Jonah chapter 4 is where we are.
We are closing up, finishing up the series on Jonah today.
!
In an interview with lead singer of U2 Bono, Bono said,
!
I love it.
I'm not talking about people being graceful in their actions,
but just covering over the cracks.
Our topic this morning is grace.
As we close out this sermon series,
grace is clearly evident in this chapter,
in the story of Jonah.
And I'm not talking about, like Bono said,
the people being graceful in their actions,
but the act of God showing the undeserving,
those who have no right to or desire for grace.
God's grace has been evident in this story.
God being merciful and showing grace to the sailors
by ending the storm and not destroying them.
God being merciful and showing Jonah grace
by providing a big ship and not allowing him to die.
God being merciful and showing grace to the people of Nineveh
by not destroying them for their evil
that had, in chapter 1, come up against God.
Grace is a radical idea.
The definition that is thrown out a lot is unmerited favor.
If grace is unmerited,
as A.W. Pink said,
if grace is unmerited,
then none can claim it as their right.
If grace is unearned and undeserved,
then none are entitled to it.
If grace is a gift,
then none can demand it.
Can't claim it.
Can't deserve it.
Aren't entitled to it.
Can't demand it.
Grace is a radical idea.
In his book, Sovereignty of God,
he quotes an author,
doesn't give us the name,
and this definition is,
this statement is great in regards to grace.
To feed a tramp who calls on me
is unmerited favor.
But it is scarcely grace.
But suppose that after robbing me,
I should feed that starving tramp.
That would be grace.
Grace then is favor shown
where there is positive demerit
in the one receiving.
What a radical idea.
Our definition fails to truly define
all the weight of grace
and that grace carries with it.
Every moment of every day,
God shows you grace.
The air that you breathe right now.
The car that you drove in to get here.
The clothes that you have on.
The fact that driving down the road,
you're within four feet of oncoming traffic
and you didn't have an accident,
is grace.
Saving grace is what we find in chapter 3.
God's mercy and grace shown to Nineveh.
Not destroying them,
but them repenting
and God showing them grace.
Chapter 4,
we have sanctifying grace.
We have God perfecting Jonah,
teaching Jonah a lesson,
and God being graceful
and gracious to Jonah.
Saving grace is what causes us
to be born again.
Sanctifying grace is what God uses
to perfect His children.
And in this case, Jonah.
So let's read chapter 4
all the way through
and then we'll dive in.
Chapter 4,
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly.
What displeased him?
Verse 10 of chapter 3,
When God saw what they did,
how they named,
how they turned from their evil way,
God relented of the disaster
that He had said He would do to them
and He did not do it.
So this is what displeased Jonah exceedingly.
And he was angry.
And he prayed to the Lord and said,
O Lord,
is not this what I said
when I was yet in my country?
That is why I made haste
to flee to Tarshish,
for I knew that You were
a gracious God and merciful,
slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love
and relenting from disaster.
Therefore now, O Lord,
please take my life,
for it is better for me
to die than to live.
And the Lord said,
Do you do well to be angry?
Do you have any right to be angry?
Jonah went out of the city
and sat to the east of the city
and made a booth for himself there.
He sat under it in the shade
till he should see
what would become of the city.
Now the Lord God appointed a plant
and made it come up over Jonah
that it might be a shade over his head
to save him from his discomfort.
So Jonah was exceedingly glad
because of the plant.
But when dawn came up the next day,
God appointed a worm
that attacked the plant
so that it withered.
When the sun rose,
God appointed a scorching east wind
and the sun beat down
on the head of Jonah
so that he was faint.
And he asked that he might die
and said,
It is better for me to die
than to live.
But God said to Jonah,
Do you do well to be angry for the plant?
And he said,
Yes, I do well to be angry,
angry enough to die.
And the Lord said,
You pity the plant
for which you did not labor,
nor did you make it grow,
which came into being in a night
and perished in a night.
And should not I pity Nineveh,
that great city,
in which there are more than
120,000 persons
who do not know
their right hand from their left
and also much cattle.
In the first chapter of Jonah,
God gives Jonah a mission.
Go to Nineveh,
preach to them
because their evil
has come up against me.
So we have God's mission.
We have God's plan for Jonah.
God desires Jonah
to go this direction.
And then we're shown
that Jonah immediately gets up
and runs the opposite direction.
So we have man's heart,
man's foolishness,
God's mission and man's heart.
Well, we've come full circle
after God has shown mercy
to Jonah,
after He's shown mercy
to the sailors,
after He's shown mercy
to Nineveh
and been gracious to them.
Chapter 4,
we see it again.
God's mission,
God's desire,
and man's foolishness.
We're full circle.
He's once again,
Jonah has once again
shown his true colors.
In this case,
after God has been gracious
and merciful to him.
There are four points
out of our text this morning
about grace.
I'll read them off
and then we'll go through them.
Grace is not justice.
Grace is not found
in temporal, physical things.
Grace does not fit
in our box or definition.
And grace is a gift
from the sovereign God.
So, first point.
Grace,
God's grace,
is not justice.
Verses 1-3.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly
and he was angry.
And he prayed to the Lord
and said,
O Lord,
is not this what I said
when I was yet in my country?
That is why I made haste
to flee to Tarshish,
for I knew,
I knew that you are
a gracious God
and merciful.
Slow to anger
and abounding
in steadfast love
and relenting from disaster.
Therefore,
now,
O Lord,
please take my life from me,
for it is better
for me to die
than to live.
Grace is not justice.
In fact,
the antithesis of justice
is grace.
The opposite of justice
is grace.
See,
justice tells us
that each person
should receive
what is due him
or her.
my kids,
at the earliest,
maybe three,
were all about justice.
So and so did this,
now you should punish them.
Or so and so did this to me,
you should punish them.
Or they got three
and I only got two and a half.
That's not fair.
People this weekend
are asking questions like,
how could an earthquake
of such a huge magnitude
hit Japan like this?
They don't deserve it.
Where is the justice?
Our world is framed
in justice.
You get what you deserve.
Even our capitalist economy
in the United States
is built on the idea of
if you work hard,
you work long hours,
you climb the ladder,
then you're given a reward.
Justice.
But justice can only go so far.
We are sinful creatures
with self-preservation
as one of our life values.
Dennis Holia,
a television host
for PBS
and other channels like that,
said,
expecting the world
to treat you fairly
because you are a good person
is a little like
expecting a bull
not to attack
because you are a vegetarian.
That's pretty good.
Let me put that
on my Facebook wall.
Expecting the world
to treat you fairly
because you are a good person
is a little like
expecting a bull
not to attack
because you are a vegetarian.
He's right.
Though justice
is what we try to live by,
it isn't always right.
In fact,
it fails more than
we care to admit.
In chapter 4,
Jonah's complaints to God,
Jonah being displeased
and being angry,
are rooted in justice.
God,
how evil have they been
to Israel?
How harsh and cruel
have they been?
They deserve destruction.
But God shows grace
when Jonah felt
justice needed to be delivered.
Jonah becomes angry
about this grace
that God showed Nineveh.
In fact,
Jonah literally hated
what God had done.
He hated it.
His cause for anger
and hatred
is chapter 3.
I hate
that you've not
shown them mercy.
And Jonah believed
because of their past actions,
because of how cruel
they've been,
they deserved
destruction.
But see,
grace
is not based
on what we think.
Grace is not
based on justice.
Grace is based
completely
on God.
And praise God
for it.
Praise God
for His grace
and that He
is the author
and the creator
of that grace.
Now,
the funny thing is,
is Jonah's angry.
He's displeased.
Exceedingly displeased.
He hates
what God did.
And then he
tries to blame
God
for his sinful choices.
He tries
to blame God.
I ran
because I knew
you were going
to do this.
I knew
you were going
to be merciful,
so I split
because I know
better than you.
I knew
you were going
to pardon Him.
We kind of
laugh at that
and say,
what an idiot.
But don't we
do that though?
When sin
is in our lives
and either people
confront us
or ask us
about it,
we try to defend
our actions,
we sound irrational.
We sound like
babbling idiots.
sin.
See,
sin casts
blame on
everyone but
ourselves.
And it even
casts blame
on God
sometimes.
And Jonah
put blame
on God
for the choices
he made
because God
was going
to be merciful.
And Jonah
knew it.
Jonah is
crazy.
He even
says,
I cannot
live anymore.
I can't
bear to see
what you're
doing to
those people.
people.
I can't
bear,
it's not
like saying,
watching a
horror flick
and you
can't stand
to look at
something scary
happen.
Or
God telling
Lot not
to look back
because I'm
about to
destroy Sodom.
It's not
like that.
God is
doing something
great and
Jonah cannot
look.
Jonah wants
to die.
I cannot
look at
his grace
towards this
people.
I can't
handle it.
See,
Jonah not
only let
his view
of justice
through,
but he
also let
his racism
show.
God,
you cannot
be gracious
towards that
people.
They're not
even Jewish.
If you
were Jewish
and you
have been
taught from
your birth
that you
are going
to be,
you're a
chosen people
that through
Abraham you're
going to be
blessed,
you would
probably think
the same
thing as
Jonah.
God,
how can
you be
graceful
to that
people?
Here was
God showing
grace.
Israel's
grace.
Israel's
grace towards
Nineveh.
At least
that's what
Jonah thought.
How dare
you,
God?
Like when
you're a
kid,
are you
sharing my
candy with
my brother?
Mom,
come on!
That's my
candy!
For us
though,
who believe
that God's
chosen people
are now
the church
or now
His church,
we can
easily fall
into this
same practice.
That person
over there
is undeserving
of God's
grace.
Or,
I'm certain
that God
is not
asking me
to go
talk to
that person.
Cannot
possibly be
the case.
God
wouldn't
show them
grace.
That is
Jonah.
That is
us.
God.
And that
is God.
There's
the picture.
Praise
God that
His grace
is not
founded
in
justice.
Jonah
was foolish.
Jonah
was a
fool.
But he
was not
dumb.
He
was not
dumb.
He knew
that based
on justice
alone,
Nineveh
deserved
destruction.
Like
Nineveh,
you and I
deserve
destruction
based on
justice.
Praise God
though.
Grace
is radical.
Praise the
Lord that
grace exists
and that
God gives
us grace
and mercy.
So if
grace is
not justice,
then a
Christian will
not look to
justice as
their measuring
stick.
So,
okay,
you did
this.
Let me
see.
Yeah,
okay.
Even it
out.
Let's
even it
out.
See,
what we
want to
do is
look at
everything
and measure
it with
justice in
mind.
But what
we should
be doing
as
Christians,
as
disciples,
look through
the lens
of grace
and see
what God
is doing.
And God
will be
glorified in
that.
So,
not only
is grace
not justice,
but God's
grace is
not found
in temporal
or physical
things.
This is
verse 5
through 10.
Jonah went
out of the
city and
sat to
the east
of the
city and
made a
booth for
himself there.
He sat
under it in
the shade
till he
should see
what would
become of
the city.
Then the
Lord appointed
a plant and
made it come
up over
Jonah that
it might be
a shade over
his head to
save him from
his discomfort.
So,
Jonah was
exceedingly
glad because
of the
plant.
But when
dawn came
up,
the next
day God
appointed a
worm that
attacked the
plant so
that it
withered.
When the
sun rose,
God appointed
a scorching
east wind and
the sun beat
down on the
head of Jonah
so that he
was faint.
And he
asked that
he might die
and said,
it is better
for me to
die than
to live.
But God
said to
Jonah,
do you do
well to be
angry for
the plant?
And he
said,
yes,
I do
well to be
angry,
angry enough
to die.
And the
Lord said,
you pity
the plant
for which
you did
not labor,
nor did
you make
it grow,
which came
into being
in a night
and perished
in a night.
See,
Jonah goes
up to the
east of
the city
on a
hill to
have a
little pity
party.
He pouts
for what
God has
done.
He goes
to watch
and maybe
a little
hope that
that destruction
might still
come down,
just inkling,
gosh,
I hope
that God
just rains
down fire.
I'm
going to
sit and
watch just
in case.
And while
he's there,
he makes
the seat
for himself
out of
leaves and
tree branches
and sits
under the
shade.
And while
he's up
there,
God appoints
a plant
for him.
As verse
six says,
to save
him from
his discomfort.
God
certainly
showed
Jonah
grace by
providing
the plant.
But as
we read,
God also
showed
Jonah
grace by
having it
destroyed.
Jonah took
comfort and
joy,
not in
God,
but from
the plant.
Not in
the mighty
work of
grace that
God showed
Nineveh,
but he took
comfort and
joy in
the plant.
And when it
was destroyed,
he was angry
again and
wanted to
die.
Between
chapter four
and chapter
two,
we have
like this
bipolar
Jonah guy.
on one
hand,
he's
repenting
and he's
like,
God,
I'll do
whatever
you want
in chapter
two while
he's in
the belly
of the
big fish.
And then
chapter four
comes and
he's like
throwing stuff
against the
wall and
having these
tantrums.
And God,
God,
you're
horrible.
And then
he gets
this plant
that shades
him.
He's like,
oh,
this is so
great.
This plant
is wonderful.
I love
this plant.
This plant
just makes
me so
happy.
Because
grace is
based on
God,
because God
is the
author and
creator of
grace.
It's based
on him and
his doing
and not
on ours.
We must
not look to
things as
God's saving
grace.
Now,
they're acts
of grace.
God gives
him a plant.
But is
that saving
grace?
Is his
comfort and
his
joy in
the plant
or is
it in
God?
And in
our sinful
nature,
we're always
looking for
opportunities to
make us
better,
to make us
look great,
you know,
and make us
comfortable.
And whether
that's the
clothes we
wear or
the things
we drive or
the degrees
that we
get or
the people
we marry,
all these
things are
not bad.
None of
these things
are bad.
The plant
was given
by God,
was appointed
by God.
But Jonah
made it
bad by
finding his
joy and
his comfort
in it.
He made
an idol out
of something
that disappears
in a short
time.
And God
used it
to teach
Jonah a
lesson.
Jonah took
more concern
and joy for
the plant
than he did
for the people
of Nineveh
that he just
went through
and preached
to.
He took
more concern
for the
comfort of
the shade
in the hot
sun than
he did
for what
mighty work
God is
doing to
Nineveh.
The second
we look to
things or
people for
joy and
comfort,
we say to
God that
you are not
good enough
for my
praise.
This plant
or this
degree or
this house
or this
is better
than you
or this
children,
this quiver
is better
than you.
Jonah said
to God
with his
actions that
this plant
is better
than you.
Forget about
the ship
and the fish
God and
the opportunity
to join you.
Forget about
all that stuff
because you
did not do
what I thought
was best
and because
this plant
is so great,
this plant
is so great,
I worship
it.
See,
we do
this though
with more
evidence of
grace shown
to us
than what
we see
in Jonah's
life.
See,
God through
Jesus Christ
has taken
your sin
and my sin
so that we
can be counted
righteous.
He died
so that we
would not
have to
die.
And yet
we covet
things that
are temporary.
We worship
things that
don't last.
See,
grace,
saving grace
is not
found in
temporal
or physical
things.
It is
found in
Jesus Christ
who is
eternal
and never
changing.
So,
if grace
is not
found in
temporary
things,
then a
Christian
will look
to Christ
for their
security
and identity,
not in
their stuff,
achievements,
or circumstances.
Jesus Christ
the
stuff,
the plant,
is so
tangible.
We can
see it.
We can
touch it.
We enjoy
the shade
of that
tree.
We enjoy
the pleasures
of that
car or
that lifestyle
or whatever
it is.
But we
find our
comfort and
joy in it.
We find our
identity and
security in it.
We've made
a good thing
a bad thing
and turn
it into
a God
thing.
And that's
what Jonah
does with
the plant.
A plant
that God
even appointed
for him.
Even said,
hey, I'm
going to
take care
of you,
even though
you're
throwing a
hissy fit.
I'm going
to put this
over your
head and
I'm going
to shade
you.
So,
God's grace
is not found
in temporal
or physical
things.
God's grace
does not fit
in our box
or definition.
Verses
7 and 8.
But when
dawn came
up the next
day,
God appointed
a worm that
attacked the
plant so that
it withered.
When the sun
rose,
God appointed
a scorching
east wind
and the sun
beat down
on the head
of Jonah
so that he
was faint
and he asked
that he might
die and said,
it is better
for me to
die than
to live.
God appointed
a worm
and a scorching
east wind
to make Jonah
uncomfortable.
Now,
I know
what you're
thinking.
These two
acts don't
really fit
very well
in our
view of
grace.
How can
something
negative
happen
and we
call it
grace?
But this
chapter is
the summation
is God's
lesson,
the conclusion
of God's
lesson for
Jonah.
It started
in chapter
1 when he
told him
to go
to Nineveh
and it
ends
in verse
11
chapter 4.
He
destroys
the thing
that Jonah
felt good
about
that he
took
comfort
in.
Just
because it
doesn't agree
with us
logically,
just because
we don't
understand it
or doesn't
make us feel
a certain
way,
doesn't mean
that it's
not God
showing grace
to you.
See,
God showed
grace to
Jonah by
teaching him
a lesson,
by teaching
him more
of who
God is,
how merciful
he is,
how his
mission isn't
just to the
people of
Israel,
how it's
to more
than that.
God's
grace is
not based
on me
or on
you,
as I've
said,
but it's
based
completely
on him.
For us
to say,
surely this
isn't God
because it's
negative and
I don't
like it,
is naive
and arrogant
of us.
We're
quick to
throw out
Romans 8
28,
and we
know that
for those
who love
God,
all things
work together
for good,
for those
who are
called
according to
his purpose.
Do we
really believe
this?
Or is it
just full of
words that
mean nothing
to us?
See,
that's why a
story like
Jonah is in
here.
Not to
say,
look what
God can
do with
a big
fish,
but to
say,
look what
God can
do even
in taking
away a
plant,
or even
in showing
mercy to
an evil,
cruel nation,
city,
or,
look,
God can
control the
wind,
and can
control a
big fish,
and can
control a
plant.
Verses
10 and
11,
do we
really believe
828?
Because
verse 10
and 11
is God's
final lesson,
God's
conclusion of
this lesson.
And the
Lord said,
you pity the
plant for
which you
did not
labor,
nor did
you make
it grow,
which came
into being
in a
night,
and
perished
in a
night.
And
should
not
I
pity
Nineveh,
that
great
city,
in which
there are
more than
120,000
persons who
do not
know their
right hand
from their
left,
and also
much
cattle?
Do you
really have
any reason
to be sad
or angry,
Jonah,
about the
plant that
does not
last?
And that
has very
little value?
And how
should I
feel about
the people
that I
created in
my own
image?
Should I
just ignore
them because
that's what
you want
me to
do?
His basic
point is
look at the
people of the
world as I
see them.
Look at the
people of the
world through
grace as I
see them,
not as you
see them.
Have a
kingdom view.
God will
use what he
deems
appropriate to
perfect you,
to
sanctify you
for your
good and
his glory.
glory.
He's
working in
your life
now.
Bad things
happen,
but he's
using those
bad things
to make
you more
like him,
to make
you more
like Christ.
So if
grace does
not fit in
our box,
then a
Christian will
have faith
to trust
God completely
in good
times and
in what we
see as
bad.
Trust God
completely.
fourth point,
grace is a
gift from
the sovereign
God.
In chapter
four, God
shows his
sovereignty over
creation again.
Chapter one,
he did.
Chapter two,
he did.
Chapter four,
he did.
Over a
worm, over
a plant, over
an eastern
wind.
God has
flexed his
sovereignty
muscles.
And not
to show,
look how
strong I
am, or
look how
powerful I
am, but
to show us
that he is
sovereign, that
he is in
control.
God who
hurled a
wind at
Jonah in
chapter one,
who made
the sea, a
storm like
the sailors
had never
seen before,
who provided
a fish for
Jonah, a
big fish for
him to live
in three
days.
That's
crazy.
For him
to say,
fish, I want
you to spit
them out right
there.
And for the
fish to do
that.
And in
chapter four,
to provide a
plant, to
provide a
worm to eat
that plant,
and then
provide a
scorching east
wind to make
Jonah
uncomfortable.
Grace is
an act from
the sovereign
God.
The one
thing that we
see clearly
about Jonah
in this
story, and
how we
really do
relate, is
that Jonah
doesn't deserve
the grace that
God shows
him.
He doesn't
deserve any
of it.
Even in
the middle
of receiving
it, he
throws this
tantrum.
Even in
the middle
of being
defiant, God
provides a
fish for
him.
As we
know from
other
scriptures,
like Ephesians
2, grace,
and like that
definition, is
favor shown
where there is
positive
demerit in
the one
receiving it.
So grace
is given to
those who
don't deserve
it.
God.
And the
only one who
can show
this type
of grace
is sovereign
God.
One who
is never
surprised, who
rules over
all and has
everything in
his control.
That God is
the God who
can give
grace.
And God
makes this
point again
in verse
10 and
11.
And I
just read
it.
You
pity the
plant for
which you
did not
labor, nor
did you
make it
grow, which
came into
being in
a night and
perished in
a night.
As we
read verse
10, we
see that
God is
God is on
one hand
saying,
Joni, you
didn't do
any of
these things
and communicating
to him, but
I did.
I'm the
one who
made the
plant grow.
I'm the
one who
labored
in creating
it.
And then
verse 11,
of course,
follows verse
10.
I did
these things
and I
created the
people of
Nineveh in
my image and
I will show
them grace,
whether you
want me to
or not.
God's grace,
His sovereignty
and His mercy
are all on
display in
this book.
It is no
longer a good
story.
It is no
longer a
flannel board
Sunday school
happy story.
God's mercy
is displayed.
God's grace
is given.
And God's
sovereignty is
throughout the
book.
book is a
lesson for you
and for me
about the
God who
has shown
us mercy.
On
Yom
Kippur,
the day of
atonement,
the highest
holy day of
the year
in the Jewish
religion.
At the
last moments
of the day,
a Jewish
leader will
read the
book of
Jonah out
loud for
everyone to
hear.
They listen
to how the
sea is moved
by a mighty
wind hurled
by God.
They listen
to God
saving Jonah
from death
by appointing
a big
fish.
They listen
to God
showing mercy
and grace
to the people
of Nineveh.
They listen
to Jonah
not wanting
a pagan
people to
be the
beneficiary
of God's
grace.
They listen
to the
prophet
throw a
pity party
for himself
and they
listen to
God give
his final
words to
Jonah by
saying,
I will
have mercy
on whom
I have
mercy
and I
will have
compassion
on whom
I have
compassion.
When the
reading is
over,
everyone
listening to
the story,
everyone
all together
will say,
and we
are
Jonah.
No one
can outrun
God.
No one
can outthink
God.
And no one
can decide
where his
mercy and
grace will
be given
for he
is
God.
We
are
Jonah.
Jonah,
deserving
of death,
punishment
for our
sinful
nature,
and at
the mercy
of the
Lord.
We
are
Jonah,
fools
who way
too often
look to
our own
needs and
desires and
forget the
needs of
those around
us.
We
are
Jonah,
and when
things don't
go as
planned,
throw a
pity party
over
things that
we don't
even
control
or have
control in
their
appearance.
and of
which
last but
a day
and
disappear.
We
are
Jonah,
we
are
Nineveh,
and we
are the
sailors,
and we
are at
the mercy
of a
merciful
God
who is,
as
Jonah
tells us
in
verse
2,
who is
gracious
and
merciful,
slow
to
anger,
and abounding
in steadfast
love,
and relenting
from
disaster.
If we
are
Jonah,
then let's
learn from
the original
Jonah,
and join
God in
what He
is doing.
Let's
love those
around us
no matter
the differences
we have.
And let's
be gracious
as God
has been
gracious
towards
us.
Pray with
me.
Amen.