Three Questions

Jonah 4

God likes to ask questions.

God asked questions of:

• and ! Genesis 3:9, 11, 13
• Genesis 4:9-10
• 1 Samuel 13:11
• 2 Samuel 12:9
• Isaiah 6:8
• Luke 22:48

Question #1 to Jonah

But the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?” Jonah 4:4

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” Jonah 4:9a

Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many animals?” Jonah 4:11

This is God questioning Jonah to judge who is – God or Jonah?

Which one has the proper ?

Notice: Jonah did not admit his .

Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. Jonah 4:5

Here Jonah made errors.

• He !
• He a !
• He became a !

Question #2 to Jonah

Before God asked His question He did something to prepare Jonah’s :

So the Lord God designated a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant. Jonah 4:6

Notice = for the first time in the story Jonah is .

But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered. And when the sun came up God designated a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life!”Jonah 4:7-8

Now comes the 2^nd question:

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!” Jonah 4:9

This question exposes Jonah’s .

Question #3 to Jonah

Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many animals?” Jonah 4:10-11

With this question the story .

God’s response to Jonah!

1^st

It is wonderful to know – God still uses people who are and have .

2^nd

Sometimes with a and sometimes a

3^rd