5 reasons to be mad at God

 Read Jonah 4.

Jonah became exceedingly angry.  He submitted to God's assignment.  He preached a message of eight words.  The entire city of Nineveh repented and put their faith in the LORD God.  After one of the greatest times of ministry results in history, Jonah was so distraught he wanted to curl up and die.

Why?  The Assyrians were Israel's enemies.  He wanted God to wipe them out.  Jonah knew all along that if he went to Nineveh and warned them, they would respond and God would be gracious to them (4:2).  The LORD did not do what Jonah wanted done, so he sat pouting, mad at God.

In verse 2, Jonah gave five reasons for his anger.  Each of them relates to the LORD's character.
1. God is gracious.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve.  The Assyrians were so evil.  Jonah was correct.  They deserved to be destroyed.  But when they heard God's message, they turned to Him in hope of deliverance from His judgment.  Jonah expected God to be gracious to him but not to those sinners over there.

2. God is merciful.
Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.  When the Assyrians fasted, prayed, and turned from their sin, God showed compassion toward them.  Jonah lacked any pity for these people (v.11).

3. God is slow to anger.
If it were not for the patience of God, we would all be gone at our first sin.  "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

4. God is loving.
He abounds in love.  His love is steadfast or faithful all the time.  This is difficult to hold on to when things do not go the way one expected or wanted.  It is easy to bask in the love of God when life goes well.  But can we bask in that same love if life does not turn out the way we planned?  His love is over all His works.

5. God is tenderhearted.
God is not relentless in meting out punishment for sin.  His grace, mercy, patience, and love are shown in His willingness to relent and demonstrate compassion on those who respond to His offer of forgiveness.

Jonah cared more about himself, his reputation and his comfort, than he did about the eternal destiny of these people.  The question everyone must answer before God is, "How much do I care about the eternal future of the people around me in my city?"

 

God gives second Chances

 Read Jonah 3.

Is there anyone who has not felt at some time that they ruined everything; that it was all over; that there was no hope of recovery?  Here is a wonderful example of how God's forgiveness includes restoration. 

 God did not change His mind, or His plans, or His assignment for Jonah.  What did change was Jonah.  When the prophet changed his heart, God changed his circumstances.  Then, Jonah received another opportunity to obey the LORD.  Indeed, in this life, God does give second chances.

 The vast city of Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire.  Depending upon the exact meaning of chapter four and verse eleven, population estimates range from 120,000 to as high as 600,000.  The Assyrians were well-known for their evil, violence and cruelty.  As enemies of Israel, Jonah would have preferred that God destroy them rather than minister to them.  But here he was, reluctantly preaching an eight-word message of coming judgment.  Would they kill him for saying this or simply ignore him?  No one could have imagined the results.

In a ground-swell of a spiritual movement, people began repenting of their sin.  When the king heard of it, he issued a royal decree for everyone (including the animals) to show outward signs of mourning and fasting.  Moreover, he ordered all the citizens to cry out to God for mercy and turn from their sin.  To this day, there is no historical match to what took place.  Dr. Howard Hendricks referred to this chapter as "the world's greatest evangelistic rally held by the world's worst evangelist."

The people of Nineveh were condemned.  God did not change.  They did.  Every believer in Jesus has an assigned message.  It is not limited to a single city or a specific time.  It carries a weight far beyond the matters of life and death.  "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).  All are condemned already.  The good news we share is that Jesus offers deliverance from eternal judgment and a personal relationship with the LORD Himself.

 

How can a God of love allow This?

 Read Jonah 2.

How many people, when under great pressure and awful dilemmas beyond their control, have questioned God's love and even His existence?  Sometimes hurting people will choose to rebel and forsake their faith.  But this chapter gives us great insights for an alternative view.

To say that Jonah found himself in a distressful situation is a gross understatement.  It is one of the most famous incidents in the Bible.  The prophet rebelled against God's assignment to go to Nineveh and foolishly thought he could run away.  But the God of heaven is personally committed to each individual.  He loves us so much that He will only allow a person to go so far and then He will intervene.  The intervention can be painful.

When Jonah did not drown and he did not die in the belly of the great fish, he realized that God miraculously preserved his life.  This is a wonderful illustration of God's grace.  Grace is getting what we do not deserve.  Not only was he alive, but the distress brought him to repentance of his sin of disobedience.  Though human commitments to God, to marriage, to children, to employment and other relationships may fail, the LORD's commitments are sure and certain.

1. God proves His commitment to us by controlling our circumstances. (1:17)
"And the LORD appointed a great fish..."  It was not an accident that Jonah was swallowed up.  God was in control and prepared for this moment.

2. God proves His commitment to us by answering our prayers. (2:1)
"I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me."  The answer was not what Jonah original desired, but the distress caused him to submit to God's will for his life.

3. God proves His commitment to us by restoring our fellowship with Him. (2:7)
"When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple."

4. God proves His commitment to us by providing His way of deliverance. (2:10)
When Jonah changed his mind and heart toward God, the LORD changed Jonah's circumstances.  The reason God delivered him was so Jonah could get back to work on God's assignment.

Any other pursuit in life will ultimately prove to be empty and worthless.
"Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.  But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.  Salvation belongs to the LORD!" (vv.8-9)

 

6 insights for those who run from God

 Read Jonah 1.

Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire.  But as great as their city was, so was their evil.  The Assyrians became a growing threat to the northern kingdom of Israel and God wanted to eventually use them to discipline His people.  Jonah rightly feared the Assyrians and, apparently, also knew of God's plan (see 4:2).  Jonah's preference would have been for God to destroy Nineveh.

When the LORD said, "Go!" Jonah said, "No!"  Instead of trekking 500 miles northeast to his assignment, the prophet booked passage on a ship to Spain in the opposite direction.  Alton Fannin wrote an insightful outline for this chapter explaining what happens when a person tries to run from God (Proclaim, 1987).  I have embellished it somewhat here.

1. When a person runs from God, he has heard from God. (vv.1-2)
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

2. When a person runs from God, he believes he can escape from God. (v.3)
"Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" (Psalm 139:7-8)

3. When a person runs from God, everyone pays for it. (vv.3-5)
"For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself." (Romans 14:7)

4. When a person runs from God, he sleeps while others perish. (v.5)
"Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning.  For some have no knowledge of God.  I say this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:34)

5. When a person runs from God, he confuses unbelievers. (vv.6-9)
"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23)

6. When a person runs from God, he loses respect from both sides. (vv.10-16)
"And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.'  And he went out and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:61-62)

Instead of running from God, He wants us to...
"Come" to Him (Matthew 11:28-30) and then
"Go" for Him  (Matthew 28:19-20)

The high price of Pride

 Read Obadiah.

The Edomites were descendants of Esau.  The Israelites were the family of Jacob.  Even before birth, these twin boys struggled against each other.  For centuries thereafter animosity existed between the two nations.  Edom refused passage to Israel during the Exodus and instead of helping their national brother, they came out for war (Numbers 20:14-21).  God admonished the Jews not to hate the Edomites (Deuteronomy 23:7).  But it was Edom that caused the tension in the relationship and repeatedly sinned against Israel.    And, the occasional skirmishes continued throughout the Old Testament.

Edom became known for its wise men, its wealth, its alliances with other nations, and its naturally secure location.  The people lived in high caves on the mountain.  With such environments of safety, they felt untouchable.  They believed they could do whatever they wished and even God could not do anything against them.  But their sins piled up to the point of God's intervention.  God said, "I will bring you down" (v.4).  As Walter L. Baker points out, "Judgment against Edom is mentioned in more Old Testament books than it is against any other foreign nation."

When the land of Israel was invaded, the Edomites did not help their brother.  Indeed, they helped the enemy.  And then, they helped themselves to some of the spoils.  Beside their sinful attitude of pride (v.3), the LORD saw what they sinfully did and did not do in verse 11.
1. They sinned by omission.
"On that day you stood aloof."  When the attack came against the Jews, they gloated (v.12).  James wrote, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:17)
2. They sinned by commission.
"...strangers carried off his wealth...you were like one of them."  God compared them to thieves.  But even thieves would not act as they did (v.5).

The Golden Rule is applied here.  "As you have done, it shall be done to you" (v.15).  Edom will be wiped out.  "There shall be no survivor for the house of Esau" (v.18).  But God's blessings will come upon Israel.

Pride and disobedience always leads to God's intervention with punishment.  Humility and obedience to His word pleases Him.

 

What did God say about the future of Israel?

 Read Amos 9.

Though repeatedly warned of the coming judgment, many people said, "Disaster shall not overtake or meet us" (v.10).  In simple terms, they did not believe what God said.  But their feelings did not change the facts.

The destruction of the nation was so certain that in this fifth vision the LORD personally appeared to Amos.  Not only would the structure where the northern kingdom worshiped be destroyed, but the enemy would pursue the people to kill them (vv.1-2).  The people will run for their lives but God detailed for them that they will not be able find a place of safety anywhere (vv.2-4).

Nineveh had long forgotten the days of Jonah and their historic national repentance.  Assyria became even more evil and brutal in their treatment of its enemies.  However, God makes sure in this message that it is He who is in control.  He brought the Jews from Egypt and established them on this land.  These are His people and the judgment against them is from Him (vv.5-8). 

What about the unconditional promises the LORD made to Abraham and his descendants?

At the end of verse 8, God said, "...except I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob."  Not everyone in the nation was unrepentant.  "All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword" (v.10a).  God does not forget.  He will deal with the sin and keep His promises.  There remained, and remains, a future for the Jews.

The last five verses provide the turning point to the prophecy of Amos.  There is coming a future day for Israel when the following will take place:
1. "I will raise up the booth of David that has fallen."
The reign of an earthly Davidic kingdom will be reestablished.  As a tent or awning, that rule will cover the entire land; no longer a divided kingdom.
2. I will "repair its breaches."
There was and is so much brokenness.  The regathering and reuniting of the nation under a single king is their future hope.
3. I will "rise up its ruins."
The palaces, the Temple, buildings and homes were all leveled.  And, as predicted in Revelation, there is even greater destruction to come.  But God is personally assuming the responsibility here to see that one day the land will not lie in ruins.
4. I will "rebuild it as the days of old."
The last king to reign over a united kingdom of Israel was Solomon.  Those were the days of that glorious Temple, luxurious structures in Jerusalem, and the world looked to the nation as the people of God.  The LORD will see to it that this reputation is rebuilt.  And, not just for the Jews, but "...all the nations who are called by my name."
5. "I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel."
In agricultural terms, the nation's restored prosperity is amazingly described. 

As an exclamation point to these prophecies, God declared, "...they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them."

 

Why is our nation not in Mourning?

 Read Amos 8.

Philosopher George Santayana is credited with this statement: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

In the fourth vision of Israel's impending doom, God showed Amos a basket of summer fruit.  The interpretation is simple.  Israel was ripe for judgment.  The time had come for the LORD to respond to the unbridled sin of the nation.  In particular, the business community was singled out for their greed and dishonesty.  They even complained at having to stop their commerce for the scheduled times of worshiping the LORD.  They "trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end" (v.4).

The scene of what was about to take place is graphically described by God.  When the Assyrian army invades the land, the dead bodies will be "thrown everywhere" (v.3).  Their songs will be turned into sobbing and their feasts into famine.  They will cry out to God, but He will not listen.  They will seek Him, but He will not be found.  They rejected His messages delivered by the prophets when He urged them to repent, so He will withhold His word when this judgment falls (v.11).

Even the youngest and strongest will not be able to endure (v.13).  Where are the false gods and false teachings in which they trusted (v.14) instead of the God of heaven?  All those alternative beliefs proved powerless in the day that the all-powerful One meted out what He promised.

Here was God's question: "Shall not the land tremble on this account and everyone mourn who dwells in it?" (v.8).  Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that Jesus Christ is "the same yesterday, today and forever."  If a nation (a people or an individual) does not listen and take heed regarding the judgment to come, how do they think they shall escape?  The reason there is no trembling and mourning over their sin is because they do not believe the Lord will hold them accountable.  The message in the middle of Amos is "prepare to meet your God" (4:12).

The solution?  Jesus said, "Come to me..." (Matthew 11:28)