Following God (7)

And it’s pretty interesting and to be honest, kinda ironic, that the turning of God’s anger on Nineveh would spark the anger of Jonah’s. One chapter closes with a holy God appeased… and the next chapter opens with a unrighteous man un-appeased and full of wrath.

1. Anger’s Motivation

- It didn’t end the way Jonah wanted, Nineveh’s destruction.

The obvious answer is that God did not destroy the city of Nineveh as Jonah thought he would.

by the way who was Jonah directing his anger towards. Who was he angry at. God. This isn’t a righteous anger which is a questioning anger like what we see in the Psalms. This isn’t an angry heart of desperation/confusion directed toward God. This is an intense anger at God for sparring the cruel and wicked oppressors of Israel

- It made him look bad.

This was new to me in reading the narrative of Jonah but consider how it might might make him look bad?

How would his nation view him (traitor, a failed prophet, a pretender),

How would Nineveh view him. They were told that in 40 days there destruction would come, it never did. Did that then discredit Jonah’s words and make him look like a fool, these are all things he’s having to certainly deal with. It’s not explicity mentioned in the Bible so we can’t take this as absolute truth but it is certainly understandable and relatable. When our pride is shot, when we are made to look like fools, what is usually one of our own human responses. To lash out, get extremely angry. So it Jonah’s response follows in like manner.

And if this is the case, that his messaged looked false, how would Jonah then view God who was the giver of the message.

- It contended with his understanding of God and as a result shook his faith in God.

Jonah knew, memorized, committed his life to to the scriptures to and the revelation of God found within its pages. His normal teaching would have given much time to understanding the character of God. This teaching certainly would have included one of the most crucial texts they had about who God says he is.

Exodus 34:6–7 ESV

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

He would have certainly preached this to Israel and lived by it. These divine attributes were seen several times in Israel’s history to save them from destruction. Now in this instance, Jonah is using these very words as an angry complaint that God could not be counted on to punish those who deserve it.

Wendy Widder another scholar in Biblical studies from the Logos software said that it is quite possible that Jonah felt that there was regrettable weaknesses in the divine make-up.

Others in the app also agreed that Jonah’s anger at God was likely having to do with his reversal of the divine message. And it would appear to Jonah that God is contradicting Himself. So the prophet feels betrayed and has lost confidence in God, questioning his “character and capacity for Justice.”

But what was really wrong. God apparent change of character.

Class.... does God change His character????? By now we should well know the answer to this.

If we are ever confronted with seeming thoughts of confusion about God. Know it is never the fault of God but of our own human limitations and sin that mess up our understanding of God. If you are struggling with what God is doing and it doesn’t line up with YOUR CURRENT understanding of God. That should be a very obvious sign that either sin is influencing your thoughts of God or you are still unlearned and need more doses of the Word of God because God is not at fault in any way.

Yet in all of this Jonah did know that God would forgive. He was certain of this. In fact, he even tells God exactly that. He tells God in a very mean spirited prayer that this was the exact reason he never wanted to go to Nineveh in the first place.

Jonah 4:2 ESV

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.

Jonah reveals not only his motivation for anger but also his motivation for disobeying God’s commands in the very beginning.

Not because he feared for his life, not because he didn’t want to leave Israel, not even because God had never asked another prophet to do something like this before, it all had to do with what He knew of God. He knew that God is gracious and that God would spare this city and Jonah would have nothing to do with it.

By the way, you know what this proves to me and to all of us.... good theology doesn’t always mean right living.

We say it all the time, your theology determines your practice. But it doesn’t mean it always will.

I’ve known people who have doctorates in theology and their lives don’t exemplify Christ like living.

Jonah had good theology. He knew of God’s grace, mercy, steadfast love, and His slowness to anger, and He knew that God would even offer it to Gentile nations. So He didn’t miss the texts and the promises God made even to the nations outside of Israel, he just didn’t want any part of it because it contended with what He wanted of God.

2. Anger’s Conclusion

Where did Jonah’s anger take him? We will see that in both places, where God questions Jonah’s anger, both for not destroying Nineveh and also for destroying the plant, where did Jonah’s angry finally land him? What did he conclude was the only course of action left for him?

Jonah 4:3–4 ESV

Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah 4:8–9 ESV

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.” 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.”

I want you again to see Jonah’s good theology. Where do we see it here? Notice that Jonah doesn’t try to end his own life! You could almost in these pages here him “say been, there, done that”, “Tried it and failed.” So when He recognizes he can’t do it, He turns to the one he knows can. So what does Jonah do, begs God to take his life.

What is Jonah actually recognizing here. God’s sovereignty. He knew that God was the one preserving his life whether he wanted to or not, and God was the only one that could take his life. He just preached the most offensive and brutally honest message to the whole city of Nineveh and walked out completely unharmed as far as we can tell. Does that not speak to God’s sovereignty. Jonah knew that. That’s good theology .... but it’s lacking.

He recognized and accepted God’s sovereignty (absolute control) over his own life but he wasn’t willing to recognize or accept God’s sovereignty (absolute control) over what happened to Nineveh. Just like God’s grace, Jonah’s view of God’s sovereignty should only be limited to what Jonah deems worthy. You can literally hear the child-like Jonah saying.... BUT GOD.... don’t you understand who you are dealing with. Don’t you know what they’ve done.

Good theology with bad heart motives can be a really bad combination. Satan used good theology with bad heart motives to tempt Jesus, the demons have good theology as we have said before but they certainly don’t use it for good. And we can do the same. We can weaponize the Bible and twist what appears to be good theology into mere words that we use to gain power and control over others. Good theology might know a thing or two about the Bible, but great theology comes when we live the Bible.

B. His Destructive Mind

What destructive mindset was Jonah so bent on that he made his way up to the hillside to watch the events unfold..... Vengeance

We will see that played out in verse 5

Jonah 4:5 ESV

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.

This verse might sound odd to you and it should. If in verses 1-4 of Jonah chapter 4 Jonah had already concluded that God was going to spare the city of Nineveh, why then did Jonah go out of the city to wait and see what would become of the city? Wasn’t it already clear what God was going to do? Isn’t that why Jonah was sooo angry?

Two explanations emerge.

1. There is a growing amount of scholars who believe that these verses (5-11) are flashbacks that happened right after Jonah finished preaching in Nineveh. Douglas Stuart who writes a commentary found in our version of Logos study software makes these arguments. He suggest that “the city” is mentioned three times in Jonah 4:5 “to draw the reader back in time to the point where Jonah had just left the city itself, before he could know for certain the outcome of his warning.” Verses 5-11 are placed at the end of the book instead of chronologically after Jonah 3:9 to provide a “concluding challenge to the hearer/reader.”There are many other commentators even in Logos that agree with this line of thinking. I though do not share this thought.

2. I believe this was written chronologically as the rest of the book is. Further, in verse 11, God’s actions of pity suggest that He (God) had already taken pity on the Ninevites and that the conclusion of the 40 days of repentance were already up and God’s work of repentance was accomplished and done. No need for judgement. And Jonah was aware of God’s choice to spare the city before he and God went back and forth. The vast major of commentators agree as well with this way of interpretation.

So if this can be seen as chronological, then why on earth did Jonah go outside the city and literally wait for God to destroy it. It is my belief that Jonah’s angry heart of revenge caused him to think very incorrectly of God once again. Somehow Jonah believes, in his anger, that Yahweh (the Jewish name of God) would change His mind and would wipeout the city. We miss this point often when we consider this narrative but Jonah goes outside the city and does what. Jonah 4:5

Jonah 4:5 ESV

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.

He made a booth… I like to think of it like him crafting a recyliner. And what was he so determined to sit back and watch. The destruction of the city. He craved it. His mind was so bent on revenge because his hatred towards his enemies was sooooo strong. We might look at him as a fool in this story, but can anyone of us really blame him without ourselves being at fault.

When someone is so intentionally cruel to us… what do we want for them. To get their just dessert.

That’s human nature at it’s finest. Revenge. It’s a big seller at the box office btw. Gladiator, Patriot, Taken, Count of Monte Cristo, Braveheart… all of these are regarded as the best of the best when it comes to movie viewing… and what is the biggest theme in these.... Revenge.... justifiable revenge. That bad guys finally get what was coming to them at the hands of those they violated and destroyed. This is extremely appealing to us.

How many of us have ever been in a toxic environment. Maybe it’s a job where the boss or a fellow coworker constantly berates you and makes you suffer. Maybe its a family member that seems determined to make your life miserable. Always bringing up past mistakes, always making you look like a fool, always causing your life headaches. Maybe it’s an acquaintance who constantly uses you and when you not around, spreads gossip about you that is simply not true. We may never say it out loud, but I’m certain most of you feel it. In true Jonah fashion, you and I in our human depravity would be setting up your booth as well to watch and wish for their destruction. Celebrating their demise rather than wish and pray for their repentance and change. “It’s only fitting they get what they deserve. Nothing else seems right.”

Be careful where that line of thinking takes you, dear christian. Consider your own life and where you came from and what you also deserve.

I can be honest though and share that my feelings are just as well sinful and wrong. Hoping rather for people’s downfall rather than their restoration. I’ve been part of churches, not this one, that have hurt me badly. Seems I was always the target of their insults. Always placing the blame on me. Verbally out loud told by the pastor that was hired after me that he would have “hired someone else than me”.... “but it is what it is.” That wasn’t a joke either. They things he preached and the things he valued showed what he really wanted. I was never apart of that plan. It’s hard looking back at those places and wishing for their restoration. I don’t look back fondly on those places or those people. I shudder even considering going back their. And there are many times I have to confess that I wish that place would just disappear, it would just fall apart. That the church would just close down. But that mentality is one of a human and sinful and destructive mindset, so counter to the mind of Christ.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But for us to condemn Jonah is no different than for Jonah to condemn Nineveh. We both find ourselves guilty of not looking at the large mote in our own eye. Becareful that we don’t fall prey to an angry destructive mind. One bent on vengeance and others destruction.

Romans 12 which is the description of a transformed life in Christ describes followers of him as those that don’t seek other’s downfall.

Romans 12:17–21 ESV

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

It can be so easy to wish for the destruction of wicked rulers even in our own country. There are alot of wicked people in power that do vial things. We could go on for awhile and name so many of them and even their nicknames. But that doesn’t best describe the heart of what a true follower of Christ looks like. Christ’s desire for you of even the wicked leaders is to pray for them.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 ESV

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Are we to only pray for the good ones. Nope even the wicked and the unsaved ones as is what Paul had in mind to tell Timothy in this letter. Not only to pray for them but also give thanks for them.

If we are one to give nicknames to our leaders, I want you to stop and ask yourself, who’s heart are you most resembling. Jonah’s heart bent on the hatred and downfall of them, or God’s heart, a heart of compassion and mercy longing for the salvation of the lost?

C. His Selfish Heart

This last incident describing Jonah really revealed what dominated his heart. Pure selfishness.

Let’s again read about it in Jonah 4:6-8

Jonah 4:6–8 ESV

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

Those that know this story know that while he was waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh, God wasn’t done speaking to him. In fact, one such commentator noted that when God asked him a question the first time… “do you do well to be angry”. Jonah never responded. So God didn’t continue to probe, but instead decided to use a plant as an object lesson. This plant would be used as shade for Jonah to provide him what.... the verses stated that the plant saved him from his discomfort. So the plant provided him comfort.

Interesting side note, not one we will explore today. Why did Jonah need a plant when he had a booth. Not certain but do some study and let me know what you find out.

Regardless, the next day God used a worm to kill the plant. And what is Jonah’s response. The same exact one he had when God didn’t destroy the city. Please kill me Lord. The first time Jonah asked God to take his life made more sense because of the severity of the sin of the people of Nineveh, and God’s message he told to Jonah, and God’s promises to Israel, and God’s character, all these things. But this second time Jonah asks, shows how silly our sin can make us look. But regardless of the circumstances, the sin of both instances is the same root cause. This time it wasn’t the destruction of Nineveh that caused Jonah to act like a spoiled child, it was that his comfort was taken from him.

Even a prophet of God, sworn to do all that God asks of him can be ruled by a simple desire to claim what is his. Ruled by his own stuff and his own way. Ultimately all selfishness. God would seriously reprimand him for this and we will look at this in a moment, but for now see how petty we can be when sin and self runs the heart. And how absolute miserable it can make us.

So what should Jonah’s life and heart teach us.

-when ruled by sin, it will destroy us in ways we never saw coming

-we can never get enough study of God’s word in, that even a prophet of God can get his theology wrong and allow presumptions take the place of truth. If he can slip up, so can we. We need to be humble about what we learn from scripture and never feel that we have fully arrived on any one topic.

-a true sign of sinful living is when we care more about our comforts and stuff rather than others and the lost.

VII. God’s Grace Again (4:2-11)

Circle back around to the beginning of this chapter and infuse this story with God’s grace, because it really is present at every turn. Whenever God moves or speaks, he leaves behind a trail of grace. But if we aren’t looking, we will miss it just like we often do in our own lives.

A. Continued Grace

1. His Character

As already mentioned, Jonah described God’s character. It is ironic how different Jonah’s tune is about this aspect of God then was his response in chapter 2. There the prophet Jonah couldn’t help but praise God for his merciful deliverance, but here now he cannot stand that God’s mercy was extended to his enemies.

We aren’t here to talk more of Jonah’s sin, but of God’s grace. What is so amazing about Jonah’s statement on why he didn’t want to carry out this task is that Jonah KNEW before he went that God would spare this heathen gentile wicked nation. And how does he know this. Because this is who God is… this is who God reveals himself most often to men. A God of mercy, slow to wrath, and abounding in steadfast love. We miss that He is slow to wrath, meaning that isn’t His first reaction. His first reaction is always of mercy and grace though we should never spurn God’s grace because when He does act in judgement it is fierce.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

That is what He also revealed to Moses. When Moses was on the mountain top with God. God could have revealed Himself in many ways, could have spoken of many different character traits, but what did He say of Himself on that mountain to Moses. We already read it, but we will read it again.

Exodus 34:4–8 ESV

So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

And we see that character of God come out over and over again through God’s choice of words as we do in this passage.

2. His Words

What were God’s words…

Jonah 4:2 ESV

Jonah 4:9 ESV

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.”

Jonah speaks absolutely stupidity to the Lord almighty, even challenging God’s wisdom and power. But God, rather than smacking Jonah’s mouth or reacting harshing at Jonah for saying something so ridiculous, God both times responds with a soft question of conviction.

In fact, God shows us by way of example the right way to handle disputes. When someone does or says something that is directed at us that we don’t like, we often lash out. We who probably deserve some of what they have to say. And the reason we lash out is often due to pride, arrogance, a desire to be right, not letting people push us around. We who are not perfect respond this way, but God who in every right could and it would be appropriate for him to put people in their place and not be in the wrong whatsoever, responds in a way so gracious and kind but convicting. Doesn’t that inform us what a truly loving, humble, Christlike response we should have to opposition. Blowing up, raising our voices, trying to out shout the opponent with truth is not correct.

God shows example here as he does in the Garden to answer convicting questions in a soft tone. Isn’t that the way Nathan the prophet handled David. He didn’t outright accuse David but worked patiently with David and showed true humility. Isn’t that what the proverbs tells us.

Proverbs 15:1 ESV

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

These verses ring so true. When you respond in anger, what does that only ignite more of. Anger. Anger begets anger and no change is actually accomplished. In fact, you and your opponent have become even more entrenched in your opposing opinions because now this person is treating me harshly. You that are married have very likely experienced that in your marriage. Shouting matches get you no where, why, because it’s not Biblical. God’s grace is evident in our life when we respond to critics and opposition in loving words of soft questions. Like our God did, like our savior did, and like our forefathers did.

3. His Actions

The actions of God here in chapter 4 are two fold.

a. God is gracious and good for giving Jonah the plant to provide shade, again nothing earned. And sometimes God does give us material good with an intended purpose. And that purpose may include taking it away.

b. But even that should be seen as gracious.

When God takes away our possessions that He gives us, shouldn’t be seen as being an Indian Giver. But always as an act of grace. For Job, it was a test to make him more like Christ.

-Example Mr. Cheslea

And so, nine years ago this afternoon, you left for Home. I was holding your hand; you suddenly sat bolt upright, took a great breath, and fell back on the pillow. I was too startled to even put my hand behind your back and ease you back onto the pillow. The attending nurse scurried to verify what all of us in the room—so many family and friends!—knew: you were Home and safe in the Shepherd’s arms, at rest and immediately well and whole. I murmured thanks to all who spoke soft words and tried to comfort Chris and the family, but I didn’t really have the words. I was in great shock myself. You had only gone to Hospice in order to have a closely monitored change of meds, but Father had His other, very good plans. When Hospice called that morning and said the signs were plain and I had better get there soon, the shock and disbelief rushed in like a flood. In some ways, even after nine years, the shock and disbelief have not dissipated. But finally, I can see the good that Father intended. Finally. You see, my love, without your goodness, wisdom, and strength on which to rely, Father was finally able to take my face in His hands and turn my gaze to Himself. He grew me in many ways, some too personal to mention here or anywhere, for that matter. But grow me He did, and today, my greatest regret is that you never knew the better man I am today. Oh, you sowed the seeds of my growth with all the selfless love you showed me. But it took the tears of your Homegoing to water those seeds. I wish I could have been man enough to let those seeds grow while you were still here, but I was just a little boy in so many ways. I guess I still am pretty much a little boy in so many ways, but I am a better little boy than I was. Because of you and Father.

So, thank you, my darling, for teaching me even after you went Home, and thank You, Father, for patiently working with me these nine years. I miss you, Honey, and love you more and better than before, but I will be with you again soon. In the meantime, Father, please keep working with me. Thank You, Sir. And again, thank you, my Donna Jean!

For Jonah is was a gracious object lesson. An object lesson that would reveal his sin to him even more. Jonah, even though he was a prophet of God, with all the accolaude and all the knowledge, when it comes right down to it, he’s just a petty sinner like the rest of us that deals with the same petty sins of worshipping self and our own desires.

God could have done that in so many different ways, but God’s way of handling it here seemed to land the plane yet again.

Where do we get this idea?

From the last two verses, which give to us God’s final act of Grace recorded in the book and what the book ultimately ends with.

B. Convicting Grace

This book could have ended soooo many different ways. We never hear what happened to Jonah, we never hear what happens to Nineveh, we don’t know what began of Jonah’s sin. All we are left with is this convicting question.

Jonah 4:10–11 ESV

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. 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?”

In a very Job like manner, God asks Job who made the plant. Appealing to Jonah as maker/creator this time, God reinforces His authority and His mercy. Who are you Jonah? Did you make this plant? Did you do anything for this plant, yet you care for it so much. Yet, I God, made these people, am I not to be the one to have the final say in who I should pity since I made them. You pity a plant that is lifeless. I pity a people of whom 120,000 do not know there right hand from their left.

This could be a reference to the babies and toddlers who did not know anything of the matter or it could mean that they were so spiritually blind that had no idea what anything was. Either way, God as creator cared for His creation. And so shouldn’t we as well?

And that’s the ending to the book. Why does it end this way? I believe Jonah ends his book this way to challenge his readers with the same challenge that he received.

Conclusion:

Jonah’s response to God’s lovingkindness is shocking until we take time to consider our own reactions to the ways God works. We are thrilled and thankful when God acts graciously on our behalf, and in our hearts, we may believe we deserve it. However, when God forgives or blesses those we consider unworthy, we recoil. Like Jonah, we love it when the divine attributes of Exodus 34 are directed toward us, but we often think others should get what’s coming to them.

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