Jonah – Wrath of Man / Mercy of God

by Ross Ward

We all know the story, but have we really gotten the point?

1. Story
   1. The book is about Jonah
      1. Not gentile city
   2. Outline of book
      1. Ch 1 – Jonah runs from God
      2. Ch 2 – Jonah’s salvation
      3. Ch 3 – Nineveh’s salvation
      4. Ch 4 – God’s mercy on Jonah
2. Jonah’s faults
   1. Wrath
      1. Nineveh was worthy of God’s wrath!
         1. Jonah 1:2 – God judged wicked
         2. Jonah 3:8 – evil way, violence in their hands
         3. Jonah 3:1 – woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery
      2. Jonah’s deep resentment toward Nineveh
         1. Jonah 4:1 – exceedingly displeased
         2. Jonah 4:5 – sat and watched the city hoping for its destruction
   2. Selfishness
      1. Rejoiced and sorrowed over the gourd
      2. Despised mercy of God over 120,000 people
3. Lessons
   1. God’s mercy
      1. Jonah 4:2 – Jonah knew of God’s mercy
      2. Jonah 3:5-9 – Nineveh hoped for God’s mercy
      3. God loves mercy
         1. Deuteronomy 5:10, 7:9 – to those who love him and keep his commands
         2. Micah 6:6-8 – God instructs mercy
      4. On Nineveh
         1. Jonah 4:11 – God provided Nineveh instruction of righteousness
         2. Jonah 3:10 – God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil
      5. On Jonah
         1. Jonah 1:2-3 – Jonah fled from God
         2. Jonah 1:4-14 – storm battered the ship
         3. Jonah 1:15-2:10 – fish swallowed Jonah
         4. Jonah 4:6-11 – seen in the gourd and the following interaction
   2. God’s patience
      1. Seen in his mercy
      2. Genesis 19:15-22 – Lot lingered at the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah
   3. God’s wrath
      1. Real
         1. Nahum 1:2-3 – eventual judgment against Nineveh
         2. Matthew 24:36-39 – Noah and flood
         3. II Peter 3:1-13 – warnings of final judgment
   4. Balancing God’s wrath and God’s mercy
      1. Adhere to his instructions
      2. James 2:13 – God’s mercy triumphs over his wrath
   5. God desires all to be saved
      1. John 3:16 – God sent Jesus
      2. I Timothy 2:1-6 – will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth