Worm Theology

Mm-hmm. God will use any means to bring us into alignment with His will. In Jonah, he used a fish, and later used something even more surprising. the word. Today, on Turning Point, Dr.

David Jeremiah wraps up his series, Jonah the Runaway Prophet, with a look at how God used that tiny worm to make a big change in Jonah's heart. introduce today's eye-opening message. Worm Theology, here's David.

Well, this is a surprising discovery when you read the book of Jonah. You aren't quite prepared for this part of the story.

sort of slips on your blind side. And there it is. God using a little worm. to teach Jonah a lesson. We'll get to it in just a moment.

You don't want to miss today's program. Hey, we are working very diligently to prepare you for the beginning of a new book that comes out in October. I haven't said much about it. There's a lot of stuff going on on the internet from Turning Point about it. But the book is called The Battle for Your Soul, and the pre-sale is underway right now through October the 5th.

You can get more information about it at our website, and we would like to have you involved in this. We'd love for you to have a copy of this book before it goes on sale in the bookstores. And we are really excited about the powerful message in this book. Here now is our interesting discussion of worm theology. Jonah chapter 4 is one of the most unusual endings of all of Scripture.

If we were writing the story of Jonah, we would have probably quit at the end of chapter 3, the story of the great revival. That feels like the natural conclusion, but God doesn't stop there. No, God has more for us to learn. He gives us one more chapter, and before we're finished, we will see why that chapter matters so much. We notice, first of all, the passion of Jonah in the first verse of chapter 4.

It says, But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. What was Jonah so upset about? He was upset because the city of Nineveh had repented from the greatest to the least, even including the animals, according to the text. There had been a massive revival led by Jonah. And he was upset about it.

I can't imagine that. In his heart, if he'd been right, he would have been doing all he could to set up ways to move through the city and disciple all the new believers. He would have been like Barnabas in the New Testament. When God blessed his work, he summoned Paul to help him. He should have been running around calling all the other prophets that he knew saying, Hey, come on over here and help me get this thing going, because a lot of people are coming to God in Nineveh and we need help to help them get started right.

But instead Jonah was displeased and he was very angry. And the word anger in the Hebrew language is a word which means to boil or to burn. In other words, Jonah was hot. One commentator said Jonah's problem was that he had been concerned about his own reputation because he'd been walking up and down through the city saying, In 40 days God's going to destroy this city. And now that that wasn't going to happen, what would they think of Jonah?

Or maybe someone said he was more concerned about God's reputation. He was looking out for God. How many of you know we don't have to look out for God? But he was looking out for God. God's reputation is on the line.

He said he would destroy the city, and now he's not going to do it. I mean, here's the greatest revival in history, and Jonah is angry instead of rejoicing for what God has done. He's focused on what did not happen rather than celebrating mercy. He is troubled by it. He reminds me of the story of the prodigal son in the New Testament.

In the first part in Luke 15, the prodigal demands his inheritance and he's going to the far country. This is what Jonah did when he ran away from God at the beginning. He went to the far country, he went to Tarshus. But here in chapter 4, Jonah was more like the elder brother. The elder brother heard the music and the dancing.

For the one who had returned, and he was filled with anger. And the Bible says he was angry and would not go in, he didn't go to the party. Jonah was like that. God sent this incredible revival, and Jonah wanted nothing to do with it.

So after the Passion of Jonah we see his prayer. In the first verse was his passion, verses two and three, Jonah's prayer.

So he prayed to the Lord and he said, Lord. Was not this what I said when I was still in my country, therefore I fled previously to Tarshi For I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, one who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. In verses 2 and 3, we see the prayer of Jonah. This is the second prayer of Jonah recorded in this book.

The first one took place. while he was in the belly of the whale. That was a little more intense than this one. That was a prayer of confession and repentance, but now Jonah is praying again, and this time. This self-righteous anger leads him to one of the most unusual prayers you will find in all the Bible.

His prayer is both a confession and a complaint. First of all, the good part of his prayer, Jonah confesses. What he knows about God. He said, Lord, was this not what I knew when I was still in my country? I knew that you were a gracious and merciful God, that you were slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, one who relents from doing harm.

Jonah's problem Wasn't what he didn't know about God. His problem was what he did know about God. In the first part of his prayer, Jonah explains why he was unwilling to go to Nineveh. His confession is centered on what he knew about God. He said, God, you're gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abundant in loving kindness, and one who relents from doing harm.

Did you know that this description, exactly like that, appears seven other times in the Old Testament? Everywhere else it is used as a source of comfort or hope for God's people. Here, Jonah used it as a source of frustration. From personal experience, Jonah knew that if the wicked people of Nineveh changed their attitude toward God, He would forgive them. And that is what made him angry.

He did not want Nineveh to respond. He did not want them to be spared. He wanted them to be judged. He did not like the people of Nineveh. He thought their time to get what was coming to them was here.

His problem was not what he did know about God, his problem was what he did know about God. He knew God was gracious, merciful, and compassionate. And that was exactly what troubled him. I have to point out Jonah was happy about when God's compassion worked for him. He just didn't want it to work.

For Nineveh. You say that's terrible, but think about this. You're driving down the highway, and on this particular day, you are speeding. You look in your mirror, and you see a police officer coming, and you glance at your speedometer, and you realize you are guilty. But the officer passes you and pulls over the driver who's in front of you, who's also speeding.

And you are happy. You are glad. Jonah was glad when God passed over him. He was not glad when God passed over Nineveh. That was his confession and He knew that to be true about God.

Notice his complaint. His complaint was, therefore, O Lord, please take my life from me. for it is better for me to die than to live. Students of human behavior Have often noted a connection between hatred for others and pity for yourself. Jonah's complaining prayer sounds very much like the prayer of Elijah.

Under the juniper tree. Do you remember that story? Elijah had delivered God's message and carried out his command, but he felt like a failure. Queen Jezebel had threatened his life, and he became discouraged, and he ran into the wilderness. Found a juniper tree and he sat down and began to pout.

And 1 Kings 19:4 says, He prayed that he might die and said, It is enough, Lord. Take my life, for I am no better than my father's. The interesting difference between Elijah And Jonah is this. Elijah wanted to die because he thought it was a failure. Jodh wanted to die because he knew he was a success.

If you look carefully at Jonah's complaint, you will see the core of his problem. Right in the text it says, it is better for me. Oh Jonah's problem was spiritual myopia. All he could see was what was better for himself. Everything else was measured by how it affected him.

He did not have the heart of God for others because. He was consumed with himself. And when you look around today, it's not hard to see a bit of that same spirit. It's made its way into the church. Stay around long enough and you will hear someone say, I'm not going to do that because my needs aren't being met.

Huh. That kind of thinking is self-focused, and it often leaves your needs unmet because God's way is different. As you care for others, He takes care of you. If you want a friend, you gotta be a friend. If you need encouragement, you gotta encourage someone else.

If you want to be valued, Take time to value others. When you focus on others, you'll often find that your own needs are met along the way. But Jonah didn't understand that. He only saw what was best for Jonah, and now he's sitting there overwhelmed with self-pity, asking God to take his life. We come to the fourth verse in the probing of Jonah.

By all standards, God would have put Jonah to death right there. I mean, he deserved it. He deserved to die. God had pursued him, corrected him, used him, and now Jonah stood in open defiance of God. Have you ever thought about what would you do with Jonah if you were God?

We probably wouldn't have anywhere near the patients God had. If God had dealt with him strictly in justice, Jonah would have been finished. But instead, in kindness and patience, God reached out to him And I love what God does. He teaches us a lot about how to deal with people, he doesn't accuse them. He asks him a question.

Let me just say that's a good way to interact with people when you're in a point of contention. Questions are better than accusations. Here's what God said, Jonah, is it right for you to be angry? Question makes a man examine his own heart. But you know what happened?

Jonah didn't even answer him. You can look far and wide. He was so angry with God, he didn't even respond. Instead of repenting, he sank deeper into self-pity and he went out to find a place to pout.

So we go from the probing of Jonah to the protest of Jonah in verse 5.

So Jonah went out of the city and he sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and he sat under in the shade. till he might see what would become of the city.

Now folks, this is really interesting. It is obvious from the text that Jonah was still hoping God might destroy Nineveh. God sent a revival, and Jonah's going out to watch and see if God doesn't come through and wipe them out because he went up and down the city saying everything about God destroying the city. If God was going to do that, Jonah wanted to have a good place to watch, so he got himself a good seat. He went to the east side of the city, found a vantage point.

settled in to see what would happen. Two expressions in this verse reveal his heart. First of all, the Bible says he went out. He left the presence of God. He walked away from the revival.

He turned his back on what God was doing. All around him, people were repenting, crying out to God, seeking forgiveness. Everywhere Jonah looked, he could see the evidence of God's mercy and grace, and he could not stand it. and he did not want to be a part of it. You say, how could Jonah be like that?

Hmm. And yet we've all seen it. When God begins to woo and when lives are changed and People are saved, or there's something going on in your high school that's amazing. A lot of people stand back and they criticize and they'll say stuff like, that's way too emotional for me. Or People are being pressured.

Or That's not real. To be sure, not everything that looks like a revival is actually a revival, but. Scripture calls us to be discerning. But sometimes that discernment can turn into a critical and cynical spirit. Where we question everything and we trust nothing, and before long we find ourselves.

Like Jonah, we miss out on what God is doing.

So He went out, but the scripture says he sat down. He chose a place east of the city. He built a little shelter to protect himself from the sun. And he sat there with a defiant spirit. You can almost hear him saying, All right, God, I'm here.

Now do it. You said you would destroy this city. I told them you would.

Now bring it down. I'm not leaving until you do. That was Jonah. Sitting outside the city waiting for judgment. when God had chosen to show mercy.

Jonah just couldn't stand it. He hated the Ninevites so much. Verses 6 through 8 of the fourth chapter show us Jonah's preservation. God is now going to start to work on Jonah again, one-on-one. And let me suggest to you, men and women, that when God works on you, He's got an incredible inventory of stuff He can use to work on you.

I mean he is in control of the whole universe. And it's amazing what God is going to do to work on Jonah. It's an amazing story. And the LORD prepared a plant, and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head, to deliver him from his misery.

So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. This is the second time God has prepared something for Jonah. Back in the first chapter, the Bible says he prepared a great fish. for Jonah.

Now he's preparing a plant for Jonah. He's got a couple more things to prepare later on. Most people believe this was a fast-growing vine, like a castor oil plant, with large leaves that provided shade. And the plant grew quickly because God prepared it. and when it spread its sleeves over Jonah and gave him relief from the heat, The Bible says Jonah was very grateful.

The King James Version says he was exceedingly glad. Isn't that interesting? The first time in the whole book that Jonah is happy. He was exceedingly angry in verse one. He's exceedingly grateful in verse six.

And in verse 9, he's exceedingly angry again. He's mad, then he's glad, then he's mad again. He's a man driven by his emotions. And what made him happy? A plant.

That raises the question, what makes you happy? Because what brings you joy often reveals the condition of your heart. Happiness comes in many forms.

Sometimes it's a house, sometimes it's a car.

Sometimes it's a hobby, a possession.

something we enjoy and if we're not careful we become attached to those things. But notice what happens next. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord, right? But as morning dawned the next day, God prepared a worm.

And it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened. When the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind, and the sun beat on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself and he said, It is better for me to die than to live. The Bible says that God prepared a worm.

It attacked the plant and it withered. The shade was gone. Then God prepared a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head until he grew faint. God prepared the fish to redirect Jonah. But to correct Jonah's heart he prepared three things, a plant, a worm, and a wind.

And Jonah lost his shade.

Now he's sitting in the heat. The wind blowing against him like a furnace, and the comfort God gave him has been taken away, and once again, Jonah is angry. And the text says he would rather die than live. We're not so different from Jonah. We get attached to the plants in our lives.

And when those things begin to take the place of God, the Lord has a way of dealing with us. God prepares plants and God prepares worms. If we will not release those things to Him, He knows how to remove them, not to harm us. But the teachers Notice the pouting of Jonah. In verse nine.

Then God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? And Jonas said, It is right for me to be angry even to death. Jonah was mad, then he was glad, and now he's mad again. But notice this, at least now he's talking to God, because last time he wouldn't even answer him. The last time you would not even answer God, and now he responds and he says he has the right to be angry, even if it kills him.

And this reminds us of Jonah's real problem from the beginning. Jonah knew a great deal about God, but he did not truly know God. He did not understand God's heart. Through all of his years of ministry, he had never grasped the depth of God's love and mercy. And the pity of Jonah in verses 10 and 11.

Now, watch this. God used Jonah's experience with the plant. To teach him a lesson, and I gotta tell you something: if you don't believe God is wise, and you don't believe God knows how to do what he does. Just listen to this. But the Lord said to Jonah, Jonah, you've had pity on the plant for which you have not labored.

nor made it grow, which came up in the night and perished in the night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between right hand and left? and much livestock? Jonah had pity on something that had no soul, no life beyond a moment. Yet he was angry that God would pity a city full of people.

God reminds him that Nineveh was full of people, including many children, who were too young to understand right from wrong, along with many animals. In other words, Jonah, you care about a plant. Should I not care about people? Should I not care about children? Should I not care about a city full of life?

The contrast is overwhelming. The plant lasted a day.

Souls of people are for eternity. The loss of a plant is nothing, but the loss of a city would be devastating. This was a defining moment for Jonah. God was exposing his heart Jonah, you had no compassion. You obeyed, but you did not care.

You spoke my message, but you did not share my heart. As we bring this series to a close, I want to ask you. Just a few questions. But first, notice something. This book begins in an unusual way, and it ends the same way.

The final verse is a question and it is never answered. It just sort of hangs out there. It lingers so that every time you think about Jonah, You hear that question. Jonah, you had pity on a plant, should I not have pity on a city? That question is meant for all of us.

Here's my question. Number one, is comfort more important than compassion? God was asking Jonah, Is your comfort more important than my compassion? Jonah was wrapped up in his shade. He was focused on his own comfort.

He was ignoring God's heart for people. We enjoy the things that God gives us, and rightly so, He provides for us and cares for our needs. But when those things become so important that we no longer have time for God, something is wrong. When our lives are consumed with what we have, we lose sight of what matters. It's a simple test.

If it all disappeared tomorrow, would you still want to serve God? This is not about how much you have, it's about whether what you have has you. Question number two. Is the material more important than the spiritual? There's a big misunderstanding about this.

Most people think the material is the real life and the spiritual. It's sort of a Not real life. But the opposite is true. The material is temporary. The spiritual is eternal.

The spiritual is reality. Third question, is the temporal more important than the eternal? The plant was temporary. Jonah was focused on the plant. It had a one-day lifespan.

And it was gone. The people of Nineveh were eternal. God's heart was stirred for people, especially for those who were vulnerable and unaware. This is the heart of God. And we are called to live with eternity in view, to care for souls, to invest in lives, to see people the way God sees them.

I've told you many times, there's only two things that are eternal. Only two things are going to survive the ultimate on this earth. One of them is the word of God, and the other are the souls of men and women. Where are we putting our emphasis? The message of Jonah is not just about obedience.

It is about compassion. It is about aligning our hearts with God's heart. God is saying, I have a great heart for people. What about you? What about me?

God needs to re-real. invigorate our hearts. For his purpose, our goal should be to go to heaven and take as many people with us as we can. When we have that compassion in our hearts, God can use us. Amen.

Well, I hope that's what's in your heart. If it is true that it is in your heart, it will be in your life. and it'll be evident in what you do every day. We are At the end of our discussion of the book of Jonah, we'll have some incidental messages on other things between now and the first of the month. But if you have enjoyed the study of Jonah, be sure to get the study guide and the C D package from Turning Point.

Go to davidjeremiah.org and there you will find all the information you need to get these products shipped to your home and you can use them in many ways going forward. The reason I say that today with urgency is we don't talk about these individual studies except when they're on the air. And it'll be some time before we do Jonah again, I promise you.

So if you're interested in this book, this is the time to take action. Have a wonderful day. We'll see you next time right here in this good station. I'm David Jeremiah. Thank you for listening.

Today's message originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and senior pastor Dr. David Jeremiah. Drop us a note to let us know how God is using this ministry in your life. Write to TurningPoint, PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. Visit our website at davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993.

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That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio for details. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow for a special message from Dr. David Jeremiah right here on Turning Point.