Jonah 4 - Grace

Group questions in bold, leader’s notes in standard font. Additional notes in brackets. There may be some overlap with the previous session, please feel free to condense / focus on those parts that your group will find most helpful and you can cover within the time constraints!

It is probably helpful to summarise the events so far to give the context for this concluding chapter. Online option: Bible Project video of Jonah, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIabZc0O4c, play video up to end of chapter 3.)

Read Jonah chapter 4

Jonah’s reaction:

What is Jonah’s reaction to the Ninevites repenting? Why do you think he is so angry at God? What insight does it give us into his initial response to God in chapter 1?

More concerned about his loss of face – PR catastrophe. ‘This is what I thought would happen all along!’ The test of a prophet was, ‘Does what a prophet says come true?’ He had preached ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown’ and now because they had repented, and God had shown mercy this had not happened.

Jonah may also have found it difficult to accept God’s willingness to show mercy on the Ninevites. To Israelites they were a hated enemy, brutally conquering most of the then known world (skinning captives alive and putting severed heads on display! Atrocities and warfare are not recent inventions!). In Jonah’s eyes they didn’t deserve God’s mercy only his judgement - he wanted them destroyed. He wanted God’s judgement to fall on them.

How does Jonah see God?

‘I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’

To see where this understanding of God comes from read Exodus 34 v6-7. The context of these verses is that Moses had received the 10 commandments, gone down the mountain and found the people had gone off the rails and were worshipping the golden calf (Egyptian or Canaanite idols). He had broken the tablets and was now back before God pleading for the people. In these key verses God reveals himself to Moses and declares his character.

‘And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’

Where is the emphasis between God’s justice and mercy?

In the rest of the OT, this becomes the most quoted statement about God. (quoted in full or part over 20 times in the Psalms and prophets). Some have referred to it as the John 3:16 of the OT.

[Additional note: God’s judgement may often also be in the consequences of our actions, e.g. deceit leads to loss of trust and broken relationships - this may be the sense of the sins of the parents impacting the children. However, in the lives of the patriarchs and the people of Israel there always seems to be an opportunity for each generation (and often on more than one occasion) to renew their relationship with God and experience his grace.]

God’s response:

In response to God’s question in v.4, how does Jonah respond?

He takes the hump! And ignores the question completely.

How does God get through to Jonah? V.6-8

What is Jonah’s attitude to the plant?

Indignation over the plant and self-pity. ‘So angry I wish I was dead’.

How does this ‘prayer’ (v2) contrast with the prayer in chapter 2? Are conversations with God sometimes a bit sparky?

What does this tell us about how God may speak to us and enable us to ‘grow in grace’?

As well as direct guidance (e.g. command to go to Nineveh) and God’s truth and character revealed in the Bible, God may use people and circumstances (large or small) to challenge our actions and motives. There is an interesting contrast between the mega event of the storm and the fish and the insignificant action of a worm.

How does Hebrews 12 v.4-13 shed light on God’s motivation and purpose in his dealings with Jonah? And with us?

God’s love and grace, patience and faithfulness and his desire for our good may sometimes be expressed in his loving discipline – in circumstances, analogy and comparison (plant vs people) and re-direction. Job and the Psalms give us examples of when it is Ok to express our grievances, frustrations and anger – and to come through to ‘see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day’.

God’s final question

What is the punch line of the book of Jonah? v.11

You’re concerned about this plant, should not I have concern for the (lost) people of Nineveh? You didn’t even create the plant! Yet haven’t I created the people of Nineveh and shouldn’t I care for them?

v. 11 ‘They can’t tell their right hand from their left’: Do you ever have difficulty deciding which is right and left?! What is the outcome when you get in a muddle with directions?

(If you are right-handed – write is right, but not sure how left-handed folk remember!)

What does this imply about the people of Nineveh?

They had lost their way spiritually. The phrase is probably also a reference to a common saying within the OT, e.g. 2 Chronicles 34 v2: ‘He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD ... followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.’ Although God’s judgement was against the Ninevites for their pagan worship, violence and brutality, there is also a recognition of ignorance of God’s character and ways as well, particularly compared to the people of God.

What is the challenge that God brings to Jonah throughout the book?

That God’s grace and care is for all, not just the chosen people of Israel, and his desire is for all to repent and turn to him and know his grace, love and mercy.

How does the NT answer the question posed by God at the end of the book of Jonah?

The NT provides the answer to that question in the coming of Jesus, John 3 v16: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’

Here is the incredible, love of God reaching out to us, and through Jesus death and resurrection enabling us to know his forgiveness, a new start and a new life – as friends of God, even sons and daughters of God. This is amazing grace.

The challenge for us

Are we tempted to write people off as ‘beyond the pail’ – particularly our ‘enemies’, those we dislike, those who have done wrong, or hurt us or hurt those we love. Do we wish judgment on them and think they are undeserving of the offer of God’s amazing and outrageous grace?

How do we view the thief on the cross next to Jesus? Or the impossible boss, or the aggressive co-worker, or the friend who lets us down or the stabs us in the back?

Or the Pharisee who was persecuting and putting in prison many of the first Christians?

Looking back over the whole story, the focus and challenge of this book is: ‘God’s desire is for his love to be known by all and if he cares, shouldn’t I also care about those around me?’

What was Saul / Paul’s response to this question and challenge?

Read 2 Cor 5 14-20: (Words here are from the New Living Translation):

‘Christ died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. . .

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.

And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.’

What is our response to the challenge of sharing God’s grace, the Good News of the gospel?

How easy is it for us to say – well that doesn’t really apply to me, and like Jonah, go off in the other direction? What was Paul’s response, 2 Cor 5 v. 20?

How do we communicate God’s character – his justice and offer of mercy to those around us?

Struck by the balance of the Archbishop’s concluding words in his sermon at the Queen’s funeral. ‘Christ rose from the dead and offers life to all, abundant life now and life with God in eternity. As the Christmas carol says “where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.” We will all face the merciful judgement of God: we can all share the Queen’s hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership. Service in life, hope in death. All who follow the Queen’s example and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: “We will meet again.” ‘.

Conclusion and reflection

The various themes of Jonah - God’s character – his mercy and love towards us and those who have not experienced or responded to his love; and our own response to him – are captured well in the words of the following hymn which you might like to reflect on (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5cjQykt2ss) or use as a prayer:

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned, and provided:
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive your people's praise.

Lord, for our land in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth, and care:
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us -
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

('Lord, for the years your love' by Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926). © Timothy Dudley-Smith; CCLI Song ID 3274952).