Jonah and The Mercy of God-Part 3
AFTER THE SERMON
JONAH GOES TO MERCY SCHOOL
We hope today’s message was encouraging and helpful. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a Bible/sermon group study. Enjoy!
Main Scripture: Jonah 3 & 4
Other scripture mentioned: Jeremiah 18:7-9; Luke 19:41-44; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 1:16; John 3:16-18; Matthew 5:7
(If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read or paraphrase through some of the provided scripture to catch everyone up!)
Summary:
Jonah gets a second chance and heads to Nineveh to proclaim the same word God gave him before. Jonah obeys God, delivers the message and the people of Ninevah repent. This should be a moment where Jonah rejoices at the mercy of God saving an entire city but that’s not the case. God’s anger and wrath diminish, but Jonah’s increases! Jonah gets so mad he would rather die! If there was ever a time for God to zap someone with lighting you’d think this would be it but once again God shows Jonah mercy. God takes Jonah through mercy school. God displays his sovereign power by arranging a plant to bring Jonah comfort but then arranges a worm to destroy the plant and a scorching wind from the east to test Jonah. Sure enough, the heat gets to Jonah and he expresses his misery to God. Just as an expert teacher would, God uses the plant as an object lesson to expose Jonah’s heart. Jonah showed more concern for himself and a plant, but not for a city created in His divine image. The conversation ends abruptly with God explaining how lost the people of Nineveh are and asking the question, “Should I not have concern” for them?
Notes:
3:1-10 JONAH GOES TO NINEVEH
V. 1-5 Jonah delivers God’s message
The mission didn’t change, Jonah changed.
40 days is a number associated with testing and judgment in other places in scripture. It was a period of grace for the city to repent. We live in a season of grace, now is the time for people to repent and turn to Jesus for salvation.
God’s word is the second chance. The people believed in God’s message. It is God’s Word that offers hope and salvation, Jonah only delivers it and the people must respond accordingly.
V. 6-10 Nineveh repents
The king verifies their ruthless and violent reputation when he says, “stop all their violence.”
4 signs of remorse and repentance:
They changed their appearance by wearing clothes associated with mourning and humility. This included a posture of sitting in the dust or on a heap of ashes.
Declared a fast among the people and even the animals.
Fervent, earnest prayers to God
Turn from evil ways and specifically from all violence.
This repentance was more than a show. The king called them to turn from evil ways and violence. Genuine repentance is a long-term change in behavior.
The king acknowledges they are at the mercy of God.
Verse 10: God responds to humble and repentant hearts.
Relenting wrath or judgment is consistent with God’s dealings in other places in scripture, Jeremiah 18:7-9 is a good example.
V. 10: Nineveh’s repentance delayed God’s destruction of the city for about 150 years. The people evidently fell into sin again, so that later the city was destroyed, in 612 b.c. (see the Book of Nahum).
God showed mercy to Jonah before and after he changed his heart, God extends mercy before the Ninevites repent through the warning and after they repent. God’s mercy and kindness is meant to lead us to repentance! God has graciously offered Christ to pay for our sins so we may be saved.
4:1-11 JONAH’S ANGER AT THE LORD’S MERCY. Would Jonah be happy...not even close. This is one of the most (if not the most) uncomfortable conversations between God and man that you will read in scripture. This conversation is hard to read because we know how merciful God has been to Jonah thus far and you have to wonder how Jonah can say the things he says.
V. 1-4 Jonah’s displeasure
God turns from His anger, Jonah becomes angry. This entire section of scripture shows us the deep divide which separates the Lord and Jonah.
Jonah’s level of disdain for the Ninevites is so high that he would rather die than see them live. In the Hebrew meaning, Jonah’s anger was likened to being “Hot” with anger.
Ironically, in the midst of Jonah’s brutally honest admission, he gives one of the most encouraging statements you will read in the Old Testament about the character of God. (All the while, Jonah is revealing his own character, which represents Israel as a whole.) “I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people” (v. 2).
The prophet certainly had a clear grasp of God’s character, as reflected in his near-quotation of Exodus 34:6. In fact, Jonah’s words about God are almost identical to Joel’s description of Him (Joel 2:13; also cf. Neh. 9:17; Pss. 103:8; 145:8).
It goes without saying, but God exposed that Jonah secretly hoped for Nineveh’s destruction as He delivered the message of judgment.
God asks Jonah what we're all thinking...“Is it right for you to be angry about this?” Jonah doesn’t respond and the conversation ends there until Jonah is upset again.
God doesn’t swiftly react to Jonah’s disturbing heart. We’ll see that God is patient and shows mercy.
Jonah knew his theology of God but he did not follow or live by it.
V. 5-11 Jonah goes to mercy school. God disciples or schools Jonah through a set of living illustrations or object lessons He arranges.
The plant was a generous and merciful provision from God for Jonah. Other versions say, “exceedingly glad.”
God demonstrates once more his sovereign power and arranges a worm to destroy the plant and then a scorching hot wind to blow through making conditions miserable for Jonah. From a large creature to a very small creature, they both do the Lord’s work.
Verses 6 and 7...introduce two opposite aspects of God’s nature: his ability to deliver and to destroy...God’s sovereignty is not restricted to acts of compassion. As the one who gives life, he also has the right to bring it to an end. Furthermore, the destruction of the gourd by the worm, both divinely appointed, symbolizes the future destruction of Israel by the Assyrians. Through this incident, God highlights the root cause of Jonah’s antagonism. Wiseman, D. J., Alexander, T. D., & Waltke, B. K. (1988). Obadiah, Jonah and Micah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 26, p. 142). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
V. 11 The spiritual state of the people is depicted as helpless. Verse 11 in the NIV says, “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
God exposed that Jonah was more concerned for a plant and himself than he was for an entire city of people who were spiritually lost and made in God’s image.
God begins with the first word and ends the book with the last word. God ends with a fair question, “Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great (large, spiritually lost) city?” Should I not be concerned?”
This is God's heart, He's concerned for the lost. Jesus shows the same compassion, ironically for Jonah's city later on... Luke 19:41-44 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
Lessons for us
The mission of God doesn’t change, we do.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
The mission and call never changed, Jonah needed to change.
It’s the same today. My prayer is that we change and want to see those living in spiritual darkness and suffering be saved by Jesus. I pray we are filled with compassion to be active in the mission.
The Word of God doesn’t change, we do.
Deliver God's message. Give people a chance to respond by sharing the gospel (the good news) message of Jesus Christ. If we share the Word of God, if we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our mouths and our lives, we will see people turn to Jesus and be saved. Romans 1:16.
What is the message? God is a merciful and loving God. John 3:16-18 Believe in Jesus for salvation from sin and His coming judgment and you will not perish, you will not be condemned, but will have everlasting life.
The heart of God doesn’t change, we do.
Jonah obeyed God but Jonah didn’t want the same thing as God. Jonah wasn’t fully in sync with the heart of God, especially his capacity to show mercy. I am challenged to obey God but to have the same heart as God. I want to obey God with the right spirit and attitude.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7).
If you lack mercy for others, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the mercy God has shown you. Be careful not to become prideful of your position or status with God. We all have sinned and we all have been shown mercy.
Let me be practical here: Do you need to show mercy to your spouse? Parents, do you need to show mercy to your kids? Kids, so you need to give your parents some mercy. Are there co-workers, bosses, and leaders you need to extend some mercy to? Things are hard and complex right now in our world. People are not only doing life without the hope of Jesus but they are trying to do life on their own power and ability. You and I know that isn't going to go well without the joy and peace of having Jesus. Be mindful of those in your day-to-day life that can use compassion, patience, love, and grace. We can pray for them, put ourselves in their shoes, lend a hand and even express our appreciation for them. Show mercy, because if they don't have Jesus they are in spiritual darkness and need God.
Bottom line: We show God’s mercy to a hurting and lost world so they may be saved.
Takeaways:
Jonah knew his theology of God but he did not follow or live by it.
The mission of God doesn’t change, we do.
The Word of God doesn’t change, we do.
The Heart of God doesn’t change, we do.
We show God’s mercy to a hurting and lost world so they may be saved.
Discussion:
What was one thing from the message that resonated with you?
What did you sense the Holy Spirit was saying to you during this message?
Why is God a better judge than Jonah?
Who would surprise you if they responded in a positive way to sharing the good news of Jesus? What if you did share what Jesus has done…what do you think is going to happen?
When you read Jonah’s reaction in chapter 4 what did you think?
What moments in life could we practice the “slow to anger” part of mercy?
Share one way with the group that you know God has been merciful to you…
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you are ready to experience salvation and be transformed we encourage you to say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I see my sin and how wrong it is. I see that without Jesus I’m lost. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me from my sin, my past, this world, and eternal death. I repent, I turn away from my old life and I put my faith and life in Jesus! Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!