JONAH – WHEN GOD’S MERCY MAKES YOU ANGRY BY ABRI BRANCKEN

Chapter 1:
God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. Jonah disobeys and boards a ship to Tarshish. A violent storm hits; Jonah tells the sailors to throw him overboard. As soon as they do, the sea calms, and Jonah is swallowed by a great fish.

Chapter 2:
From inside the fish, Jonah prays a poetic prayer of repentance and thanksgiving. After three days and nights, the fish vomits Jonah onto dry land.

Chapter 3:
God gives Jonah the same command to go to Nineveh. This time he obeys. He delivers a message: “Forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The people of Nineveh believe, repent, fast, and even the king puts on sackcloth. God sees their repentance and spares the city.

Chapter 4:
Jonah is angry that God showed mercy. He sits outside the city, hoping to see its destruction. God causes a plant to grow for shade, then sends a worm to kill it. Jonah is more upset about the plant than the city. God uses this to teach Jonah about compassion.

One of the central themes of the book of Jonah is “God’s offensive mercy to sinners and to Israel’s enemies”. In this sermon message, we take a closer look at this aspect of the book of Jonah.