Compassion and Anger

Compassion and Anger

Good morning Kitchen Class.  I am so sorry I will not be there this morning but I am so thankful that Carolyn has agreed to step in and lead out.  I am in Fort Mill preaching this week and appreciate your prayers.

Question of the Day: What are you most looking forward to about Thanksgiving?

READ: Jonah 4:1-11

Today we are going to read the scripture in the Message.  It just tells it so well.  

“I Knew This Was Going to Happen!”

4 1-2 Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, “God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!

3 “So, God, if you won’t kill them, kill me! I’m better off dead!”

4 God said, “What do you have to be angry about?”

5 But Jonah just left. He went out of the city to the east and sat down in a sulk. He put together a makeshift shelter of leafy branches and sat there in the shade to see what would happen to the city.

6 God arranged for a broad-leafed tree to spring up. It grew over Jonah to cool him off and get him out of his angry sulk. Jonah was pleased and enjoyed the shade. Life was looking up.

7-8 But then God sent a worm. By dawn of the next day, the worm had bored into the shade tree and it withered away. The sun came up and God sent a hot, blistering wind from the east. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head and he started to faint. He prayed to die: “I’m better off dead!”

9 Then God said to Jonah, “What right do you have to get angry about this shade tree?”

Jonah said, “Plenty of right. It’s made me angry enough to die!”

10-11 God said, “What’s this? How is it that you can change your feelings from pleasure to anger overnight about a mere shade tree that you did nothing to get? You neither planted nor watered it. It grew up one night and died the next night. So, why can’t I likewise change what I feel about Nineveh from anger to pleasure, this big city of more than 120,000 childlike people who don’t yet know right from wrong, to say nothing of all the innocent animals?”

So Jonah is angry at God's compassion. 

Why?

Ellen White writes about this passage, "When Jonah learned of God's purpose to spare the city, he should have been the first to rejoice. But he allowed his mind to dwell on the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet. The compassion shown by God toward the repentant Ninevites “displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.” 

Once more he was overwhelmed with discouragement. Losing sight of the interests of others, in dissatisfaction he exclaimed, “Therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me, I beseech Thee, for it is better for me to die than to live.” RSV. SS 147.5"

Why is Jonah so angry that he is willing even wanting to die?

What made Jonah try to run away in the first place?

Do we ever get upset about compassion and grace being given? 

Interestingly Jonah knew the character of God, after all he had just experienced it again... but he made this all about him. This was about how people saw him.  This was about his reputation.  His humiliation. 

Jonah tried to run away because he didn't want these people saved.  It was prejudice and an arrogance that made him run.  Now he is angry because of how he looks. 

What was getting in the way?

Life application?

Service or doing what God has called us to do must be what kind of an act? 

We have to get out of the way and trust what God is asking us to do and how.  

Ellen White also writes, "Jonah had fulfilled the commission given him to warn that great city; and though the event predicted did not come to pass, yet the message of warning was nonetheless from God, and it accomplished the purpose God designed. His grace was revealed among the heathen. The Lord “delivered them from their distress; He brought them out of darkness and gloom.” “He sent forth His word, and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.” Psalm 107:13, 14, 20, RSV. SS 148.5

Isn't it interesting that even thought the event that was predicted didn't take place it still was from God AND His grace was revealed among the heathen?

Jonah is a prophet.  Someone who had heard the voice of God before, had a relationship with Him.  Jonah was not a heathen, but a believer.  A servant of the creator God.  Yet even with that relationship, Jonah let his pride, his intellect, his feelings be more important than God.  He didn't trust God, didn't surrender to God.  Even after being rescued by the fish and surrendering it all to God in the belly, he just a few days later is back to thinking he was right and God was wrong.

Do we ever have a hard time remaining in a place of surrender?

Have you ever fallen on your knees, gone forward during a call, to just days or moments later, taking it all back, taking control of your life back?

Several points I want to make here.

1. God used an imperfect prophet to do a mighty work for him. A successful work.
2. Jonah was a gifted prophet with a direct line of communication to God and yet he doubted.
3. Jonah ran, God didn't let him just disappear.  God sent a storm, God chased after him.  
4. God showed compassion and grace to Jonah.
5. Jonah got angry and just days later let self take over and God once again followed him.
6. God didn't give up and had another learning opportunity for Jonah.

I don't know about you but this brings me hope.

Sometimes I'm surrendered and other times I struggle with self.  

OH LORD HELP ME LEARN TO SURRENDER TO YOU ALWAYS!

Sometimes I run away!

OH LORD CHASE AFTER ME!!!

Sometimes I think I know better than God.

OH LORD, I'M SO SORRY FOR EVER TRYING TO TAKE OVER!

DON'T GIVE UP ON ME!!!!

I will close with one more Ellen White quote from my favorite book, Ministry of Healing.  This quote is my prayer today.  I pray that I can partake of His nature!

"Naturally we are self-centered and opinionated. But when we learn the lessons that Christ desires to teach us, we become partakers of His nature; henceforth we live His life. The wonderful example of Christ, the matchless tenderness with which He entered into the feelings of others, weeping with those who wept, rejoicing with those who rejoiced, must have a deep influence upon the character of all who follow Him in sincerity. By kindly words and acts they will try to make the path easy for weary feet".—The Ministry of Healing, 157, 158 (1905).

KNOW LOVE.
LIVE LOVE.
SHARE LOVE.