Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet - 20

Introduction: As we move forward in this chapter, we are confronted with Jonah’s condition. Jonah has already made His complaint before the Lord in verses 2 and 3 and now goes out of the city.

Text: Jonah 4:1-11

Verse 5 “So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.”

Here we find the prophet waiting carefully to see what would happen.

It is in this time that God continues to deal with his servant.

IV. Jonah’s Pouting: God’s Presentation - Chapter 4

A. Anger and Displeasure v1-4

1. Praying and Honesty v1-3

2. Compassion and Help v4

B. Jonah’s Condition v1-9

Jonah leaves the city and he makes a booth.

This booth provided some shade, but would have been an open structure. For we read that God prepares a gourd to over shadow Jonah. To which we discover in verse 6 “...Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.”

You might say it this way, Jonah rejoiced with great rejoicing.

As we examine these several verses we see the condition of Jonah.

We see first of all that Jonah’s condition is evidenced by his words.

His Words. v2,3,5,9

Our words oftentimes declare what is going on in our heart.

If you think about how you speak and the things that you say it will tell you a lot about your present condition.

What we speak about the most also will indicate your condition.

I’ll give you a biblical example.

The apostle Paul said this in I Corinthians 2:1-2 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

If you spoke to the apostle Paul you could be guaranteed to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ.

James 3:3-9 “3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”

How telling it is the words that we speak.

“Who can measure the evils which arise from scandal, and slander, and profaneness, and perjury, and falsehood, and blasphemy, and obscenity, and the inculcation of error, by the tongue? Who can gauge the amount of broils, and contentions, and strifes, and wars, and suspicions, and enmities, and alienations among friends and neighbors, which it produces?”

As we look at Jonah’s words and even his silence we see Jonah’s condition.

I want us to realize what a miserable state this is and for us to guard against being found in this same way.

Look upon this terrible state and let it be a sober reminder to us of the terrible condition we can find ourselves in.

We would expect to see this type of condition from an unregenerate man.

But might I submit to you this morning that the most miserable state to be in is a Christian who is out of fellowship with His God.

In verse 2 what we see by Jonah’s words his defiance.

Let’s use the Bible term - Rebellion

Rebellion - Open resistance to lawful authority.

We often think about rebellion as it concerns the affairs of men.

Rebelling against the government.

Rebelling against the family.

Rebelling against parents or siblings.

Rebelling against pastoral authority.

Rebelling against the “system.”

Rebelling against other peoples views.

But we do not too often think about our actions and words being rebellious against God.

Jonah in verse 2 brings up His rebellious actions. And this rebellious spirit is driven by his selfishness.

I want you to understand that Jonah is a patriot. He loves the nation of Israel. He loves His people.

You might think of it this way, I love my family and my children and I love the Lord. But the truth is I place my children and my family above the Lord.

I’d rather my children be happy with me than be right before the Lord.

I’d rather my husband or wife be happy with me so I will place them before my walk with the Lord.

Our families were not designed to be placed above our love for God, but rather we are to love our families our spouses and our children with the Lord having the preeminence in our lives.

We our to have a right perspective on our fellowship and relationship with God, Him being first and our families in our proper place.

If we set our affections in the right priority then we are able to love our families as we should.

But Jonah’s selfishness and his patriotism became more important than God and so he finds his way back into this rebellious spirit.

I Samuel 15:23 we read about Samuel’s condemnation of Saul’s rebellion.

We all know the story. Saul was to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites.

In I Samuel chapter 15:2-3 the Bible says, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

But then as we go down through that passage we read in I Samuel 15:9 “But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

And so God speaks to Samuel and tells him that Saul has disobeyed. And Samuel after being grieved all night about the matter goes to see Saul. And as he approaches the Bible says he hear the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen.

The back and forth between Samuel and Saul then Saul attempts to justify his actions in the guise of righteousness.

And this is what Samuel says,

I Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king”

--- Saul outlawed witchcraft… in I Samuel 28:3 “Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.” but as you go down through that passage you will see Saul is found going to one practicing witchcraft in I Samuel 28:8-25.

So we see here in Jonah this state that he is in, which is defiance toward God.

In verse 3 we see by Jonah’s words his despair.

Jonah despairs of His life.

Albert Barnes said this in his commentary notes, “He had rather die, than see the evil which was to come upon his country. Impatient though he was, he still cast himself upon God. By asking of God to end his life, he, at least, committed himself to the sovereign disposal of God .”

Not only was Jonah defiant, and in despair but,

In verse 5 we see Jonah’s discontentment.

Jonah is discontent, and in his discontentment he does not even say a word. He sits in silence.

Between verses 1-5 we see God reaching out to Jonah and we see Jonah complaining to God.

We see God ask Jonah a question and then we see silence.

There is no sweet fellowship, there is no joy in this prophet’s life at this moment.

The Bible shows us that fellowship with God is perhaps among the best blessings we have as a Christian.

We oftentimes do not think that way do we. For we are willing to break fellowship with the Lord to do what our flesh wants to do.

John introduced this right off the bat in the epistle of I John when he stated,

I John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

One of John’s greatest blessings was that John had fellowship with God the Father and God the Son.

John goes on to say in I John 1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

In verse 9 we see Jonah’s displeasure.

Notice what he states in response to the Lord now, “And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.”

He in effect is saying I’m angry and I would do well to take this displeased attitude with me to the grave!

His words…

Oh, how greatly we sin with our tongues.

Jonah is defiant, despairing, discontent and displeased!

What a terrible state to be in!

Charles Spurgeon said this about Jonah in this chapter, “It is strange that such a good man as Jonah should fall into such a foolish state of mind. But God still has a great many unwise children. You can easily find one if you look in the right place—I mean, in a mirror. We are all foolish at times, and it should be remembered that although Jonah was foolish and wrong in certain respects, there is this redeeming trait in his character—we might never have known the story of his folly if he had not written it himself.”

Spurgeon, The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1221.

So, we see number one Jonah state in his words.

His Actions. v1-4, 5-6

- Jonah stormed out of the city.

You might not have caught it but when you look at this you realize that this whole conversation that takes place in verses 1-4 seems to be in the city of Nineveh.

It appears up until verse number 4 that Jonah was in the city.

However, it came to Jonah’s mind that this city was going to spared, the Bible does not tell us.

We see in verse 2, he is complaining to the Lord that his thoughts from before were as he suspected that city was going to be spared.

Perhaps he observed this great repentance and contrition of heart by the people and it bothered Him so.

Perhaps in his mind he thought about the apathy of his own people and here he saw such a turning to God that it grieved him so much.

Whatever the case we have this quick dialogue in verses 1-4 and then Jonah leaving the city of Nineveh.

- Jonah went out of the city and sat in grief desiring for the city to fall under God’s condemnation.

The indication that the text gives us in verse number 5 is that Jonah desired the city of Nineveh’s repentance to be short-lived.

Perhaps his proclamation somehow would come to pass.

The shadow from the gourd in verse 6 was meant to “deliver him from his grief...”

--- this would be literally translated to “deliver him from his evil…”

And so while this did provide shade, the greater purpose was not just to allow Jonah to be comfortable in sin, but rather would be an object lesson we will shortly.

I want you to understand that Jonah is acting out his displeasure.

As adults we don’t exactly do as children, we don’t throw ourselves on the ground and kick and scream as children do, our temper tantrums are more refined than this.

We cross our arms, we get silent, we put a frown on our faces and in veiled way we let people know we are upset.

This is somewhat the idea we see from Jonah in his actions.

Not only do we see his condition in his words but also his actions, which brings us to a question this morning.

You and I have just come through a week of revival services. We have heard the wonderful preaching of God’s Word.

We have been challenged concerning the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. --- As we look at our wonderful Lord and Savior we can’t help but see our lack of commitment to Him.

We have been challenged about our lack of prayer, and our formalistic praying. --- As we have heard that only one disciple was brave enough to ask the Lord to teach them to pray and then the fulness of the model prayer that our Savior gives us.

We have been challenged by the selflessness of one wholly devoted to God as we looked at Ruth. ---- We can’t help but be convicted by Ruth’s commitment to the Lord and her selfless actions---labouring day in and day out not seeking recognition by in honor preferring one another.

We have been challenged by the selfish attitude and complete lack of spiritual devotion of Naomi. --- the contrast to Ruth the Gentile is Naomi… She displayed the epitome of selfishness and bitterness.

We have been challenged by the testimony of Samson’s ruined life and yet after he surrendered to God with nothing left God used Him in a few moments more than he did his entire 20 years judging Israel.

Lastly, we were challenged to live godly in Christ Jesus, Him and Him alone being our measure. Not stopping at soberly or righteously…but godly. We are challenged to continue forward in the Christian life.

The question we must come to is this, what condition are we in at this present moment?

There are so many dangerous pitfalls in the Christian life that lead to a state similar to Jonah’s here one of defiance, discontentment, displeasure and despairing.