WHAT KIND OF GOD WE HAVE JONAH 4:
I. JEHOVAH'S ATTRIBUTES v.2 for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
I. The Grace Of God. v 2 for I knew that thou art a gracious God Seen In HIS CONSIDERATION "to be gracious, considerate; to show favor." 2. The Mercy Of God. v 2 and merciful Seen In HIS COMPASSION "to have compassion, be merciful, pity." Isa. 54:7-8. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. Ps 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3. The Patience Of God. v 2 slow to anger Seen In HIS CONTROL Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4. The Kindness Of God. v 2 of great kindness Seen In HIS CONCERN ". . . abundant in lovingkindness. . . " Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 5. The Pardon Of God. v 2 and repentest thee of the evil. Seen In HIS CLEMENCY ". . and repentest thee of the evil.
II. JONAH'S ANGER 4:1-5 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. A. V. 1 The Prophet's Rage - The phrase "very angry" means that Jonah "burned with anger". 1. His Reputation One of the marks of a true prophet was that his prophecies always came true, Deut. 18:20-22. Jonah had said that the Ninevites would be overthrown, Jonah 3:4. If this did not happen, then Jonah would be looked upon as a false prophet. 2. His Representation His fellow Jews would be angry with him for preaching a message that brought salvation to their enemies. They might see him as a traitor. 3. His Repudiation Jonah hated the people of Nineveh! Nothing would have pleased him more than seeing them all destroyed by God!
B. The Prophet's Resentment - V. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
Jonah tells the Lord that this is what he knew would happen. This is why he ran away in the first place.
C. The Prophet's Request - V. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
Moses and Elijah both prayed for the same thing, Num. 11:15; And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
1 Kings 19:4. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
D. The Prophet's Resolve - V. 4-5 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
III JUDGEMENT'S ANSWER V. 6 - 11
1. A Lesson In The . . Devotion Of The Lord. v 6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
A. The . . Preparation In The Lord's Devotion. v 6a And the LORD God prepared a gourd
B. The . . Pity In The Lord's Devotion. v 6b , that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his grief
C. The . . Profit From The Lord's Devotion. v 6b So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
I. GOD IS IN OUR COMFORTS: "God prepared a gourd." "'Tis God that Hits our comforts high,Or sinks them in the grave; He gives, and blessed be his name! He takes but what he gave."
2. A Lesson In The . . Discipline Of The Lord. Vs 7-8 a
A. Discipline Through A Prepared Worm. v 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
II. GOD IS IN OUR CROSSES But God prepared a worm 2 Cor. Ch 12 v 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. B. Discipline Through A Prepared Wind. v 8 a And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
III. GOD IS IN OUR CHALLENGES. God prepared a vehement east wind; Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
3. A Lesson In The . . Deliberation Of The Lord. v. 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
IV. GOD IS IN OUR CORRECTIONS.
A. Deliberation In . . Listening to Yourself. v 8 that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
B. Deliberation In . . Learning From the The Lord. v 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Isa 55:8-9 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
4. A Lesson In The . . Declaration Of The Lord. Vs 10-11 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? Note :- (a) The Lord's Rebuke Thou hast had pity on the gourd It Is :- Trivial for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; Temporary Transient which came up in a night, and perished in a night: Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (b) The Lord's Response 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city John 3 v.16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (c) The Lord's Revelation v.11 wherein are more than sixscore (120) thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
