Thursday Night
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Angry at Subway
why do we get so angry
we have this idea that we are deserving of good
that those who are against us deserve wrath
Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh
this great city was in Assyria, an evil place
an enemy of the people of Israel
as we have seen, God has made sure that Jonah has made it there
He was found on the ship running away from God
he was chauffeured by a big fish then had to walk the rest of the way
He walked a third of the way into the city and proclaimed what the Lord had told him
“In 40 days, Nineveh will be destroyed.
revival begins and people began to mourn their sin
such a movement starts that word reaches the king and he orders a city wide repentance
the Lord relented and held back his judgment on the city
1 Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious.
2 He prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and one who relents from sending disaster.
What an admittance… I knew you would save them if they repented
look the entire city even the cattle are a part of the fasting and repentance
Why did he know that God would save them
because He is gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
3 And now, Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 The Lord asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Understand what is being asked…
is it right for you to be angry that God is not sending judgment on this city
Jonah did not answer
Have you ever been mad enough at somebody that you are like seething…
I have a daughter that has at times gotten so mad at her mom and I that she would just give us the silent treatment
I kind of got that look yesterday when I knocked her out of knockout!
5 Jonah left the city and found a place east of it. He made himself a shelter there and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.
6 Then the Lord God appointed a plant, and it grew over Jonah to provide shade for his head to rescue him from his trouble. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant.
This word trouble… is also translated bad, evil
we are supposed to see the contradiction of Jonah the prophet who did not want Nineveh to experience the grace of God
who hated these people are now receiving the grace of God
7 When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered.
8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head so much that he almost fainted, and he wanted to die. He said, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”
just like that God removed his grace, the plant is gone
Jonah not even talking to God, but himself… He wants to die
9 Then God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “Yes, it’s right!” he replied. “I’m angry enough to die!”
asked a second time, it is right for you to be angry…
this time he answers and he is screaming at God
he has had enough
you can feel through the text how angry Jonah is
He is screaming at the one who created the plant and took the plant away
10 And the Lord said, “You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night.
11 So may I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”
120,000 people might not sound like a huge city to us, we are used to millions in major cities
at this time, this is a huge city!
Jonah’s Anger
Jonah’s Anger
at revival
we looked last night that there was an awakening in the city of Nineveh; a movement in the people that reached the king
at the end of chapter three, God relented in sending punishment
1 Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious.
In 2009 a man named George Tiller was murdered
George Tiller was a doctor in Wichita KS the performed who knows how many abortions
I remember being very conflicted at the time
first, I was grateful that he would not be able to perform abortions anymore, though everyone knew that somebody would take his place
second, I personally would not consider somebody who did that for a living to be saved and know the grace of God
you can come argue with me later about it if we need to
and if I believe that to be true… the George Tiller is spending the eternity in eternal torment, the wrath of God, a place the Bible calls hell
I can never celebrate that
this thought is not new to me, but if we believe what we believe about hell, how can we ever celebrate that
even to our worse enemies, how bad do we have to hate somebody to want to see them, or celebrate that they are in hell
about the plant
as Jonah is sitting waiting for fire to rain down from Heaven, disappointedly so, the Lord sends a plant to give him relief (More on that late)
but then he only experiences is for a short time
now he is greatly angry
6 Then the Lord God appointed a plant, and it grew over Jonah to provide shade for his head to rescue him from his trouble. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant.
7 When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered.
8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head so much that he almost fainted, and he wanted to die. He said, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”
the phrase beat down = to smite; to strike
though he experienced relief, he is now beaten by the sun
catch the irony… he is waiting for something to beat down on Nineveh and he is the one who is getting beat down
we look at ourselves as the standard for good
bad things should not happen to me, I am good
I am God’s; but you can hear Jonah grumbling under his breath
yet the people who are God’s enemies are spared and I have been punished
he chased right after me when I went the wrong direction, put me in a disgusting fish for three days and I still had to this city of evil people
They are the ones who deserve judgment not me
at God
9 Then God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “Yes, it’s right!” he replied. “I’m angry enough to die!”
Mission trip with our cook swinging in the air
Jonah is not mad at the sun for shining, the worm for eating, or the wind for blowing
He knows who created all these things and who is in control… and he tells God he wants to die
are you right to be angry
Me angry at Subway
The truth is that many of us want to be like Jesus flipping over tables and telling people why they are wrong and we are right, that they are evil and we are righteous
the problem with that is we do not want to be like the Jesus who will love our enemy sacrificially
Jonah was angry about Nineveh, angry about the plant, and ultimately, angry with God
God’s Love
God’s Love
There is a great contrast in this chapter with the anger of Jonah and the Love of God
God loves perfectly and passionately
have you ever thought about that
perfectly - you do not need to add anything to it
he is the perfect sacrifice that we will never be able to make on our own
passionately
sending Jesus to the cross while we were still sinners
that he was willing to send Christ
for a repentant heart
we see it in his relenting on the lack punishment of Nineveh
the people of Nineveh, enemies of the people of God, would be saved and used in the judgment that would come to Israel
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
people who worshipped false idols, chased after power and wealth and did all kinds of wicked things repented
they knew they were wicked, the king told everyone to stop doing wicked things
and turn to the one who they believed could destroy them
This is what happens when we put our faith in Jesus Christ
we were enemies with God but now have peace through Christ
do you see how great his love is for us, death to save an enemy
for Jonah
the patience for Jonah through all this is amazing
at what point does God give up on him… he won’t
God keeps trying to teach Jonah what perfect love looks like
many last night stood and said they would go into some sort of vocational ministry
that does not mean that they are the ones who are to love like God
that is a calling on the life of all believers
God did not take Jonah’s life
when Jonah disobeyed
when Jonah said he was ready to die
I think that my patience would have run to thin by that point
as soon as he said I want to die, I would have said ok… we can be done with all of this
bit he sends a plant to give him relief and takes it away trying to teach him and walk through what it means to love
we do not know what happens with Jonah
the book almost ends in an incomplete way
did he repent, did he die angry
I am not sold one way or another, but we do see Jesus use Jonah and his three days and three nights in the belly of a fish as the sign of his resurrection
for those who do not know the law of God
11 So may I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”
it is kind of a strange question… is God saving the animals too
couple things, one the animals were a part of the fast, so their mentioned here as well
God cares about all of his creation, every single part
and these people do not know their right from the left
this is meant to take the reader back to the law of Moses, where over and over they are told to move straight ahead, do not move to the right or to the left
these people do not know the law, they do not know what it would mean to veer off the path
This book ends with a question
only two books end with a question
Jonah and Nahum
ironically, Jonah is about sending God’s waring to Nineveh in Assyria about repenting
Nahum is about the vindication of those who have suffered under Assyria’s brutality
but the question is not meant as something to be answered by or about Jonah
it is meant for the reader
Shouldn’t God care, love those who do not know the love of God
if the answer is yes, then it begs the question what are you going to do about it
We looked at Romans 12:1 on Tuesday
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
Because of the mercy that God has shown you, you are to live for him, this is how you worship him
this worship is beautiful, but our lives should be one of worship
as we leave the book of Jonah it should move all believers in Jesus to see the lost world with the compassion the father has for you
