Sermon Tone Analysis

Notes

Last Week

This morning we are bringing a conclusion to the book of Jonah and you will recall that this book ends somewhat abruptly.

We were reading as Jonah awaits to see what would happen to the Ninevites and as he is waiting God poses questions to Jonah which highlight an attribute of God and this is juxtaposed against the character of Jonah.

In question 1, Jonah is asked if it is right for Jonah to be angry.

Although they had been a terror to Jonah and the nation of Israel, they had sinned more greatly against God.

And Jonah had no right to be angry with them.

Additionally in question 2, Jonah is provided with a plant from God.

It was not tilled by Jonah and cared for by him, but God had appointed one for Jonah.

And Jonah is upset when God removes the plant and is questioned about it.

And again Jonah does not have any right to be angry.

He had not done anything to deserve the shade of the plant.

And finally, the last question, which is where we left off at, Jonah is asked if it is right for God to not care about the great city of Nineveh.

And this question is not one that can be so easily answered.

In answering you either reveal the callousness of your heart and misunderstanding of the nature of God.

Or you can identify with your sin.

It has force.

This question really captures the whole theme of the book.

Grace and Mercy.

The shade of the vine, the deliverance of Nineveh, the salvation from the great fish and the saving of the men in the storm.

All undeserved, but God does wish for destruction, but salvation!

​The New American Commentary: Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (5) God’s Mercy (4:10–11)G.

V. Smith has said:

God will (and does) act in justice against sin, but His great love for every person in the world causes Him to wait patiently, to give graciously, to forgive mercifully, and to accept compassionately even the most unworthy people in the world.

To experience the grace of God and not be willing to tell others of His compassion is a tragedy all must avoid.

Messengers of God can neither limit the grace of God nor control its distribution, but they can prevent God’s grace from having an effect on their own lives.

We are not given a chance to hear if Jonah does reply to God in the third question.

Nor do we read what happens to him.

But the point is clear, Throughout God is a saving God, (sailor, fish, Jonah, Nineveh).

God is a merciful God, and God relents for those who turn to Him in sincere repentance and worship.

ConclusionWe are not given a chance to hear if Jonah does reply to God in the third question.

Nor do we read what happens to him.

But the point is clear, Throughout God is a saving God, (sailor, fish, Jonah, Nineveh).

God is a merciful God, and God relents for those who turn to Him in sincere repentance and worship.The hanging question or cliff hanger seems to serve three purposes:Reveal the true focus of the story.

It is not on Jonah, or the fish, but of God’s miraculous saving grace.Pointing us to reflect on where we are.

Are we like Jonah?

Wanting God to act in our own way and understanding?Pointing us to the fact that only God saves and we need a saviour.

It is pointing to Jesus and sewing together a beautiful tapestry.Let’s not be forgetful people.

But let’s also not be disobedient and remembering people.

Jonah knew God.

He knew the character of God.

And yet, we see that that was not enough.

Let’s remember.

Let’s read Jonah’s prayer to close things off and I want us to stand as we read it.

Please read out loud the parts that have been put in bold on the screen.

We are not given a chance to hear if Jonah does reply to God in the third question.

Nor do we read what happens to him.

But the point is clear, Throughout God is a saving God, (sailor, fish, Jonah, Nineveh).

God is a merciful God, and God relents for those who turn to Him in sincere repentance and worship.

The hanging question or cliff hanger seems to serve three purposes:

Reveal the true focus of the story.

It is not on Jonah, or the fish, but of God’s miraculous saving grace.

Pointing us to reflect on where we are.

Are we like Jonah?

Wanting God to act in our own way and understanding?

Pointing us to the fact that only God saves and we need a saviour.

It is pointing to Jesus and sewing together a beautiful tapestry.

And so it brings us to the Theology of Jonah.

What is it that this book is teaching us about God?

What is it that as we read it convicts our hearts and draws us in greater love for God and knowledge of who He is?

Themes: Story of Redemption, but a very sad story.

Although we can be overjoyed by what God is doing around, we are placed in a state if sorrow for Jonah.

We want him to finally get it.

Almost as though in movies we scream at the protagonist “don’t go in there” we are yelling at Jonah “Stop” but he does not stop.

And we are left a bit dissatisfied.

We are left in contemplation.

“Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh who cannot distinguish between their right and their left?”

Let’s read Jonah’s prayer to close things off and I want us to stand as we read it.

Please read out loud the parts that have been put in bold on the screen.

We are left with that question.

You could say every time we hear the Gospel proclaimed we are to think on that question.

When we have a burning in our soul, should God no care?

But the question really is not, should God not care.

But rather, shouldn’t we care?

Why do we not care?

When surrounded by the masses, do we not care?

It is very easy isn’t it to go through the day focused on what we need to get done, forgetting what God has called us to get done.

God’s plan prevails and it is good.

A tempest in the sea, how can it be good?

It causes destruction.

People may have died.

We know at the very least the vessel that carried Jonah lost a great deal of wealth.

But it is good.

Not how we would have planned it.

We also don’t know what may have brought them to their knees, but the Ninevites do repent when hearing of their impending destruction.

God is good.

God is loving.

Very interesting because generally when you ask someone about the Old Testament God.

He is evil, they might say.

And of course, you can twist this to make God seem evil and manipulative, but when read simply and plainly we cannot escape the mercy and grace of God.

And the evil and wickedness of man.

Man is always shown in a not so positive light.

But God is good!

And so we are captivated by this story of redemption and grace and mercy and love of God.

But we would be pitiable fools if believers were left there and not reminded of Christ.

This story, as we know in a NT context, also points us to one who is the true savior.

God had used an imperfect vessel such as Jonah to bring about the physical salvation of a nation.

God sent the perfect one in order to bring about an eternal salvation for a holy nation.

And so we begin to identify not with Jonah, but with the Ninevites.

And aren’t we all like them?