Jonah's Great God, part 2

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Jonah 3–4 BSB

1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.” 3 This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey. 4 On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!” 5 And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. 6 When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink. 8 Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them. 1 Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster. 3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” 5 Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city. 6 So the LORD God appointed a vine, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. 7 When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. 8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!” 10 But the LORD said, “You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow. It sprang up in a night and perished in a night. 11 So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”

PRAY

Introduction: The World’s Ideas of Justice and Mercy

I asked the Internet, “What is justice?”

The answer: Justice is a concept that encompasses fairness, equity, and moral righteousness in the treatment of individuals and the resolution of conflicts or disputes within a society. It involves upholding laws and principles that ensure that everyone is treated fairly and that their rights are respected. Justice seeks to promote harmony and balance by addressing wrongs, punishing those who violate laws or harm others, and providing restitution or compensation to victims. It's both a philosophical ideal and a practical goal pursued through legal systems, social norms, and ethical principles.

That definition has a lot of good elements in it. But what’s missing?

It’s missing the basis or foundation of justice.

Who determines what is just and why? Is it a judge, or the government, or society, or each individual person? Is it one person or a group of people that decide what is right and just, or does everyone get to make that choice for themselves?

In a society that has gotten rid of God and the nuisance of absolute truth, there is no solid foundation for defining justice and determining what is right or wrong. Cultural values that are constantly shifting provide a shifting idea of what justice is and looks like.

This is why today we are hearing about such ideas as

Reparations for people of color

Student loan forgiveness

Critical race theory

Trans athletes participating in girls’ sports

Intersectionality, oppressed vs. oppressors

And many other perverted ideas of “social justice”

Many of these ideas of “justice” weren’t around even 10 or 15 years ago. But just wait a few years, and society’s ideas of justice will shift even more.

When rejecting the reality of God and His objective standard of truth, the foundation of justice is gone, and it is redefined according to cultural values instead of the absolute truth of God and His Word.

Then I asked, “What is mercy?”

The answer: Mercy is the compassionate treatment or forgiveness shown toward someone who is in one's power or within one's jurisdiction, especially when they are deserving of punishment or judgment. It involves refraining from inflicting harm or punishment on someone who has offended or wronged, often out of a sense of compassion, leniency, or a desire for reconciliation.

Mercy acknowledges the humanity and fallibility of individuals, recognizing that everyone makes mistakes and deserves a chance for redemption or forgiveness… (the answer went on, but I stop there to address the problem with the world’s ideas of mercy)

In the world’s mind, mercy is something that everyone deserves. Everyone deserves a second chance, they say. Everyone makes mistakes, so we all deserve a chance for redemption or forgiveness.

I hate the word “deserve” by the way, at least the way most Americans use it today - it’s a term that has to do with justice, and yet people use instead in the context of grace or mercy, or gifts or pleasures to express a sense of entitlement - but it’s utterly false. Don’t buy the lie that you deserve anything good.

The only thing you deserve is the wrath of God and His eternal judgment. You don’t deserve mercy. You don’t deserve grace. You don’t deserve a second chance or an opportunity for redemption or forgiveness, either from God or other people. You deserve nothing but the judgment of God for your sin and rebellion.

So please, don’t buy the world’s lie that you deserve any good thing at all (you hear this all the time in commercials - be aware that this is a lie!)

We need definitions of justice and mercy that are grounded in the unshakeable foundation of God’s character and His Word, which reveal to us the goodness of God’s justice and mercy.

God Is Just

Definition of justice:

God’s righteousness means that God always acts in accordance with what is right and is himself the final standard of what is right. (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 243)

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) 11. Righteousness, Justice

As a result of God’s righteousness (or justice), it is necessary that he treat people according to what they deserve. Thus it is necessary that God punish sin, for it does not deserve reward; it is wrong and deserves punishment.

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) 11. Righteousness, Justice

With respect to the definition of righteousness given above, we may ask, what is “right”? In other words, what ought to happen and what ought to be? Here we must respond that whatever conforms to God’s moral character is right. But why is whatever conforms to God’s moral character right? It is right because it conforms to his moral character! If indeed God is the final standard of righteousness, then there can be no standard outside of God by which we measure righteousness or justice. He himself is the final standard.

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) 11. Righteousness, Justice

Whenever Scripture confronts the question of whether God himself is righteous or not, the ultimate answer is always that we as God’s creatures have no right to say that God is unrighteous or unjust. The creature cannot say that of the Creator.

God’s Justice in Jonah

His threat of punishment for Nineveh’s wickedness (Jonah 1:1-2, 3:1-2, 4)

Jonah 1:2 BSB

2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”

Jonah 3:4 BSB

4 On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”

God’s threat of judgment against Nineveh was just, because their sin and rebellion belittle the glory of God and deserve His righteous punishment.

The righteousness of God’s wrath and punishment (Jonah 3:9)

Jonah 3:9 BSB

9 Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”

The Ninevites don’t have the attitude that God owes us mercy, He owes us a second chance.

Rather they plead with God to have mercy and not punish them as they deserve.

They recognize that God is not obligated to show them mercy, but that they deserve His fierce anger; they deserve to perish for their sin.

God’s Justice in Other Scriptures

Consider these verses that exalt the justice of God:

Deuteronomy 32:4 BSB

4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.

Psalm 103:6 BSB

6 The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Unlike human judges who are often corrupt, God judges justly because His judgment is based on truth - He knows all the truth, and He is committed to upholding the truth.

Romans 2:2 BSB

2 And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

Abraham’s question hits the nail on the head.

Genesis 18:25 BSB

25 Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

God’s Justice in Our Lives

God calls us as His people to treat others with justice

Micah 6:8: He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Amos 5:15: Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate.

To help us know what that looks like, Jesus gave us the golden rule: Matt 7:12: In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.

When we ourselves suffer injustice, we are to entrust our lives to the God who judges justly, like Jesus did, rather than seeking revenge. Instead of vengeance, we are to show mercy.

1 Peter 2:23: When they heaped abuse on Him [Jesus], He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. Romans 12:17-21: Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

When justice does not seem to prevail on earth, we can trust that God will ultimately bring justice, even if we don’t get to see it. There is coming a day of reckoning, when everything will be brought to light, and perfect justice will prevail.

Habakkuk 1:4: Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Acts 17:31: For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.

The only refuge from God’s justice is His mercy. We deserve God’s justice - His righteous judgment of our sin. But through Christ, we can have His mercy instead:

Romans 3:23-26: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God’s justice is upheld as it fell on Christ instead of us, and His mercy is displayed as we by faith receive His gift of salvation.

God Is Merciful and Gracious

Definition:

God’s mercy means God’s goodness toward those in misery and distress. (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 239.)

Mercy is especially directed toward those in difficult circumstances or severe need. The words “compassion” or “pity” are often related to mercy

God’s grace is His unmerited favor, kindness, or help.

God’s grace isn’t just His special gift in salvation, but anytime He shows us His favor or kindness and we don’t deserve it.

Both Mercy and Grace are related to God’s goodness and kindness and His desire to help people in need. These words are often used together in Scripture.

God’s Mercy and Grace in Jonah

To the sailors - He preserved their lives and drew them to Himself

To the people of Nineveh - He did not pour out on them the judgment they deserved

To Jonah - He rescued him from a watery grave and patiently taught him

Jonah 4:2 BSB

2 So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.

Jonah 4:11 BSB

11 So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”

God is “gracious and compassionate” and He cares about not only the people of Nineveh who were living in spiritual darkness, but also the animals that would die if justice came to Nineveh.

God’s Mercy and Grace in Other Scriptures

Exodus 34:6 BSB

6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,

Psalm 145:8–9 BSB

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion. 9 The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.

Ephesians 2:4–7 BSB

4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God’s Mercy and Grace in Our Lives

God’s care and protection of us every day are evidence of His mercy and grace toward us. God provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, and He takes care of us too. (Matthew 6:25-32)

Most clearly, He demonstrated His mercy and grace in the gospel, sending His Son Jesus to take away our sins so that we could be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with Him. (Eph 2:4-10, Titus 3:4-7)

Give thanks for God’s mercy and grace

Extend God’s mercy and grace to others - have compassion on those in need - be generous, help people when you can, tell them of God’s mercy and grace available for them in Christ.

Extend God’s mercy and grace to His creation - even in the way you treat animals, plants, or other things that God entrusts to you, you can demonstrate His mercy and kindness, just as He does here in Jonah.

Summary:

God reveals His character to us in this book:

God is Just

God is Merciful

(last week)

God is Present

God is Sovereign

Application

Meditate on the character of God

Trust that God is who He says He is

And if you haven’t already, receive His mercy.