Jonah: Merciful Over All

Sermon Outline for August 7, 2022
JONAH: Merciful Over All
Jonah 4:1-11

Introduction
Sermon: Jonah 4
Jonah’s response to God’s mercy (vv. 1-4)
Illustration (=“plant”) revealing Jonah’s heart (vv. 5-11)
Application: Examine your heart by asking:
#1—How am I responding to God’s mercy and love? Does it produce humble and loving gratitude, or does
it create a feeling of entitlement?
#2—Am I generous or apathetic with God’s blessing? Am I living out God’s blessings to me by being a
blessing to others, or do I value my own comfort and security more than I value the people that God loves?
#3—How will I respond if God chooses to take back the plant in my life, if following God no longer comes
with the promise of safety, security or comfort? Is God alone sufficient? (see Habakkuk 3:17-18)
#4— Am I applying the mercy of God to myself?
Habakkuk 3:17-18,
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
A summary quote by Bible scholar Daniel Timmer:
“Jonah exemplified attitudes and values that were at least real dangers to, if not characteristic of, a sizeable
portion of ancient Israel’s population, and this brought the books message home very directly to its original
audience. YHWH’s election of Israel was for their good, but it was not an end in itself: blessed by YHWH, they
were to become a source of blessing to the nations around them (Gen. 12:1-3) by transmitting to them their
knowledge of YHWH and modelling for them a lifestyle that revealed his wisdom and goodness as Creator and
King (Deut. 4:6). The message is the same for any individual or group, no matter how orthodox in belief, that
has tasted God’s mercy and grace. With this immense privilege comes the temptation to mistake God’s
unmerited grace to them as an authorization of their values, plans, and the means they use to achieve them.
Profound gratitude for salvation should leave an indelible imprint on the heart, will, priorities and actions for
every believer. The humble disposition and love for others that faith in Jesus Christ produces will, moreover,
drive the church to fulfil its mission to the world as it increasingly reflects the gracious character of God it
worships.”

Timmer, Daniel C. Obadiah, Jonah and Micah. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers
Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2021 (pp. 83-84).