Jonah
Triumph of God’s
Grace
Chapter 4
In this chapter we will analyze a few fairly common human phenomenon’s:
We all “back slide” from time to time. I am glad that God’s grace and mercy remains available to every Christian for forgiveness and restoration.
Baptist’s are believers in the three R theology:
Repent – of your sins. Confess them with a sincere heart to change your life.
Receive – the forgiveness God has promised you
Restoration – to a full and unhindered relationship with Jesus Christ
The Bible says that all have sinned and that if we are arrogant enough to say that we have not sinned then we are liars.
I am often amused by the complaint about the church being full of hypocrites. I tell them to come on, one more ain’t gonna hurt!
Webster defines hypocrite as “a pretender”; “someone who pretends to be what he or she is not”. Biblically the word comes from the stage and defines someone who changes masks to portray different characters in a play.
Every person who steps into the church building on Sunday morning is a hypocrite. They are trying to portray themselves differently than they really are.
I have often watched families fight and struggle in the car on the way to church and play the part of a perfect and problem free family as soon as they hit the main sidewalk.
Let’s be real for a few moments.
Ø All of us have problems. We have struggles at home or at work. We get angry and self centered, maybe even a little stubborn about some issues.
Ø We live in a fallen world. There is sin and the death it causes in this world. We mourn the loss of loved ones, experiencing the pain and depression of their loss for years after their burial.
Ø People let us down and we disappoint other people.
Ø We have financial problems
Ø We have organizational problems (keeping schedules, not procrastinating, etc.)
Ø We have any number of people problems (one person once said that this world would be a paradise if there were only no people in it. – It was still paradise with two)
Ø We have philosophical problems (liberal or conservative or moderate? republican, democrat, independent, green or apathetic? Almond Joy or Mounds? Glass half full or half empty? Baptists have found a way to argue about all of them.
Ø We have bad hair days, bad weeks and are really hoping 2005 will be a better year.
Ø Most days we survive, some days we succeed, other days we just exist.
With all of this “STUFF” going on in our lives, why do we come to God’s House PRETENDING to be “FINE”?
This is supposed to be the one place you can come and be real and seek the Lord of Hope, Restoration and Second Chances.
This is supposed to be a place where God’s Kid’s can come together to encourage and love each other as we corporately point each other to Him.
This is not a place for the perfect! The purpose of the church is not to look good as we pat each other on the back.
The church is an emergency room for injured and broken souls that need to be nurtured back into health.
Matthew 9:11-13 “The Pharisees were indignant. "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" they asked his disciples. When he heard this, Jesus replied, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-- sick people do." Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.” (NLT)
We are the “scum” (sinners and thieves) Jesus Christ came to clean up and restore. We are the sick people that are in desperate need of real spiritual healing.
Did you catch what Jesus said here? The church is supposed to be an emergency room for the beaten, the battered and the broken; NOT a lounge for the arrogant.
The church is an ICU for our soul.
If you think you got it all figured out and don’t need any help – if you think you are spiritually in perfect health; then you, my dear friend, are a backslider. You need Jesus Christ.
The good news for Jonah is that this book does not end at chapter 3.
If God was only concerned for
Anger
Prejudice
Depression
Falling away
Basically Jonahs attitude stunk! He was a prophet in a very bad physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state.
Yes, he had finally become obedient and preached the prophetic word of God and 120,000 people had been saved from destruction. But did he like doing it?
1 {Jonah's
Anger at the LORD's Mercy--} This change of plans upset Jonah, and he
became very angry.
No. Jonah was still
quite upset that he had been called to be a vessel of redemption for the people
of
After all he had experienced, he was still focused on himself and not God and the people his Lord had used him to reach and minister the love of God to.
Why?
Why had he obeyed in the first place?
Ø He knew God
Ø He knew God’s power
Ø Maybe he acted out of fear – he didn’t want to be in the belly of a fish again
Whatever his reason, it now is becoming very clear that he did not do it out of his great love for God and the people of Nineveh.
We need to look at our motives when we do things.
John 17:1 “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he
looked up
to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your
Son so he
can give glory back to you.” (NLT)
i. This may have met the “legal requirement”
ii. This legalistic attitude damaged the relationship between Jonah and God. Jonah worked out of a “have to” faith instead of a firm “want to” faith and practice.
iii. A slave obeys because they have to
iv. A servant obeys because they want to
v. A Christian serves because they get to; it is a joy and pleasure to serve their God who loves them.
i. Most will do this for a season out of love for God, the church or the pastor. But, in time, the love runs out and they become burnt out.
ii. If this were a real body it would probably be dead
iii. This results in a body that is severely handicapped
iv. Most church bodies qualify for a placard and special parking spots.
i. Motivate the frozen chosen
ii. Free the faithFULL few to do the ministry God has called them to
God gives us just enough time to do the work He has ordained and gifted us to do; nothing more and nothing less is expected.
The time we spend doing other peoples ministry is time wasted.
What about Jonah right now? Where was he. What was his focus on? What is his attitude? What were his motives?
Selfishness. Self-centeredness. Arrogance. Fear. Prejudice.
3 major problems in our life today are made manifest for our viewing in Jonah’s attitude here.
Pride is the root of all three.
The Bible has much to say about human pride…all of it
negative. Listen to these words from
God:
Job 35:12 “And if they do cry out and God does not answer, it is because of their pride.”
(NLT)
It is pride that says we can handle things ourselves. Pride warps our prayers to make them more about us than about God – the One we are praying to. God will not answer self-centered prayers.
Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD despises pride; be assured that the proud will be punished.” (NLT)
Catch that? God DESPISES pride. It places you in competition with Him, and trust me, you are no match for our Great Heavenly Father.
Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.” (NLT)
Pride is listed with Mark’s top 13 vile things that come from a human’s natural heart.
Pride makes us concerned more about our own welfare or interests while having little or no concern for others.
Pride drives us to the next level of selfishness to complete self-centeredness. We become egocentric. The entire universe exists only to serve us – the world revolves around us.
Pride is finally manifest in arrogance. We become so full of ourselves we become overbearing or haughty; filled with unwarranted pride we begin to demand, claim or actually seize things we have no right to.
Jonah is full of himself. He is mad because what he said would happen did happen.
People got saved.
God called him, he preached the message (finally), the people repented and God poured our His mercy on them.
Now he is mad because people listened to the message God gave him and were saved?
I would jump up and down shouting if 120,000 people got saved in my ministry in 40 days! Lifeway would ask me to write a book about our methods and procedures, maybe even develop a study guide for other churches. Then again, this would create another form of pride.
In a way I am glad that Jonah is mad. It helps me understand that it was all God’s work that saved these people. Jonah reluctantly delivers the message, but, deep down, he really wanted these 120,000 people to fry.
We don’t like to think of our
Bible heroes in this light, but that is the truth. Jonah thought the people of
God used him anyway.
This brings to mind our own countries (and most religions of this country) defense of slavery and oppression of females and other minorities. We thought the same things about them as Jonah thinks about the Ninevites: They are vile and disgusting and not worthy of our attention and care. They are not the same kind of people as us, they might not even be people – more like animals. Our own pride blinded us.
God sees each and every one of His human creations as equal. Each has an equal chance to be one of His children.
Jonah was wrong in his selfish
condemnation of the people of
2 So he complained to the LORD about it: "Didn't I say
before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to
Tarshish! I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get
angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your
plans for destroying these people.
Do you feel the heat of Jonah’s anger? Anger misdirected. Anger for the wrong reason and focused on the wrong person.
Jonah was more worried about his desires being fulfilled by God that he was with God’s desires being fulfilled through him.
To make sure you have this right and are not misreading this; Jonah is mad because God called him to preach, saved his life when he ran away, restored his life and purpose, gave him boldness, strength and acceptance to preach the prophetic message, saved 120,000 people through his ministry of God’s message and grace and kept a city from certain destruction.
HUH? Yea, Jonah is mad because God did what He has always promised to do.
Jonah is mad because God did exactly what Jonah knew He would do.
Jonah was mad because God is love.
Burn out.
Jonah was exhausted. The last few months of Jonah’s life had been pretty tough on him.
Jonah had ran from God, cast overboard, eaten by a big fish, spent 3 days in the Great “principles office”, been fish puke and spent 40 days walking around Nineveh preaching his heart out.
Now he is worn out. He needs rest. He needs to refocus. He needs to review his life and purpose.
But, like most of us when we are physically, mentally or spiritually exhausted, Jonah gets cranky and has an attitude with God.
This shows his true colors.
Many people know what it is to be burnt out. You feel like crispy toast.
You have no energy, which is ok because you have no drive or desire to expend energy anyway.
You have worked very hard (probably too hard) for a very long time (probably too long) and now your nerves are shot, your attitude stinks and nobody wants to spend much time with you. You are irritable, cranky, stubborn and usually rude.
Here are some keys to preventing burn out
1. Take a chill pill! Usually we are much harder on ourselves than anyone else is.
2. Take a break. Get away for a while on vacation, for a few days, or even for a couple of hours.
3. Do not overextend yourself. God gave you enough energy and stamina to do everything He called you to do, not everything everybody else calls you to do.
4. Work out of your passions, not your problems. Many people are working themselves to an early grave because they are in jobs they hate and have no passion for.
5. Remain focused on the big picture….keep the main thing the main thing. This means stay connected to and focused on God. He promised that if we keep His Kingdom our primary focus that He would take care of all the other stuff. (If we focus on the vertical, He will take care of the horizontal.
6. Refocus your life on God. Take some time to get away and get real with God. Maybe an afternoon retreat or a day away with Him and His Word.
7. Have faith. Know that God is in control and He loves you.
Burn out is a horrible condition that is very much a life-threatening event in your life. Burn out leads to fatigue, illness, depression and even death.
In my life, the worst part of burn out is that it steals God’s joy. Nothing seems to feel right, work right or accomplish anything. When I feel these emotions coming on I know I need to get my life back on track with God.
Ok, I know Jonah is tired, probably exhausted, after 40 days of preaching; but I thought he was passed this depression stuff.
No, Jonah, just like each and every one of us can become vulnerable to satans attacks and/or our own frailty when we become tired (worn down by life or ministry) or sick. Mix in enough pre-conceived prejudice and a few days in the belly of a fish and you are on your way to a full scale melt down.
How would you respond to this if you were God? Again, Jonah – and everyone else – had better be glad that I am not God. I would have smited this ungrateful little gnat where he stood.
But, Jonah was right, God is gracious and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Jonah knew all of this about the
nature and character of God BEFORE he went to
He is tired, angry and quickly falling back into a state of depression. This boy needs a Prozac! Or a reality check from God.
3 Just kill me now, LORD! I'd rather be dead than alive
because nothing I predicted is going to happen."
Jonah’s burn out slips into the deep dank pit of depression. He is in deep pain and suffering and would really rather die than go on. Jonah is suicidal.
Uh-Oh. Now this is getting serious. Suicide is nothing to play with. Jonah has fallen all the way back into his pre-fish food state.
This was not a new place for Jonah to be; he was prone to depression and self-destructive behaviour.
We need to take every statement like this seriously and seek to get help for those who may share this thought with us. If you try to help them yourself or ignore them you may be sentencing them to death.
This is a cry for help. If they did not want you to intervene they would never say anything to you; they would simply kill themselves. This type of outcry is a good sign! It says, “HELP ME!” Do not turn away.
Even in Jonah’s darkest time he still wants help. He is crying out to God for hope.
Jonah says that he wants to be dead because nothing he said is going to happen. Strange, it looks to me like EVERYTHING Jonah said God would do He did.
This is not about a false prophet. This is about an angry prideful man not getting his way.
4 The LORD replied, "Is it right for you to be angry
about this?"
God responds to Jonah. Which I think is a miracle and a great amount of Grace for Jonah. He still loves Jonah and is pleased that Jonah finally completed his mission.
God’s response is perfect.
There are no therapy sessions, beating around the bush or sugar coating with God. God is not interested with our vain philosophies or our self centered self help guru idealisms. Let’s get to the root of the issue, now.
“Jonah, is it right for you to be
angry about this?”
How many times has God said this same thing to me when I am acting like a spoiled brat that is not getting his way? A few thousand perhaps? Ok, probably in the tens of thousands.
What right does the creation have to be angry at the Creator? This is the ultimate arrogance. It is one that has gotten us in trouble all the way back to Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:1-7 “you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?" "Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die." "You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil." The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves.” (NLT)
We want to think that we are just as good as God Almighty; or that somehow He must answer to us. This arrogance has gotten us in trouble ever since there was man.
The results have not changed either; sin still separates us from God just as it did all those years ago when fallen man was removed from God’s great garden.
I guess that we today would need to ask ourselves whether Jonah was operating with the “mind of Jonah” or the Mind of Christ.
Yet, when we don’t get our way we do the very same thing Jonah is doing.
We must be continually examining our motives and attitudes. Our minds are to easily persuaded and deceived to think that we will have it all figured out all of the time.
Anytime God begins a question for us with, “Is it right…….”, we should know that we are in trouble.
Ø God’s ways are always right
Ø In our flesh, our ways usually leave much to be desired
Maybe not exactly like this each time. I usually hear God say, “Ain’t you something? Who do you think you are?”
The point is the same each time. God is God and I am not. I need to stop thinking and acting like I am all that and a bag of chips!
I need to learn to not only be satisfied with what God has done in and though me, but grateful and thankful for the opportunity He has provided.
The good news is that if I repent He will forgive me.
Think of it this way: When a young child gets a cut, scrape or bruise they run to their parents, jump up in their lap and the parent will hug them, clean their wounds and place a bandage on their boo-boos.
I remember that band aids healed many a medical emergency with my two daughters as they grew up; even those with no blood or scrapes. Many times it was the compassion of the band aid that healed them.
God has a big band aid called GRACE and another called MERCY. When we mess up and hurt ourselves we can go jump into our Heavenly Fathers lap and, as our tears fall onto Him, He will clean our wounds and place a band aid of grace and/or mercy on our boo-boos. I think God must have a bunch of “Pastor Bob” sized band aid wrappers in His bathroom trash can.
Folks, we must remember that we have it made with Jesus and that we are doomed without Him.
He is our “air bag” in the wrecks
of our life. So many times we only learn
by making mistakes and having spiritual collisions. Guess the commercial is true….”You can learn a lot from a dummy.”
Our testimony, just as Jonah’s here, should be used as a teaching tool and a witness to others. “I did this and had to pay the price. Learn from me and travel a better path.” This way our families, friends and co-workers can indeed learn a lot from a dummy.
5
Then Jonah went out to the east side of
the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see if anything would
happen to the city.
BOY HOWDY! Did you catch what just happened? God asked Jonah a question and Jonah just
walked away from Him….AGAIN!
Talk about arrogance, pride and a total lack
of respect! What kind of gall does it
take to walk away from the ONE you know to be God WHILE HE IS TALKING TO YOU
AND IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE!
Yet we do the same thing to Him on a daily
basis.
God tells us to do something and we ignore
Him.
God tells us He loves us and we just turn a
cold shoulder to Him.
God speaks to us and we just walk away.
Jonah is consistent. I am not sure why he thought something bad would happen now. But, in his arrogance he goes off to the hillside to wait.
I guess the hillside was as far as Jonah could get away
from God and still see the destruction he was hoping for
If I was God (and we have already decided that we are VERY glad I am not) I would have given evolutionists some future evidence! I would have given that big fish legs and commanded that it go get Jonah and enjoy the meal this time!
Maybe this is just another sign of his growing depression.
Maybe this is just a pity party.
Something else has just happened here that many overlook in this narrative; even though this particular issue strikes very often in our lives and our churches today.
When Jonah didn’t get his way he left the place God was working. He basically left the church - the place where revival was taking place and went off by himself
Jonah separated himself from the work God was doing. Henry Blackaby tells us to find out where God is working and join Him there. Rick Warren instructs us to ride the wave God has set into motion. Jonah saw God at work, viewed the wave of God’s grace pouring forward; and he left.
He removed himself from the blessing.
He removed himself from the revival.
He removed himself from the joy of 120,000 people being saved.
Jonah removed himself from the presence of God. Yet God never gave up on Jonah.
6 And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there,
and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah's head, shading him from the
sun. This eased some of his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the
plant.
Again, more grace for Jonah. Both in the plant and in the lesson God is about to teach Jonah through the plant.
Jonah did not deserve the shade; but he was more than willing to take advantage of it and he was grateful for it.
The people of
How often does God bless us and we fail to see it? We accept the gift and are thankful for the gift but do not recognize it as a gift.
God provided a covering for Jonah here.
Ø A covering for safety
Ø A covering of protection
Ø A covering for comfort
This covering brought Jonah:
1. relief from the sun
2. relief from his suffering
3. relief from his anger
a. Jonah was grateful
i. We cannot be consumed by our anger and grateful at the same time
4. respite from his depression
All of this at no expense to Jonah. Jonah did not pay for the plant, work for the plant or even ask for the plant. Jonah did not deserve the plant.
This is the grace of God being poured out on Jonah. God is showing Jonah that He loves him and wants to cover him.
Today, we need to covering of God in our lives. Many, many people and families are hurting because they have no covering from the dangers and hostility of the world.
In a warzone during a fire fight you find out quickly the need for cover. You can have the newest technology, more bullets than anyone else and be the bravest soldier since General Patton; but if you are stranded out in the open you will get shot.
Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD.” (NKJ)
Where does this covering come from? From God alone. By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Sounds familiar, huh?
Faith is an absolute essential for our protective
covering. Listen to what Paul told the
church in
Our covering is given by God through faith.
We need His Holy Covering or else we are left standing alone, defenseless against a world that is against us and an enemy that wants to devour us.
We need God.
Jonahs lesson has just begun.
7 But God also prepared a worm! The next morning at dawn the
worm ate through the stem of the plant, so that it soon died and withered away.
Most would look at this act and say that God was mean and vengeful. Why did God send a worm to devour this plant?
But there is grace in this worm, a lesson of love that God is trying to teach Jonah.
God was teaching Jonah that he was no better or worse than the Ninevites. He was a sinner in the hands of a vengeful God.
8 Lessons for Jonah from the plant
8 And as the sun grew hot, God sent a scorching east wind to
blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to
die. "Death is certainly better than this!" he exclaimed.
Read the text closely here. Jonah is in a physically hot and painful place; but this is not the message of this text for us.
Jonah is in a SPIRITUAL SCORCHER! His spirit is dry, parched, arid and cracked apart.
Jonah’s spiritual desert is a direct result of his own attitudes, prejudices and sin. He led himself into this scorched place.
Again, why would God allow one of His children to suffer like this? Even to the point that Jonah believed that death would be better than life?
Remember verse 6? Jonah is here suffering on his own free will. He is the reason for his current condition.
Many times we lead our self into bad places and then try to blam God for where we are.
What did Jonah loose by pouting on the hillside?
Ø Joy
Ø Celebration
Ø Fellowship
Ø Unity
Ø
Ø
Ø
If this was not enough for us to think about on its own, how many times does our attitudes, actions and opinions steal someone else’s joy? Or their very salvation?
As I reflect on how Jonah must have appeared on this day and how I would interpret his actions, and I must be honest here, I don’t think he would have drawn anyone to God. Why in the world would anyone want to be part of anything that has people that act like this involved in it?
Today millions are driven away from Christ because of religion and those involved in it. I don’t blame them. I have no desire to be connected with the religions of the world either.
The members of religions curse, drink, back stab and do everything else the world does day after day and then go to a church, temple or synagogue once a week to do their “religious duty.”
While we all may be hypocrites, the religious community flaunts their hipocrosy for all the world to see.
We must remember that we are not saved by our religion or our religious leaders.
We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
I have no desire to be part of a process that creates more Baptists. There is no joy in that for me, no eternity in that for them and certainly no glory in that for God.
I want to be part of a process that is about producing more Christians and teaching them the ways of the Master.
Anything else is just wasted time and energy.
Jonah was a vital part of this kind of life changing process, but his religion and his prejudice ruined what should have been a glorious experience.
Let us never make these same mistakes.
Paul dealt with this issue of life and death in Philippians chapter 1. He knew the peace that was prepared for him in heaven and deeply desired to enter into his eternal rest; yet he was also driven by a deep desire to lead other people into a relationship with Jesus Christ that would put them there in heaven where Paul would one day be.
Jonah did not posses this same heart.
I hope Paul has had a long talk with Jonah by now. Paul was selfless while Jonah was selfish.
Paul worked hard and suffered so people could be saved and he rejoiced.
Jonah worked hard and suffered so people could be saved and he moaned and groaned and complained.
Which are you? Or maybe you are not working hard and suffering so others can be saved.
Philippians 1:21-25 “For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live. I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith.” (NLT)
There is grace in the blazing son as God tries to teach a lesson of love to Jonah.
One day we will all face the blazing glory of the Son. There will be no escape.
9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be
angry because the plant died?" "Yes," Jonah retorted, "even
angry enough to die!"
Now the verbal part of the lesson begins. God is exposing Jonahs anger and hate for the
people of
Jonah was not angry that 120,000 people would die, but he is angry about the death of a simple plant.
Why? Because the plant made Jonah comfortable!
Jonah enjoyed the plant and the shade it provided. In Jonah’s worldview everything must work together to make Jonah happy, successful and comfortable. The main problem in Jonah’s theology was that God does not work that way.
This is a major problem in today’s church. Far too many of God’s children think that being saved means always being happy and comfortable. We mistake the “lap of luxury” for faithful living.
This teaching that we must all be healthy, wealthy and successful in order to be Christians is absolutely false and drives many people away from their faith every day.
There is no Biblical authority for this teaching. Jesus was poor. Paul was poor and had a physical ailment that would not be healed. The disciples were beaten and martyred.
Grace carries us through our struggles and God meets all of our needs. It is false teaching to say that we can “name and claim” anything we want and expect God to give it to us. God Almighty is neither Santa Claus nor a spiritual vending machine.
I am amazed at the pure arrogance of this destructive doctrine. This hideous teaching makes people the primary focus of God instead of God being the primary focus of the people He created.
God does love you and will meet your needs. But, you must also be prepared to be told “No” or “Not Now” or even “Not that way” more often than not. Trust that He knows what you need and what will be harmful to you. You must settle in your heart God’s sovereign right to answer your prayers any way He needs to.
We are more concerned about being comfortable than we are about being faithful.
The witness of scripture is not one of being comfortable; the scripture gives witness to hard work, service, endurance, suffering, persecution, sacrifice, pain, prejudice and, oh yea, GREAT REWARD for those who are faithful.
It is high time we got up of our rusty bottoms and scraped the moss of our backs and unleashed the frozen chosen into the spiritual battle for souls in our world and our communities.
If you are comfortable then
chances are you are not living on God’s path.
Get out and stretch your spiritual muscles, put on your Armour and put
your Spiritual Gifts to work for the
Jonah is angry enough to die. That is furious. That is depression. This is a very serious mental and spiritual issue that can bring any person down if it is not dealt with.
Jonah was definitely NOT a great commandment Christian, even though these two commands are the heart and soul of every command God has ever given us.
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the most important
commandment in the law of Moses?"
Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your
heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' All the other
commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two
commandments." (NLT)
Jonah obviously loved himself more than he loved God.
Jonah obviously loved the plant more than he loved the people of
In your life today, what do you love more than God and others?
Ø Your self?
Ø Your job?
Ø Your time?
Ø Your family?
Ø Your hobbies?
Ø Your comfort?
Ø Your _____________ (fill in the blank)
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD OR BEYOND should have more of your love, attention,
time and heart than God Almighty – the great I AM of all creation. Absolutely nothing.
Second only to God should be your love for others. You are to love them as you love
yourself. How much do you love yourself?
Part of this equation is liking who you see in the mirror every
morning. You are indeed fearfully and
wonderfully made. You were created
individual and specifically buy the Master Craftsman who loves you. You are important. You are valuable. You are unique. You are loved.
The second part of this formula is loving others just as you love
yourself.
Ø You want to see their needs met.
Ø You want to see their hurts mended.
Ø You want to see their hearts healed.
Ø You want to see them loved, accepted and
comforted.
Ø You want them to have everything God has
given you, and more.
You think about them and their needs as much or more than you think about
yourself.
That is requiring a
Thankfully, we have a mighty God to help us rightly prioritize our life
and our focus.
We buy a pair of binoculars to see other people and things – not
ourselves. (usually)
We by cameras to record images of others – not ourselves. (usually)
We by books and magazines to read about the lives of others – not
ourselves. (usually)
Why does our heart life end up so self serving and prideful?
We must change our hearts focus to God.
Only after we have steadfastly locked our attention in the vertical
position (toward God) can He work out all of the horizontal issues of our life.
Matthew 6:32a-33 “Your heavenly Father already knows all your
needs, and he will give you all you need
from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary
concern.” (NLT)
We need His help with our relationships here on this planet. Remember that God IS love; without Him in our
lives we cannot truly understand what love really is.
10 Then the LORD said, "You feel sorry about the plant,
though you did nothing to put it there. And a plant is only, at best, short
lived.
Jonah is being taught a lesson here. Far too often we take advantage of things we did not do, and believe that, somehow, we deserve them.
Jonah is being taught what is really important; and it is not him. Jonah really was not too concerned about the plant –only to the extent that the plant served Jonah.
Jonah really didn’t care about
the people of
Jonah was all about Jonah. If i