Some People Just Want to See Others Burn!
Solo song: Peace in the Valley.
Virtually everyone knows the story of Jonah.
God told him to warn the Ninevites.
Jonah refused and went the other way.
Jonah was swallowed by a big fish for 3 days and nights
Jonah prayed and was released
Jonah warned Nineveh and they repented.
Have you ever wondered why Jonah refused to warn the Ninevites and went the other way?
Although the Bible doesn’t say, there appears to be some history between Jonah and Nineveh!
Everyone around Israel hates Israel and maybe they attacked or did some other thing to Israel that Jonah didn’t like?
We don’t know what may have happened but for some reason Jonah had some really hard feelings towards Nineveh!
Have you ever had someone do something to you that was so personal that you could not forgive them?
Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. Isn’t it wonderful to be forgiven! It’s like a big weight has been taken off!
Have you ever had someone who held a grudge against you and no matter how hard you wanted to fix it, they just wouldn’t forgive?
That’s certainly not a good way to be!
Jonah 4:1-4
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah knew God was a gracious merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and one who relents from doing harm. And that made Jonah so mad he wanted to die!
Like, what???
So whatever history there was between Nineveh and Jonah, Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to be forgiven by God. Jonah didn’t want God’s gracious, mercifulness to be shed on Nineveh.
He wanted to see Nineveh BURN! And if he couldn’t have that he wanted to die!
Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to get any of God’s wonderful forgiveness!
Wow, is that any attitude for a man of God to have?
God asks Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
God is dealing with Jonah’s unforgiving heart, and Jonah won’t have any of it, he’d rather die!
Take a lesson from this, don’t be unforgiving like Jonah was! It’s not a good way to be!
Jonah 4:5-8
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
So why was Jonah sitting outside the city off to the east for 40 days?
He was there hoping to see the city of Nineveh be destroyed!!! Wow, Jonah, don’t be that way!
So while Jonah was waiting for Nineveh to be obliterated, it was sunny and hot, and so God made a plant to cover his head, and Jonah was grateful for that.
Then God made a worm eat the plant, and Jonah was suffering back under the sun.
Jonah then wished he would die again!
It’s sort of comical really, seeing God push his buttons, if it weren’t so sad about Jonah’s heart.
Jonah 4:9-11
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
God is dealing with Jonah’s hard heart but Jonah won’t give in.
Have you ever not wanted to give in to stop hating and start loving?
Jonah was more concerned for the little plant than for a big city of Nineveh!
150k who can not tell their right hand from their left are thought to be children.
So if 150k children then add the adults and we’re looking at a town of about 500k, bigger than Garland, TX!
God shows His love to Nineveh even while they are His enemies. Does that ring a bell?
God shows His love to us also even while we were His enemies and sent His son to save us!
Who is God’s goodness for? Just for us or is it also for others?
Jonah wanted God to forgive him and show him goodness and mercy but he wanted to see Nineveh get judgment, fire and brimstone!
Are you like Jonah, wishing bad on others? Yet you yourselves want good from God?
I hope no one here has a heart like Jonah’s that can’t let go of their hate for someone or some people! But as it is said these days, haters gonna hate. Repent!
Someday we will stand before God and He will ask us why we couldn’t let go of our hate and to forgive and find love for those around us?
Do you hate someone today? Don’t do it! Let go of that hate, and embrace forgiveness.
Forgiveness for others is more for you than it is for them.
Imagine how this story should have gone and how Jonah should have behaved.
Let this be a lesson to you, don’t be like that, be good hearted, and love and forgive as God has forgiven you!
How can we who have been forgiven by Jesus, not forgive others!
Don’t say, nope, not gonna do it, then go the other way and get swallowed by a big fish!
I’m guessing it’s not all that fun being vomited up onto a beach. Yuck!
God dealt with Jonah. Do you think that’s odd how God dealt with Jonah? Severe? Harsh?
Do you think it’s odd that Jonah didn’t change after being dealt with?
Do you feel God is dealing with you sometimes?
Hopefully, you’ll change before the dealing gets more and more severe!
Don’t learn from the school of hard knocks, learn from the Bible before the hard knocks are necessary!!!
In the same way, Jesus wants to show you forgiveness for your sins!
Don’t tell him you’re not accepting His forgiveness!
Jesus wants to save you, but it’s up to you to accept His forgiveness.
You can trade hate for love, turmoil for peace, no future for a wonderful future in heaven.
There’s a peace in the valley waiting for you, if you’ll just trust in Jesus!
