When God saw what they [Nineveh] did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.
- Jonah 3:10
JONAH’S
RESPONSE
Jonah 4
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
- Jonah 4:1
There seems to be a point in which the scope of God’s grace becomes repugnant to us…
when it includes people WE DON’T CARE FOR
So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.
- Jonah 4:2
Exodus 34:6-7a
MERCIFUL
GRACIOUS
SLOW TO ANGER
STEADFAST LOVE
ABOUNDING IN TRUTH
You are eager to turn back from destroying people!
- Jonah 4:2b
Jonah did not run away out of fear of the Ninevites but rather the fear that God would offer the Ninevites His grace.
Jonah’s problem was that he could not see past the disdain he had for his enemies
WHO ARE
”THOSE PEOPLE”
TO YOU?
“Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
- Jonah 4:3
Are we guilty of thinking that our lives are only worth living if GOD’S will falls
in line with OURS?
The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
- Jonah 4:4
We are not in control of what happens in life but we are in control of how we respond
Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.
-Jonah 4:5
GOD’S
OBJECT LESSON
JONAH 4:6-9
And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
- Jonah 4:6
castor oil plant
“qiqayon” (kee-kaw-yone’)
derivative of Egyptian ”kiki”
This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
- Jonah 4:6b
Sometimes we mistake God’s mercy for His approval of what we are doing.
But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.
- Jonah 4:7
Crimson
or Scarlet worm
And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
- Jonah 4:8
A rise in temperature can bake out the unfinished part of the thing being baked
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
- Jonah 4:9
THINGS GOD ”ARRANGED” IN JONAH’S STORY
A GREAT STORM
GREAT FISH
A SECOND CHANCE
A PLANT FOR SHADE
A WORM
A SCORCHING WIND
Rather than softening his heart, Jonah stubbornly prefers death
God is “arranging” events in our lives to challenge us, refine us, and to bring our hearts into unity with His
Then the Lord said, “You feel compassion about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel compassion for such a great city?”
- Jonah 4:10-11
It hurt Jonah that a plant perished, but he was unconcerned about a city of souls
“Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could just see things from
MY PERSPECTIVE?”
Like Jonah, we don’t want to live in a world without justice, but we also don’t want to live in world without compassion
GOD IS ABOUT BRINGING HIS LIGHT AND MERCY INTO THE DARKNESS
This is NOT the story of Nineveh
Jonah’s story ends
hanging on the ledge
of unmerciful bigotry
This is NOT the story of Nineveh
It is also NOT just the story of Jonah
God has ”arranged” us around “those people” for good reason
What will we do with the calling we’ve been given?