A Lesson in Mercy and Judgment

Notes for sermon:

1. Jonah’s Accusation vs. God, vs. 1-3

But - points back to Jonah 3:10 — a contrast. Unfortunate chapter break in that verse 1 continues the action of Chapter 3.

“greatly displeased” - Jonah viewed these preceding events as being gravely unjust, even evil in his perception of what has happened. We have no idea of the criteria Jonah is using to make such a judgment; Jonah has a real problem with the situation as it is — more specifically, the LORD’s actions in relenting and not executing judgment upon Nineveh.

“he became angry” - He may view his anger as righteous indignation; his conviction has run up against the LORD’s actions. In his mind, the LORD ‘s actions are to be condemned and it makes Jonah furious.

Note: “Jonah and Nineveh have actually exchanged roles.” [Wolff]. Nineveh was the one at odds with the LORD, but now it is Jonah, trying to take the Lord’s place in judging what is “wicked.” He even dares to label the LORD’s actions as “gravely unjust.”

vs. 2 - Here is another prayer of Jonah’s, which displays his self-righteous arrogance as he speaks to the LORD with an air of condemnation. Even though translated in the NASB as a question, it should more probably be read as a statement. Jonah is affirming quite strongly, with the interjection, “AH, LORD!” the truthfulness of what he says here.

Here in this verse, Jonah’s own words reveal his motivation and condemn him. He knows exactly who the LORD is, and decides that he does not want the LORD to be the God that He is. Jonah’s actions in chapter 1 are to forestall the LORD. It didn’t work; after all, how does one forestall a sovereign God??

When you seek to justify bad behavior by blaming God, that never goes well!

We don’t know what Jonah’s motivations are. The one thing Jonah has going for him: his orthodox theology. But it is exactly what is causing his problems. He knows who the LORD is and how He relates to people; Exodus 34:6

Exodus 34:6 NASB95

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;

Nehemiah 9:17 NASB95

“They refused to listen, And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them.

Psalm 86:15 NASB95

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

Joel 2:13 NASB95

And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.

But as regarding the people of Nineveh, he not only doesn’t like the situation--Jonah actually wants the LORD to act contrary to His character/nature.

What a contrast to the king of chapter 3. The king knows nothing of the LORD, only a threat of impending doom, and he responds, hoping the Lord will respond. Jonah knows a lot about the LORD, but yet his response is the completely wrong response.

vs. 3 - Here is satiric irony: Jonah, showing himself unable to handle the LORD’s mercy to Nineveh, asks the Lord to have mercy on him … by killing him!

Yet in comparison to Elijah and Moses, Jonah had nothing to complain about and should have been rejoicing instead of lamenting over the success of his prophecy.

Jonah would no longer be a part of such a world where the LORD’s actions do not fit his theological grid of right and wrong.

2. God’s Lesson for Jonah, vs. 4-11.

A. God Questions Jonah’s Reasoning, vs. 4-5.

v.4 -here is a probing question, to force Jonah to evaluate his anger. The LORD. It is Jonah’s response to the perceived injustice of the act that the LORD wants to discuss with Jonah. The real problem is Jonah’s relationship to the LORD.

The LORD is the only one who has a good reason to be angry. But the LORD’s question here is not seeking an answer — the LORD already knows the answer! In response to Jonah’s plea for death, the tone is probably more satirical or incredulous.

v. 5 - Jonah left the city, so what did he do in the city while the Ninevites fasted and mourned? Was he helpful, pointing out how to respond to the LORD? This is doubtful. Given Jonah’s character throughout this book, it is more likely that he stood around as a passive witness to the people taking it on themselves to fast and mourn.

He sits down and waits east of the city, maybe still holding out hope that something will happen.

He provides himself a shelter, giving him some relief from the sun yet provides no real protection, and is never mentioned again.

The word for shelter is sukkah, which was common in Israel’s history and its main use in the OT was for the Festival of Booths, as a reminder of divine protection. It was not a permanent structure, for temporary use and would not hold up for long to the east wind our provide satisfying shade. This is where the object lesson comes in.

B. Object Lesson: Mercy and Judgment, vs. 6-8.

One scholar, John Walton, suggests that the sukkah booth represents Nineveh. It suggests that their repentance was “shallow and naive,” yet still “a positive step in the right direction.” the shelter and Nineveh’s actions are insufficient on their own.

v. 6 — The plant God provided is more than a simple plant, it is the first step in the object lesson.

The LORD shows mercy to Jonah, not by killing him, but by showing him mercy on his physical condition.

The LORD God appointed a plant - Each time the LORD appoints something in this book, it is an act of mercy toward Jonah.

The LORD’s mercy in providing the plant for Jonah corresponds to to the mercy of the LORD relenting judgment over Nineveh; both are undeserved acts of mercy. Jonah has been placed in the position of Nineveh, the recipient of undeserved mercy in this object lesson.

To point this out even more, the narrator switches to the LORD God rather than simply the LORD. This introduces verses 7-9, which the writer will use the generic term of a deity, the same term used throughout the story of the Ninevites, who were not in a covenant relationship with the LORD.

The plant suggests that the shelter was not sufficient; likewise the fasting and mourning of Nineveh was not sufficient but the LORD gave mercy in relenting concerning judgment.

Jonah’s response: he is exceedingly happy about the plant. Jonah is a paradox, both angry that Nineveh has not been destroyed yet exceedingly happy that the LORD has made him comfortable by giving him a plant.

v. 7 — the plant given is now destroyed by a worm appointed by God. In less than a day, God, who has shown mercy, has now removed it and shows judgment.

This is a planned attack on the plant to force Jonah to interact with the LORD. Jonah is now uncomfortable physically, his physical condition matching his mental/spiritual condition.

v. 8 - When the sun came up, God appointed another to continue the object lesson: a scorching east wind. the east wind is a tool used by the LORD to bring judgment Hosea 13:15

Hosea 13:15 NASB95

Though he flourishes among the reeds, An east wind will come, The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will become dry And his spring will be dried up; It will plunder his treasury of every precious article.

Jonah’s response: he fainted. Jonah’s emotional and spiritual turmoil is now mirrored in his physical condition.

In cp. 1, Jonah’s desire to die is seen as a way to avoid repenting and obeying the LORD. In cp. 4:3 Jonah petitions the LORD for death because he is so angry that the LORD gave mercy when Jonah wanted Him to give judgment. Now his longing to die is exacerbated by physical agony, added to his emotional and spiritual agony. Jonah believes everything will be better if he dies.

C. God’s Nature Explained, vs. 9-11.

v. 9 — Now God asks the question again, arguing from the lesser (the plant) to the greater (the LORD’s compassion) as a teaching tool:

Obadiah and Jonah Commentary

Earlier, Jonah was indignant because Yahweh took pity on Nineveh. Now it is self-pity that incites his indignation. By showing Jonah as ready to die because there is no more shade, the satirist exposes the fact that his first expression of unwillingness was also deeply rooted in self-pity, not in genuine concern about the validity of God’s word and his justice. Earlier he was asked whether “he did right to be angry” in the face of God’s goodness towards the city of Nineveh; he is now asked the same question, in the context of God’s destruction of what had given him personal pleasure.

It achieves its purpose. Jonah talks to the LORD. But his response does not recognize that the question is really not about the plant, but about himself. He affirms his anger over the plant, just as David’s anger responding to the prophet Nathan’s parable opened the door to get David to realize his own sin. Now the next step is to make the connection between the plant and Nineveh.

v. 10 — “compassion” (NASB) or “pity” - this word can also be described as meaning being troubled about something. Genesis 45:20 illustrates this use of the word:

Genesis 45:20 NASB95

‘Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

Jonah is not moved by compassion or pity on the plant, but by his pain. That loss of the plant, which he had nothing to do with, has affected him just as the people in Genesis were moved by the loss of their possessions. He is troubled only because he is suffering—he cares nothing for the plant.

v. 11 — Now the LORD compares the plant to Nineveh, the great city, with more than 120,000 people, bearers of the image of God, who “do not know their right hands from their left” (an idiom used to show the Ninevites cannot distinguish how to follow the LORD’s commands), their inability must refer to their moral ignorance. On top of these, there are all those innocent animals.

Where the type of plant was never revealed in the text, but remains just a plant, Nineveh is not a nameless and faceless city, but a place full of faces and names.

Traditionally, this verse has been interpreted as an open ended question, leaving us to answer the LORD’s question ourselves. It also makes it possible to be read as a rhetorical (sarcastic) statement.

But another possibility is to read it as a simple declarative statement, which would render the Hebrew as the LORD affirming that He will not have compassion on Nineveh in the future.

The point is that the LORD is both a God of mercy as well as judgment. He is the one who decides when and where mercy and judgment will be given. Jonah must let the LORD be the LORD. He must not dictate to whom or when the LORD shows mercy, nor when He shows judgment. Man cannot limit the LORD’s will

Our God is full of compassion and mercy, not willing that any should perish, but is also full of righteousness, holiness and justice, who will not let the guilty go unpunished.