October 27, 2011
WHAT IS IN THE WAY OF GOD'S BLESSING FOR YOUR LIFE?
Jonah 4
Stephen Spencer
Central Truth
We should not be so consumed with ourselves or our comfort that we completely miss God's blessings for our lives.
Key Verse | Jonah 4:2
He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I know that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity." (Jonah 4:2)
Jonah 4
Jonah's Anger and the LORD's Compassion
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, 1 4:1 Hebrew it was exceedingly evil to Jonah and he was angry. 2 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 are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 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. 6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant 2 4:6 Hebrew qiqayon, probably the castor oil plant; also verses 7, 9, 10 and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. 3 4:6 Or his evil So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 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.” 9 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.” 10 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. 11 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?”
Dive Deeper | Jonah 4
As I read through Jonah, I found myself wanting to go to him and say, "Why are you so disobedient, selfish, and prideful?" The truth is on any given day, my lack of action and selfish pride would result in stories that would read very similarly to Jonah's.
The true spiritual condition of our hearts will directly influence our actions toward others. I see Jonah struggling with two key heart issues. He is prideful (Jonah was so angry and consumed with selfish pride that he completely missed the blessing and privilege of being the instrument God used to save an entire city!), and he believed God's abounding love and mercy should only exist for some people, not all.
Now, if you are like me, you read this and say, "God's love and mercy is absolutely available to everyone," but do our actions really communicate that? Jonah's attitude toward others who may not be like him is very dangerous. We are called to be kind and loving to ALL, not just those we get along with or those who would fit into our social circles. This thinking more highly of ourselves than others breeds division and disunity. We have ALL sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 1 John 3:14 (NIV) says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death."
Jonah goes out where he could see the entire city. He wanted to be there when the Ninevites showed their true colors, so that he could remind God of His mistake. In the midst of Jonah's actions, God, full of grace, uses a plant to reveal to Jonah what mattered to Jonah the most was himself. Jonah only cared about what gave him comfort. I ask myself, what governs my actions -- fleeting comforts or God? Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your personal own interests, but also for the interests of others."
Discussion Questions
1. Is there a "plant" in your life God is trying to use to teach you? How is God trying to get your attention?
2. What is the true spiritual condition of your heart? Do your actions communicate this?
3. How will you respond to the people God has equipped you to love?
4. What are action steps you can take to see past your own selfish ambitions so you can share God's love with everyone?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
JONAH 1-MICAH 1 (OCTOBER 24-28)
Read Jonah.
What does God ask Jonah to do?
How does Jonah respond to God's command? (He hopped on board a ship to Tarshish.)
How do YOU respond when someone in authority (parent, teacher, coach, etc.) asks you to do something you don't want to do? Parents: share about a time in your life when it was hard to obey and help your kids be honest about how they feel when they are asked to do hard things. Be compassionate! This is not easy!
What was the consequence of Jonah's disobedience? Think about the men on the boat and the fish.
What are the consequences for you when you don't obey?
Why do you think it was hard for Jonah to obey right away, all the way, and with a heart that trusted God?
Why is it hard for you to obey right away, all the way, and with a heart that trusts God? (Another great opportunity for parents to be authentic and vulnerable!)
Jonah tried to run and hide from God. God sought Jonah out and gave him another opportunity to share truth with the Ninevites. They heard God's truth, repented, and were saved!
ACTIVITY: Play a game of hide and seek in your house or yard. Then talk about how God can always find us, no matter how far we run or how well we hide. Discuss how God loves us and always has our best interest at heart, even when we "feel" like our way would be better. Pray together that you would trust and obey God.