Well, good morning, everyone. My name's Steve. I've never met you before. I'm the pastor here at St. Paul's, and it's my privilege to preach my first sermon in Jonah in this series, but to actually wrap up the series for us.
We come to this end of this great story, God's prophet. If you've just joined us, kind of a summary of it, if you like, is that God's prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh, to the capital city of Assyria, which in Jonah's time were basically the schoolyard bullies.
They picked on everyone, and Assyria was the greatest imperial power in the world at that time. They were known for their brutality, and so God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, preach to them that I'm going to hold them accountable, and that they are to repent of their evil and violence, because I'm going to bring my wrath on them.
And Jonah's message was God was going to send calamity if they didn't turn from their evil. And Nineveh, the city, hears that message from Jonah, responds, they said sorry, they stopped being brutal in the hope that they would be able to appease God, and as a result of that, they are spared.
And so in the meantime, in chapter 4, which we're up to now, Jonah goes to the left of the city, takes up a vantage point to see whether or not the city that he hated so much was actually going to have the wrath of God pour out on him and be destroyed.
So he doesn't just go and preach. He kind of goes to the hill, gets a vantage point, has a look, and to see what's going to happen to Nineveh.
And so he's sitting up there outside the east of the city. He's got his popcorn and his chock top, and he's waiting for the curtain to be drawn on the blockbuster, and for the judgment of God to send upon his enemies.
But God withholds his wrath and his justice on Nineveh. And Jonah is furious. He is furious. That's the beginning of chapter 4.
And so what we're going to do today is pull together the threads of this book and try and land on what is the main point of Jonah.
What's the main lesson? Why was Jonah sent to Nineveh if Nineveh was not going to get held accountable for their evil?
It's got three points up there on the screen. It's the Paul's app. You can follow along as we cruise along here as well.
First of all, the compassion of God. These verses are telling us three things about God's compassion.
Firstly, it means, God's compassion means that he has voluntarily attached his heart to our heart.
In verse 6, Jonah is sitting, hoping for judgment to come, and we are told that God provides a shady plant
to grow for the purpose of easing his discomfort.
God provided the plant to ease his discomfort.
In the same way that God provided a great wind in chapter 1,
God provided a great fish in chapter 2,
and so now he provides a plant.
Verse 6 says, Jonah was very happy about the plant.
I'm not that much into gardening to love plants that much, but he was very happy.
In fact, the original wording in the Hebrew language is very strong.
He rejoiced with great rejoicing.
And it's a statement in the Hebrew, a wordplay in the Hebrew,
that is contrasted with Jonah's language in verse 1,
where his response to God withholding his judgment upon Nineveh,
Jonah in his heart says,
So he looks at what God does with Nineveh, and he says,
That is not justice.
That's evil.
But give me a plant.
Oh, thank you, God.
This is the greatest thing that's happened to me in the last three chapters.
God's provision of the plant for his comfort brought him so much joy,
but God's gracious provision for Nineveh brought him so much anger.
And then the plant died.
The next day, verse 10, God said to him,
The word that is used for compassion,
Jonah uses the word compassion to describe God in verses 1 and 2 at the beginning.
And the word that is used in the second half of chapter 4,
the word for compassion is the word concern.
In verses 9 and 10,
Jonah's delight, his anger, his disappointment, his frustration,
and every other emotion that he has here is attached to this plant.
And it's all aspects of concern.
The word concern that is used here is a word to grieve.
And it's a word that means to be deeply moved, to mourn, to grieve over the death
of something your heart is attached to,
something you love deeply.
The deeper the love, the greater the grief,
when it is not there.
It's a very strong word.
It effectively means that your heart has been broken.
Your heart has been broken.
You have lost your great love.
All of us need many things, if you like.
We get emotionally attached to things,
especially we have an inordinate love for things
that we think that we need the most in life.
John talked about this last week.
Those things that will give us the deepest sense of worth,
security, meaning, joy, love in life,
our hearts become deeply attached to those things.
Jonah's joy in the plant
is like the joy of a person
with all the comforts and the possessions of this world
and thinking all of the comforts and the possessions of this world
is the thing that makes them who they are.
Their identity is wrapped up in those things
and so they love them so much.
Things which, just like this plant,
are so fleeting, not secure,
and it's never enough.
His heart here was attached to this plant
in such a way that what happened to it happened to him.
And so when the plant died,
the very next thing he says is,
kill me.
I am dead too.
Jonah is furious at God
for sending a worm to take away
what his heart was attached to.
Ancient philosophers used to say
that there were kind of two kinds of loves.
There was the,
you could do good things
and helpful things for people,
but you didn't actually have to like them
or love them in any way.
It was,
it's the love
which is an act of the will.
It's a determination.
It's similar to the statement
that I've heard so many times,
ironically from Christian people,
I might have to love that person,
but I don't have to like them.
That's Greek stoicism.
It's not in the Bible anywhere.
The ancients used to distinguish
that kind of love
as an act of the will
with what they called
the love of attachment.
This is where your heart
is bound
to another's.
And the ancients
actually thought
that it was impossible
for a divine being
to have a heart attachment
to anything
that they had created,
including
mere mortal human beings.
How is it possible?
They think it's illogical
for the great divines
in any kind of way
to have a sense
that they needed
to have their heart
attached to something
which is fundamentally
less than them.
And so that makes
the language of God
at the end of Jonah
absolutely shocking.
The whole book
ends with a question
that is yet
another assault
on Jonah
and his self-righteousness.
Verse 11,
this is the end.
Should I not have
concern?
There's that word again.
Concern
for the great city
of Nineveh
in which there are
more than
120,000 people
who cannot tell
their right hand
from their left
and also
animals.
The God
who has
made everything,
who has
everything,
who needs
nothing,
whose joy
is complete
and dependent
upon no one
or anything
has chosen
voluntarily
to attach
his heart
to humanity.
Including Nineveh.
He has
voluntarily
attached
his heart
to humanity.
He is concerned
compassion
for Nineveh.
Yes,
he is angry
at Nineveh
and has
compassion
for Nineveh.
What happens
to Nineveh
impacts him.
It moves
him.
What happens
to Jonah
impacts him
and moves
him.
What happens
to you
impacts him
and moves
him.
God's
compassion
is that
he voluntarily
attaches
his heart
to house.
He doesn't
need to
do it.
He's not
dependent
upon it.
He chooses
to do it.
I think
Hosea 11
verses 7
and 8
is a great
couple of
verses.
It records
there God
looking at
his own
people Israel
sinking
into
sin
and evil
and he
speaks
of his
heart
being
turned
within
him.
My
people
are
determined
to turn
from me.
Even
though they
call me
God
most
high
I
will
by no
means
exalt
them.
How
can I
give you
up
Ephraim?
Another
word for
Israel.
How
can I
hand
you
over
Israel?
My
heart
is
changed
within
me.
All
of my
compassion
is
aroused.
I
am
concerned
for
you.
The
second
thing
to know
about
God's
compassion
here
is
that
his
heart
is
particularly
moved
because
of
our
condition.
In
verse
11
it
isn't
just
the
Ninevites
in some
general
senses
people
that
bring
out
God's
compassion
but
a city
of
people
who
cannot
tell
their
right
hand
from
their
left.
Here
is a
city
full
of
people
who
have
entirely
lost
their
way.
They
are
spiritually
blind.
They
don't
know
what
they're
doing,
how
they have
gone
wrong,
how to
live
well,
how to
fix
it,
and
God
has
compassion
on
them.
He
is
moved
and
grieved
by their
condition.
Jonah
looks
at
them
and
sees
a
bunch
of
evil
people
deserving
of
judgment
and
God's
words
here
to
them
is
how
much
grace
does
he
show
them?
Of
all the
things
he could
have
said,
they
can't
tell
their
left
hand
from
their
right
hand.
Their
way
would
have
lost.
They're
blind.
They're
spiritually
blind.
The
third
characteristic
of
God's
compassion
is
he
forgives
readily.
This
is what
has
got
Jonah
all
completely
bent
out of
shape.
Jonah
goes to
Nineveh,
the great
enemy of
the nation
of Israel.
They are
brutal.
They're
an evil
city.
He
has a
message
of
judgment.
Frankly,
as much
as he
resisted
getting
there,
this would
have been
a message
knowing
Jonah's
heart
would
have
been
one
that
he
would
have
been
happy
to
say.
He
is
hoping
for their
judgment.
He
wants
God
to
bring
justice.
He
wants
God
to
obliterate
them.
And
what does
he
get?
He
gets
Nineveh,
the city,
saying
sorry and
promising to
be good.
Now,
the response
of Nineveh
here is
quite
different
than the
response
of the
pagan
sailors
at the
end of
chapter
one,
where
they
pray
to
God
using
the
covenant
name
for
God.
They
pray
and
ask
to
God
for
forgiveness
for
what
they're
about
to
do
with
Jonah.
They
feared
the
Lord,
they
offered
sacrifices
and
they
vowed
to
follow
him.
It's
like
these
pagan
sailors
became
Israelites
in that
moment,
became
part
of
the
covenant
people
of
God.
Nineveh
doesn't
do
that.
Nineveh
doesn't
enter
into a
covenant
relationship
with
God.
There's
no
circumcision,
there's
no
sacrifices,
there's
no
vows,
they
don't
even
use
the
covenant
name
of
God.
They
don't
come
under
the
law
of
God,
they
don't
convert
and
become
Israelites
in
any
way.
And
throughout
the
history
books,
there
is
no
evidence
of
Nineveh
changing
in
any
way
whatsoever.
What
we
have
here
with
Nineveh
is
the
response
of
someone,
a
calamity
comes
into
their
life,
they
get a
cancer
diagnosis
and
they
go,
better
get off
to
church
and
get
God
on
my
side.
And
hopefully
the
cancer
will
be
solved.
And
yet
despite
that,
and
despite
God
knowing
their
hearts
and
knowing
what
their
history
will
be,
he
relents
from
bringing
calamity
on them.
And
Jonah
sees
this
and
goes,
that
is
an
evil
above
all
evils.
God,
can't
you
see
what
they're
doing
here?
Can't
you
see
their
pretense?
Can't
you
see
the
falseness
of
what
is
going
on
here?
There's
not
true
repentance
here.
Can't
you
see
the
hypocrisy
in
their
heart?
Can't
you
see,
God,
that
this
city
is
still
a
threat
to
your
people
Israel?
God,
make
them
grovel,
put some
conditions
around
them,
take
their
military
away
from
them.
He
could
not
accept
that
God's
compassion
and grace
should
work in
favour
of his
enemies,
but
neither
could he
accept
life
without
it
himself.
God's
compassion
for
Nineveh
was
unacceptable,
but so
was the
redrawal
of his
compassion
to Jonah
in the
plant,
unacceptable.
Jonah
longed
for a
God
who was
just
like
him,
who
met
his
needs,
supported
his
plans,
the
sort
of God
that I
mentioned
before
previously,
the
God
who
is
the
great
divine
vending
machine.
If I
put
stuff
in
in a
particular
kind
of
way,
he'll
spit
out
what
I
want
at
the
bottom.
Jonah
did
not
want
the
God
who
had
made
the
heavens
and
the
earth,
the
sea
and
the
land.
The
God
that
he
confessed
that
the
God
that
he
believed
in.
It
was
up
here,
but
operationally
not
in
his
life
and
in
his
heart.
A
God
who
is
gracious
and
compassionate,
slow to
anger and
abounding in
love.
A
God
who
relents
from
sending
calamity.
God's
gentle
and
persistent
questioning
here in
chapter 4
was in
fact an
expression
of God's
concern and
compassion
on
Jonah.
The
saving
of the
pagan
sailors,
the
response
of the
city
of
Nineveh
to
the
word
of
God
are
all
of
God
laboring
and
laboring
and
laboring
in
this
book
for
one
purpose
to
bring
Jonah
to
repentance
and
faith
in
the
God
that
he
said
that
he
believed
in.
That's
what
it's
all
about.
As
he
sat
over
the
city
condemning
the
city
of
Nineveh
God
was
showing
him
Jonah
are
you
not
exactly
like
them?
Are
you
not
exactly
like
them?
So
Jonah
four
ends
with
the
big
question
which
is a
question
that
is on
the
mind
of
Jonah
and
in
his
heart
and
it
leaves
us
with
this
big
tension.
Well,
what about
the
justice
of
Nineveh?
What
about
Jonah's
own
self
righteousness
and the
justice
that he
deserved?
why
didn't
God
punish
such
an
evil
nation
as
Nineveh
in
that
moment?
And
you end
the book
with this
tension
and
we
don't
ever
find
the
answer
until
we
look
centuries
later
to the
compassion
of God
in
Jesus
Christ.
You see,
Jonah
four
points
us
forward
to
a
much
greater
one
sent
by
God
to
a
city
with
another
message.
Not
to a
pagan
city
but
this
time
to
God's
own
people
in
Jerusalem
to
his
own
people.
In
the
last
week
of
his
life
Jesus
came
to
Jerusalem
and
as
he
came
to
Jerusalem
he
is
hailed
by
those
who
recognise
him
as
being
God
the
rescuer
come
to
his
people
the
great
divine
now
dwelling
with
his
people
and
Luke
19
puts
it
like
this
as
Jesus
approached
Jerusalem
and
saw
the
city
he
wept
he
wept
over
it
and
he
said
if
you
even
you
had
only
known
on
this
day
what
would
bring
you
peace
but
now
it
is
hidden
from
your
eyes
Jesus
the
king
from
heaven
is
coming
to
a
city
full
of
people
who
are
blind
they're
blind
to the
spiritual
reality
of who
Jesus
is
they
don't
know
their
left
hand
from
their
right
but
unlike
Jonah
he knew
that he
would
suffer
and die
at the
hands
of
the
Jonahs
of
Jerusalem
the
religious
elite
the
corrupt
politicians
the
mob
rule
but
instead
of
anger
and
instead
of
being
absorbed
with
self
pity
he
weeps
Jesus
weeps
and on
the cross
he cries
out
father
forgive
them
for
they
don't
know
what
they
are
doing
they
are
brutally
torturing
and
killing
and
denying
and
betraying
him
but
none
of
them
not
even
the
teachers
of
the
law
really
understood
what
they
were
doing
in
that
moment
now
he
doesn't
say
that
they're
innocent
any
more
than
God
says
that
Nineveh
is
innocent
they
are
completely
guilty
which
is
why
they
need
forgiveness
so
how
can
God
be
merciful
patient
gracious
to
evil
Nineveh
and
Jesus
to
his
murderers
and
his
betrayers
how
do
you
get
both
of
those
things
colliding
together
and
the
clue
I
wasn't
here
and
I'm
assuming
this
has
already
been
preached
on
so
let
me
just
revise
it
the
clue
is
in
Jonah
2
verses
2
to
4
where
Jonah
says
from
inside
the
fish
from
deep
in
the
realm
of
the
dead
I
called
for
help
and
you
listened
to
my
cry
you
hurled
me
into
the
depths
all
of
your
waves
and
breakers
swept
over
me
I
said
I
have
been
banished
from
your
sight
yet
I
will
look
again
toward
your
holy
temple
the
words
the
statement
there
the
realm
of
the
dead
is a
reference
to the
world
of
divine
punishment
and
death
in
here
it's
the word
sheol
such
was
Jonah's
anguish
and despair
inside
the fish
and
in
Matthew
12
Jesus
calls
himself
one
greater
than
Jonah
is
now
here
and
it's
a
reference
to
Jonah's
three
days
inside
the
fish
three
days
and
nights
in
the
fish
and
when
Jesus
went
to
the
cross
he
repeats
the
suffering
of
Jonah
but
to
an
infinitely
greater
degree
and
he
cries
out
from
the
cross
my
God
my
God
why
have
you
forsaken
me
why
have
you
forsaken
me
Jonah
went
into
the
depths
of
the
sea
to
save
the
sailors
Jesus
went
into
the
depths
of
death
and
separation
from
God
into
sheol
itself
into
hell
into
the
depths
of
divine
judgment
which
washed
over
him
like
wave
after
wave
to
save
self
righteous
Jonah
evil
Nineveh
and
you
and
me
Jesus
willingly
came
under
the
judgment
of
God
for
all
of
our
sin
for
all
of
our
rebellion
from
running
from
God
for
refusal
to
obey
refusal
to
allow
him
to
be
God
and
for
all
of
our
self
righteous
religious
morality
that
looks
down
at
the
rebellion
of
others
and
failing
to
see
our
own
ourselves
he
died
for
both
the
bad
and
those
who
think
they're
good
as
2
Corinthians
21
puts
it
God
made
him
who
had
no
sin
to
be
sin
for
us
so
that
in
him
we
might
become
the
righteousness
of
God
salvation
completely
belongs
to
Jesus
where
both
justice
and
mercy
meet
such
is
the
wonder
of
the
heart
of
Christ
theologian
B.B.
Warfield
wrote
an article
it's actually
probably more
of a book
really
called
The Emotional
Life
of Our
Lord
he wrote
it
well over
100
years
ago
and
he
made
the
point
that
by
far
the
most
typical
statement
in the
New
Testament
to
describe
the
emotional
life
of
Jesus
is
the
phrase
he
was
moved
with
compassion
he
was
moved
with
compassion
a
phrase
that
means
that
he
was
moved
from
the
very
center
of
his
being
from
the
driving
center
of
his
heart
his
life
in
fact
Warfield
that
the
New
Testament
records
Jesus
weeping
20
times
for
every
time
he
laughs
he
was
a
man
of
sorrows
not
because
he
was
depressive
but
because
his
compassion
connects
his
heart
with
ours
and
he
sees
our
sadness
and
it
makes
him
sad
he
sees
our
pain
and
it
brings
him
pain
he
sees
our
sin
and
the
destruction
that
we
are
bringing
on
our
life
and
it
breaks
his
heart
Jonah
went
outside
of
Nineveh
climbed
a
hill
to
wait
and
hope
for
the
destruction
of
the
city
Jesus
up
the
hill
outside
the
city
of
Jerusalem
and
died
to
bring
it
and
us
salvation
nothing
is
more
important
for
anyone
than
to
know
the
heart
of
Jesus
for
them
a
heart
of
compassion
just
very
briefly
out
there
on
the
stand
just
over
there
is
a
book
called
the
heart
of
Jesus
how
he
really
feels
about
you
if
anything
has
touched
you
at
all
grab
a
copy
of
this
and
read
it
take
it
it's
yours
read
it
that
brings
you to
the
final
point
in
terms
of
the
compassion
of
God
Jonah
and
us
Jonah
has
got
many
great
things
running
through
it
but
the
whole
point
of
Jonah
comes
to
its
focus
in
the
final
chapter
Jonah
reveals
that
anyone
from
pagan
nations
like
Nineveh
through
to
one
of
God's
successful
prophets
and
preachers
can
miss
the
grace
and
the
compassionate
heart
of
God
can
say
a lot
of
true
things
about
God
can
believe
a lot
of
true
things
about
God
but
actually
be
disconnected
from
the
actual
heart
of
God
all
of
Jonah's
fears
all
of
his
disobedience
all
of
his
prejudices
all
of
his
inordinate
loves
all
of
his
tantrums
!
all
stand
from
his
blindness
to
the
compassionate
heart
of the
true
God
all
of
it
and
the
main
purpose
of
this
book
is
to
get
Jonah
to
not
just
know
great
things
about
God
but
to
actually
walk
with
God
to
know
God
stand
God
and
his
compassion
and
one
of
the
great
things
about
this
book
is
that
God
is
so
compassionate
that
he
doesn't
allow
his
servant
Jonah
to
remain
undisturbed
in
his
complete
blindness
and
foolishness
God
keeps
coming
after
him
again
and
again
and
again
with
a
storm
a
fish
a
plant
and
all
of
it
all
of
it
is
God's
compassion
revealing
to
him
again
and
again
and
again
who
he
is
and
calling
Jonah
to
come
to
him
God
is
too
compassionate
just
to
leave
him
alone
and
just
to
give
him
what
he
wants
the
whole
book
is
about
bringing
Jonah
to
a
point
of
repentance
and
faith
and
communion
with
the
God
who
is
and
because
this
book
ends
with
an
unanswered
question
for
its
readers
like
us
the
main
purpose
of
this
book
is
to
get
us
to
understand
God
and
his
compassionate
heart
and
to
go
to
him
to
be
embraced
by
him
so
there's
three
things
I want
to
say
firstly
how
much
of
Jonah's
self
right
and I
say
this
to
the
religious
amongst
us
those
who
gather
in
church
how
much
of
Jonah's
self
righteous
heart
lingers
in
ours
Jonah's
self
righteous
condemnation
of
Nineveh
is
just
like
this
great
story
that
Jesus
told
in
Luke
18
of
the
Pharisee
and a
tax
collector
where
the
Pharisee
prays
so
confidently
God
I
thank
you
know
it's
because
of
you
that
I
am
not
like
other
people
and
especially
this
tax
collector
God
I
thank
you
that
I
am
so
much
superior
to
others
that
I
am
so
much
more
moral
than
others
I
thank
you
God
so
as
Jonah
looks
over
Nineveh
he
could
have
prayed
exactly
the
same
prayer
and
as
we
finish
up
this
book
and
all
of
Jonah's
dirty
laundry
is
out
there
if
you
get
to
the
end
of
this
book
and
say
God
I
thank
you
that
I'm
not
like
Jonah
what
an
idiot
how
foolish
then
Jonah's
for
you
read
it
again
with
the
end
in
mind
self
righteousness
will
never
ever
lead
to
compassion
it
will
never
lead
to
grace
or
forgiveness
or
mercy
it
is
inconsistent
to
have
contempt
for
others
a
refusal
to
forgive
others
while
claiming
God's
grace
on your
own
life
Matthew
18
we read
another
great
parable
of
Jesus
where
he
told
of
an
unmerciful
servant
a
servant
who
had
been
forgiven
a
debt
that
they
had
no
chance
of
ever
paying
back
it
was
incalculable
and this
servant
says
thank you
so much
for that
and immediately
goes out
and treats
with contempt
someone
who owed
them
a comparatively
small
debt
such is
self-righteousness
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
should
drive
the
Christian
to
deeper
and deeper
levels
of humility
grace
compassion
and forgiveness
towards others
even
those
and especially
those
who have
wronged
us
the
thing
that should
consistently
be on
the mind
of
any
Christian
the
clearest
wrong
is
their
own
sin
they
should
feel
their
own
sin
more
than
anyone
else's
secondly
Jonah
confronted
never
without
any
compassion
without
any
weeping
he
preached
to his
city
without
loving
his
city
he
had
a
true
message
but
not
true
heart
he
had
orthodoxy
but not
an
orthocardia
when
he
when
we
are
captivated
by the
compassionate
heart
of
God
in
Jesus
Christ
we
abandon
a
comfortable
world
of
self
protection
as
we
seek
as a
church
for
others
to
know
the
compassion
of
God
the
truth
must
be
communicated
from
hearts
of
compassion
and
lives
of
service
God
compassion
didn't
result
him
you know
like
staying
up in
the
up in
the
heavens
looking
down
at us
feeling
so
sorry
for
us
throwing
some
money
towards
us
to
make
life
better
telling
us
to
take
a
holiday
he
came
down
he
took
the
initiative
he
took
on
our
nature
he
stepped
into
our
shoes
and
into
our
condition
and
into
our
problems
and
he
walked
with
us
he
dwelt
with
us!
And so
friends
if you
have a
friend
brother
or sister
in Christ
going through
a hard
time
don't
be so
busy
that you
can't
sit
with
them
that you
can't
walk
with
them
that you
can't
weep
with
them
through
the
suffering
compassion
hurts
but that
is what
God has
done for
us in
Jesus
he
walked
in our
shoes
and he
wept
with
us
thirdly
God
did
not
try to
expose
the
self
righteousness
and
lack
of
compassion
in
Jonah's
heart
just
by
talking
to
him
didn't
just
talk
to
him
in
his
grace
and
his
compassion
from
his
compassion
his
heart
is
attached
to
Jonah
God
sent
Jonah
difficulties
disappointments
and
troubles
God
keeps
coming
after
Jonah
with
a
storm
with
a
fish
a
plant
even
a
scorching
east
wind
from
the
east
to
beat
down
on
his
head
and
to
bring
him
to
a
point
of
beyond
himself
he
keeps
coming
after
him
God
is
too
holy
he
is
too
compassionate
just
to
leave
Jonah
alone
in
his
foolishness
and
just
to
give
him
what
he
wants
as
if
the
plant
in
itself
is
going
to
satisfy
all
of
his
needs
God
is
mercifully
doing
spiritual
surgery
on
the
idols
of
Jonah
heart
God
is
trying
to
liberate
Jonah
from
the
things
that
enslave
him
that
drive
him
that
control
him
he's
trying
to
show
Jonah
again
and
again
and
again
these
good
things
are
not
ultimate
things
I
am
the
ultimate
thing
you
need
to
see
the
plant
your
self
righteousness
they
are
fragile
they
will
never
meet
you
only
I
am
compassionate
and
good
he's
trying
to
show
Jonah
that
to
dwell
in
his
presence
in
the
midst
of
the
storm
of
life
is
better
than
the
absence
of
the
storm
of
life
and
he
will
do
the
same
for
us
it
is
a
painful
process
to
find
our
all
in
Jesus
if
you
ever
pray
the
prayer
God
make
me
like
Jesus
find
all
of
my
hope
and
my
joy
and
my
meaning
in
you
he
will
answer
that
prayer
but
not
in
the
way
that
you
expect
it
is
a
painful
process
to
find
our
all
in
Jesus
but
it's
the
only
path
to
real
and
enduring
joy
and
contentment
and
stability
in
life
as
Hebrew
12
tells
us
Jesus
walked
an
infinitely
more
painful
path
for
the
joy
that
was
set
before
him
out
of
compassion
for
us
because
his
heart
is
bound
to
us
God
will
graciously
provide
some
storms
in
our
lives
to
drive
us
away
from
fleeting
comforts
and
hopes
to
something
that
is
much
more
secure
and
that's
him
dwelling
in him
walking
with
him
he
will
not
leave
us
in
the
foolishness
of
our
shallow
loves
in
his
mercy
he
will
drive
us
to
more
solid
and
enduring
joy
and
that
is
his
presence
I've
said it
really
briefly
and I
hope
at some
point
in the
near
future
sometime
in the
next
five
years
I
will
unpack
this
idea
in a
much
more
extensive
way
God
the
idea
of
suffering
and
evil
and
the
good
that
God
brings
out
of
it
one
great
example
is
Charles
Spurgeon
the
great
English
preacher
he
was
someone
who
suffered
repeatedly
in
his
life
but
he
had
an
unwavering
trust
in
the
compassion
of
God
in
every
moment
of
his
afflictions
every
time
he
was
afflicted
it
just
drove
him
closer
and
closer
to
God
he
saw
it
all
every
bit
of
his
affliction
every
trouble
in
his
life
every
storm
he
saw
it
all
coming
from
God
for
his
good
and
for
his
joy
he
wrote
it
would
be
a
very
sharp
and
trying
experience
to
me
to
think
that
I
have
an
affliction
which
God
never
sent
me
that
the
bitter
cup
was
never
filled
by
his
hand
that
my
trials
were
never
measured
out
by
him
nor
sent
to
me
by
his
arrangement
of
their
weight
and
quantity
!
God
that
there
was
greater
joy
in
God
and
it
was
only
through
the
afflictions
and
the
troubles
of
life
that
drove
him
to
that
greater
joy
he
wasn't
joking
at
all
when
he
quipped
I
dare
say
that
the
greatest
earthly
blessing
that
God
can
give
to
any
of
us
is
health
with
the
exception
of
sickness
affliction
is
the
best
bit
of
furniture
in
my
house
it
is
the
best
book
in
my
library
he
said
to
learn
and
grow
and
flourish
in
those
seasons
we
must
walk
with
him
every
day
in
other
words
if
you
are
not
walking
with
him
now
you
won't
walk
with
him
in
affliction
and
suffering
you
we
must
walk
with
him
now
and
so
I
commend
to
you
our
vision
series
and
the
seven
rhythms
of
grace
seven
rhythms
of
life
that
keep
driving
us
again
and
again
to
the
cross
to
his
gospel
to
his
mercy
his
compassion
joy
awaits
those
who
do
joy
awaits
those
who
do
how
do
we
know
that
joy
awaits
those
who
do
Jonah
finishes
with
this
cliff
hanger
unanswered
question
and so
you
sit there
the last
picture of
Jonah
is him
going
I want
to die
God
you've
not
met
any
of
my
needs
you've
not
done
what
I
thought
you
I
just
want
to
die
so
what
happens
to
Jonah
in
the
end
we
know
in
history
that
didn't
change
they
went
on
brutally
and
they
ended
up
destroying
the
northern
tribes
of
Israel
eventually
but
what
about
Jonah
did
he
stain
his
foolishness
did
he
and
his
condemning
self
righteousness
of all
others
or
did
he
see
God
and
himself
differently
from
what
God
had
brought
in
his
life
we
can
only
speculate
but
I'm
going
to
anyway
how
do
we
know
that
Jonah
was
so
self
righteous
how
do
we
know
that
he
was
entirely
clueless
how
do
we
know
that
he
was
so
angry
how
do
we
even
know
that
he
did
the
I
hate
God's
grace
speech
how
do
we
know
about
his
prayer
inside
the
fish
only
if
he
told
others
only
if
he
recorded
it
only
if
he
went
back
to
Israel
and
said
let
me
just
tell
you
something
let
me
tell
you
who
I
am
let
me
tell
you
what
I've
done
and
the
and
so
the
question
is
what
kind
of
self
righteous
angry
judgmental
prophet
foolish
man
the
main
prophet
in
Israel
what
kind
of
person
would
go
back
and
have
it
recorded
in
Israel's
history
and
for
every
person
since
them
around
the
face
of
the
earth
how
much
of
a
self
righteous
angry
fool
he
had
been
how
sinful
he
actually
was
only
someone
who
had
become
joyfully
secure
in
the
compassion
of
God
only
someone
who
didn't
care
what
others
thought
about
him
anymore
only
someone
who
knew
he
was
as
sinful
as
Nineveh
but
entirely
accepted
by
the
compassionate
heart
of
God
only
someone
who
was
found
in
God's
forgiveness
his
grace
his
mercy
his
abounding
love
and
who
delighted
in the
compassionate
heart
of God
himself
and
he
only
got
to
that
point
through
the
affliction
God
if
God's
compassion
can
change
Jonah
it
can
change
anyone
who
Thank you.