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Welcome to part five, and the conclusion of Jonah, The Story of You.
Throughout this series, we have taken a deep dive into this Old Testament book to first of all redeem it from the children’s section of books and from talking vegetables.
This is not some sad story about a guy who got swallowed by a whale.
This is a story about God’s amazing grace and how we really have not comprehension as to what grace is all about.
That is why Jonah isn’t just about an disobedient prophet, it’s also your story and my story…I think you will see that very clearly is what we are going to focus in on today.
If you have a Bible or device, I want you to find Jonah chapter four.
If you are using the YouVersion Bible app, go to Events, look for Iowa City Church and all of the Scriptures and Notes should pop up on your device.
I want you to think about a person or a people group that you don’t like.
Before you even think about saying that you love everyone, remember, you are sitting in church!
Who is it?
An ex.
Family member.
Co-worker.
Neighbor.
A class of people.
Political party of people.
I need you to identify someone because God wants to teach you something about himself, through them.
Okay, let’s dive into chapter four.
Here’s some quick background.
Jonah is a prophet of God.
God asks Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, and tell them they need to change their brutal and evil ways.
Jonah wants nothing to do with this mission because, the Assyrians are his enemies.
Instead Jonah flees as far away as possible on a ship.
God in his amazing grace chases him down with a great storm and then a great fish.
Jonah realizes God’s mercy and agrees to go to Nineveh.
Upon entering Nineveh, and preaching a very brief sermon, the Ninevites, even the King is convicted and they repent…and God relents.
Here is how Jonah responds.
One would think Jonah would be excited.
His message worked.
There was change and reform taking place.
Instead, he determined that this was wrong, bad or even evil.
People turning to God and repenting…evil?
Not only that, he becomes angry!
How much did Jonah hate these Ninevites?
Now, of course, you’ve never become angry when something God happened to your enemy…right?
Have you ever stopped and considered that maybe one of the reasons you don’t share your faith, pray for or serve your enemies…is exactly the same reason why Jonah was so upset.
He didn’t want the Ninevites to repent and experience mercy…he wanted them to burn.
Notice how different this prayer is as compared to the one Jonah prayed while in the belly of the fish.
At least he’s being honest with God.
He’s playing his hand very clearly.
The reason he ran from God was because he knew the character of God.
When he says:
I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah is referencing one of the most referenced and quoted verse in the Old Testament.
It’s actually one you need to highlight in your Bibles as well.
Here’s the back story, and then I’ll share the verse with you.
God has rescued Israel from slavery.
He’s brought them out into the wilderness where he has just entered into a covenant relationship with them, where one of the vows of the covenant is that Israel is to have no other gods before God.
Before the ceremony is even over Israel is worshipping a golden calf.
Long story, short…God relents.
Moses chisels out two new stone tablets, and then God says these words about himself.
A beautiful, extremely helpful description of God.
He is slow to anger.
Compassionate.
Forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Jonah knew his Torah.
He knew the Scriptures.
Here’s what Jonah is experiencing and something we struggle with as well: Forgiveness and grace feel really good when it’s directed at us.
It doesn’t feel so good when it’s directed toward our enemies.
Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about when it comes to forgiveness.
I want to share with you how one person’s act of forgiveness can sometimes move an entire nation.
On Sunday, November 8, 1987, Gordon Wilson and his twenty-year-old daughter Marie were laying a wreath for the war dead at Enniskillen in Northern Ireland when a bomb exploded.
If your unfamiliar with Ireland in 1987 they were still under British authority.
The Irish Republic Army was trying to change that.
It was the IRA who was responsible for bombing in Enniskillen.
Wilson lay buried under several feet of rubble, fumbling for his glasses, his shoulder dislocated.
His daughter lay beside him dying.
Later that evening, in an interview with the BBC, Wilson described with anguish his last conversation with his daughter and his feelings toward her killers:
“She held my hand tightly, and gripped me as hard as she could.
She said, ‘Daddy, I love you very much.’
Those were her exact words to me, and those were the last words I ever heard her say.”
To the astonishment of listeners, Wilson went on to add, “But I bear no ill will.
I bear no grudge.
Dirty sort of talk is not going to bring her back to life.
I shall pray for those people [IRA bombers] tonight and every night.
May God forgive them.”
As historian Jonathan Bardon recounts, “No words in more than twenty-five years of violence in Northern Ireland have had such a powerful, emotional impact.”
In a few words, Gordon Wilson had spoken for all those on both sides who had lost family and friends – and had furthered for many the slow painful process of healing.
Gordon Wilson was a devout follower of Jesus.
One year later, he organized a meeting with IRA leaders.
When Ireland got their independence, he was elected a Senator.
His act of forgiveness was viewed as a tipping point moment for all sides of the conflict.
Here’s what’s crazy.
Gordon Wilson received bags and bags of hate mail.
People from both sides couldn’t believe what he was even doing, even calling him confused or in shock.
Forgiveness, and grace are powerful acts that have the potential to change lives, you should know.
Grace and forgiveness are positioned at the very center of the gospel message.
You see Jesus became king by…brace yourself, by dying for enemies.
I’m assuming that your lives have all been changed by the power of God loving his enemies.
We are very fond of grace and forgiveness, but do we want it for our enemies?
Jonah hates forgiveness for his enemies so much that he wants to die…it’s so strange.
God now tries three different times to help teach Jonah about grace and forgiveness.
Here’s the first one.
First attempt.
God asks Jonah if he has any right to be angry.
Nothing.
Crickets.
Jonah completely ignores God.
Let’s look at the second attempt.
Jonah goes out to the east side of the city and makes himself a shelter—and he waits.
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