Sometime God just
doesn’t play the way that we want him to play. Like little children we want to
go off and scurry into our own little corner. We become depressed or even angry
with Him. Yet, this is the same God who shows us mercy and grace on a moment by
moment basis. We look at how He blesses others and miss out on the truth that
He is still blessing us.
In the midst of the
greatest revival ever preached by a mortal man. The prophet becomes angry with
the God of mercy and grace that He would show these attributes to his enemies.
Jonah 4:1 ( ESV )
Ø
But-What a contrast in the midst of God
showering His mercy and grace upon a people. The prophet who had preached the
sermon was angry with God for not destroying their lives. The word for angry
has the idea of too fume or like one word study said, “to be warm with
resentment.”
Jonah 4:2 ( ESV )
2And he prayed to the Lord
and said, “O Lord, is not this
what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to
Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Ø
O Lord-You can almost hear the disappointment in
his voice. (Before we jump him to hard though realize Jonah had heard of these
people and their barbaric acts. He might have feared how that they would one
day destroy Israel. His fears were real. Yet God wanted to pour out His grace
and kindness upon these people.)
Ø
Listen if you are like me, I don’t always get it, or maybe even like what God is doing but in the end it doesn’t matter. Here is
what I do know He does know what He is doing and that His plan is perfect whether I
believe it or not. He really does want to do what is for my good. We as a
people of God cannot be motivated by our fears but hold to the unchanging hand
of God.
Ø
Jonah knew the following things about God and
His character. He is gracious-to bestow good on one who is destitute, with
compassion. God is Merciful-One who loves us with a tender love. He is slow to
anger-One who is long and tardy at showing judgment. What a beautiful truth
this should be to all of us. II
Peter 3:9 This is opposite of how Jonah acted in verse one. God is abounding in His steadfast love- Jonah knew that God’s love would be at full flow, like a
rushing river, swallowing the people of Nineveh whole. He knew that God would hold back His judgment.
Jonah 4:3 ( ESV )
Ø
Therefore-Jonah’s logical conclusion then was
you might as well kill me now. I would rather die then see these people come to
Christ. (Like brought up in the introduction, God if you do not play like I
want you to then I will just take my toys and go back home.) This is also a
lesson on just how far a man will allow his prejudice to take him. Jonah could
not cope with God being willing to reach out to these lost souls.
Ø
Take my life-Jonah was being very theatrical
with God. He could not stand the Assyrians so much that he would rather die.
Contrast his attitude here towards how he had thanked God for saving his life
in chapter two.
Jonah 4:4 ( ESV )
Ø
Angry-Sounds like a similar statement made to
earlier to Cain in Genesis
4:6-7.
Jonah 4:5 ( ESV )
5Jonah 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.
Ø
Sat under-I believe that Jonah was still hoping
that God would destroy his enemies. Possibly thinking that it might still take
place within the 40 day time period.
Jonah 4:6-7 ( ESV )
6Now the Lord God
appointed a plant£ and made
it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from
his discomfort.£ So Jonah
was exceedingly glad because of the plant.
7But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that
attacked the plant, so that it withered.
Ø
Appointed-God still had a lesson to teach his
prophet and try to bring him to his senses about his heart’s attitude as He had
assigned a plant to grow over Jonah to give him a shade and to give him some
form of comfort. God was still showing his abundant love for Jonah as well.
Ø
Plant-Maybe a form of a Castor plant they will
grow about 10-12 feet high and their leaves act as a shade.
Ø
Glad-Sad to hear that Jonah only had joy from
the material rather than the spiritual blessings that were all around him in
changed lives.
Ø
Withered-Just a little worm would take away the
plant and God would bring a message home to Jonah.
Jonah 4:8-9 ( ESV )
8When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the
sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he
might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?”
And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”
Ø
Scorching east wind-A heat that was still and
sultry that scorched everything in its path even the plant that covered Jonah’s
head. (Jonah was willing to let a people whom God had chosen to show his mercy
upon to burn in the very flames of Hell for his own comfort. What would Hell be
like? There is nothing that can compare to it but just this heat upon Jonah was
enough for him to shout out to God. “It is better for me to die than to live.”
What of the souls of men who will face the flames of Hell for eternity? How
much more should we be concerned for their souls?)
)
Ø
Do you well to be angry-Jonah do you have the
right to be angry about what I do and how I do it. (He will show mercy upon who
He wants to show mercy.)
Ø
Not only does Jonah tell God yes, I have the
right to be angry but he says so twice in this sentence. (Yet the truth of the
matter was NO Jonah, you do not have the right to be angry with the God who has
shown His mercy to you time and time again.)
Jonah 4:10-11 ( ESV )
10And the Lord said,
“You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow,
which came into being in a night and perished in a night.
11And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are
more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and
also much cattle?”
Ø
You pity the plant-God had one more final lesson
to share with Jonah about His compassion and how He will do what He wants to
do. Jonah you had a tender regard for a plant that you in no way toiled over or
even had put forth your hand to nurture. Yet I gave these people of Nineveh
life. Yes, this was a mass of humanity that stood before Jonah’s eyes who had cursed
God and acted violently towards their fellow man. They did deserve the very
flames of Hell but our God wanted to show His mercy and compassion on this
fallen race. He has done the very same thing with us. You see here is the hard
truth we are all Ninevites who are in need of the savior. We deserve a God who
will send us straight to Hell with no compassion or mercy but instead He pours
out His love towards us.
Ø
120,000 persons-Are probably referring to those
who were young children who did not even know their left hand from their right.
Ø
Pity-In contrast to Jonah’s pity for the plant.
God has pity on those who know Him not.
Ø
Here are some notes on this last verse that hit
it home. Scofield, “We are more concerned about our material needs than the
destiny of a lost world.” Ryrie, “If Jonah was so justified in being so upset
about the loss of a plant he had nothing to do with was not God just in showing
love and concern for people he had created?”
APPLICATIONS:
1.
DO WE HAVE A COMPASSION FOR THE LOST?
2.
ARE WE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MATERIAL IN OUR
LIVES OR THE SPIRITUAL?
3.
ARE YOU ANGRY WITH GOD AND HIS PLANS FOR YOUR
LIFE?
4.
ARE THERE PREJUDICES IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU NEED
TO DEAL WITH?
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