Jonah 4[1]
As preached at Rolling Hills Church November 21st, 2010
Have you ever gotten mad at God because of His love? Surely people have rebelled against God because of their pain, loss, or because of His wrath against sin (which they love), but – how often do we see people pitch a temper fit because of love? More than you'd think, actually. In fact, let me read you the end of a story familiar to many of you…
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate. "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'" (Luke 15:20-32)
The older brother missed mercy; He was offended that justice (punishment for the wicked) wasn't enforced and mercy (pardon for the repentant wicked) was offered. Do you have a list of people you want God to judge, find guilty, and punish? This older brother didn't want his father to love that rebellious waste – one he saw as deserving punishment.
Do we, the church, the saved of God, those who have received the mercy of God through the death of His own Son on that cross, hope He will withhold that mercy from others?
Let's read the end of this story, Jonah chapter 4, but first let's back up just a little to the end of chapter three and catch what sets the stage for the mood Jonah begins this chapter in.
Jonah 3:10-4:11 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."
4 And the LORD said, "Do you do well to be angry?"
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.
6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.
7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die."
10 And the LORD said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?"
This sermon is a prayer, a plea that you, and I might learn of God's mercy, and become more merciful ourselves.
First let me give Jonah an A+ on courage, or as the Hebrew might say it, chutzpah. Or I could just say he was crazy, talking to God this way. It is a courage that borders insanity, really. Though Jonah was a prophet and God used him to give a sign of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, that doesn't mean he was a moral model. So let's not cloud the message of the book; the message of the book is given by the sourpuss preacher in anger: God is a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. God spoke through a donkey in Judges, and here through a pouting prophet. But let's consider this word Jonah used of God here; it is translated here as 'steadfast love'.
Chesed. This word is translated in the various dependable Bible translations as steadfast love, lovingkindness, mercy, and goodness. God used the word chesed of Himself in describing His covenant love for Israel to Moses in Ex 34:6. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. It is such a rich word that it is hard for us to find just one word that works accurately to translate it. The nearest New Testament equivalent to the Hebrew chesed is charis (grace), as Luther realized when he used the same German word (Gnade) to translate both words. Perhaps if I said this: God's loving-kindness is that sure, intentional, covenant love which will not let Israel go. Not all Israel's persistent waywardness could ever destroy it. Though Israel be faithless, yet God remains faithful still. This steady, persistent refusal of God to wash his hands of wayward Israel is the essential meaning of the Hebrew word that is translated loving-kindness. Folks, Jonah did NOT want God's steadfast love aimed at Nineveh; he wanted God's wrath aimed at them. This, he says, is why I ran! Jonah 1:1-3 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
He ran away, he refused to obey, because of God's steadfast love. He did NOT want that love poured out on the nasty Ninevites. Now he says that, because Nineveh repented and God relented, he wants to die. This guy sounds like the crazy kid in that viral video who had his WOW account cut off, "The Greatest Freakout Ever[2]" when he screams, "I HATE MY LIFE!!!" Jonah is literally angry because of God's love.
There are two very important questions in this chapter. The first question is asked, illustrated dramatically, and then repeated. The second question is a wonderful question that God asks the prophet. In these questions we see as much of God's steadfast love, His kindness, and His patience as we see anywhere in Scriptures. Let's think through the first question. Notice that it is God who is asking these…
Do you do well to be angry? Calmly, mercifully God asks Jonah this question. He didn't answer, he just stomped off out of the city to a nearby hill where he could see, built a booth, and sat down to see what would happen. Was he hoping repentance would fail and God would still destroy the city, and he would have front row seats? Pouting, angry, like a 4-year old who didn't get candy after lunch and refuses to play because of it. God showed mercy to a great city, and Jonah grew angry. So God illustrates something for him. He appoints a plant for Jonah. It grows up, gives him shade, and makes him happy. Then God appoints a worm to destroy the plant. Notice this word appoint is the same word used for the fish, again demonstrating His sovereignty over man's affairs and nature. Jonah is left in the hot sun and the east wind, and again begs to die.
Now before we give Jonah too much grief here, we might consider this from his point of view. It was hot. Have you ever been really hot, really cold, or really hungry? Not many of us have, not for long. There is in Mosul, Iraq – just across the river from where Nineveh was built so long ago by Nimrod – a 200 ft tower, a minaret. It is all that remains of the Great Mosque built by Zangid overlord Nureddin in 1172. It is called the leaning tower because it leans from the strong, persistent east winds pushing it all these years[3]. Jonah was very discomforted (which the plant helped, 4:6), but it wasn't just physically; this word refers to the evil in his heart as well as his fainting body. His discomfort was exterior and interior; he was hot outside, and he was hot inside. God was working on both. So again…
Do you do well to be angry? First over a city you wanted me to destroy, now over a plant that you did NOT want me to destroy. Which is worth more, Jonah? And which is worth more to who? You want me to show you mercy, but you don't want me to show mercy to an entire city people created in the image of God just like you? Ah, the wickedness of man and the patience of God! It is indeed His kindness that leads us to repentance! Now the third and most significant question of the book:
Should I not pity Nineveh? Should God only punish the wicked, all wicked? Here repenting Nineveh reminds us of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, and Jonah calls to mind the pouting big brother who has always been in the steadfast love or grace of God. This city had wandered far away from it's Creator, but He still had compassion. All through the book Nineveh is called that great city, and it either had a population of 120,000 or around 600,000 depending on how you interpret the phrase, 'more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, '.Church, do we, the saved of God, those who have received the mercy of God through the death of His own Son on that cross, hope He will withhold that mercy from other? Do we pray for His mercy? This book ends with a strange statement of cattle, but God leaves the question to hang; should I not have pity on Nineveh? I ask you; should God have pity on Platteville? On Lancaster? On sinners in Belmont, Dodgeville, and Dubuque? We won't get mad because of His love, will we? This sermon is a prayer, a plea that you, and I might learn of God's mercy, and become more merciful ourselves.
[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles
[2] Reluctantly I'll link this sad, selfish display of foolish anger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YersIyzsOpc
[3] From The International Dictionary of Historic Places: Middle East and Africa, by Trudy Ring, Robert M. Salkin, Sharon La Boda, pg 525. Accessed at www.google.com/books
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