WEBVTT

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 Well, it's been a while since we looked at the book of Jonah as a church, and my apologies

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 for that.

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 So I think before we read chapter four, I'll give you a brief overview of the story so

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 far.

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 I'm sure it's a story that we're all familiar with.

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 Jonah is a prophet of God who has been commissioned to go and preach to Nineveh, which in Jonah's

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 day, I think it's sort of seen as symbolic of the very worst of human sort of depravity

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 and wickedness.

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 Similarly to how maybe Sodom and Gomorrah is viewed in the Bible, or maybe Babylon as well,

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 this is not a nice place, and Jonah doesn't like this idea.

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 Instead of obeying the word of the Lord, he flees on a boat to Tarshish, which in Jonah's

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 day again is the end of the world.

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 There's nowhere further than you can go than Tarshish.

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 So yeah, we're getting the sense that Jonah really doesn't want to do this.

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 On his way to Tarshish, he boards a ship full of pagan sailors, and God sends a great storm.

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 The sailors suspect that there's maybe something different about the storm.

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 There might be a divine cause behind it.

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 And when Jonah is discovered to be the culprit of the storm, Jonah volunteers.

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 His solution to the problem is to throw himself into the sea.

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 And instead of death, as we'd expect, God provides a fish to swallow Jonah.

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 And in the fish, Jonah prays to the Lord.

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 During that prayer, he thanks him for being faithful to him.

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 And from this point on, Jonah promises to God that he's going to be faithful.

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 And the Lord responds to Jonah's prayer by vomiting Jonah back out and recommissioning him to go to Nineveh.

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 Jonah's trip to Nineveh is a success.

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 The city hears what Jonah has to say.

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 And everyone in the city repents.

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 Everyone from, you know, the most important people in the city, the king of Nineveh, has repented.

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 All the way down to the peasants and even the cows have repented.

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 Which brings us to Jonah 4.

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 And we might ask ourselves, you know, why is Jonah 4 even here?

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 From the story of Jonah so far, we've sort of, it follows the logic of a good story.

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 We've got a catastrophe.

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 We have a sort of favorable resolution of events.

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 Nineveh, a wicked city, has repented.

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 And even Jonah has seemingly repented.

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 We sort of have a happily ever after.

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 Why is there another chapter?

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 But I think chapter 4 is here to really give us a fuller picture.

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 To help us understand the real meaning of the story of Jonah.

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 Some of us may think that Jonah is just a nice story that we can tell our children before they go to bed.

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 Or some of us, I remember a couple years ago, I watched through some Jordan Peterson lectures on psychological interpretations of biblical stories.

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 And he's got a couple lectures on Jonah.

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 And his sort of interpretation of Jonah is Jonah is just this symbol of what happens when we run away from our responsibilities in life.

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 And, you know, God sort of uses suffering in our life to change us and transform us.

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 And while some of his insights might be helpful, I think that's not the real point of the book of Jonah.

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 I don't think Jonah is a story we have which we can just get moral lessons from.

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 I think the real meaning of the book of Jonah is it is we're supposed to read it and get the sense that something special is going to happen in redemptive history.

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 And I think when we have the sort of foundations laid of why the book is here in the first place, then I think the moral lessons can come after that.

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 So I'll read Jonah 4 for us now.

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 I'll read from the end of chapter 3 to give us a bit of context.

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 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

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 But to Jonah, this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.

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 He prayed to the Lord,

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 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city.

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 There, he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade, and waited to see what would happen to the city.

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 Then the Lord provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort.

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 And Jonah was very happy about the plant.

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 But at dawn, the next day, God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.

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 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.

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 He wanted to die and said,

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 It would be better for me to die than to live.

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 But God said to Jonah,

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 Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?

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 It is, he said.

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 And I am so angry, I wish I were dead.

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 But the Lord said,

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 You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend to it or make it grow.

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 It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

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 And should I not be concerned for the great city of Nineveh,

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 in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left,

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 and also many animals.

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 I have a couple friends who go out street preaching in Edinburgh.

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 They went out just yesterday, in fact.

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 And usually what they'll do is they'll have a board, which will have a question on it,

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 or maybe it'll have some pictures.

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 And the point is to sort of illustrate a gospel message.

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 And they'll go out on the Royal Mile, which is a very busy street.

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 So they'll have maybe hundreds of people who'll walk past the boards, maybe even thousands.

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 Usually what happens is people tend to ignore them.

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 I think they would be fortunate if even a handful of people stopped by to listen for more than five minutes.

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 And a lot of the time they can often be sort of the subject of some pretty harsh, you know, insults.

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 And mockery.

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 But I'd like you to imagine for a second if one day they went out to the Royal Mile,

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 and suddenly everyone who walked past them stopped and started to listen to them.

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 And not just listen, but they were actually being changed by the message.

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 And, yeah, let's say after they've heard the message, they go out and they tell other people.

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 And then they tell their friends and they tell their friends.

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 And the message gets out to the club goers on Cowgate or to the people in pubs in Tyne Castle.

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 Even if the message got out to the Scottish Parliament and the next Sunday all the church pews in Edinburgh are full,

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 I think the team would be absolutely delighted if that happened.

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 And it would be a miracle that they didn't think was possible.

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 And I think if someone on the team was actually angry or upset that that happened,

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 that they would be firmly rebuked by the team.

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 They would think, you know, there's something seriously wrong with this person.

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 How can you be angry that the city of Edinburgh has turned from their ways?

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 But that is what we have in Jonah 4.

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 We have a prophet of God who has been used as God's instrument to bring about the greatest awakening that we have in the Old Testament.

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 But Jonah, there's something that is annoying him.

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 He's angry.

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 And this isn't just like a regular kind of anger.

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 There's sort of, there's an emphasis that's being added.

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 The ESV would translate it, but it displeased Jonah exceedingly.

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 And he was angry.

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 So listen, I don't know if you've ever spilt coffee on the carpet and your dad starts shouting at you.

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 It's that kind of level of anger.

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 It's not something that he can just keep to himself.

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 It has to come out of him.

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 And it comes out in his prayer to the Lord.

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 He's sort of, he's talking us through his thought process and why he's so angry.

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 And it's revealed that he knows that God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger.

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 And that is why he fled to Tarshish in the first place.

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 So Jonah knew in chapter one that this was going to happen.

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 That God was going to forgive the Ninevites.

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 Here Jonah is quoting a very sort of common way of describing God in the Old Testament.

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 It first occurs in Exodus 34.

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 And we all know the story of Exodus.

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 God rescues the Israelites from the land of slavery.

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 And he calls them to, he's going to be their God and they are going to be his people.

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 And he gives them a list of commands that they're supposed to follow.

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 God is going to guide them to a land and they're going to live under him.

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 And what are the first two commands?

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 You shall have no other gods beside me and you shall not make idols.

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 And what happens?

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 The Israelites make the golden calf.

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 They do a couple of other things.

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 But Israel, having just been delivered from the land of slavery, have so quickly turned from their God who redeemed them.

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 God could have not been compassionate to the Israelites.

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 He could have just, you know, punished them or abandoned them.

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 But instead, what he does is he renews his covenant with them.

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 And this is where we get this list of attributes.

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 God is sort of saying, it's nothing that you Israelites have done that has caused me to save you or has redeemed you.

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 The only reason that I'm going to save you and to be your God is because I am like this.

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 This is my character.

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 I'm slow to anger and I'm abounding in love.

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 Whenever we search for redeemable qualities within ourselves, we are never going to find it.

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 The only grounds we have to appeal to God to save us is God himself and his character.

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 Even though we're sinners and we're sinful people, the only reason that God continues to provide for us is because he is slow to anger and abounding in love.

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 And Jonah, as someone who is a covenant, you know, he's a prophet of God.

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 He's supposed to represent God.

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 He's supposed to live under these set of rules and be, sort of act like God.

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 Here, he doesn't seem to be very gracious.

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 And we've seen this sort of pattern from Jonah before.

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 In chapter one, the first thing Jonah says is, I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord.

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 If you think back to chapter one, Jonah's on the boat and he's actually the only person who's not fearing the Lord.

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 Jonah's sort of, he's saying one thing, but his actions aren't really matching up to what he's saying.

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 And I think there's a good point of application for us here because I think as Christians, we can tend to be a little bit like that sometimes.

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 We profess to the world that we believe in a God of love who created the world out of love and who's displayed, you know, the greatest act of love ever known in providing his son.

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 And as image bearers, people are supposed to, you know, reflect God and be like him.

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 Yeah, we're supposed to think and act accordingly.

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 But in a world that's been stained by sin, I think we all have a tendency to think and act like Jonah.

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 And yeah, we ourselves have been forgiven and have been sort of the object of God's love and grace.

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 And yet we don't really want to show that to other people.

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 So this can be sort of trivial.

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 It can be someone in church who you think is just a bit annoying and you just want to ignore.

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 Or it can be something a little bit more serious.

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 And, you know, there may be stories that we have of people who have really wronged us and caused us a lot of pain and hurt.

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 But I think as Christians, I think we should pray about these situations and ask God to help us use these situations to help us love Christ more.

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 To help us sort of show the love that God has shown to us and show it to other people.

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 So Jonah finishes his prayer with a death wish.

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 Lord, take away my life for it is better for me to die than to live.

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 His anger is just so out of control that he wants to die.

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 I think a lot of people have sort of tended to think that Jonah is so angry because Jonah is just a racist.

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 He doesn't, he's a Hebrew and none of other Gentiles.

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 He probably lived at a time where there was a sort of heightened sense of animosity shown towards people of different cultures.

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 People who maybe look different or sound different to him.

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 And there might be an element of truth to that.

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 But I think we need to be more sensitive to where Jonah is located in the biblical timeline.

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 Because Jonah is name dropped one other time in the Old Testament.

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 In 2 Kings 14.

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 Where we learn in verses 23 to 29 that Jonah is the prophet of Israel.

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 During a sort of successive reign of really bad kings.

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 One of them, Jeroboam II.

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 Who I think was kind of similar to like a Genghis Khan or Julius Caesar type figure.

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 You know, this great leader who's winning all these wars.

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 Israel's sort of on the upward trajectory in terms of their sort of influence as a nation.

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 But Jeroboam in his personal life, he's maybe not making the greatest lifestyle choices.

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 We read in 2 Kings 14 chapter 24 that he did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

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 If God is calling you out for being evil, then you've done something very wrong.

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 And yeah, that's not good.

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 What tends to happen in sort of Israelite history is if the king is rubbish, if his spiritual discipline is not great,

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 then that is going to have trickle down effects to the rest of the nation.

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 The nation is going to fall into sin and idolatry and apostasy.

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 And Jonah is going to be aware of this.

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 He's going to know what is happening to his nation.

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 He's going to be discerning as a prophet of God.

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 And Jonah is also going to know what the consequences of this are.

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 In the book of Deuteronomy, in chapter 28, we get a list of curses.

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 Things that will happen if Israel as a nation or Israel's kings are unfaithful.

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 If the nation turns to idols, then God's blessing is going to be taken away from them.

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 The result is going to be exile and foreign nations are going to come in and defeat them.

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 An example of this is Deuteronomy 28 verse 36.

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 This is not great if this happens.

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 But I think this context is sort of maybe a bit better for understanding Jonah's actions.

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 Why he doesn't want to go to Nineveh in the first place.

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 And why he's so angry that Nineveh has repented.

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 Because if Israel, during a time of great sin and apostasy.

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 You know, if Jonah's called to go to Nineveh during this time.

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 And God blesses Nineveh.

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 And the whole city repents.

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 Then that is only going to mean one thing.

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 It's going to mean judgment for Israel.

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 And yeah, I don't think Jonah wants that.

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 The Lord responds to Jonah's prayer with a question.

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 Is it right for you to be angry?

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 If God asks you a question, you've probably done something wrong.

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 God has perfect knowledge of everything.

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 He knows the depths of our hearts.

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 He knows all the hairs on our head.

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 So if he asks you a question, he probably already knows the answer.

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 We see this in Genesis with, you know, Adam and Eve sinning.

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 And Cain killing his brother Abel.

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 The first thing God does is confront them with a question.

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 And Jonah, in his angry state, in his state of dejection, decides to get up and to leave the city.

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 He sort of shrugs off his question.

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 He builds for himself a shelter.

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 And he watches out, looks over the city and watches what's going to happen to them.

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 So I think he's sort of, he's still kind of hoping that God might judge these wicked people.

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 Sort of, I think he's hoping for a Sodom and Gomorrah, sort of, part two.

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 So, whereas God's first question to Jonah is verbal, his, and that doesn't work, his next response is to sort of use real life, use a real life sort of parable, kind of almost, a symbolic story.

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 I think the aim of God here is to try and get Jonah to understand that his anger is just completely unjustifiable.

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 And so God provides Jonah a plant.

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 And this eases his discomfort.

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 And for the first time in the whole story, we realize that Jonah is happy.

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 It's amazing that, you know, Jonah's had multiple opportunities throughout the story to be happy.

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 God has saved him from the point of death, which was a mess entirely of his own making.

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 God has, you know, caused the greatest nation in the world at the time to repent.

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 But it's only when Jonah is saved from his own discomfort that he shows joy.

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 And not just any joy.

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 It's the same sort of emphasis as used.

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 Jonah is very happy about the plant.

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 His joy is short-lived, however.

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 God provides a worm, which eats up the plant.

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 And then a strong east wind comes in.

00:23:24.139 --> 00:23:26.419
 And Jonah is back to wanting to die.

00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:29.859
 God asks him the same question.

00:23:34.159 --> 00:23:34.639
 Yeah.

00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:38.099
 Jonah says, it's better for me to die than to live.

00:23:38.539 --> 00:23:41.019
 He's, you know, going up and down.

00:23:42.179 --> 00:23:44.439
 Sort of bipolar, almost.

00:23:44.440 --> 00:23:48.860
 And God finally responds.

00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:53.600
 God asks Jonah another question.

00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:55.920
 Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?

00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:57.640
 It is, he said.

00:23:58.039 --> 00:24:00.080
 And I'm so angry, I wish I were dead.

00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:03.900
 And God finally responds.

00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:05.960
 And this is how the whole story ends.

00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:11.180
 You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend to it or make it grow.

00:24:11.180 --> 00:24:14.299
 It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:25.860
 And should I not have 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 many animals?

00:24:25.859 --> 00:24:38.619
 I think the point that God is trying to make to Jonah is, you're happy about this plant.

00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:42.979
 And yet, this plant was sort of like a gift to you.

00:24:43.240 --> 00:24:45.759
 You didn't do anything to contribute to it.

00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:50.000
 And it's sort of come up and it's gone overnight.

00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:53.599
 It's not exactly been in his life very long.

00:24:53.819 --> 00:24:57.920
 He can't claim any sort of emotional attachment to the plant.

00:24:58.200 --> 00:24:59.640
 It kind of meant that much to him.

00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:15.880
 And I think God responds, if you're so happy about this plant, then shouldn't it also be right for me to show concern for a human being who's made in my image?

00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:23.020
 And not just one human being, but a whole city of human beings.

00:25:24.780 --> 00:25:31.380
 Jonah's sort of love for the plant is motivated by his self-interest, what it does to him.

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:36.820
 It's not, you know, there's no genuine love for the plant.

00:25:36.819 --> 00:25:52.859
 I think this phrase, people who don't know their left hand from their right, I don't think it means that the Ninevites are sort of like children who just don't know anything.

00:25:54.119 --> 00:26:00.859
 But I think it's to suggest that there may be sort of, they need guidance.

00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:03.240
 They're sort of waywards.

00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:07.299
 I think it's a general phrase to describe the human condition.

00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:16.460
 Sort of the way the Bible describes people as sheep or Jesus, lost sheep who have gone astray.

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:28.559
 Every human being seems to have an innate tendency to wander and to get lost, not really knowing what they're doing.

00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:38.399
 You know, they may have some idea of there's an intended goal or there's a general idea of what's good, but they seem to never be able to reach it.

00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:49.559
 If you know your Westminster Shorter Catechism, you should know that you should do all things for God's glory.

00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:51.500
 That is your chief end.

00:26:51.579 --> 00:26:52.119
 That's your goal.

00:26:52.119 --> 00:26:59.559
 And yet, all of us at some point in our lives have chosen to live our lives for our own glory.

00:27:01.459 --> 00:27:10.279
 Along the way, we sort of, yeah, we stray away from our true purpose and from our true shepherd and our true aim.

00:27:10.279 --> 00:27:17.279
 Some of us may get more lost than others, and some of us may not even realize that we are lost.

00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:22.680
 But I think that in itself is a sign of being lost.

00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.299
 Sort of similar to Isaiah 53, all like sheep have gone astray.

00:27:30.299 --> 00:27:38.839
 And I think it's similar to what Paul is getting at in Romans 3, where he basically says,

00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:48.399
 the reason why you're in this state and the reason why the world is like this and we feel like this is because we're all living under the power of sin.

00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:55.899
 And it's nothing sort of inside of you that is going to solve this problem.

00:27:56.119 --> 00:27:58.500
 It's something that has to come from outside of you.

00:27:58.500 --> 00:28:02.220
 And that's how the book of Jonah ends.

00:28:03.220 --> 00:28:08.559
 The book ends with this rebuke from God, basically saying,

00:28:08.839 --> 00:28:18.039
 if Jonah, if you care about yourself and this plant more than this Gentile city,

00:28:18.359 --> 00:28:23.460
 even though I've been gracious and faithful to you and to your nation throughout your life,

00:28:23.460 --> 00:28:29.420
 and the Ninevites are completely ignorant of the promises that I've made,

00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:32.880
 shouldn't it also be right for me to show care to them?

00:28:36.360 --> 00:28:40.340
 So that's the book of Jonah.

00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:41.900
 What are we to make of it?

00:28:42.059 --> 00:28:44.259
 What is actually the point of Jonah?

00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:46.779
 What does it mean for us?

00:28:47.940 --> 00:28:55.420
 Well, I think Jonah is located in the minor prophets in the Old Testament.

00:28:56.359 --> 00:29:01.259
 And I think generally with the prophetic books in the Bible,

00:29:01.859 --> 00:29:04.779
 they're usually trying to do sort of two things.

00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:10.139
 They're announcing the end of God's covenant with Israel, God's old covenant.

00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:14.440
 You know, Israel as a nation, the sacrificial system.

00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:18.279
 These things have sort of served their purpose.

00:29:18.639 --> 00:29:22.359
 But at the same time, it's sort of foreseeing a new covenant,

00:29:23.299 --> 00:29:25.899
 one that is going to be better than the old covenant.

00:29:25.900 --> 00:29:29.980
 And I think that's the case with the book of Jonah as well.

00:29:32.560 --> 00:29:40.460
 Have you ever wondered why Jonah is a book that's located within the minor prophets,

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:45.440
 and yet it's a book which doesn't actually contain any prophecies?

00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:49.600
 Or at least Jonah doesn't seem to be doing much prophesying.

00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:58.539
 I think it's because the whole story itself has generally or historically been intended to be viewed as a prophecy.

00:30:03.639 --> 00:30:10.259
 Jonah is not a symbol of what happens when we run away from our responsibilities in life.

00:30:11.299 --> 00:30:16.559
 I think Jonah is more intended to be a symbol of the nation of Israel as a whole.

00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:24.579
 He represents himself, but I think in the Bible it's sort of common to have one person representing a group of people.

00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:29.659
 So in chapter 1, the word of the Lord comes to Jonah.

00:30:31.159 --> 00:30:36.720
 Israel was sort of the nation that was seen as having the oracles of God.

00:30:39.399 --> 00:30:45.179
 And notice the direction that Jonah is heading in chapter 1.

00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:49.080
 First, he heads down to Joppa.

00:30:49.140 --> 00:30:51.200
 He's given a mission, and he heads down.

00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:53.519
 He runs away, heads down to Joppa.

00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:58.880
 He gets on the boat where he heads down below deck.

00:30:59.600 --> 00:31:04.720
 And then on the boat he's thrown, and now he's sinking down into the sea.

00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:16.519
 I think the author is trying to show us that, you know, Jonah in his sin and rebellion,

00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:21.259
 but also representing the nation of Israel and their sin and rebellion,

00:31:21.880 --> 00:31:27.279
 is sinking further and further down, sort of like being flushed down the toilet.

00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:30.299
 God is finished with them.

00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:34.639
 Or maybe not finished, but they've served their purpose.

00:31:36.740 --> 00:31:44.940
 But at the same time, I think we also see the providential hand of God in the story.

00:31:44.940 --> 00:31:49.460
 And we're getting the sense that something bigger is going to happen.

00:31:50.340 --> 00:31:53.360
 First, Jonah is called to preach to Nineveh, a great city.

00:31:54.620 --> 00:31:57.240
 And then God sends a great storm.

00:31:57.460 --> 00:32:01.340
 It's not just a random storm that, you know, comes in out of nowhere,

00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:04.559
 but God appoints, sends a storm.

00:32:05.460 --> 00:32:07.900
 And then God sends a great fish.

00:32:08.500 --> 00:32:10.019
 Again, it's not just a random fish.

00:32:10.019 --> 00:32:12.379
 God appointed a fish to swallow Jonah.

00:32:14.859 --> 00:32:17.519
 And then, again, he preaches to a great city.

00:32:18.599 --> 00:32:22.119
 I think there's sort of a general anticipation that,

00:32:23.339 --> 00:32:29.059
 though Israel is sort of drowning, there's something bigger that's going to come.

00:32:31.139 --> 00:32:34.440
 And I think, within the story, something big does come.

00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:39.279
 The whole nation of, the whole city of Nineveh has repented.

00:32:40.019 --> 00:32:47.299
 But I think that's only just a faint analogy or a faint picture of, well,

00:32:48.039 --> 00:32:50.160
 something really big that's coming.

00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:56.059
 Jonah, in his sermon to the Ninevites, it's kind of a strange sermon.

00:32:56.299 --> 00:32:57.160
 It's not very long.

00:32:58.240 --> 00:32:59.799
 Chapter 3, verse 4.

00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:03.139
 Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

00:33:03.140 --> 00:33:11.220
 There isn't much of a mention of a gracious or a compassionate God.

00:33:12.420 --> 00:33:17.100
 And I don't think there's much of a gospel message in here.

00:33:17.300 --> 00:33:20.980
 It's sort of like Jonah's concealing the message,

00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:25.680
 which I think is very telling.

00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:28.140
 Jonah doesn't want the Ninevites to be saved,

00:33:28.259 --> 00:33:30.259
 so I'm going to tell them as little as possible.

00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:35.480
 Yeah.

00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:43.380
 One day in Israel, there would arise a prophet

00:33:43.380 --> 00:33:46.320
 who would fully reveal that message

00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:50.759
 and would sort of fully display

00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:54.839
 God's plan of redemption for humanity

00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:56.200
 and present the gospel.

00:33:57.240 --> 00:34:00.980
 And this prophet would put Jonah to shame.

00:34:02.460 --> 00:34:07.319
 Instead of running away from a sinful city,

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:10.420
 this prophet would come down,

00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:13.099
 condescend to a sinful city,

00:34:13.099 --> 00:34:15.099
 and save them.

00:34:16.460 --> 00:34:19.920
 Instead of looking out onto a sinful city

00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:22.900
 with fire in his eyes,

00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:24.719
 hoping for their destruction,

00:34:25.940 --> 00:34:28.579
 Jesus would look out onto Jerusalem

00:34:28.579 --> 00:34:30.420
 with tears in his eyes,

00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:32.539
 praying for their salvation.

00:34:34.599 --> 00:34:37.139
 And instead of being thrown overboard

00:34:37.139 --> 00:34:38.619
 and sacrificing himself

00:34:38.619 --> 00:34:41.619
 because of his own sin,

00:34:41.619 --> 00:34:45.279
 Jesus would sacrifice himself

00:34:45.279 --> 00:34:46.920
 because of the sin of others,

00:34:47.739 --> 00:34:50.500
 of sinners who put their trust in him.

00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:55.839
 And Jesus wouldn't be vomited at his tomb,

00:34:56.039 --> 00:34:58.400
 but he would rise from it in glory

00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:01.079
 and ascend into heaven,

00:35:02.259 --> 00:35:05.119
 given authority and power

00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:08.039
 of all things in heaven and on earth.

00:35:08.039 --> 00:35:13.759
 I think Jonah's mission to Nineveh

00:35:13.759 --> 00:35:17.699
 was in anticipation of Christ's mission,

00:35:18.420 --> 00:35:21.980
 which was to fulfill all of the old covenant

00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:24.019
 and to make a new covenant,

00:35:24.279 --> 00:35:27.300
 which would be available for everyone,

00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:28.960
 for Jews and for Gentiles.

00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:34.340
 So, by way of application,

00:35:34.860 --> 00:35:37.320
 how does this story speak to us today?

00:35:38.579 --> 00:35:42.220
 I think the unanswered question at the end

00:35:42.220 --> 00:35:45.119
 is a question for all of us.

00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:49.500
 Jonah's problem was that

00:35:49.500 --> 00:35:53.000
 he was so soaked in his own self-care

00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:54.960
 and love of himself

00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:57.820
 and his own nation

00:35:57.820 --> 00:35:58.559
 and his own people

00:35:58.559 --> 00:36:00.240
 that it sort of

00:36:00.240 --> 00:36:03.559
 was a detriment to God's plan

00:36:03.559 --> 00:36:05.260
 to save a sinful people,

00:36:05.740 --> 00:36:09.260
 which maybe it's relatable to some of you.

00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:11.519
 I know it's relatable for me

00:36:11.519 --> 00:36:12.980
 how many times I

00:36:12.980 --> 00:36:15.619
 prioritize my own time

00:36:15.619 --> 00:36:16.460
 and

00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:18.780
 yeah,

00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:20.360
 spending time with people

00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:22.139
 who I want to spend time with

00:36:22.139 --> 00:36:24.519
 instead of time I could spend

00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:25.359
 in church

00:36:25.359 --> 00:36:26.739
 or time I could spend

00:36:26.739 --> 00:36:27.359
 with my

00:36:27.359 --> 00:36:28.480
 non-Christian

00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:29.739
 friends,

00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:32.059
 people

00:36:32.059 --> 00:36:33.619
 who are living in sin

00:36:33.619 --> 00:36:34.659
 and who don't really

00:36:34.659 --> 00:36:35.759
 know what they're doing,

00:36:36.739 --> 00:36:37.159
 who

00:36:37.159 --> 00:36:38.779
 need a savior

00:36:38.779 --> 00:36:40.379
 and not knowing that

00:36:40.379 --> 00:36:41.639
 one has been provided for them.

00:36:44.539 --> 00:36:45.019
 Or

00:36:45.019 --> 00:36:46.199
 maybe you're here tonight

00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:47.400
 and you can resonate

00:36:47.400 --> 00:36:48.219
 with that feeling

00:36:48.219 --> 00:36:49.059
 of being lost.

00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:52.279
 or maybe you think

00:36:52.279 --> 00:36:53.380
 you're not lost at all

00:36:53.380 --> 00:36:54.739
 and you're perfectly fine

00:36:54.739 --> 00:36:55.699
 without the gospel.

00:36:57.460 --> 00:36:58.340
 But I think

00:36:58.340 --> 00:36:59.179
 Jonah is a good

00:36:59.179 --> 00:37:00.019
 case study

00:37:00.019 --> 00:37:01.759
 in that

00:37:01.759 --> 00:37:02.480
 scenario

00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:03.079
 because

00:37:03.079 --> 00:37:04.500
 throughout the whole story

00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:06.360
 Jonah is convinced

00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:07.139
 that

00:37:07.139 --> 00:37:08.900
 the Ninevites

00:37:08.900 --> 00:37:10.000
 are the most evil

00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:10.960
 and wicked people

00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:11.619
 on earth

00:37:11.619 --> 00:37:12.759
 and yet

00:37:12.759 --> 00:37:13.860
 by the end of the story

00:37:13.860 --> 00:37:16.480
 it's sort of

00:37:16.480 --> 00:37:17.079
 Jonah

00:37:17.079 --> 00:37:18.480
 who's seen as the person

00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:19.300
 who should be

00:37:19.300 --> 00:37:20.219
 most undeserving

00:37:20.219 --> 00:37:21.039
 of God's love

00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:21.639
 and compassion.

00:37:23.019 --> 00:37:24.179
 The Ninevites

00:37:24.179 --> 00:37:25.320
 repented from their sin

00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:26.039
 but

00:37:26.039 --> 00:37:27.500
 Jonah seems to have

00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:28.240
 no repentance

00:37:28.240 --> 00:37:29.039
 at all.

00:37:31.820 --> 00:37:32.800
 I think

00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:34.019
 we all have

00:37:34.019 --> 00:37:34.519
 the tendency

00:37:34.519 --> 00:37:35.519
 to be like Jonah.

00:37:35.860 --> 00:37:36.480
 We think

00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:38.500
 we're better

00:37:38.500 --> 00:37:39.300
 than other people

00:37:39.300 --> 00:37:40.139
 and we think

00:37:40.139 --> 00:37:41.400
 we know what we're doing

00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:42.000
 when

00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:43.579
 we really don't.

00:37:44.519 --> 00:37:45.659
 We sort of live

00:37:45.659 --> 00:37:47.500
 in this constant state

00:37:47.500 --> 00:37:48.839
 of deluding ourselves.

00:37:51.239 --> 00:37:53.039
 We refuse to accept

00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:54.079
 that we are misguided

00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:54.819
 but

00:37:54.819 --> 00:37:56.719
 deep down

00:37:56.719 --> 00:37:57.119
 we know

00:37:57.119 --> 00:37:57.799
 that there's something

00:37:57.799 --> 00:37:58.619
 wrong with us.

00:37:59.839 --> 00:38:01.099
 We're always on a search

00:38:01.099 --> 00:38:02.059
 for that one thing

00:38:02.059 --> 00:38:03.679
 waiting for a time

00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:04.379
 in our lives

00:38:04.379 --> 00:38:04.899
 when we're

00:38:04.899 --> 00:38:06.719
 will be truly fulfilled

00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:07.379
 and yet

00:38:07.379 --> 00:38:08.239
 it never comes.

00:38:08.239 --> 00:38:11.199
 for some people

00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:12.199
 it can take

00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:13.239
 a long time

00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:13.859
 to realize

00:38:13.859 --> 00:38:14.719
 that

00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:15.579
 there is something

00:38:15.579 --> 00:38:16.279
 wrong with us

00:38:16.279 --> 00:38:18.659
 and by that time

00:38:18.659 --> 00:38:19.759
 we may think

00:38:19.759 --> 00:38:20.179
 that

00:38:20.179 --> 00:38:21.479
 you know

00:38:21.479 --> 00:38:24.019
 we've gone too far

00:38:24.019 --> 00:38:25.099
 and we're sort of

00:38:25.099 --> 00:38:25.959
 like Jonah

00:38:25.959 --> 00:38:26.619
 in

00:38:26.619 --> 00:38:28.339
 you know

00:38:28.339 --> 00:38:29.879
 in the chaotic waters

00:38:29.879 --> 00:38:30.859
 not really knowing

00:38:30.859 --> 00:38:32.319
 what's happening.

00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:34.120
 if you can

00:38:34.120 --> 00:38:36.000
 resonate with that feeling

00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:37.240
 maybe you're a Christian

00:38:37.240 --> 00:38:38.380
 and you've made

00:38:38.380 --> 00:38:39.300
 mistakes

00:38:39.300 --> 00:38:40.260
 living in sin

00:38:40.260 --> 00:38:41.780
 or

00:38:41.780 --> 00:38:42.519
 maybe

00:38:42.519 --> 00:38:45.380
 you're here

00:38:45.380 --> 00:38:46.320
 and you've just made

00:38:46.320 --> 00:38:47.180
 a complete

00:38:47.180 --> 00:38:48.240
 train wreck

00:38:48.240 --> 00:38:49.200
 of your life

00:38:49.200 --> 00:38:52.320
 and you've just

00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:52.740
 like

00:38:52.740 --> 00:38:54.140
 arrived at church

00:38:54.140 --> 00:38:55.280
 hoping that

00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:56.780
 you'll find

00:38:56.780 --> 00:38:57.340
 a solution

00:38:57.340 --> 00:38:58.360
 hoping that

00:38:58.360 --> 00:38:59.120
 one will be provided

00:38:59.120 --> 00:39:00.320
 and

00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:01.840
 although I'm young

00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:02.460
 I know

00:39:02.460 --> 00:39:04.360
 what that feels like

00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:05.100
 well

00:39:05.100 --> 00:39:06.680
 Jesus once

00:39:06.680 --> 00:39:07.460
 told a story

00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:08.019
 that was

00:39:08.019 --> 00:39:09.480
 very similar

00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:10.059
 to the story

00:39:10.059 --> 00:39:10.440
 of Jonah

00:39:10.440 --> 00:39:12.360
 it was

00:39:12.360 --> 00:39:13.000
 a story

00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:13.620
 of

00:39:13.620 --> 00:39:14.160
 the son

00:39:14.160 --> 00:39:15.180
 of a wealthy man

00:39:15.180 --> 00:39:15.940
 who

00:39:15.940 --> 00:39:18.039
 squandered

00:39:18.039 --> 00:39:19.300
 all the gifts

00:39:19.300 --> 00:39:20.039
 and all the money

00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:20.880
 that his father

00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:21.559
 had given him

00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:23.760
 living a life

00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:24.820
 of sin

00:39:24.820 --> 00:39:25.539
 and

00:39:25.539 --> 00:39:26.880
 of selfishness

00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:27.480
 of greed

00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:28.920
 adultery

00:39:28.920 --> 00:39:30.660
 and

00:39:30.659 --> 00:39:32.399
 by the time

00:39:32.399 --> 00:39:32.940
 he realized

00:39:32.940 --> 00:39:33.519
 the mess

00:39:33.519 --> 00:39:34.460
 that he was in

00:39:34.460 --> 00:39:35.659
 which was a mess

00:39:35.659 --> 00:39:36.399
 entirely

00:39:36.399 --> 00:39:36.920
 of his own

00:39:36.920 --> 00:39:37.279
 making

00:39:37.279 --> 00:39:41.559
 he was in

00:39:41.559 --> 00:39:42.659
 a wretched state

00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:44.139
 but

00:39:44.139 --> 00:39:45.039
 he had a father

00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:45.699
 who loved him

00:39:45.699 --> 00:39:46.980
 he loved him

00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:47.500
 before

00:39:47.500 --> 00:39:49.859
 the son

00:39:49.859 --> 00:39:50.219
 left

00:39:50.219 --> 00:39:51.420
 and he loved him

00:39:51.420 --> 00:39:52.039
 even more

00:39:52.039 --> 00:39:52.719
 when the son

00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:53.159
 returned

00:39:53.159 --> 00:39:55.659
 I think

00:39:55.659 --> 00:39:57.759
 one of

00:39:57.759 --> 00:39:58.199
 Jesus'

00:39:58.440 --> 00:39:58.819
 points

00:39:58.819 --> 00:39:59.960
 in telling

00:39:59.960 --> 00:40:00.379
 the story

00:40:00.379 --> 00:40:00.619
 of the

00:40:00.619 --> 00:40:01.259
 prodigal son

00:40:01.259 --> 00:40:02.059
 is that

00:40:02.059 --> 00:40:03.139
 regardless

00:40:03.139 --> 00:40:04.000
 of the amount

00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:04.500
 of times

00:40:04.500 --> 00:40:05.139
 that we've

00:40:05.139 --> 00:40:05.599
 deserted

00:40:05.599 --> 00:40:06.019
 God

00:40:06.019 --> 00:40:07.659
 and regardless

00:40:07.659 --> 00:40:08.480
 of the

00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:09.500
 unbearable

00:40:09.500 --> 00:40:09.859
 weight

00:40:09.859 --> 00:40:10.559
 of shame

00:40:10.559 --> 00:40:11.219
 and guilt

00:40:11.219 --> 00:40:11.879
 that we feel

00:40:11.879 --> 00:40:12.519
 when we've

00:40:12.519 --> 00:40:12.799
 done

00:40:12.799 --> 00:40:13.619
 things

00:40:13.619 --> 00:40:14.259
 wrong

00:40:14.259 --> 00:40:15.460
 that we

00:40:15.460 --> 00:40:16.099
 have a father

00:40:16.099 --> 00:40:17.079
 who will never

00:40:17.079 --> 00:40:17.779
 desert us

00:40:17.780 --> 00:40:19.519
 who will never

00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:20.240
 desert us

00:40:20.240 --> 00:40:21.640
 regardless

00:40:21.640 --> 00:40:22.240
 of the amount

00:40:22.240 --> 00:40:22.600
 of times

00:40:22.600 --> 00:40:22.860
 that we

00:40:22.860 --> 00:40:23.440
 desert him

00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:25.400
 he's always

00:40:25.400 --> 00:40:25.860
 there to

00:40:25.860 --> 00:40:26.300
 welcome us

00:40:26.300 --> 00:40:26.680
 back

00:40:26.680 --> 00:40:28.780
 and I think

00:40:28.780 --> 00:40:30.160
 one of the

00:40:30.160 --> 00:40:30.640
 most amazing

00:40:30.640 --> 00:40:31.440
 parts of

00:40:31.440 --> 00:40:32.060
 the story

00:40:32.060 --> 00:40:32.280
 of the

00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:32.920
 prodigal son

00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:33.460
 is that

00:40:33.460 --> 00:40:33.960
 the father

00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:35.840
 runs to

00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:36.280
 the son

00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:38.600
 he accepts

00:40:38.600 --> 00:40:39.000
 us

00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:39.920
 he consoles

00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:40.340
 us

00:40:40.340 --> 00:40:41.620
 he wipes

00:40:41.620 --> 00:40:42.140
 the tears

00:40:42.140 --> 00:40:42.780
 from our

00:40:42.780 --> 00:40:43.140
 eyes

00:40:43.139 --> 00:40:44.960
 he doesn't

00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:45.559
 leave us

00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:46.359
 in a state

00:40:46.359 --> 00:40:46.759
 of

00:40:46.759 --> 00:40:47.940
 sort of

00:40:47.940 --> 00:40:48.819
 misery

00:40:48.819 --> 00:40:49.920
 or self

00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:50.199
 hate

00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:50.719
 but

00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:51.980
 he puts

00:40:51.980 --> 00:40:52.299
 on

00:40:52.299 --> 00:40:54.679
 his finest

00:40:54.679 --> 00:40:55.259
 robes

00:40:55.259 --> 00:40:56.639
 which

00:40:56.639 --> 00:40:57.279
 now

00:40:57.279 --> 00:40:57.900
 because of

00:40:57.900 --> 00:40:58.879
 Christ

00:40:58.879 --> 00:41:00.119
 and what

00:41:00.119 --> 00:41:00.500
 he's done

00:41:00.500 --> 00:41:00.759
 on the

00:41:00.759 --> 00:41:01.099
 cross

00:41:01.099 --> 00:41:02.639
 he forgets

00:41:02.639 --> 00:41:03.940
 he forgets

00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:04.359
 our sin

00:41:04.359 --> 00:41:05.920
 he forgets

00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:06.759
 all the mistakes

00:41:06.759 --> 00:41:07.139
 and all the

00:41:07.139 --> 00:41:07.559
 wrongs

00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:07.859
 that we

00:41:07.859 --> 00:41:08.239
 have done

00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:09.679
 and instead

00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:10.859
 when he

00:41:10.859 --> 00:41:11.259
 looks at

00:41:11.259 --> 00:41:11.500
 you

00:41:11.500 --> 00:41:12.379
 he sees

00:41:12.379 --> 00:41:12.940
 the righteousness

00:41:12.940 --> 00:41:13.700
 of Christ

00:41:13.700 --> 00:41:15.880
 and by

00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:16.420
 his mercy

00:41:16.420 --> 00:41:18.360
 he transforms

00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:18.840
 us

00:41:18.840 --> 00:41:19.500
 and he gives

00:41:19.500 --> 00:41:20.320
 us new

00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:20.700
 hearts

00:41:20.700 --> 00:41:21.900
 with new

00:41:21.900 --> 00:41:22.260
 desires

00:41:22.260 --> 00:41:24.639
 we no

00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:25.200
 longer want

00:41:25.200 --> 00:41:25.599
 to live

00:41:25.599 --> 00:41:26.320
 for ourselves

00:41:26.320 --> 00:41:27.000
 but we

00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:27.420
 want to

00:41:27.420 --> 00:41:28.019
 live for

00:41:28.019 --> 00:41:28.760
 God

00:41:28.760 --> 00:41:29.320
 and for

00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:29.780
 his kingdom

00:41:29.780 --> 00:41:31.119
 we sort

00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:32.720
 of look

00:41:32.720 --> 00:41:33.059
 at the

00:41:33.059 --> 00:41:33.860
 love that

00:41:33.860 --> 00:41:34.880
 has been

00:41:34.880 --> 00:41:35.519
 displayed for

00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:35.960
 us on the

00:41:35.960 --> 00:41:36.280
 cross

00:41:36.280 --> 00:41:37.820
 and we

00:41:37.820 --> 00:41:38.539
 then in

00:41:38.539 --> 00:41:38.960
 turn want

00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:39.380
 to show

00:41:39.380 --> 00:41:39.840
 that love

00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:40.179
 to other

00:41:40.179 --> 00:41:40.500
 people

00:41:40.500 --> 00:41:45.199
 yeah

00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:46.659
 and this

00:41:46.659 --> 00:41:47.400
 sort of

00:41:47.400 --> 00:41:47.840
 transformation

00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:49.639
 is available

00:41:49.639 --> 00:41:50.300
 for all

00:41:50.300 --> 00:41:51.119
 who sort

00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:52.139
 of look

00:41:52.139 --> 00:41:52.739
 to Christ

00:41:52.739 --> 00:41:54.780
 who look

00:41:54.780 --> 00:41:55.039
 to the

00:41:55.039 --> 00:41:55.380
 cross

00:41:55.380 --> 00:41:56.239
 and say

00:41:56.239 --> 00:41:56.840
 to themselves

00:41:56.840 --> 00:41:58.880
 that

00:41:58.880 --> 00:41:59.480
 that was

00:41:59.480 --> 00:41:59.860
 done for

00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:00.079
 me

00:42:00.079 --> 00:42:00.980
 again

00:42:00.980 --> 00:42:03.799
 so

00:42:03.799 --> 00:42:03.799


00:42:03.799 --> 00:42:03.799


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00:42:03.799 --> 00:42:03.799