Do You Have Good Reason To Be Angry?

In both cases, hope is in a change. Even when people hope that things will stay the same, we are hoping that things will not do what they do which is change.

Many times the idea of “trust” is associated with “hope.” The more one trusts a change more hope they will have.

One can cultivate hope in your life if you can imagine a change happening. It requires imagination, but if you look past your circumstances and imagine a change you will develop hope.

The bible relates hope with a feeling, i.e. Prov. 13:12

Proverbs 13:12 NASB95

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

We can infer that it is important to know exactly what in what you are hoping. Your hope must be in something trustworthy.

Historical Context

We have see an incredible repentance from Nineveh. They have repented, and God repented.

They turned from their evil and God turned from the evil that He was going to do to them.

Proposition

Real hope comes when we joyfully serve God, and compassionately love those whom God loves.

I. We Must Joyfully Serve God v. 1

Jonah 4:1 The narrator introduced Jonah again. After Jonah’s message, he just disappeared. We were so excited about the fact that Nineveh repented, God repented and we almost didn’t realize that Jonah has ducked out.

How is Jonah?

The city repented, not just verbally, but they had a change in attitude and actions.

The king and the nobles repented and were dirty with ashes, they were hungry, even the animals were fasting before the Lord.

God repented. God was going to judge Israel harshly, but He turned from that action.

Right now a war is happening between Russia and Ukraine. Different political leaders have tried to mediate peace. I hear on the radio that the prime minister of France, Emmanuel Macron, has tried to talk with Vladimir Putin. Can you imagine the reaction of the political leader that is able to broker a deal?

That person would be very happy!

They would say things like, “it really was nothing, I only had a small part to play.”

But how is Jonah reacting to peace between Nineveh and God?

“And then He (God) did evil” (וירע Qal. PTN 3 Masc. Sg.) – the word “displeased” is the word for “to be evil, displeasing (in someone’s eyes)” (HALOT, s.v. “רעע,” 3:1269).

The difficulty of the sentence is that the verb has a subject, but one has to guess who has done the “evil.” The interpreter has to assign a subject.

Subject could be Jonah, but Jonah appears as the object of the preposition, which would make a really weird sentence structure and make no sense.

Contextually, the subject is God, and His action, in Jonah 3:10. Therefore, the one who has done the “evil” is God.

“to Jonah a great evil” (אל–יונה רעה גדילה) – answers the question “to whom has evil been done?

To Jonah – the idea is that Jonah has evaluated God. Just as God had evaluated Nineveh in Jonah 1:2, now Jonah is evaluating God.

Jonah’s evaluation was that a “great evil” was done.

“And then he became angry towards Him” (ויחר לו Qal. PTN 3rd Masc. Sg.) – “to be/become hot:” (HALOT, s.v. “חרה,” 1:351). Who got mad with whom?

The verb has a 3rd Masc. Sg. “he” but no other subject is mentioned.

The subject could be God, as in God is mad with Jonah.

Or, more probable, the subject is Jonah. I believe contextually that it makes sense that Jonah is angry because:

1. Jonah complains to God

2. God as Jonah why he is made in vs. 4.

Before we go into Jonah’s prayer, I want us to see what the narrator is communicating.

There is a vocabulary relationship between Jonah 1:2 and Jonah 4:1.

In Jonah 1:2 God saw a “great” city and He saw their evil.

In Jonah 4:1, Jonah looked at God, and considered God’s action as something as evil, as it does not pass Jonah’s approval. Jonah is judging God like God judged Nineveh.

Jonah judged God and found God wanting, God did not meet Jonah’s standard.

We must joyfully serve God v. 1

A. Obey is not the same as Joyfully Obeying

The image that we have of Jonah is that he is not happy.

He went to Nineveh

He preached in Nineveh

But he is not doing it because he loves God. Rather, God has forced him to go. Jonah has an intense three day lesson on the sovereignty of God.

You might be tempted to think that obeying half-heartedly is better than disobeying. But you have failed to think properly.

Those who follow God, christians, are not to distinguish between good things and bad things. Obviously you are not supposed to do the bad things!

The believer is supposed to distinguish between good things and the best!

Many Christians never advance in their Christian walk because they only think and distinguish between good and bad. For example, biblically there is no reason why a person cannot buy a car with all the cool gadgets. It isn’t bad! But is it the best decision?

To answer that question a person needs to think beyond good and bad

The person needs to think “is this wise?”

Maybe a cheaper good car should be purchased and the rest of the money used to help the poor.

Jonah should be obeying joyfully because that is what is best, especially considering that God saved him from the belly of the fish.

We must joyfully serve God v. 1

Obey is not the same as obeying joyfully

B. Obeying Joyfully Requires We Examine Our Heart

Jonah was mad, which is an emotion. Our emotions indicate what is going on in our heart.

Many believe that emotions only indicate what is going around us. I.E.

The children used up all the hot water so I am bad because I had to have a cold shower.

I would not be anxious but there is a war going on between Russia and Ukraine.

The Bible presents emotions as a reflexion of what is going on in your heart: I.E.

Daniel’s three friends were at peace, even while the oven was being heated up seven times, because they knew God was in control (Daniel 3).

Paul was at peace when he wrote Timothy even though he knew his life was soon going to be over 2 Tim. 4:6-8

2 Timothy 4:6–8 NASB95

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Jonah is angry, and he should examine his heart.

If you are serving God, but you find that you are angry, you should examine your heart. Maybe something else is going on, but if you are where God wants you, and you are doing what God wants you to do, and you are still angry, you should examine your heart.

II. We Must Compassionately Love Those Whom God Loves vs. 2-3

Jonah 4:2 The narrator is indicating that Jonah is going to talk.

“And then he prayed” (ויתפלל Hithpael PTN 3rd Masc. Sg.) – is the same word used in Jonah 2:2. The last prayer that Jonah did was not all that impressive. The subject is not stated but it is understood to be Jonah.

“to God” (אל–יהוה) Jonah is praying to God. Jonah is using the name of God as He is known to those whom He has the Mosaic covenant. The Ninevites refer to God as God but Jonah refers to Him as Lord.

“and then he (Jonah) said” (ויאמר Qal. PTN 3rd Masc. Sg.) – the narrator is building suspense by delaying what Jonah is going to say.

“Please God” (אנה יהוה) – the phrase is a plea to God. Curiously, the last time the word was used was by the sailors when they were begging the God of the prophet to not hold it against them that they were about to throw His prophet over-board (Jonah 1:14)

The sailors were in a desperate situation. The storm was raging, the boat thought it would come apart, and the only option was to throw the prophet of the God who caused the storm.

Maybe in Jonah 4:2 there is a life threatening situation to use the same language as the sailors? Maybe Jonah was about to die?

The danger of Nineveh being destroyed seems to have passed with God deciding not to destroy Nineveh.

There does not seem to be any danger, when why does he use the same vocabulary as the sailors in distress?

“Is this not my word before I was on my own land” (הלוא–זה דברי עד–היותי על–אדמתי) – it is a question but the force of the sentence is a declaration i.e. “this is exactly what I said would happen!”

The narrator gives us some information that we did not have at the commissioning of Jonah.

Jonah had an answer to God’s commission.

“then on account of this I went in front to flee to Tarshish” (על–כן קדמתי לברח תרשישה) – Jonah fled because when he heard what God wanted to do, Jonah knew something. What did he know?

“because I knew” (כי ידעתי Qal Perf. 1 Com. Sg.) – Jonah knew something about God. A contrast is formed between the king of Nineveh who did not know and Jonah who knows. Jonah knows five things about God:

1. “that you are a gracious God” (כי אתה אל–חנון) – it is interesting how Jonah described God.

He did not say that God had grace

Rather God is a gracious God.

When God was giving Moses the law, God explained that if someone took someone’s coat them must return it at night fall. God says the reason why in Ex. 22:26-27

Exodus 22:26–27 NASB95

26 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, 27 for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.

2. “and compassionate” (ורחום) – “to love tenderly, be very fond of,” (HALOT, s.v. “רַחוּם,” 3:1214). The word is used in relation to a mother with her children. I know that some might not be able to relate because your mother was not very nice. But the word is related to how God acts, see Psa. 111:4

Psalm 111:4 NASB95

4 He has made His wonders to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

3. “slow to be angry” (ארך אפים) – He doesn’t get mad quickly. The gods of antiquity were fashioned around men. So they would get mad quickly. But God is not like men, He is slow to anger.

4. “and abounding in love” (ורב–חסד) this is a faithful love, a loyal love, a covenantal love that God has.

5. “and regretting on the evil/disaster” (ונחם על–הרעה N Part. Masc. Sg. Abs.) - God regrets or is sorry and therefor does not do the disaster He was going to do.

What does Jonah know of God? Jonah knows five characteristics of God. What is interesting is that when we examine Jonah’s theology, he does not have an incorrect theology.

Jonah 4:3 According to that sound theology that Jonah has, for what does he pray?

“And now Lord please take my life from me” – this is a little embarrassing, but it is like Jonah believes that his life is his, and that he somehow gives permission to God when to take his life.

“because good is my death rather than my life” – one has to ask, in what sense is it good? Or for whom is it good?

We must compassionately love those whom God loves vs. 2-3

What is going on with Jonah? Why is he wanting to die?

Jonah is made with God because God is acting according to His revealed character.

In Ex. 32, while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Law, Aaron and Israel were making a golden calf and worshiping it. What an act of treason. God rescued them from the slavery of Egypt and they worship a golden calf. Moses asked God to be merciful and God revealed in Ex. 34:6-7

Exodus 34:6–7 NASB95

6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

God did not destroy Israel, even though Israel was rebellious. Jonah knew God was like that, why is he mad?

Some argue that Jonah was a racist who only loved Jews. Maybe but Jonah has no problem talking with the captain of the ship nor does he have a problem with moving to Spain.

Some argue that Jonah could not imagine how God could chose Israel, the elect nation, and show any mercy to those outside of Israel. Maybe, but Jonah does not seem to have any problem with God showing mercy to the sailors.

I believe that to understand Jonah’s anger one must look contextually where Jonah fit in Israel’s history. The text does not say this, I am trying to answer a question that our narrative does not answer.

While Jonah was a prophet in Israel, there was another prophet in Judah who would have been a bit younger than Jonah. He was preaching in Judah and in Jerusalem. This was the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah preached that God was going to punish Israel and Judah if they did not repent.

Isaiah 7:17 NASB95

17 “The Lord will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria.”

Isaiah 8:4 NASB95

4 for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

I believe that Jonah knew that God was going to use the Assyrians (Nineveh) to judge Israel for their wickedness.

I believe that Jonah knew it was more likely that Nineveh repent of their sins than Israel turn from theirs.

If God did not destroy Nineveh, then Nineveh would be an instrument in God’s hand to judge Israel. This would be the ironies of ironies.

Israel, the elect nation, being punish by Assyria

Nineveh, an instrument of God, will obey God’s commission for them, but Israel does not obey God’s commission to bless the nations. They just keep on acting like the nations around them.

It is just a theory.

It is possible, that as we hear that Jonah was upset that God showed mercy on Nineveh, we do not really appreciate or understand Jonah’s reaction. Especially since we tend not to care if someone receives God’s mercy. We get angry if God justly condemns someone, but we do not tend to care much if God is merciful.

Maybe if we reduce the narrative down to the basic elements, the story might make more sense.

God is acting like God, He is acting exactly like how He revealed Himself to be. Jonah does not like that God is acting like God.

Jonah wants to be god. He argues with God, he runs from God, he judges God’s actions and find them wanting.

Now does the story make sense?

How do you act when God acts sovereignly in your life?

Do you react in humility and obedience?

Do you react in pride and rebellion?

We must compassionately love those whom God loves

How can we do this?

A. Know God

We have to know God, not interesting facts about God. But know Him. This is a knowledge that brings humility in our life. We see how great God is, and we see how small and insignificant we are.

This is a work that is done now by the Spirit. As you read God’s Word, the Spirit illumines your mind to understand and know God.

B. Imitate God

Jonah had great theology. If we would have sent him to one of these seminaries and the would have given him a O.T. test, he would have gotten a 100%!

His problem was not his theology but that he did not put that theology into practice. What he knew about God he did not imitate. There are something we cannot imitate, like being sovereign over the ocean, but God’s compassion and mercy and grace, Jonah could imitate that but he did not do that.

He should have meditated on God’s Word to be like that tree in Psa. 1 with fruit and leaves and being firmly planted.

Conclusion

Proposition: Real hope comes when we joyfully serve God, and compassionately love those whom God loves.

Jonah did not have any hope, because while he knew God, that knowledge did not move him to:

Joyfully serve God (nor)

Compassionately love those whom God loves

Maybe you cannot do this because you do not know God.

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