Week 4 | Jonah
Notes
Transcript
Jesus is a Better Jonah
Jesus is a Better Jonah
Bible Passage: Jonah 4
Bible Passage: Jonah 4
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Bible in 5 Years | Jonah 4
Today’s message is our final Sunday in Jonah, studying the life of the prophet that has, up to this point, been an inversion of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Our very last recap:
Jonah runs away from God toward a man-made Eden.
God sends a storm and Jonah is thrown into the sea...
...where he is swallowed by a great fish.
3 days later, the fish vomits Jonah back up and he goes to Nineveh.
He walks for a day and then delivers a 5 word sermon.
Not only do all the people of the city immediately repent, all the animals do as well.
And God relents from his destruction.
So what does Jonah do after he builds the world’s largest congregation in record time?
We will get to it, but here’s the short answer.
He abandons them.
Let’s kick off chapter 4 together:
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Let’s break this verse down.
What displeased Jonah exceedingly? How did Chapter 3 end?
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
God showing mercy to Nineveh is what caused Jonah to feel like this. Think about that for a moment:
This is our first point.
1. Jesus’ Love is Wide (All are Welcome)
1. Jesus’ Love is Wide (All are Welcome)
Jonah, prophet of Yahweh - working singlehandedly as a vessel for the authority of the Living God...delivers the entire capitol city, Nineveh, of Israel’s greatest threat in that time, Assyria, he delivers them to repentance. Changing the course of history and totally obliterating the plans and schemes of the devil...for a time.
That guy...was EXCEEDINGLY displeased by the turn of events.
Real quick, I don’t like the way a lot of the more popular English Bible translations translate this word that Jonah is experiencing.
The English Standard Bible says Jonah was displeased but the Hebrew word here is raah.
Like Ramen Noodle
Raah is a tricky word, and is translated in many many different ways based on the context, but it has 2 parallel meanings that make it sort of a paradox.
Due to time, we are only going to explore one of those meanings.
Come to the Bible study today at 12:30 if you want to dig deeper on this!
So, Raah most often means evil.
Raah: To do, or be evil; wicked, hostile; evildoers; afflicted
A more literal translation of the Hebrew would be, “And it was evil (raah) to Jonah, a great evil (raah), and there was heat-anger to him.
This is not regular anger. This is an incredibly intense state of emotion.
What do we say in our culture when people get exceedingly angry?
I was rough housing with the kids and knocked over a stack of freshly folded clothes. Do you know what my wife was? FUMING MAD.
I laughed, mostly out of fear and impending dread, and that only made her start SEEING RED!
That night, I put our 2 year old to bed without a diaper...cough...again...soo in the middle of the night when the inevitable happened...she was BOILING OVER!
When I failed to successfully understand the gravity of my mistake in a timely manner...she BLEW A FUSE!
I’m sorry honey, this is part of being married to a Pastor. Don’t get HOT UNDER THE COLLAR!
***When I say all this again during second service, she will probably get HOT UNDER THE COLLAR!
Okay, I need to stop before I get in trouble.
But that’s what is happening here with this heat-anger word.
Do you ever allow yourself to get hot-angry with those you love? What about your enemies?
It’s easy to point fingers at Jonah here, but most of us are guilty of this throughout our entire lives.
We hold onto grudges. We let hate build in our hearts for a certain person, or group of people.
We have been wronged, sure, but we let the sin of other people lead us down a path of bitterness and resentment. And that turns into hate.
Left unchecked, this condition of hatred can be passed down to your children, and their children. This is how generational prejudices arise. There are several famous examples of this:
Hatfields & McCoys (Kentucky 1800s)
Campbells & MacDonalds (17th cent. Scotland)
Targaryen & Lannister: Game of Thrones reference
Taylor Swift and her boyfriends
So Jonah is super mad that Nineveh has been shown mercy. Let’s keep going.
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 [hesed], and relenting from disaster.
This is a quote directly from Exodus 34. Let’s take a look.
6 The Lord passed before him [Moses] and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
What we just read is the most quoted verse in all of the Hebrew Bible.
What I mean is that other passages of Scripture will quote this verse more often than any other verse in the book.
Why is that significant to know? Well, this verse is the single most clear example in scripture of the character of God.
If Moses asked chatGPT to summarize God’s character, this verse would have been the output.
Merciful. Gracious. Slow to anger. Abounding in steadfast/covenant love. Abounding in faithfulness.
Jonah is saying, “I KNEW you were going to show these people mercy! You’re a DIRTY FORGIVER!! Of course it would go like this!!”
I’ve said it each week in Jonah: He is an upside depiction of Jesus.
Jonah flees from the face of Yahweh, Jesus keeps God ever before Him.
Jonah won’t complete his mission until AFTER he is swallowed by a sea monster and brought back to the land of the living on the third day.
Jesus completes his mission BEFORE he is swallowed by the sea monster and brought back to life on the third day.
That’s what John 19:30 tells us:
30 ... “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Jonah spends 1 day in an evil city that was 3 days wide.
Jesus spends 30ish years in an evil land, then spends 3 days in the grave on behalf of that evil land.
Jonah speaks a 5 word sermon. Yet, John 21:25 tells us this about Jesus:
25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Jonah is safe while in the evil city, he is not attacked, and he leads the city to repentance out of malicious obligation.
Jesus is murdered in the “holy” city of Jerusalem, and sparked a movement of repentance that touches every corner of the globe, except (for the most part) his own homeland, Israel, the very PEOPLE of God.
Jonah ran away so that sinners would not receive God’s grace.
Jesus embraced death so that sinners WOULD receive God’s grace.
Jesus and Jonah are so perfectly opposite, they become parallel.
What happens after Jonah’s accusation: You MeRciFULL God...
Verse 3:
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
It is a common them for prophets to offer their lives:
Moses: offers his life to intercede for the Hebrews when they build the golden calf.
Abraham: intercedes on behalf of Sodom.
Daniel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah: confesses Israel’s sins to God as if they were their own
Elijah: begs to die after a victory, because he doesn’t think Israel will ever turn back to the LORD, and will thus incur His wrath.
Jonah: begs to die after a victory (great fish, Nineveh’s repentance), because he KNOWS the people WILL turn to the LORD, thus being SPARED His wrath.
Jesus: is the fulfillment of all of these failed prophets. He is the perfect intercessor for ALL the NATIONS.
How does Yahweh respond to Jonah’s plea for death?
4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Let me ask you the same question:
Do you do well to be angry? Is this good for you?
You may feel justified! But is this...good?
Who is YOUR Nineveh?
Who do you want to sit and watch burn while holding a cup of coffee?
Who in your life should be excluded from mercy, because what they did to you and yours was too terrible?
Let me as the VERY SAME QUESTION another way: Who, in your life, does God want to save?
Yep. THAT person.
Christ is calling you, today...to not only show mercy and demonstrate forgiveness...he is calling you out to LEAD and be a WITNESS for He who is greater than you.
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Our Second Point this morning:
2. Jesus’ Love is Patient (He is Patient in Our Disobedience)
2. Jesus’ Love is Patient (He is Patient in Our Disobedience)
Verse 5 says:
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.
Now the author is asking us to compare Jonah to Cain, the murderous son of Adam and Eve:
After being exiled from Eden, Cain goes East into the wilderness and builds the first city, a city of blood.
Now Jonah is fleeing from God’s blessing in Nineveh and going out East of the city. This is ancient times, what is that place called that is outside of the city? It’s the wilderness.
And what does Jonah do when he is following in Cain’s footsteps?
He builds a booth; shelter; tent;
The Hebrew word is Sukkah. This is the same word for Tabernacle.
Think back to the message on the Jewish Feasts and celebrations:
Feast of Sukkot: Feast of Tabernacles
Israelites will go leave their homes and live in tents for a week. Big family or communal tents, intended to bring the people of Israel together and remind them of God’s provision during Israel’s time wandering in the wilderness.
So Jonah builds one of those, a sukkah, but this sukkah is only meant for one person. Jonah leaves everyone else OUTSIDE his sukkah.
Let’s watch the Lord’s patience with Jonah:
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 [deliver him from his raah, his evil]. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.
What does God do during Jonah’s disobedience and self pity? He gives him a gift.
A gift that intended to save Jonah from the EVIL that he is experiencing, feeling.
Notice that this is the ONLY time in the whole story that Jonah expresses joy. When HE gets what he wants.
God is so patient with Jonah. We would expect Jonah to receive some sort of hand slap, especially knowing all the story this far and how often Jonah has veered left or right of his purpose from God.
But no, God in His wisdom gives Jonah a gift.
And not just any gift, this gift is fruit bearing plant. A symbol of Eden. The very thing Jonah was running to (Tarshish).
And Jonah rejoices at this gift from God! It is great to be thankful to the Lord!
But Jonah misses this opportunity find joy in the new fruit that was being born in the Ninevites. He hates that plant and wants it to wither.
What happens next:
7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
God takes away the plant.
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.”
God sends the wind to blow away Jonah’s sukkah, his shelter, and now the sun is beating down on him.
And he misses the point here, again. Jonah misses the object lesson on compassion.
Why is God so patient with Jonah? With us? With those people that do so much evil?
Why is He so patient with those people who we believe have forfeited any right to mercy and forgiveness?
Why does God allow the Hitler’s of the world, the child traffickers to go on living and storing up wealth?
Why doesn’t he just bring down fire and brimstone like Jonah wants?
Peter addresses this very question in his 2nd letter when he speaks about the second coming of Christ. About the end of days. Why has it not come yet? There is so much evil in this world, where is our resurrected Savior? Where is His white horse and army of Angels and Believers coming on the clouds of heaven with trumpets and vindication and judgement?!
9 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.
I praise God above for His patience with me. If He would have returned in 2006, I would not have been permitted entry into His kingdom.
If sinners are worth enough to God for Him to send His one and only son to die for us, then they should be worthy of our compassion as well.
Let me quote Jesus directly:
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
The book of Jonah gives us an opportunity to identify ourselves in the shoes of the most disobedient and backwards prophet that we have.
We are called to step outside of our comfort zones, like Christ, and extend mercy rather than waiting for others’ downfall.
Jonah fails Nineveh, but Jesus never fails us. That’s our third point.
3. Jesus’ Love is Everlasting (Jonah failed Nineveh: Jesus Never Fails Us)
3. Jesus’ Love is Everlasting (Jonah failed Nineveh: Jesus Never Fails Us)
So what does God say in response to this plea for death?
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?”
Did you notice that God repeats His original question?
Do you do well to be angry? Is it good for you to be so angry about this plant?
Jonah didn’t answer the first time, but he does now:
“YES! Ugh!”
Jonah’s answer kind of reminds me of my oldest daughter, Leanna.
Leanna, what happened? Why are you so mad?
“Because of HER!!” Pointing at her 2 year old sister Evelynn,
“SHE looked at me mean and now I am never going to look at her again. Ever in my whole life. Never sharing my toys. I’ll share them with baby Dylann, but NOT EVY!”
Jonah is so angry at losing the shade from this plant, but he fails to see the parallel between the plant and Nineveh.
He fails to see that if he does not tend to the plant, it will wither and be blown away.
He fails to see that if he does not tend to Nineveh’s repentance, it will wither and be blown away.
And we know, that is the ultimate ending of this story. Jonah does NOT go back to Nineveh and build a church.
Jonah does NOT repent of his raah and find compassion for Nineveh.
How do we know that?
Well, 25 years after this story takes place, the kingdom of Assyria invades Israel and kills or takes captive ALL of the ten northern tribes.
This is a tragic ending that most people miss or are never told.
Jonah fails MASSIVELY here. The whole way through.
You are concerned about a plant that you did not create or water.
Am I allowed to be concerned about the people I did create? There are 120k souls that I created with my own hands, and I know every hair on their heads. Should I not be concerned with them?
This is how the books ends. With a question.
And it makes me wonder, why? Why not tell us what Jonah did next? What was his response?
I don’t think that is the point of this story.
What happens next from Jonah can be inferred by other stories in scripture, particularly 1 & 2 Kings.
I think the author ends this story with a question because the question is really directed towards us.
God is asking each of us this question:
Shouldn’t I care about that bully from your high-school?
I made him too, and he was born GOOD. It’s SIN that has done this.
Shouldn’t I care about your the other half of your divorce?
I made her heart and designed her laugh.
I formed his dimples like clay, I gave his eyes their color and protected him while he grew.
I know he/she hurt you, but he/she has been deceived by the crafty one. I hate sin, but I love the sinner.
And I restore things. I make them new. I have the power to forgive and remove sin as far as the east is from the West!
Shouldn’t that be far enough for YOU too?
That person that HURT you when you were a child. I have GOOD plans for them. Plans for redemption.
I was patient with YOU when you were stubborn and refused to turn to my face, refused to listen to my words or hear my voice.
Even though someone totally derailed your life as a result of their sin, shouldn’t I carry patience with them as I did with you?
We are called to love. To forgive. To spread the gospel to ALL nations, just as Jonah was called to do.
As the worship team comes up, I’d like to close the message with a story I came across.
It happened 13 years agon in India. 2012.
I read this story when I was pondering on Jonah’s attitude towards the Ninevites in chapter 4, and how that contrasts with Jesus.
The story starts with a married couple, Raji and his wife. Raji is picking at his food and seems to be distressed.
So his wife urges him to open up, and he finally does.
He tells her about a man who came into town, not for the first time, preaching about the Christian God.
The last time he was here, he was forced out and told not to come back. Well....he came back.
And some of the men with Raji were drunk and started yelling, “This is a Hindu village! Don’t bring your Jesus here!”
Their anger grew and the telling turned into punching, and ultimately beating.
Raji told his wife that they had left the man for dead, unconscious in a deep ditch, beaten within an inch of his life...5 hours ago.
He looked into her eyes and told her that he had never felt so guilty, that this man was innocent, yet they did this great violence to him.
She looked back and said, “Then you must go to him. If he is still alive, bring him here. You will have brought the wrath of his God on us!”
So Raji went. He went to the place they left the man, and Raji found him still in the same spot they had thrown him.
Raji jumped down into the hole and found the young man barely able to ask for water to quench his thirst.
Raji carried the man on his shoulders back to his home, where his wife did her best to patch him up.
They learned his name was Suta, but it took him several days to come back to himself.
When he was able to hold a conversation, Raji’s wife asked him, “Why did you come back here?”
“I came to tell you about Jesus,” Suta said. “The Jesus who healed sick people, who helped the poor and delivered them.”
Now, Suta didn’t know this, but Raji’s sister had been very sick for months and had been unable to find any relief.
Raji’s wife asked, “Can your Jesus help her?”
“I will ask,” Suta said. “Jesus will do His work. I am just a simple man. I am here to pray in the name of Jesus.” Then he told them about who Jesus was and what He had come to the earth to do.
When the sister-in-law came for prayer, Suta told her about Jesus as well and then he prayed for her. After 2 days, her illness was gone.
The news of the healing spread throughout the village, and found its way to the ears of Suta’s other attackers.
They came to Raji’s house, not to finish the job they started, but to ask forgiveness. They begged him to forgive them.
And he did.
40 people became Christians that day. And Suta now pastors a church in that village.
This is what he said about the whole series of events:
“If I had not gone out preaching, I would not have gotten persecuted. But I did, and now there is one more church.”
But. I. Did.
And now there is one more church.
Wow, what if this church thought that way. What if Christians in Jarrell thought this way?
28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.
Jesus’ final request...the very last thing He said before ascending into Heaven. He gives 2 commands in Matthew 28:19-20:
Go.
Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS. Preach the Gospel to, literally, everyone. Baptize them. Teach them.
Look.
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
We cannot forget this. We cannot forget His words, His purpose for us.
We need to remember Him. And He tells us one way to do that: Communion.
As we prepare for our last song of worship, I would like to invite everyone here to join us in remembering our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by taking Communion together.
Communion
Prayer
