Jonah and God’s Unsettling Grace

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jonah 4:4 (NIV)

We left off in chapter 3 as God relented and pulled back His judgment against Nineveh. Let’s now look at the last chapter of Jonah.

Jonah is about to go pout. God’s grace did not sit well with Jonah. His opening words to the Lord are an exasperated cry, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home?”

I would think for a preacher, having the people listen, take the Word of the Lord to heart, and change would provide job security.

Why was Jonah so angry?

Jonah knows God, and he is intimately familiar with His unchanging nature. We can see this in verse 2 as he lists out God’s attributes.

1. I know you are a gracious and compassionate God.
2. Slow to anger.
3. Abounding in love.
4. A God who relents from sending calamity.

Why is this a problem for Jonah? Is he upset because he could not change God’s attitude towards sinners? Jonah did not want the Ninevite’s forgiven; he wanted them destroyed. Jonah is rather unsettled by God’s grace.

God’s Unsettling Grace

Have you ever been unsettled by God’s ways? One area that came to mind for me was my work in the Stop Human Trafficking Ministry.

As I was putting together a Prayer Guide, it was easy to list out the ways I wanted to see God rescue the victims of human trafficking and minister to them and their families. It is just as easy to pray for God’s judgment upon the pimps and Johns.

But praying for God’s grace and compassion on the pimps and Johns who have repented and changed, well, I found that at the bottom of the list. God’s grace toward them unsettled me.

I am like Jonah.

Am I, like Jonah, guilty of misplaced, ungodly, yet deeply rooted values? Guilty of delighting in my version of justice? Have I forgotten the original purpose of God’s grace?

Doesn’t God call each of us to share His good news, so all the world (pimps and Johns included) can find grace and eternal salvation?

Does the grace of God unsettle you sometimes too? Is this a place you could invite God to search your heart to see if you, too, are having a Jonah moment?

God is about to teach Jonah a lesson in His grace. Like so many of God’s life lessons, He uses nature to paint His picture.

The Weed, the Worm, and the Wind

• The Weed – “Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.”
• The Worm –  “But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.”
• The Wind – “God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

Here we see Jonah running away again. Did he forget so soon, how God used a fish to swallow him up the last time he tried to run from God? Why did Jonah act like a spectator when God called him to participate?

God sees him sitting at the edge of town pouting, and He provides for him once again. God shelters Jonah from the elements.

But then comes the worm, and the worm makes Jonah furious. Not only does God bring the worm but also a scorching wind and the blazing heat from the sun.

God’s Provision

It is all God’s provision. The whale, the weed, the worm, and the wind all served God’s purpose of providing what was best for Jonah.

We all face the trials in this world; God is not trying to kill you, even when the worms crawl up from the ground and creep over your head to destroy your comfort zone. He is preparing you to survive so you can fulfill your calling!

So does Jonah finally get it? Has he learned his lesson and truly repented once again? Or is he still sitting there trying to figure it out?

Rather than ponder the abrupt ending to the book of Jonah, let’s summarize this four-chapter lesson detailing God’s unchangeable truths:

1. God is in control – Throughout this entire story, we see God orchestrating the events in perfect harmony. He stirs up the storm and provides the fish. He created the wind, the weed, and the worm.
2. God is the supreme Judge – Only God can decide if His judgment will destroy or if He will relent of His wrath.
3. God’s grace is for everybody – The message of salvation is beautifully played out in this story as we see that nobody is too sinful or messy for God to save.

Although we are not Old Testament prophets like Jonah was, we have been given a mission similar to his. As New Testament believers, our charge is to take the gospel to those who are lost, proclaiming to them the reality of coming judgment and the hope of salvation (cf. Matthew 28:18–20). When we resist this responsibility, whether out of fear, pride, or a preoccupation with trivial things, we fall into the same trap that Jonah did. But when we are faithful to obey the Lord in this way, we experience the wonderful blessing of being used by Him to further His kingdom. There is no greater joy than seeing sinners embrace the good news of salvation. – 
John MacArthur

Let conclude our time together in the book of Jonah with a prayer to rededicate our hearts to fulfill God’s mission of sharing the gospel with others.

Heavenly Father, we choose today to repent and ask for forgiveness for the times we have run away from our calling. We yield to your control in all situations and thank you for your provision, even in the wind and the worms of life. Our hearts are glad for the opportunities to spread the gospel of salvation to others. There is no greater joy than to see a sinner embrace the good news of salvation. Praise be to the God of second chances and the provider of even the most unsettling grace! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jonah Chapter One

Jonah Chapter Two

Jonah Chapter Three