Jonah 4 - The Wisdom of God

In Jonah 4 we come to the abrupt ending of this short book, and with it, a sobering question: when God confronts our hearts, will we respond like Jonah or with humble obedience? Today we walk through the Lord’s final correction of this wayward prophet and see the wisdom of God on full display. He reminds us that possessions are perishable, people are precious, and perspective is priority.

As we trace God’s heart in this passage, we’re invited to examine our own—asking what truly shapes the way we live. Join me as we look again at the grace of our great God and learn to live in view of eternity. Let’s dig in and look to Jesus, our true hope.

Transcript

9 - Jonah 4 - The Wisdom of God

Intro

• Please take your Bibles and turn with me, once more, and for the last time in this series, to the book of Jonah.
  • My prayer and hope throughout these four chapters has been that the Lord would draw us closer to Himself as we examine ourselves to be sure we are not as Jonah was.
• Our time throughout this book has caused us to reflect much upon Jonah, after all the book is called by his name.
  • He is quite a character…
    • He is the prophet who ran from the command of God…
    • He is the preacher who pouted at the pagans' repentance…
    • He is one who is called to represent God but every passage reveals that his heart is far from God.
  • Even in the passage that closes out this short book, we will see God correcting this prophet for a final time.
    • Then, we find nothing but silence…
      • We can do nothing more than speculate as to what happened after this point.
        • However, the silence of Jonah does ring loudly in our ears today.
      • The abrupt ending of this book leaves us wondering what happened to Jonah after he was confronted by God?
    • The point of this abrupt ending though is not to only wonder about Jonah but also so that we would be concerned with our response.  
  • So let us be sure that we are not only concerned with Jonah today, but let us be sure that we are concerned with ourselves…
• When we are confronted with the truth of God’s Word, when truth is illuminated by the Holy Spirit…
  • Will we be found as Jonah or will we be found humbly responding to our Great God?
  • This is the question at the heart of our passage today.
• Let us read our passage and open in prayer…

Jonah 4

• Quite a chapter that closes us out…
  • Before we jump right into our points for today it would be good for us to briefly be reminded of what we saw together as we examined this same chapter two weeks ago.
    • That is because our message from two weeks ago stands as a direct contrast to our sermon today.  
  • Our focus last time was on the prophet and his folly or his foolishness…
    • We examined this foolishness in three ways, in his…
      • Favoritism…
      • His forgetfulness…
      • And in his flippancy…
    • We talked about how Jonah seemed to believe that his people had an exclusive agreement with God…
      • Which prevented God from showing grace or mercy to anyone else.
      • This could not be further from the truth…
        • God as Creator, as Sustainer, has exclusive rights over His Creation to show mercy to whom He so desires.
        • He said that Himself to Moses in…
          • Exodus 33:19b - “...And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
        • Furthermore, this is expressed again and again throughout the scripture.
          • Even known by Jonah himself but the knowledge of this stopped in his head and did not really penetrate to his heart.  
      • What Jonah failed to see was that…
        • Though Israel was set apart for a specific purpose, though they had a very special role to play…
          • It did not limit the Grace and Mercy of God, in fact it did just the opposite.
        • Israel was set apart so that God could, through Christ, offer grace and mercy to all.
      • Something for which we should all be grateful today.
    • Then we talked about how Jonah seemed to forget the grace he had received…
      • We were reminded that Jonah was a recipient of the grace of God…
        • He received mercy when the Lord sent the storm…
          • Mercy when he was swallowed by the big fish…
          • Grace when he received a second opportunity to preach to the Ninevites.  
      • Somehow, he did not consider the Ninevehites as worthy of such mercy and grace.  
        • He had justified himself, he had lifted up himself, and seemed to think himself better than these pagans.
      • He had forgotten, or maybe he had simply ignored that he also needed forgiveness, he also needed grace and mercy.
      • The difference between him and the Ninevities was that they sinned and were ignorant of the One True God.
        • He, on the flip side, had no excuse…
          • How easy it is to forget our own sin, how easy we can forget how much we have been forgiven.
      • Let us again learn from this wayward prophet and remember our fault, our failure, and the forgiveness of our Great God.
    • Lastly, we saw a man who was totally subject to his emotions…
      • Within this chapter Jonah goes through a roller coaster of emotions.
        • He quickly moves from being displeased to being glad then back to being displeased again.
          • He shows himself to be a man who is emotionally tied to the world around him.
            • This is a dangerous way to live…
        • More than that he shows himself to be a man who is more concerned with himself above anyone else.
      • Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker and fellow believer once said…
        • “You will never find a truly happy self-centered person.  They simply don’t exist.”
      • Jonah reminds us of this, he shows himself to be miserable.  
    • Before we move on into the final part of this chapter let us…
  • Consider this scene once more…
    • Picture this, after Jonah had left Nineveh, where did he go?
      • We just read in this chapter that…
        • Jonah has positioned himself in such a place so that he would see God’s judgment come upon these people.
        • It reads like Jonah is getting ready to watch a firework show…
      • He is waiting in eager anticipation to see the wrath of God being poured out upon a massive city.  
    • He really hoped that the message he proclaimed would fall on deaf ears and he would get to see God pour out his wrath.
  • Though this fits within the framework of what we have already seen from this wayward prophet it is still disheartening nonetheless.  
• To take it one step farther…
  • It is a sad thing because this is the final snapshot we have of this man.
    • He is corrected by God, shamed by God, and we never get to see how he responds.
  • Again, as I stated at the start, this presents us with a question…
• Will we be found as Jonah or will we be found humbly responding to our Great God?
  • Let us now turn our attention away from Jonah and his folly as we consider together…

The Wisdom of God

• Because even though Jonah is the focus in the majority of this chapter…
  • What we find near the end is the loving correction of God that displays to us His wisdom in three ways…
    • God reminds Jonah that…
      • Possessions are Perishable…
      • People are Precious…
      • Perspective is Priority…
  • Let’s re-read verse 10 and see how this all unfolds…
• Vs. 10
  • Let’s jump in and consider how the Lord is telling Jonah that…

Possessions are Perishable - Vs. 10

• Jonah experienced this first hand as the plant that had covered him melted away from before him.
  • What he experienced in this plant will be true for all of our possessions.
    • I know we do not often think about them in this way but please consider…
      • Everything you have…
        • Your wealth, your possessions, your property…
        • Everything you have built…
        • None of it will endure, it is all perishable.
      • It has an expression date that is unmarked and unknown but I assure it will not last.  
    • It is important that we realize that this is not something we only see in Jonah.  
  • As we consider this in light of the rest of scripture, there are two important truths to consider…
    • First, we must realize that everything we have has been given to us by God.
      • Perhaps you are thinking right now…
        • “No, I worked for my property”...
        • To that I would say…
      • That your ability to work was granted you by God, He is the One who gifted you with that ability.
        • How easily it would have been for you to be born without the ability to care for yourself.
        • In that you would have not been able to do anything to change your circumstance.
      • Though it may be true that you may have worked hard for what you have, please recognize that it is given you by God.
        • Just as this plant was provided in Jonah 4, so also has God provided for us in what we have at our disposal. 
        • James makes this clear in one verse…
          • James 1:17 - “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
        • The Lord has provided, He is the great Provider.
      • That is the first thing we must consider and we must keep in mind.
    • The second truth flows from us understanding the first, and it is that these possessions do not belong to us.
      • God, as the giver of all that we have, has entrusted to us these possessions and has called us to steward them well.
      • We see a glimpse of this in the garden of Eden at creation…
        • Adam was told to care for the garden that he had been placed in.
          • He was to steward that which was entrusted to him.
          • He did not own it but was instead called to care for it.  
      • Likewise, we should consider our lives and our possessions in the same way.
        • God has provided and entrusted to us these things to use for His Glory.
    • God provides, God calls us to steward well, and within this understanding is the fact we started with…
  • We consider that all that we have could be gone in a moment.
    • Your possessions can be stolen, can be burned up, can be lost and corroded.
    • Just like this plant it could all happen in a moment.
      • It is uncomfortable to think about, but the reality is that all of our possessions and wealth can be gone in a moment.
    • This should be a helpful perspective as we are reminded that we should not place our trust in our property or in our possessions.
      • Again, possessions are perishable.
    • Christ made this clear in one of His parables found in Luke 12, because of the length of this passage let’s turn there together…
      • In Luke 12 Jesus is asked by an unnamed man to command his brother to divide the inheritance.
        • Jesus responds with a parable of a rich man, the point of it is to remind those listening that “life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions”.
      • Let’s read this together, beginning in verse 16.
    • Luke 12:16-21
      • This man learned something that all of us need to take to heart.
        • Possessions are perishable and one day all of us will stand before God and be accountable for the life we have lived.
        • On that day it will not matter how big your barns were…
          • It will not matter the car you drove or the money you had…
        • There is, however, going to be a clear dividing on that day and it will not be by our possessions…
      • On that day what will matter is whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus.
    • This is a good time then to ensure that our possessions are not possessing us but instead…
      • That we are using what we have been entrusted with to the Glory of God.
  • Otherwise we will be found to be a miserable people, because it is only a matter of time before our possessions are lost…
    • So in God’s wisdom we are reminded that possessions are perishable… 
• Turn back to Jonah as we consider the wisdom of God in the second truth.
  • That…

People are Precious

• As you find Jonah again let us turn our attention to verse 11.
  • Vs. 11
    • God asks Jonah a question that brings the people of Nineveh into focus…
      • “Should not I pity Nineveh…?”
    • Here we find with this question God reorienting Jonah to His perspective and God is reminding him that people are precious.
  • This stands in contrast to our last point as we considered possessions…
    • Possessions perish but people endure.
    • Therefore when it comes to people…
      • They are of infinitely more value than any possessions we could hold.  
  • How precious are people?
    • Let’s consider it in view of the Gospel.
      • Man sinned against a Holy and just God.
        • Which means that what is due man is the wrath of the Father.
        • Not only is this what is due man, but the fact is that none of us can earn anything any different.
          • We cannot work ourselves out of this debt that we owe.
      • So God, being rich in mercy and desiring to offer forgiveness caused our debt to be paid another way.
        • He sent his Son in perfection and holiness to an undeserving people.
        • Where He was despised and rejected and cast upon the cross.
      • In God’s Divine Sovereignty He had set this in motion before the foundation of the earth was laid.
        • So Jesus, upon the cross, bore the wrath of God not for sins He had committed but to pay the debt of others.
        • You see, on the cross we see how much God despised sin, but at the same time we see how precious man is to God.
      • So precious that He would pay for man’s redemption by the blood of His One and only Son.
    • This verse 11, here in Jonah 4, gives us just a glimpse of the heart of God toward His creation.
  • Let me ask, church, should not the redeemed of God reflect the heart of God in this way?
    • Certainly!
      • The church should be leading the way in showing the world that people are precious creations of God.
    • This takes on many different forms, allow me to mention just a few…
      • It means we should not compromise on what God says in his Word.
      • Specifically about people.
        • Man is created in His image, after His likeness.
          • Created as male and female and though our culture is confused regarding this we should not be.
          • The Word of God is clear… 
        • Furthermore, as God created them male and female He also joined them together in marriage.
          • He created, He defined it, we do not have the option to redefine what He has ordained.
          • We cannot compromise on the issue of human sexuality and what God has ordained.  
        • We could consider this in terms of the Gospel message itself.
          • Jesus clearly said in John 14:6…
            • John 14:6b - “...I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
          • This means there is no other way to be saved…
            • Good works are unable to make a difference…
            • And any other world religion is not only false but it will condemn a person for all eternity.
          • That’s not popular but it is true and if we believe that people are precious then we cannot compromise on these things.
        • We could go farther and consider…
      • That this is not only in what we believe but in how we care for those around us. 
        • The church should be leading the way in caring for people, knowing that when we care for people we are truly caring for Christ.
        • In Matthew 25 Jesus shares some parables that speak about His return and the final judgment.
        • In that final parable he says…
          • Matthew 25:34-36 - “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
        • Now I want to be clear, the church does not do these things to be saved but rather as evidence that we have been redeemed.
          • We should be concerned with feeding people, welcoming people, clothing people, caring for people…
          • What this parable brings to light is the question…
        • If we care nothing about people are we a part of the redeemed?
      • Let us not stop there but let us consdier our interactions with one another…
        • How do we treat other brothers and sisters who are a part of the body of Christ?
        • Jesus said that the world would know that He was real by the way the church loved one another.
          • John 13:35 - “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
        • Do you love one another in this room, even when they are not lovable?
          • All of us, at times, are not very lovable people…
            • Though redeemed, we are still marred by sin and it still rears its ugly head from time to time.
          • Yet through that we are to love one another…
            • To lift one another up…
            • To care for one another…
            • To pray and serve one another…
          • So that the royal law is fulfilled among us.
        • That we truly count others are more significant than ourselves.  
      • I say it again, people are precious, in how we live and operate we should reflect that truth.  
    • Does our actions, does our confession, does our interactions express that we believe that people are precious?
• The final point of wisdom to consider is that…

Perspective is Priority

• Consider again this final snapshot of Jonah…
  • He is wishing to perish because a plant that covered him and that had only existed for a day was no more…
    • His view was nearsighted, he could not see past that plant.
  • He saw and focused on what was in front of him and thought of nothing more.
• However, in contrast to that is God’s perspective and God is more concerned with eternity.
  • Think about how this plays out…
    • Jonah concerned himself with a plant, God concerned Himself with a people…
    • Jonah concerned himself with this moment, God concerned Himself with eternity…
  • As we consider this final point let us consider who we are imitating.
    • Are we as Jonah was, are we nearsighted?
      • Thinking only of the here and now…
        • Neglecting people, lifting up possessions, focusing only on ourselves.
      • Or, in contrast, are we…
    • Eternity-minded…?
      • Thinking in terms of what will endure this life and last to the next…
        • Do we care for people and use our possessions in a way that reflects the realization that we are nothing more than a steward of what we have been given?
      • These two ways of thinking and living are drastically opposed to one another.
• Let us be certain that we are living in view of eternity.
  • Not living for today, not living for tomorrow or even the next 20 years…
    • We want to be people who are living for the next 2000 years…
  • That changes the way you live, it reorients yourself to what is important to God.
• What are you living for?

Closing

• That is the question as we close out this book and as we close out this study…
  • Are you living for today or are you living today for eternity?
    • As we pray I urge you to consider what we have talked about through this book…
    • I urge you to consider the questions we have asked today and the aim of your life…
  • Be sure that your life, your existence is oriented to God and his perspective for His Gospel and His Glory.
• Let us pray.