Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Resentment is bitter indignation or anger that someone feels about something - usually in regards to unfair treatment (insult, injury or wrong).

Essentially resentment is born from undealt with anger creating bitterness and when bitterness has taken root it becomes full blown resentment.

What makes you angry?

Do you get angry easily?

Anger is an important emotion because it is a revealing emotion.

It is a warning light indicator of our heart.

We get angry because something is not right, and it is something that is important to us.

The problem is that we cannot readily discern if our anger is from something not right with someone or something else or within our own self.

Our initial assumption is to cast the blame for our anger outside ourselves, but when we take time to track it down sometimes the wrong is within us - wrong information, wrong understanding (miscommunications) or an immature heart.

Are you angry about what God is angry about or are you angry about what God is about?

One is being angry for the things God is angry about and the other is being angry for what God is doing.

This morning as we conclude the book of Jonah we come face to face with a prophet who just preached God’s message and experienced the greatest revival ever recorded.

Technically the most successful prophet, but what we see today is prophet suffering from undealt with anger that has turned to resentment - even the resentment at God’s Grace.

Lets dive in and we can see resenting God’s grace puts our heart at odds with God’s heart.

Let’s ask ourselves “why is my heart not in alignment with God’s?” Let’s learn from Jonah’s anger so we can work to deal with our own anger before it becomes resentment in our hearts.

Angry With God and What He is Doing

As I said in my opening if this book had ended at chapter 3 history would have portrayed Jonah as the greatest of all the prophets and certainly the most successful.

Preaching one message and seeing hundreds of thousands moved by the word of God to repent and believe.

I am thankful for this chapter to be included for the Lord had to reveal the thoughts and intents of Jonah’s heart.

We read instead that Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious!

God saw their actions and relented but Jonah saw their actions and vented!

Jonah was angry and upset seeing the Lord move in their hearts and show the Ninevites grace.

Resenting grace is when we are angry with God and what He is doing.

Jonah is recorded as praying even though the prayer doesnt resemble other prayers in scripture.

He says please LORD isnt this what I said while I was still in my own country?

This is exactly why I ran in the first place.

Jonah ran because He didnt want this exact thing to happen - Nineveh is being saved.

As God turned from His anger toward Nineveh Jonah turned his anger for Nineveh toward God!

In Jonah chapter 1 Jonah closely resembled the prodigal son and here in chapter 4 he is like the prodigal’s elder brother - critical, selfish, sullen, angry and UNHAPPY.

Jonah’s problem was his heart is at odd with God’s heart.

The heart of every problem is a problem found within the heart.

Jonah wasnt angry with God because he was surprised by God’s work in Nineveh.

Jonah is angry with God because God did precisely what Jonah knew He would.

It didnt surprise Jonah because Jonah displays that he knew God’s character and heart!

I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God.

So why is he angry with God acting in grace and compassion?

Resentment towards Nineveh.

Jonah says God is slow to anger - this is not just slow to get angry but also slow to stay angry in other words God is quick to forgive.

So why is Jonah upset that God is forgiving those whom are his enemies?

Resentment towards his enemies.

Jonah says that God is abounding in faithful love - hesed love.

An unfailing love - yet Jonah is angry because God’s love is yet again faithful.

God you relent from sending disaster but I angry because you relented from sending disaster!

Resentment resents grace and is angry with God and what He is doing.

We pray for God to vanquish our enemies.

We ask that He would wipe them out, that He would remove them.

Why are we upset when He works in such a way as to eliminate our enemies He changes them to our friends and brothers or sisters?

Jonathan Swift (not related to Taylor) wrote some verses that expresses Jonah’s mindset:

We are God’s chosen few,

All others will be damned;

There’s no place in heaven for you,

We can’t have heaven crammed.

Chooses Death Over Life

Jonah concludes his venting over the Lord’s actions with the request “and now LORD, take my life from me, for it better for me to die than to live.”

Interesting take because in chapter 2 we see Jonah pleading with the LORD to spare his life and let him live.

The Lord asks “is it right for you to be angry?”

Without answering the question the scene moves on.

Jonah has left the city and found a place east of it.

He made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.

I see in this picture a vicious cycle that plays out in life.

When resentment is allowed to grow people choose death over life.

No they may not die immediately but the life in them dies.

They stop growing or maturing and begin a vicious cycle in which their life goes no where.

Because of offense like Jonah they leave where God is working - Jonah left physically, but those harboring resentment and offense leave spiritually.

They may still be there, but they are just sitting watching what will happen hoping to see some get their just desserts.

They stop living and sit down hoping to catch a glimpse of the demise of the offender.

Resentment caused Jonah to desire the demise of an entire city rather than rejoice over their new life.

Jonah preferred their death over their life and he was content to sit and watch.

In what God had just done there were 650,00 baby believers within the city of Nineveh.

Jonah should have been teaching and discipling them.

Instead he disengaged and sat on the sidelines.

Church is not a spectator sport and offense is no excuse to stop participating.

Want a guaranteed way to begin a spiral into depression choose death over life and distance yourself from people and from the body of Christ.

Are you currently in the cycle of no life in your life?

No joy, no Spirit, no peace and no love?

Jonah made three choices most angry people make and these choices bring death not life.

choosing to quit

choosing to separate

choosing to spectate

God appoints three things.

First He appoints a plant to grow over Jonah and provide shade for his head to rescue him from his trouble.

Then God appointed a worm to attack the plant and it withered.

Then last God appointed a scorching east wind to beat down on Jonah head until he almost fainted.

These three things continued to reveal the deeper depths of Jonah’s heart and the resentment towards grace.

Jonah enjoyed the plant and the shade.

It says Jonah was pleased with it or happy.

Jonah isnt recorded as happy when God calls him, and he isnt happy to be delivered from the whale and he certainly isnt happy when Nineveh repents at his preaching.

The first time Jonah is pleased or happy is when his own comfort is met.

A brief pause in his anger and resentment at the blessing from the Lord.

At the removal of the blessing of the shade and the discomfort being increased Jonah again turns to anger and wishes to die.

Again in his anger choosing death over life.God asks again is it right for you to be angry about the plant?

Jonah’s response is yes and I am angry enough to die!

Jonah was intent to sit under that plant and watch Nineveh fall.

God in his mercy and grace towards Jonah did not want to leave him there, so God took away the comfort and allowed the plant to wither.

God wanted to reach Jonah and reach his heart persisting in his growth and development.

Jonah’s lean-to (shelter) gave him minimal shade.

God’s appointed plant gave him a lot.

But God’s purpose was more than Jonah’s comfort.

There’s word play going on in Hebrew.