Jonah 4:6-11 (New International Version)
6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant 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.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 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?”
I. The purpose of anger (vv. 6-8)
• Anger is a God-given emotion that alerts us to “Go-time” moments of
•
• Punishment reminds the disciplined of the value of God’s
• Grace does not me mean no one is punished, but rather
II. Misplaced anger (v. 9)
• Soundness of mind, heart, and spirit targets the cause of anger with biblical restraint -
• Misplaced anger forgets the cause of the offense and pursues
• Misplaced anger forgets that the goal of confrontation is
• Self-righteous people are fragile - easily
III. Anger hardens the heart (vv. 10-11)
• Hardness of heart occurs when we resist God’s prompts of
• Love evokes fond feelings and actions toward the
• Attachment is wanting someone for the feelings you get about
• Spiritual lostness is
• Authentic love does not seek to