God Of Restoration

Over the past four weeks we’ve been following a series on Jonah. Today we move on to the last chapter in the book of Jonah and the last talk in our series.

Since some of you haven’t been with us as we’ve gone through the book of Jonah, I’d like to fill you in on what’s been happening.

The prophet Jonah lived about 800 years before Jesus. At that time, the 12 tribes of Israel had split into two nations: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

In Jonah’s time the Assyrian Empire had been expanding and was threatening the northern kingdom of Israel. Eventually, it invaded Israel and took the people of Israel into captivity. The first mention of Jonah in the Bible is just before this happens so it’s not clear if Jonah witnessed Assyria invading Israel or not.

Although the story of Jonah relates to events that happened in Assyria 2800 years ago, we actually know a lot about Assyria at that time. Probably the main reason we know so much is that the ancient city of Nineveh – the capital of Assyria – was excavated in the mid-19th century. A remarkable library dating back to about the time of Jonah and containing more than 30,000 clay tablets was discovered. Here are some pictures of them.

These tablets give us a detailed picture of what Assyria was like. They show us that the rulers of Assyria were exceptionally cruel. God described Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as wicked; some Bible translations say ‘evil’. One Middle East scholar wrote that ‘Assyrian national history … is as gory and bloodcurdling a history as we know.’ Judging by the things the Assyrian rulers did, God’s description of Nineveh as ‘wicked’ is thoroughly justified.

God will not tolerate Nineveh’s wickedness. He intends to destroy the city. But he would much rather not do that. So he sends his prophet, Jonah, to go and preach against it. The fact that God sends Jonah to Nineveh means that he might just change his mind about destroying the city.

Jonah doesn’t want to go but eventually he changes his mind, goes to Nineveh and proclaims, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ That is told in Jonah chapter 3. At the end of chapter 3 we read:

‘When God saw what they [that is, the people of Nineveh] did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.’

That’s the end of the story, we think. The disaster has been averted. Everyone can live happily ever after.

But there is another chapter in the Book of Jonah. Chapter 4 starts as follows: “But…”

As soon as we read the word ‘but’ we know that something is wrong. What is it? The verse continues: “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.”

Jonah was angry. Why?

I’d like you to try to imagine yourself as Jonah in a modern-day context. I think it will help you to relate to what Jonah would have felt.

I’d like you to imagine yourself as a Middle Eastern Christian called Jangir. You belong to a little-known people group called the Yazidis. Hardly anyone had heard of your people until about seven or eight years ago. Then a terrorist organization called ISIS appeared. It attacked and conquered your territory and committed unspeakable acts. Suddenly the Yazidi people became famous.

A few months ago, God appeared to you in a dream and told you to go to Raqqa, the town in Syria which ISIS had made their capital, and preach against ISIS. You don’t want to go to Raqqa one little bit but eventually you go. God tells you to tell ISIS, ‘In forty days, ISIS, you are going to be overthrown.’ You obediently proclaim what God told you to say. Then you confidently wait for God to do what he said he would do.

But now, there’s a surprising and unexpected development. ISIS takes your message seriously! It turns from its wicked ways. And now, God announces that he’s changed his mind. He won’t overthrow ISIS after all!

So, Jangir, how do you feel? Do you feel angry? You looked to God for justice but God has been a soft touch. He’s been far too compassionate.

That is exactly how Jonah felt. Look at how chapter 4 continues. Here’s verse 2. Jonah tells God:

‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I KNEW THAT YOU ARE A GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE GOD, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN LOVE, A GOD WHO RELENTS FROM SENDING CALAMITY.’

Generally, it’s great that God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. So why is Jonah unhappy? In Jonah’s way of looking at it, this was not a time for God to be gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. In Jonah’s way of looking at it, Nineveh deserved God’s justice.