JONAH
Hard to Swallow
November 21, 2021
Jonah 3:6-10 - When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 4:1- But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
Greatly displeased means: evil; to
Jonah 4:2-3 - He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
1. Do you
• Don’t settle for a
Jonah 4:2-3 - He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? … 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
2. Are you
• God has
Luke 23:34 - Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Matthew 6:14 - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Jonah 4:4-5 - But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
Jonah 4:6-8 - Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said,” It would be better for me to die than to live.”
3. Jonah is not
• Are you excited about where you are in your life right now?
God provided means:
• We only want to serve the God of the
4. God is more concerned about your spiritual growth.
Jonah 4:9 - But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”
• The real meaning: it’s all about
Jonah’s struggle:
• How can God love people I hate?
• How can He show grace to people I can’t?
• How can He forgive people that I won’t?
QUESTION: is life all about
Jonah 4:10-11 - But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”
We all need to:
• Die to self.
• Die to pride.
• Die to our right to be offended at God.