Resenting Mercy
Notes
Transcript
Resenting Mercy
Resenting Mercy
Jonah 3:1–4:11
Introduction
Introduction
Who would be hardest for you to welcome if they genuinely turned to Christ?
Perhaps someone who hurt you. Someone whose wrongdoing you have watched for years. You know what they did, and you want them held accountable.
But what if they repented? Would you rejoice that God showed them mercy?
That question takes us into Jonah’s heart and asks us to examine our own.
Last week, God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh, a major city of violent Assyria. Jonah fled. God confronted him through the storm and rescued him through the fish. Jonah prayed and thanked God for deliverance.
Tonight, Jonah finally goes.
But going to the right place does not mean God has finished addressing his heart.
We are going to see God show mercy to Nineveh, Jonah resent that mercy, and God expose what lies behind his anger.
Will we welcome God’s mercy when it reaches someone we would rather condemn?
1. God Shows Mercy to a Repentant City Jonah 3:1–10
1. God Shows Mercy to a Repentant City Jonah 3:1–10
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
God Renews His Command to His Servant vv. 1–4
God Renews His Command to His Servant vv. 1–4
“A second time” v. 1.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time:
Chapter 3 opens like chapter 1: the word of the LORD comes to Jonah.
The difference is that we now know how Jonah responded the first time. God graciously speaks again to the servant who ran from Him. Jonah stands here because God preserved him. Before we watch what God does through Jonah, remember what God has already done for Jonah.
The man sent to announce judgment is himself living on mercy.
“The message I give you” v. 2.
“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
God determines both the destination and the message. Jonah’s experience in the fish has not changed the assignment. God has shown mercy to the messenger before sending him to warn the city.
“Jonah obeyed” vv. 3–4.
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
This time he goes. The great city he refused to approach now hears God’s word through him.
His outward obedience is real, even though chapter 4 will show that God is still confronting his heart.
“Forty more days” v. 4.
Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
This is a serious warning of destruction, but judgment has not fallen yet. God gives the guilty city time to respond. The warning itself is an expression of mercy.
That helps us understand why confronting sin can be loving. Leaving Nineveh comfortable in its violence would leave it heading toward judgment. God exposes the danger and gives the city an opportunity to respond.
God’s mercy takes sin seriously enough to warn us about it.
Application:
God’s message cannot depend on our feelings about the audience. We cannot decide someone is unworthy to hear the gospel because we dislike them. Their need for mercy is why they need to hear about the Savior.
Jonah finally responds to God’s command. Now the city must respond to God’s warning.
Nineveh Believes God and Turns from Evil vv. 5–8
Nineveh Believes God and Turns from Evil vv. 5–8
“The Ninevites believed God” v. 5.
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
Their response begins with taking His word seriously.
From the greatest to the least, they fast and wear sackcloth: coarse clothing associated with mourning and humility.
Consider the contrast. Jonah already knew the LORD, yet resisted His command. These people hear God’s warning and humble themselves. Knowing more about God had not made Jonah more willing to obey Him. That should confront those of us who hear Scripture regularly:
Familiarity with God’s word does not excuse resistance to it.
The king humbles himself v. 6.
When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
He leaves his throne, removes his royal robes, and sits in the dust. His authority cannot protect him from the God whose warning he has heard.
The king comes down from his throne because he, too, needs mercy. No position in the city places anyone above God’s word.
The greatest and the least must both respond.
The city cries for mercy vv. 7–8.
This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
The decree includes people and livestock.
The animals share in the public distress; they are not personally repenting of moral wrongdoing. The whole scene expresses the urgency of the city’s appeal.
“Give up their evil ways and their violence” v. 8.
But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
The decree requires more than changed clothing. The people must abandon the evil that brought God’s warning. Repentance means turning from sin to God. Their changed conduct expresses their belief.
Notice how specific the decree is: their evil ways and their violence. Repentance reaches the conduct that harms other people. A person cannot appeal for mercy while insisting on the right to continue the wrong. Repentance brings the sin we have defended under the authority of the God we believe.
Application:
We can regret being caught and still intend to continue. We can have an emotional moment in church and still defend the behavior God exposes. What sin are you defending while saying that you believe His word?
Nineveh is called to turn from evil. But can the people demand that God spare them?
God Spares Nineveh in His Mercy vv. 9–10
God Spares Nineveh in His Mercy vv. 9–10
“Who knows?” v. 9.
Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
The king hopes God will spare them. He does not assume their fasting puts God in their debt. They appeal to compassion rather than claim they deserve deliverance.
“They turned from their evil ways” v. 10.
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
God sees an actual response to His warning. Their repentance goes beyond the decree: they do what it calls them to do. God withholds the destruction He threatened.
“He relented” — v. 10.
God has not discovered that He was wrong. Jeremiah 18:7–10 explains that He may withhold announced judgment when a nation turns from evil. The warning calls for a response; withholding judgment is consistent with His compassionate character.
God’s warning has accomplished a merciful purpose: the people turn from the evil that brought the threat. His holiness and His compassion belong together. Verse 10 records a real change in what Nineveh experiences, without requiring a change in who God is.
Mercy remains a gift.
God did not become gracious because Nineveh earned it. He graciously sent the warning that brought them to repentance. Their turning matters, but it does not purchase His compassion.
John MacArthur emphasizes that Nineveh’s response displays God’s sovereign work. The credit belongs to God, not the personal impressiveness of His reluctant prophet.
Their repentance is a response to God’s mercy, never a payment for it.
That keeps us from treating repentance as a bargain: “I have done enough; now You owe me forgiveness.” We come admitting our need and trusting Him.
Application: Take God’s warning seriously and respond to His mercy. You do not have to make yourself worthy before turning to Him.
God spares Nineveh. The city receives mercy, but Jonah thinks something has gone terribly wrong.
2. Jonah Resents the Mercy He Knows Jonah 4:1–4
2. Jonah Resents the Mercy He Knows Jonah 4:1–4
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah Objects to God’s Compassion vv. 1–2
Jonah Objects to God’s Compassion vv. 1–2
“This seemed very wrong” — v. 1.
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.
What angers Jonah is the outcome of chapter 3: God has spared Nineveh. The mercy that delivers the city displeases the prophet.
“That is what I tried to forestall” — v. 2.
He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
His prayer explains his earlier flight. Jonah knew God might show mercy, and he did not want that mercy extended to Nineveh. This is the motive Jonah himself gives us.
“I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God.”
His description echoes God’s revelation of His character in Exodus 34:6.
Jonah knows true things about God: He is patient, abounding in love, and willing to withhold disaster.
The contradiction is that Jonah objects to God acting according to the character he confesses.
The compassion Jonah himself depends on is being extended to people he resents.
Jonah’s knowledge makes his objection more searching.
He can describe God’s character accurately and still resist what that character means for his neighbors. We can know the language of grace without welcoming its reach. Knowing what is true about God must shape what we desire for people.
JONAH IS QUICK TO ANGER WHILE CONFESSING THAT GOD IS SLOW TO ANGER.
Nineveh’s violence was real, and God Himself condemned it. Jonah did not have to pretend these people were innocent. But now they have turned from their evil, and Jonah objects to God showing compassion. His anger reveals that he wants their destruction more than their repentance.
Do we want evil to stop, or would we be disappointed if God changed the person committing it?
Wanting wrongdoing addressed is appropriate. Resenting God’s mercy toward someone who repents exposes something in our own hearts that also needs His correction.
God Challenges Jonah’s Anger vv. 3–4
God Challenges Jonah’s Anger vv. 3–4
“Take away my life” — v. 3.
Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
The man who thanked God for rescuing him now asks to die after Nineveh is spared. His words reveal the depth of his resentment. They deserve serious treatment.
“Is it right for you to be angry?” — v. 4.
But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
God challenges the rightness of Jonah’s response.
The strength of his feelings does not establish that his judgment is correct. God asks Jonah to bring his reaction under divine judgment. Jonah is not the final authority on whether his own anger is justified. Neither are we.
God’s question also displays patience.
He continues dealing with His resistant servant, calling Jonah to examine the anger he is defending. The prophet who objects to mercy is still receiving God’s patient attention.
Even God’s correction of Jonah is an expression of the mercy Jonah resents.
God is addressing the sin the prophet has not yet stopped defending.
Application: Before defending your anger, ask whether it agrees with God’s character. Is your response to another person’s repentance consistent with the grace you depend on?
God has questioned Jonah’s anger. Through the plant, He will show Jonah what that anger reveals about his priorities.
3. God Exposes Jonah’s Misplaced Concern Jonah 4:5–11
3. God Exposes Jonah’s Misplaced Concern Jonah 4:5–11
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Jonah Welcomes God’s Kindness to Himself vv. 5–6
Jonah Welcomes God’s Kindness to Himself vv. 5–6
Jonah waits outside the city — v. 5.
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
He builds a shelter and watches to see what will happen. Given his anger, he appears to be hoping destruction will still come.
God provides a plant — v. 6.
Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.
The LORD supplies shade to ease Jonah’s discomfort.
God is being kind to the prophet even while confronting him. The plant is both a gracious provision and part of the lesson that follows.
“Jonah was very happy about the plant.”
Compare that happiness with his anger in verse 1.
Mercy for Nineveh angers him; relief for himself delights him. His reaction reveals whose well-being concerns him.
Watch what makes him glad.
A city being spared brings anger; a plant bringing shade brings happiness. Those reactions expose how differently he values relief for himself and deliverance for others. God will use the gift Jonah enjoys to reveal the people he has refused to value.
Application: It is easy to appreciate God’s kindness when we benefit. Are we willing to rejoice when He shows compassion to people we would rather see condemned?
The gift has revealed Jonah’s happiness. Its removal will reveal what he is willing to defend.
Jonah Defends His Anger over Lost Comfort vv. 7–9
Jonah Defends His Anger over Lost Comfort vv. 7–9
God provides the worm and the wind — vv. 7–8.
But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
The plant withers, and the sun beats on Jonah until he grows faint.
The God who appointed the fish also governs this lesson. Both provision and removal serve His purpose.
The text tells us what God is doing in Jonah’s circumstances.
We should not assume we can identify the hidden purpose of every hardship someone experiences.
God repeats His question — v. 9.
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
This time it specifically concerns the plant.
Jonah insists his anger is right, even to the point of wishing he were dead. He defends his reaction instead of allowing God’s question to correct it.
His defense prepares God’s final comparison.
Jonah insists he has a right to care about what he has lost. God will confront his objection to Nineveh being spared.
Jonah wants God to relieve his discomfort while resisting God’s correction of his heart.
The lesson presses beyond the loss of shade to the priorities his anger reveals. This is where we must let the text examine us, rather than merely criticize him.
Application: When God’s word exposes our priorities, do we examine them or immediately defend ourselves? Feeling strongly about a loss does not make every response to it right.
God Confronts Jonah’s Lack of Concern for Nineveh vv. 10–11
God Confronts Jonah’s Lack of Concern for Nineveh vv. 10–11
“You have been concerned about this plant” — v. 10.
But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.
Jonah did not cultivate it or make it grow.
It came quickly and disappeared quickly. Yet he insists that his concern is justified.
“Should I not have concern for the great city?” — v. 11.
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
If Jonah can defend concern for a plant he did nothing to produce, how can he condemn God’s concern for a city full of lives?
His lost shade matters to him. Why should their deliverance offend him?
God takes Jonah’s own concern seriously enough to reason from it.
Jonah can understand being concerned about something outside himself.
The question exposes how little room he gives God to show concern for a whole city.
Jonah grieves the loss of a gift while resenting the preservation of lives.
The description of people unable to distinguish right from left likely refers to young children, as MacArthur understands the expression; others read it as spiritual ignorance. God also includes the animals.
His concern extends far beyond Jonah’s shade.
Enjoying comfort is not itself sinful.
Jonah’s priorities are out of proportion: he welcomes a gift that helps him while objecting to compassion that preserves others.
Application: When someone has harmed us, compassion does not require calling the wrong acceptable. Nineveh had to turn from violence. We can desire someone’s repentance while maintaining accountability and wise boundaries. Trust does not have to be restored immediately. Desiring repentance means wanting the evil to stop and the person to turn to God. That desire can exist alongside the pain of what happened and the need for consequences.
But do we genuinely desire their repentance? Or would their restoration disappoint us?
The book ends without giving Jonah’s answer.
God’s question remains before the reader: we have received His kindness; will we resist His right to care for others?
We need to answer that question. And Jesus brings Nineveh’s response before us as He calls people to respond to Him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
Nineveh repented at the preaching of a reluctant prophet.
Jesus confronts people who hear someone far greater and still refuse to turn. We must not admire Nineveh’s response while refusing the Savior to whom its story points.
In the preceding verses, Jesus connects Jonah’s three days in the fish with His own death and resurrection.
Jesus willingly accomplished the saving mission for which He came.
Our hope is not that we will become compassionate enough to earn God’s acceptance.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, died for sins, bearing the judgment sinners deserve, and rose again. Forgiveness rests on His saving work, not our religious performance.
At the cross, we see how seriously God takes both sin and our need for mercy.
The forgiveness we receive rests on Christ bearing judgment for sinners. When we resent another person receiving grace, we must remember what our own forgiveness required. We come to God needing the same Savior we are being called to share.
If you have not trusted Christ, turn from your sin and place your faith in Him. Do not wait until you think you deserve mercy.
If you belong to Christ, bring Him the resentment you have been defending.
Think of one person whose restoration is difficult for you to desire. Pray specifically for that person to turn to Christ, and ask God to change your heart toward them. When an appropriate opportunity comes, share the mercy you have received.
Will we welcome God’s mercy when it reaches someone we would rather condemn?
1. Receive His mercy.
Nineveh heard God’s word and responded. How will you respond? If you have never trusted Christ, turn from your sin and place your faith in the Savior who died and rose again. You cannot earn His mercy, but you can receive it.
2. Examine the resentment you are defending.
God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Where do you need to hear that question? Have you been excusing an attitude that God’s word is exposing? Bring it honestly before Him and ask Him to change your heart.
3. Pray for someone whose repentance is difficult to desire.
Think of one person. You do not have to name them aloud or contact them tonight. This week, pray that they would turn from their sin and trust Christ. Ask God to help you desire their salvation while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Will we welcome God’s mercy when it reaches someone we would rather condemn?
Receive His mercy through faith in Christ.
Repent of the resentment you have defended.
Ask Him to teach you to rejoice when others receive the grace you depend on.
