Angry at God - Jonah 4: 1-11

07/28/19 “Angry at God" Jonah 4: 1-11

Have you ever been angry with God? Or disappointed in what God choose to do or not do? Have you said “yes, Lord, I love you” but acted like you loved your own thoughts and ways more?

If this has ever been you, then I have a Biblical character that you can relate to - Jonah. We are now in our final week of our sermon series focusing on the prophet Jonah. 

I think there is so much in the story of Jonah that many of us can relate to - fleeing from God, reluctantly following God, thinking that we know better than God. You name it, the prophet Jonah has been there. 

Where we pick up in our story this morning - Jonah has followed God’s instructions, albeit maybe not ethusastically, and has told Ninevah that the destruction of God awaits them, crying out “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Then Jonah hunkered down to actually watch the promised destruction fall upon the city he despised in his heart. Only it didn’t happen. 

Perhaps because of the words of Jonah, or because of the stirrings of God in their own hearts, the Ninevites did the unexpected and they repented. They turned back to God! 

Only Jonah couldn’t get on board with celebrating that. Often when we hear the story of the Prodigal Son we talk about how heaven rejoices when even one lost son or daughter repents and comes to God. Only the older brother couldn’t join in that celebration. In a lot of ways, Jonah is like that older brother. Refusing to praise God for transforming the city of Ninevah.

And what does Jonah have to say for himself? See this, God! This is why I didn’t want to follow your instructions in the first place! This is why I ran the other direction and tried to flee your presence and way. Because I knew, just knew, that you would show mercy. And now, I would just rather give up than continue on.

Wow. Strong words from the prophet. But how many times have we been there. Wanting God to bring punishment and destruction upon people instead of showing them saving grace? How many times we wanted our way over the mercy of God?

And then Jonah went off to pout. I would call this a full on adult tempertantrum. He sulks over what, over the mercy of God! Mercy being shown to those he would consider to be enemies. 

But even then, God didn’t leave Jonah alone. God sent this bush to protect Jonah from the sun. To bring him comfort. And that made Jonah happy. Or happy at least until God also sent a worm to come and consume the bush - leaving Jonah once again saying that he would rather just give up then continue on. 

Enter a powerful question. A question that God had asked Jonah once before and never got an answer from the prophet. “Is it right for you to be angry?” In so many ways this is akin to the questions that God asked Job in the midst of his suffering, “Where were you?” And “Can you?” And “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”

Why is Jonah so angry? What is he displeased about? That things did not go the way he wanted. After God forgave him, after God rescued him, he could not except that God would show that same mercy and grace to others. He reluctantly followed the call of God after being spit out of the belly of the fish, but he wanted to do it on his own terms, with his own outcomes - the total destruction of this city that was before him. His heart didn’t break for this city. He didn’t want them to turn back to God. He was angry at God for showing the same mercy to others that had been show to him. 

How many of us have been there? Trying to bargain with God. Or get what we want out of following God. ‘I’ll follow you God, but I expect you to ….’ Or “I guess I’ll go to those people God but you better do….” Even if we never say it out loud, it takes root in our hearts and chokes at our very souls like an overgrown weed.

The truth is there isn’t bargaining with God, my friends. We are either obedient to God, or we aren’t. We either willingly follow God or we don’t. If we think we can manipulate or control the will of God, we can’t. The prophet Jonah tells us that plain and clear. Yet, we still try to live our lives as if we are in control and God simply does our bidding. 

God asks Jonah if he really has any reason to be angry. And the implied answer is no. The way of God is the way of God. By the grace and mercy of God we invited to be part of the work of the Kingdom, but we are simply the servant not the master. We follow the will and way of God and God alone. God was willing to go so far and so long to reach Jonah’s heart and give him an opportunity to serve God and be part of the conversion of an entire city and he missed seeing that. Missed the opportunity to praise God because he was so caught up in what he wanted and what he expected.

Of course, Jonah was not the only person sent to the perishing. To bring hope to those in dispare. Prophets came after him. And our savior came after them. Jesus who said to his early disciples and us as an extension to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Did you notice what Jesus said there? “Go”. Not, let’s negotiate. Not what do you expect out of this. Not what do you want to get for us. Go. Go for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Go for the sake of those who do not yet know the love of God. Just go. 

The fourth chapter and final parts of the whole book of Jonah end in a really interesting way. With God reminding Jonah that he was more concerned with a bush then the people of Ninevah. The absolute final words are God asking Jonah this, “And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

The end. 

It’s not very expected or satisfying is it? But maybe that’s the point. 

The apostle Paul wrote to the church of Corinth, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Jonah didn’t understand. 

We don’t always understand. 

But we still go. 

Go because people are perishing. 

Go because the world is hurting.

Go because there are still people who do not know the Savior.

It’s not about us, friends, and what we want or what we expect. It’s not about our sense of justice. Because here’s the truth. None of us would be here today without the mercy that God has shown to us. So if God wants to extend that mercy to others, we don’t get to have a say in that. That is the work and will of God. We are simply the servants who go. Amen.