the plant instead of the plant giver? The plant does not remain. If you continue to base your attitude on what will not last you will continue to be moved about on an emotional roller coaster. God was trying to show Jonah and us that He is the one who provides. God never invited us to a life of comfort instead he invites us to be comforted! John 15:26 basically says that when the comforter comes He will tell about me. The point of being comforted is to tell of God’s grace. Jonah missed the point. The fish was prepared for him so He could tell of God’s comfort and grace. Do we miss the point?
II. God’s heart for others
A) God’s searching question(s)
4.4 “The Lord asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
God asks the moral question. Is it right Jonah? We are far better than Jonah. We don’t get mad at God we get mad at people that God created. That makes us feel less guilty and more mature. I have every right to be mad we say. How does God answer us? “Is it right to be angry?”
4.9 “Then God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
God is the master of setting us up to see our own pride and sinfulness. Is it right for you to be angry about a plant? You didn’t plant it or make it grow. The plant is temporary. What we get angry about is often temporal and won’t last. The way someone talked to us, a decision we were not involved in. Anger is the root of danger. What dangers are inherent in allowing anger to control us?
1) Blow up
Proverbs 29:11 “A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back. The Holy Spirit will help us hold back inappropriate attitudes. All anger is not sinful. It is when anger leads away from God’s heart of compassion that it is sinful and hurtful.
2) Seal up
It is just as dangerous to put our anger inside. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to put away our anger. If you are bitter and malicious toward someone that is a desire for them to be judged or come to harm. This is what Jonah wanted to happen to Nineveh. God is trying to get Jonah to deal with this bitterness. If your prayer doesn’t lead you to forgive and release your bitterness then you are only talking at God instead of to Him.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26 “If you become angry, do not let your
anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.” GNT
The solution to anger is not blow up or seal up it is look up. Deal with it with God so you can be disciplined to deal with it with others.
4.11 “Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people[c] who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”
Depending on who you read there were between 120,000 and 600,000 people in Nineveh. The 120,000 could be a Hebrew Idiom to speak of children or it could be 600,000 people that are ignorant of their culture of violent injustice to others.
God is concerned about them. He says Jonah you were concerned about a plant but have no concern for all these people. Jonah says Nope! We must be careful to guard against our prejudices and judgmental attitudes. They can easily blind us to opportunities to share grace!
God’s implied answer and ours is yes! We should care about all the people in the city.
B) God’s scorching education (Jonah 4:5-8)
We seek to protect ourselves from catastrophe, trouble and trial. What we find is that troubles and trials are used to teach us.
Clearly God was manipulating Jonah's circumstances to teach him something. He uses large things such as the fish, and small things like the worm. In order to see God’s heart of compassion he can use our health, our home, our so called security. God will use whatever it takes in order to educate us about His will and ways.
C) Our specific obligation
1) God’s promise to write on our hearts
Jeremiah 31.33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days"--the LORD's declaration. "I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
What is God’s law? Matthew 22:40 All the law depends on loving God and your neighbor. Are we letting God write His words and ways on us?
2) God’s power to witness His care
God called Jonah to Nineveh to carry a specific message of special mercy. God has given a similar message to us. Carry the message of God’s care and compassion to Carlisle. This is not about us. We often are like Jonah in that we worry too much about our reputations. If we are concerned about God’s then we take His message to wherever He sends no matter how hard or uncomfortable it may be. Acts 1:8 His power is given to us to proclaim His message. Are we obediently telling others about God’s passion for them?
Conclusion: What does God want the school of grace to teach us?
1) Have you realized that to God you are worth pursuing?
2) Have you realized that to God your worst enemy is worth pursuing?
3) Church have you realized our mission is not comfort?
4) Church have you realized God is concerned about everyone even the people you don’t like?
5) God’s compassion isn’t limited to our understanding
6) God wants Immanuel to Love the city of Carlisle and live as Light
7) God wants us to default to concern and grace rather than judgment and anger
