Jonah 4

The Assyrian Empire and their Warfare

Military might was a central part of this people of Nineveh

All men had to serve in the military | 3 yr cycle | build/war/home repeat

One of the first to use psychological warfare

had tablets created illustrating their torture procedures

skinned alive, blinding, imp-ailing / draped their skins over the walls / piles of heads outside the city gates

Chance to surrender or eat own excrement

ears/nose/lips cut off

wear a necklace of heads

slavery

Advanced seige weapons - invented battering ram

complete obliteration - killing not enough

Even the assyrians themselves experienced PTSD because of their warfare

Jonah 4 (ESV)

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.

2 And 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.

3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

5 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.

6 Now 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.

7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.

8 When 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.”

9 But 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.”

10 And 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.

11 And 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?”

Parables

Matt 18.21-35 = Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Lk 15 = Parable of the Lost Sheep / Lost Coin / Prodigal Son

Helping Verses

Rom 5.8 “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 Co 6.11 “11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Do you have a Biblical framework of God?

who do you say that I am

communicable and incommunicable attributes of God

Gods love does not negate Gods justice

if you do not have a biblical framework for who god is then you do not have the God of the Bible.

Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?

the sailors knew God / the Ninevites knew God / Jonah knew God

you know God that is good even demons know God

you cannot fully know the God of the Bible outside of Christ.

Do you trust the Lord?

Look at all that God appointed

even in the midst of active disobedience there is mercy and grace

we do not want immediate justice for ourselves we want mercy

do you have a biblical framework of forgiveness?

Do you have a Nineveh in your life?

we say love the sinner hate the sin but do we do that

we often care more about our smart phones then we do the lost

are you seeking to respond as Christ or as Jonah

Beware the growth of the self-righteous vine rather pray that God will graciously appoint spiritual worms to reveal to us our true condition before a Holy God.

CLOSE

Unforgiving Servant

Matthew 18:21–35 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11–32 ESV

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

GROUP QUESTIONS

What are some things over which you have been extremely angry only later to find out you were wrong about injustice being committed toward you?

What was driving your original perspective on the situation? What later information helped you to think differently?

When have you been angry with the Lord about unfulfilled dreams or missed expectations? What was your original hope that went unfulfilled?

Why was that expectation so significant to you at that period of your life?

When have you failed to express righteous anger—moral outrage or a cry for justice—over an occupational, familial, communal, or church issue, realizing in hindsight you should have made your voice known?

Why is it sometimes difficult to express righteous anger when there has been a social miscue but easy to express unrighteous anger over mild discomforts?

What truths about Christ do we need to embrace in order to grow in rightly expressing anger?

Name a recent experience in which you rejoiced in the Lord’s grace, mercy, or patience toward you. Why did you need such grace, mercy, or patience? How did you feel about the Lord when you had this experience?

Almost every sovereign country has another nation of people that identifies itself as enemies. Think of an enemy of our home country. What are your feelings toward the people of that nation as a whole? How would you feel about a member of that nation moving next door to you, marrying your child, or becoming an elected official in your municipality? What does Jonah teach you about how you might view tolerance toward such nations and peoples as a follower of Christ?

What has been your response to people within your congregation who have experienced long-term despair or maybe even suicidal thoughts? What sort of practical, faithful, compassionate acts might turn them from their despair? What acts from Christian friends have been most helpful to your moments of greatest despair?

Consider the following verses in Jonah: 1:17; 4:6, 7, 8. These verses reveal the Lord “appointed” an event four times. What attributes of God do such events reveal? In what realms of the created order does God reveal these attributes in Jonah?

Consider again Jonah 4:6, 7, 8. Is it normal for the Lord to appoint events and causes of natural “evil,” such as the hurling of the violent wind (1:4), the scorching wind, and devouring of the plant? How should one view events of natural evil within the will of the Creator? (See also Job 5:9–10; 28:26; Isa 45:7; 50:2; Nah 1:3–5; Mark 4:39–41.)