Tag: Old Testament (Page 2 of 3)

God’s Care in Your Despair – Ruth 2

December 14, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

Before getting into today’s text, I want to quickly want to summarize Ruth 1. Ruth took place in the days of the judges. The period of the judges, which was a time of spiritual turmoil, lasted about 325 years. During this time, there was no king in Israel – everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).

The opening chapter of Ruth tells us there was a famine in Bethlehem. A man named Elimelech took his wife Naomi and their two sons to Moab. Moab was not a place that any Israelite should be. Elimelech had led his family to forsake God’s presence and God’s people in Bethlehem to seek provision in Moab. While in Moab, Elimelech died. After marrying Moabite women, Naomi’s two sons also died.

After 10 years in Moab, Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, heard that the Lord had provided food in Bethlehem. She decided to make the 50-70 mile journey back to Bethlehem. She encouraged her daughters-in-law to go back to Moab so that they would be provided for. Orpah turned back, but Ruth decided to go with Naomi to Bethlehem and embrace Yahweh as her God.

When Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred. Naomi asked the women to call her Mara (which means bitter). At this point in the story, Naomi is a bitter woman. Because there is no man in her life, she and Ruth have little in the way of provision.

Naomi and Ruth’s return to Bethlehem signaled that they were returning to God and his people. If you have sojourned into sin and neglected God and his people, what kind of reception should you expect to find? We get a glimpse of the character of God this morning as he cares for these women.

For a fuller summary of chapter one, click here.

Sermon text: Ruth 2

There are really three scenes in Ruth 2.

First, the narrator sets up the Ruth’s meeting with Boaz (1-7). Second, we read about Boaz and Ruth’s meeting (vv. 8-16). During this meeting, Boaz shows great generosity to Ruth. Third, Ruth returns home and visits with Naomi about her blessed day at Boaz’s field (vv. 17-23).

Setting up the Meeting with Boaz (1-7)

In v. 1, the narrator introduces Boaz to the story. He knows something that Ruth doesn’t. After grieving her husband’s death (1:9,14), Ruth trusts God (1:16) and gets to work (2:2-3,7).

In ancient Israel, God’s law provided for the poorest of the poor to eke out a meager existence by gleaning in the grain fields. Gleaning was hard work with little reward, and harvesters didn’t always take kindly to gleaners, but it was a way to stay alive.

Lev 19:9-10

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.

Deut 24:19-22

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

Gleaning involved gathering left-over grain after the harvest. Harvesters would cut the stalks of grain with one hand and catch it with the other. The grain that fell to the ground was left to the poor. Perhaps a modern-day equivalent would be rummaging through a dumpster to find food (though I would much prefer the Israelite alternative).

Ruth was not looking for a handout, but instead is willing to work hard. We know that ultimately God is our provider, but that does not excuse us from working hard (Prov 10:4).

Ruth trusts that God will help her find favor with a man (v. 2). She trusts that her work ethic will give her favor with a man who owns a field. In God’s providence, v. 3 says, “she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.”

When times get tough, remember these truths:

Life is hard (John 16:33).
God is good (Ps 34:8).
He will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5).
I will trust in Him (Prov 3:5-6).

In your despair, trust God for provision (1-3).

In vv. 4-7, Boaz arrives at the field. He comes to the field from Bethlehem and blesses the reapers in his field – “The Lord be with you.” (v. 4). In this verse, we see that Boaz is a man that loves God. I can’t help but think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus calls us to be salt and light. In a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes, Boaz is a blessing to his workers. He is not a man that is full of himself. Even though he is the owner of the field, he cares for his workers. In addition, Boaz even notices Ruth, who is a gleaner, the lowest of the low.

In verse 5, Boaz asks, “Whose young woman is this?” Boaz wants to know whose family Ruth belongs to. Boaz’s field manager tells him who Ruth is – the Moabite woman that returned to town with Naomi (vv. 6-7).

The meeting of Boaz and Ruth (8-16)

Finally, Boaz and Ruth speak. The first thing that Boaz does is promise Ruth protection (vv. 8-9). When Boaz calls Ruth “my daughter” this indicates an age difference between Boaz and Ruth.

Boaz notices Ruth, a young, vulnerable woman with no protector. Rather than take advantage of her, Boaz chooses to protect her. What an example to us as men. Men of God, we, like Boaz, have been called to protect women (vv. 8-9, 22).

Boaz goes even further by giving Ruth permission to drink from water that his men have drawn. In this culture, typically foreigners drew the water for Israelites and women would draw water for men. So when Boaz gives Ruth (a foreigner) permission to drink from water drawn by his (Israelite) men, this is indeed extraordinary.

How does Ruth respond? With great humility. Look at v. 10 – “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Even after her hard work, she knows that she doesn’t deserve Boaz’s generosity. It’s so easy for us to think, “Of course God will notice me. I’m working hard for him. I deserve His favor.” When we do have that attitude, we lose sight of God’s kindness to us. Everything we have is a gift from God (Jam 1:17; 1 Cor 4:7).

Boaz has heard of Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi (v. 11). In v. 12, Boaz prays for Ruth. He prays for the Lord to repay Ruth for her kindness to Naomi. As we will see, Boaz doesn’t just pray to this end. He himself blesses Ruth in extraordinary ways.

In v. 13, Ruth again expresses humility and thanks to Boaz. At this point, I want to speak to any young women reading this post. Ladies, our culture says that marriage is outdated. Perhaps your family is encouraging you to go to college and work the rest of your life. But remember, marriage is God’s idea. There is great blessing in being married to a man that will lay down his life in service to Christ and his family (Eph 5:25-33). Ladies, let godly men care for you and receive God’s blessings with humilty.

At mealtime (vv. 14-16), Boaz shows even more generosity to Ruth. The fact that Boaz ate with his harvesters says something about the man, but his actions at this meal must have caught everyone by surprise. He invites Ruth to his table. Remember, she is a single woman and he is a man. She is poor and he is rich. She is a Moabite woman and he is an Israelite man. But notice that she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left over (v. 14).

Boaz is tough and tender. He is in charge of his fields. His workers respect his authority and listen to him. But he is also tender. He treats his workers well. He protects the young women that work for him. Men, let us be tough. Let us be men of conviction and courage. But let us also be tender towards our wives and daughters.

Boaz was not concerned with the opinions of others. He didn’t care that Ruth was a Moabite woman. He was not too proud to associate with her. When you love God, you love people and you don’t care what other people think (1 John 4:19).

As Christians, we should reflect the character of Boaz. Boaz was generous. He shared with those in need and extended compassion to the poor. Our culture says that there are two kinds of people – poor and rich. The Bible, however, describes four kinds of people: rich and generous, rich and selfish, poor and generous, and poor and selfish. I’ve heard it said that you will either love money and use people or you will use money to love people. Boaz used his money to love people and so should we.

Boaz was welcoming. We are to help those who may be outsiders to feel at home in our church and family. Boaz was in a sense evangelistic. We should share the gospel with those like Ruth who are written off by society.

May we be people that are generous, welcoming, and evangelistic. If we will be this kind of person, we’ll change the world. Finally, in vv. 15-16, Boaz instructs his men to let Ruth get as much food as she wants and to not rebuke her.

Processing the Meeting of Boaz and Ruth (17-23)

Gleaners usually took home just enough to live on. Paid harvesters might be given a liter or so of grain for their work, which was enough to support a family. Ruth took home an ephah (v. 17), which is between 30-50 pounds of grain. This would’ve fed her and Naomi for around two months.

In vv. 18-19, Naomi wants to know how the day went. Naomi sees the enormous amount of food that Ruth has brought back, which not only included the 30-50 pounds of grain but also the leftovers from lunch. She wonders, who was the man who took notice of you? Ruth then names Boaz.

Naomi is elated! She says that Boaz has shown kindness to Ruth and Naomi and her dead husband. Remember from verse 1 that Boaz is a relative of Elimelech. Naomi informs Ruth that Boaz is a redeemer! We’ll talk more about this next week, but a kinsman-redeemer was a family member that was to care for the family of the dead.

In vv. 21-23 Ruth tells Naomi about Boaz’s promise of protection and Naomi tells Ruth to stay in Boaz’s field, because she could be assaulted if she gleans in another man’s field. Ruth gleaned in Boaz’s field throughout the harvest season, which would have lasted about two months.

Naomi and Ruth came back to Bethlehem empty. When Ruth left for the morning, she was empty. Ruth came to Boaz’s table empty and went away full. Ruth came to Boaz’s field empty and went away full.

Here’s the main takeaway from Ruth 2 – in your despair, trust God’s providence.

In your despair, trust God’s providence.

God’s fingerprints are everywhere in the story:

Ruth “happens” to end up in Boaz’s field (v. 3). Boaz notices her (vv. 3-6). Boaz extends generosity (vv. 14-20). Boaz offers protection (vv. 8-13, 21-23). Boaz is a kinsman redeemer (vv. 1, 20). Boaz was a “worthy man” (v. 1) that had the total package–integrity, valor, moral character, and wealth.

Conclusion

When you step out in faith instead of throwing a pity party, God will provide. While we don’t always understand God’s ways, we can trust He is working for our good.

In what ways can you see God’s hand at work in your life?

Ruth left for the day empty and she came back full. Ruth came to Bethlehem as a foreigner and a widow. As she trusted in God’s providence, he gives her provision and protection through the generosity of Boaz.

Boaz points to Jesus while Ruth points to the church and God’s people.

You and I are like Ruth:

She came from Moab – we come from a spiritually sick family (Rom 3:23).
She came empty handed – we come empty handed. We have no righteousness to offer to God (Rom 3:10-11).
All that we have is what we have gleaned from God’s field of goodness and grace (Jam 1:17). As the great hymn How Great Thou Art says, “All thy needs thy hand had provideth.”

Boaz points us to Jesus:

Boaz came to his field – Jesus comes to earth (John 1:14).
Boaz pronounced a blessing over his people – Jesus came to save his people (Matt 1:21).
Boaz approached those who were not his people and spoke love and grace to her. Jesus came to teach us about the Father (Heb 1:3).
Boaz blessed Ruth with his generosity. Jesus blesses us by generously dying for our sins in our place (2 Cor 5:21).

The whole story of the Bible is that Jesus is a glorious Boaz and we are needy Moabites like Ruth.

The whole story of the Bible is that Jesus is a glorious Boaz and we are needy Moabites like Ruth.

If you are not a Christian, you are separated from God and you are without hope. The Bible says that God’s wrath remains on you (John 3:36).

In our story, Ruth threw herself at the feet of Boaz, thankful for his generosity. If are not a Christian, you need to throw yourself to the feet of Jesus and trust in his finished work on the cross. If you turn from your sin and trust in Christ, you will be brought near by his blood.

Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem in ruin, and now they are rejoicing because of the Lord’s kindness.

In your despair, look to God for provision and protection as you trust in His providence.

Turning to God in Your Pain – Ruth 1

December 6, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

Sermon Video

Overview of Ruth

It’s quite likely if you’ve lived long enough that you have felt so overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life that you have no idea what to do next.

How have those hard times affected the way you think about God? During those hard times, maybe you:

Blamed God
Ignored God
Questioned God
Prayed to God
Decided God doesn’t help

How we respond to hard times reveals something about our worship. Have we really been serving our good circumstances, or have we been serving our loving, sovereign, faithful, unchanging Lord?

Today’s post begins a new series in the book of Ruth. Ruth is one of two OT books named after a woman and the only book named after a non-Israelite. Ruth is a story of God’s grace and providence in the midst of difficult circumstances.

This book shows that even when God appears to be absent that He is still present with his people. At first glance, the book appears to be a simple love story between two people, but it is actually a happier ever after story with eternal consequences for you and me.

Before continuing, I would encourage you to read Ruth 1.

Seeking life and hope apart from God always leads to ruin (1:1-5)

“in the days when the judges ruled” (1)

The book of Ruth takes place during the time of the judges. Judges 2 provides a summary of what life was like during the time of the judges, which spanned about 325 years.

After Joshua died, Judges 2:10 says, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”

Judges 2:11-19

Israel sins against the Lord and serve other gods (2:11-13)
God judges Israel and gives them over to other nations (2:14-15)
The people of Israel would be in distress (2:15) and cry out to God
God would raise up judges to save Israel (2:16-18)
After the judge died the cycle would repeat itself. This was the state of affairs in the promised land for over 300 years.

In Joshua, Israel was in possession of the land because of God’s favor.

In Judges, Israel was continually oppressed by the people of the land due to their sin.

Judges 21:25

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

The overall picture of the time of the judges was grim, but there were faithful individuals, as we will see.

“there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.” (1)

A man led his family to sojourn in the country of Moab because of a famine in Judah. He didn’t plan for them to be there long. This man is seeking to provide for his family. This seems like a noble thing to do until you learn more about Moab.

Moab was not a place where God’s people should be.

The Moabites were related to the Israelites as they were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. They were considered unclean. Their family line had begun with Lot having an incestuous relationship with his two daughters (Gen 19:30-38).

The Moabites were the people that hired Balaam to curse Israel (Num 22-24). In Num 25 the Moabite women seduced Israelite men and lured them into idolatrous worship.

The Moabites oppressed Israel during the judges for 18 years (Judges 3:12-30).

The main Moabite god was Chemosh. In 2 King 3:27, when a battle with Israel wasn’t going so well for the Moabites, the Moabite king had his oldest son and heir sacrificed to Chemosh in hopes of changing the outcome (also see Num 21:29).

This family did not go to a land where the people of Israel were blessed; they went to a land where the people of Israel were cursed. Moab was a place where if you told a blasphemous joke about the God of Israel, people would probably laugh. Elimelech and his family had left God’s covenant people and were now outsiders among the Moabites.

So let’s set the scene:

The story begins with a flight away from the land of covenant promise, away from Bethlehem (which means the house of bread).

In Deuteronomy 28, while in the land of Moab, God laid out the promises for obedience and the curses for disobedience. The famine in the land was due to the sin of the people of Israel. But rather than repenting, as was prescribed in Deut 30:2-3, the man, whose name is Elimelech, was seeking to take the provision God promises apart from the repentance God requires.

There are many today who want God’s blessing who do not walk in obedience to His commands. They want eternal salvation, material prosperity, and good health, but they don’t want to submit to the lordship of Christ.

When we turn our back on God and sojourn into sin, we never intend to do it for long. It is only going to be for a little while for a little sin. But it rarely works out that way.

When we turn our back on God and sojourn into sin, we never intend to do it for long. It is only going to be for a little while for a little sin. But it rarely works out that way.

Sometimes when life gets hard we want to go live in Moab instead of repenting of sin, trusting in God, and remaining with God’s people during the hard times of life.

We are meant to live in God’s presence and with God’s people.

Elimelech was the man of the house and the leader of his family and he led them away from God’s presence and away from God’s people and into ruin.

vv. 2-5 – The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

We’re told that Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died (v. 3). If that wasn’t bad enough, her sons married Moabite women (4). Marriage with other nations was forbidden because of the pull to worship false gods (Deut 7:3). Moabites were deemed especially troublesome because of their treatment of Israel in Numbers 22-25 (Deut 23:3-6). It gets even worse. In verse five, both of Naomi’s sons die.

Elimelech’s decision to move his family to Moab proved to be a decision that led to death rather than life.

Men, when you lead your family away from God’s presence and God’s people, you are leading your family to ruin.

Men, when you lead your family away from God’s presence and God’s people, you are leading your family to ruin.

Maybe for you it’s not a lack of food. Maybe you are leading your family to find fulfillment in the American Dream, materialism, or earthly success when you should be leading them to find their joy and hope in Jesus.

Once again, seeking life and hope apart from God always leads to ruin. Don’t miss the irony: Naomi went away during a famine with a full family and now she is in a land with food and is empty.

Now, Naomi is a woman devoid of the protection and provision of a man and was in deep distress.

Have you ever felt empty inside and completely vulnerable before God and others?

Naomi faced the most extreme and desperate circumstances possible for a woman in ancient Israel:

Marriage was the only source of stability and security for a woman in the ancient Near East.
Widows were to be provided for by their sons.
Now she is far from home, without a husband and children and past her childbearing age (1:11).

The situation seems hopeless. What will Naomi do?

Turning to God is costly but necessary (1:6-18)

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

Naomi begins to face reality. She realizes that the decision to move to Moab has literally killed her family. That’s what sin does. It takes you farther than you want to go and keeps you longer than you want to stay.

Sin takes you farther than you want to go and keeps you longer than you want to stay.

Naomi hears that the LORD has provided for his people and decides to return home (6-7). She begins to make the 50-70 mile journey from Moab to Judah. This would take about a week, depending on where Naomi was settled in Moab.

Naomi’s Journey (from the ESV Study Bible)

8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

Naomi thanked Orpah and Ruth for their kindness and implores them to return to their families where they will be taken care of (8-9).

In some sense, Naomi is being kind and sensible. Naomi is telling Orpah and Ruth that nothing is guaranteed. If the women go with her, there will be no promise of financial security or prosperity. There will be no husband. No provision. No hope from a worldly perspective.

Naomi lays out the alternatives. The ladies can worship the one true God and have nothing in Bethlehem or have provision and protection in a worldly sense but not have the one true God in Moab.

There will be times in your life when you feel that you have nothing but God. Is He enough for you?

10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”

They tell her they want to be with her and her people (v. 10).

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

Naomi explains the situation even more clearly (11-13). You can tell that she cares for these women. While the narrator calls them her daughters-in-law, Naomi calls them her daughters (“My daughters”). These ladies have a close relationship. They had spent hours mourning the loss of their husbands.

You can tell that Naomi wants these women to know that there is no hope of her bearing any more sons that could be their husbands.

Interestingly, Naomi speaks of God’s sovereignty (v. 13). She Naomi knows that whatever happens next whether good or bad—like everything that has come before, must pass through the sovereign control of the one true God.

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Orpah leaves, but Ruth clings to Naomi (14). The word “clung” is the same word used in Genesis 2:24 – that man leaves his father and mother and clings (hold fast) to his wife.

Bitter experiences provoke many different feelings about God. The right response is to cling to him, knowing that he also clings to us. (Jared Wilson)

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

For the fourth time, Naomi urges Ruth to return to Moab (v. 15).

Christopher Ash: “Moab is not just a place, a society, an ethnicity, and a culture; it is a religion. To return to Moab is to go back to worshipping Moab’s gods. This decision has eternal significance. Naomi’s urging of Ruth to return is kind and sensible; but it is not the urging of faith.”

16-17

In verses 16-17, we see the turning point of the story. This is where the story starts to change. We see here Ruth’s profession of faith. This is what repentance looks like. You go from facing sin and having your back toward God to turning your back on sin and turning towards God.

Who or what do you need to walk away from? What sin in your life needs to end so that you can know God for the first time or have the joy of your salvation restored?

In God’s providence, He uses Naomi’s suffering to bring Ruth to himself!

Ruth is committing to Naomi’s faith and to her people, regardless of what it means for her—so much so that when Naomi dies, Ruth isn’t bailing. She isn’t ever going back to Moab.

Ruth’s commitment to Naomi is like Jesus’ commitment to us. However, while Ruth is an imperfect sinner and prone to wander, the sinless Christ has made his vow to us no matter what.

Jesus, like Ruth, makes his commitment to the ones He loves for better or worse. But unlike Ruth, he knows just how bad the worse is going to be and still he stays.

When you leave Moab, it can be costly. When Ruth trusted God, it meant leaving everything she had ever known–her family, friends, way of life, gods.

When we follow Jesus, it means that we love him supremely. We love him more than our families and friends (Matt 10:34-39). We leave our old way of life and our idol worship behind and we follow Him unto death.

“Faith means giving up everything for Jesus because of his unwavering faithfulness to us.”
Jared Wilson

Seeking life and hope apart from God always leads to ruin. Turning to God is costly but necessary. And finally, returning to God may hurt, but He is our only hope.

Returning to God may hurt, but He is our only hope (1:19-22)

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them.

Naomi is without child and Ruth is without husband. Together, they face the realities of poverty. Ruth returns with Naomi to start a new life. The whole town (of 200-300 people) was abuzz about the return of Naomi and a Moabite woman that has converted to the God of Israel.

And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

In v. 20, Naomi asks to not be called Naomi (which means pleasant). After 10 years and a dead family, her name doesn’t fit anymore. Instead, she wants to be called Mara because she is a bitter woman. It’s like she went to the Bethlehem DMV to get here driver’s license renewed and she said my name is not Naomi – it’s Bitter Old Woman. Naomi is weary and in need of rest (v. 9).

In v. 21, Naomi says that she went away full but the Lord brought her back empty. She goes on to say that the Almighty brought calamity upon her.

Maybe she forgot, but she and her husband chose to leave God and His people but she is bitter against God. Oftentimes we make bad decisions and sin against God but then also blame God. Instead, we should own our sin, repent of it, and thank God for his grace!

The good news is that God can use sadness and emptiness to bring you to him (Ruth) or back to him (Naomi). God is always working everything for good for those who love him. God doesn’t waste our suffering and neither should we!

Naomi is beginning to move from brokenness to healing. She is a broken woman who is a widow and has lost her two sons. She doesn’t have any grandchildren. I want my church to be a place where broken people can be honest so that they can be healed. The church needs to be place that receive people like Naomi and help them to heal.

Naomi complains in v. 21, but there is hope in v. 22 (the harvest).

Today, like Naomi, you can move toward life with God and his people instead or you can hide away in our own self-pity and bitterness. If you choose to move toward life with God, in time there will be a harvest of growth in dependence on him and contentment in Christ.

Conclusion

Naomi and Ruth are suffering because of the sins of others. Jesus, the King of Kings, who was eventually descended from Ruth and was born in Bethlehem grows up and suffers for the sins of others.

Just as Ruth gave up all she had known to enter the land of the foreigner to bless Naomi, Jesus Christ gave up all he had known to take on human flesh and live with people like us. But Jesus didn’t just live among us, he died for our sins in our place. Jesus didn’t just rescue us from Moab. He rescues us from hell. Through faith in Christ, we can have eternal life.

Considering what we have read in Ruth today^[1]Mark Dever, The Message of the Old Testament, 230.:

Whatever trials you are presently facing, do you really think God has no plans or purposes for you?
Do you really think he has completed everything he means to do in your life?
Be encouraged. He’s not finished yet, and the harvest may be about to begin.

When everything falls apart, where will you turn? Friends, return to Christ and trust his promises.

References[+]

References
↑1	Mark Dever, The Message of the Old Testament, 230.

An Overview of Ruth

December 6, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

Historical Background / Setting

The events in the book of Ruth took place during the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1). The book of Judges took place after the conquests recorded in Joshua and before the establishment of the monarchy in 1 Samuel. Judges 2 provides a picture of what life was like during the time of the judges, which spanned about 325 years.

After Joshua died, Judges 2:10 says, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”

Judges 2:11-19

Israel sins against the Lord and serve other gods (2:11-13).
God judges Israel and gives them over to other nations (2:14-15).
The people of Israel would be in distress (2:15) and cry out to God.
God would raise up judges to save Israel (2:16-18).
After the judge died this cycle would repeat itself (2:19).

This was the state of affairs in the promised land for over 300 years.

In Joshua, Israel was in possession of the land because of God’s favor.

In Judges, Israel was continually oppressed by the people of the land due to their sin.

The last verse in Judges is a summary of this period:

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

The events of Ruth cover about eleven to twelve years, ten of which are in Moab (Ruth 1:4).

Purposes for Writing

To provide a strong contrast to the covenant unfaithfulness that pervades the book of Judges.
To show God’s providence in meeting the physical needs of his faithful people.
To show how God works through the kindness of ordinary yet faithful people.
To highlight God’s covenant faithfulness and his gift of a redeemer.
To show the providential ancestry of King David.
To show how God can use even the worst of situations for his glory through a redeemer.
To show that God welcomes non-Israelites into the covenant. Ruth joins Tamar and Rahab in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1:1-17).

Structure (John MacArthur)

Elimelech and Naomi’s ruin in Moab (1:1–5)
Naomi and Ruth’s return to Bethlehem (1:6–22)
Boaz’s reception of Ruth in his field (2:1–23)
Ruth’s romance with Boaz (3:1–18)
Boaz’s redemption of Ruth (4:1–12)
God’s reward of Boaz and Ruth with a son (4:13–17)
David’s right to the throne of Judah (4:18–22)

Map

You can also download this overview here.

The ESV Study Bible helped me as I prepared this overview.

Resources for Studying and Preaching Jonah

April 19, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

Resources for Studying and Preaching Jonah

Below are some of the resources I used while preparing my sermons in Jonah. I commend them to you for personal study as well as teaching and preaching. Obviously this is not an exhaustive list of resources. I have placed them in order of helpfulness.

ESV Study Bible

The Gospel According to the Old Testament: Salvation Through Judgment and Mercy

ESV Expository Commentary

NIVAC

The Message of the Old Testament

</p>

For more resources, visit bestcommentaries.com.

The Lord’s Lesson for Jonah – Jonah 4:1-11

April 19, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. You can listen to the sermon here (forgive the audio and video quality).

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

How do you view God?

Maybe you think that God is watching your every move and looking for an excuse to smite you.

Maybe you view God as a grandfather that overlooks anything you’ve done wrong and sweeps it under the rug.

Maybe you view Go some other way. The important question to consider is this: does your view of God come from your experience or the Scriptures?

In chapter four, we get a glimpse into the character of God and His care for His creation.

There are four main scenes in Jonah:

Jonah and the sea – Jonah runs from God’s will (1:1-16)
Jonah and the fish – Jonah reluctantly submits to God’s will (1:17-2:10)
Jonah and the city – Jonah reluctantly fulfills God’s will (3:1-10)
Jonah and the Lord – Jonah questions God’s will (4:1-11)

Sermon Text – Jonah 4:1-11 (click to read the text)

There are two sections in Jonah 4.

In verses 1-4, we see Jonah’s angry prayer to the Lord. In verses 5-11, we see the Lord’s lesson for Jonah.

Jonah’s Angry Prayer to the Lord (1-4)

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. (Jon 4:1)

The fact that God had relented of his wrath upon the Ninevites (Jon 3:10) “displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was angry.”

Jonah is really upset that God spared the Ninevites. He hated these people and wanted God to bring judgment upon them.

And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. (Jon 4:2)

Verse 2 tells us that Jonah fled to Tarshish because he knew God’s character. Jonah gets this language from Ex 34:6-7, which is the Old Testament text that is most used to describe God’s character.

Here is some context of Ex 34:6-7:

Ex 32 – Moses had spent 40 days with God on Mount Sinai and had received the 10 Commandments, written by the very finger of God.

While Moses was meeting with God, the Israelites fashioned the golden calf and began to worship it. God threatens to pour out His wrath and Moses intercedes for the people.

In Ex 32:14, we read, “And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.”

Moses came down from Mount Sinai and had the Levites run through the camp with their swords out. That day, 3000 people were killed.

Moses then mades His way back up Mt Sinai to once again meet with the Lord.

As Moses was on the mountain, the Lord provided new tablets of stone with the 10 Commandments written on them and then He proclaimed these words:

Ex 34:6-7

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Jonah knew the Scriptures. He knew that the Lord was merciful and had extended mercy to Israel so many times. He also knew that God would be kind enough to show mercy to the Ninevites if they repented.

Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jon 4:3)

Because the Lord did show mercy to the Ninevites, Jonah prays that the Lord would take his life. Jonah says it is better for him to die than to live.

And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” (Jon 4:4)

The Lord gently corrects Jonah: “Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah had rebelled against God and was shown mercy (Jon 2).
The Ninevites had rebelled against God and were shown mercy (Jon 3).

When the Lord showed Jonah mercy, He was grateful. He offered a long prayer of thanksgiving (Jon 2) because he was spared from death.

When the Lord showed the Ninevites mercy, Jonah was angry. He prayed in his anger that he would die. Think about this: Jonah is speaking to the author of life, who should be the only real source of meaning in his life, and he is asking to die, because he doesn’t think his life is worth living.

Jonah is speaking to the author of life, who should be the only real source of meaning in his life, and he is asking to die, because he doesn’t think his life is worth living.

Have you ever been there?

Perhaps your life wasn’t going as you thought it should and you just asked wanted to die. Friends, this attitude is ungodly and suggests that God is not sovereign, wise, or good.

Jonah believed that Nineveh’s repentance was not in the best interest of Israel. His love of country had trumped his obedience to God. If your love of country leads you to wish for the spiritual condemnation of others, then you have made your country an idol.

Jonah was angry that God would show mercy to the Ninevites.

One of Jonah’s problems was that he saw himself as morally superior to the Ninevites.

It’s easy for us to compare ourselves to others. We think that we deserve God’s mercy, but “these people” do not. It’s easy to look down and condemn “greater” sinners, while believing we are good (see the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14).

Jesus warned in Matthew 7:1-6 that we should not see the spec in our brother’s eye without taking the log out of our own eye. Jesus said we will be judged according to how we judge others (Matt 7:2).

How many of us hate the moral downgrade that has happened in our country but at the same time do not hate the sins that live in our own hearts?

We condemn homosexuals but let our children and grandchildren live in fornication under our roof. We give them devices that they use to look at porn.

We condemn transgenders but we fail to fulfill biblical gender roles in the home and in church. Women are not submitting to their husbands and men are not leading their families to serve Jesus.

We wish we could vote out corrupt politicians, but we refuse to confront unrepentant sin in the church. Church discipline is almost extinct in American evangelicalism.

Ironically, it is so easy for us to judge Jonah without examining ourselves. It is as easy for us to judge others as it was for Jonah to judge the Ninevites.

The story of Jonah is something that we all need to learn and to remember every day. We are all sinners (Rom 3:23). We are all in need of God’s mercy and grace. It’s easy to look down on someone else, but the fact is that without Jesus, we would all be in hell along with the worst sinners than come to our minds. Until we understand the depth of our own sin, we will never appreciate God’s grace or have a true love for lost sinners. Until we understand the depth of our own sin, we will never appreciate God’s grace or have a true love for lost sinners.

Until we understand the depth of our own sin, we will never appreciate God’s grace or have a true love for lost sinners.

In vv. 1-4, we see Jonah’s angry prayer to the Lord.

In vv. 5-11, we see the Lord’s lesson for Jonah.

The Lord’s Lesson for Jonah (5-11)

Notice the parallel structure of Jonah between chapters 1-2 and 3-4:

The end of Jonah is the only section of the book that doesn’t have a counterpart. Thus, Jon 4:5-11 is the object lesson of the book and leaves us with a question that the author wants us to ponder.

Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

Jonah went out to the east of the city and made a booth for himself. A booth is a shelter of branches that gives some shade. Jonah sat in his little booth in the shade, waiting to see what would happen to the city.

It seems that Jonah was hoping that God would in fact send his wrath upon the city. Jonah wanted Nineveh to go up in smoke like Sodom and Gomorrah. So, Jonah waited in the heat under the shade of his booth.

Once again, Jonah is oblivious to his own hypocrisy. When Jonah was disobedient to the Lord, He was grateful for God’s deliverance through the fish (Jon 2). But when it came to the Ninevites, whom he perceived to be more sinful than himself, He had a front row seat to what he hoped would be the fireworks of God’s wrath.

It’s been said that in Jonah is similar to both brothers in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). In chapters 1-2, Jonah is the prodigal who is in rebellion against his father (God). In chapters 3-4, Jonah is the older brother, who is angry that his father (God) would forgive the sins of his younger brother (the Ninevites).

Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.

But God knew what Jonah was doing and more importantly, He saw into Jonah’s heart. In His kindness, God used a plant, a worm, and a wind to show Jonah the condition of his heart.

Verse six says that, “The Lord God appointed a plant” in order to give Jonah some shade “to save him from his discomfort.”

The text also says that Jonah “was exceedingly glad because of the plant.”

Remember in v. 1 (Jon 4:1) that God’s mercy toward the Ninevites displeased Jonah exceedingly, but here he is exceedingly glad because of the plant that is now giving him shade.

Jonah is completely self-absorbed. He is more worried about his own comfort than the fate of the Ninevites. This is a pattern in Jonah’s life. Remember, he slept during the storm while the sailors were deathly afraid. Now he is enjoying some shade while hoping for God to destroy Nineveh.

And so, God uses a worm and a wind to confront Jonah’s narcissism.

7-8

But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

After a day of enjoying the plant that provided shade, “God appointed a worm” and “God appointed a scorching east wind.” After the tree was gone and the wind blew, the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he was faint.

Once again, Jonah desires to die – “It is better for me to die than to live.” This is the second time that Jonah has asked to die.

Jonah had called the Ninevites to repentance, but he refused to repent himself. Jonah refused to repent when the storm came and he continues to be hard-hearted in the face of God’s love and mercy.

It’s easy to condemn the sin we see on the news. It’s harder for us to look in the mirror and to see the sins in our own hearts.

It’s easy to condemn the sin we see on the news. It’s harder for us to look in the mirror and to see the sins in our own hearts.

9-11

But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

The Lord once again asks, “Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah, in v. 9, for the third time, desires to die.

The Lord uses the plant to prove His point. If Jonah pities the fate of the plant, who only lived for a day, then should not the Lord pity the city of Nineveh, which is home to more than 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left? The phrase “do not know their right hand from their left” means that the Ninevites are spiritually blind and do not know what to do about it.

Conclusion

We are not given Jonah’s answer to God’s question. The real issue is how we answer the question.

What is your attitude towards people who are spiritually blind and living in sin?

Do you know that they will experience God’s wrath without Jesus? Do you care?

Do you have compassion for the lost?

Do you rejoice when sinners repent?

Imagine if God treated us the same way we sometimes wish He would treat others.

We are to look on even those we think are wicked sinners with compassion. Instead of condemning others, we are to pity them and show compassion for them. This doesn’t mean that we excuse or overlook sin. It means that we recognize that we, too were once dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). Instead of condemning sinners with an attitude self-righteousness, we share the truth in love, offering them the hope of the gospel.

Does your heart reflect the heart of Jonah, or the heart of Jesus?

The story of Jonah is proof that God loves sinners. The message of Jonah points to the message of Jesus.

The story of Jonah is proof that God loves sinners. The message of Jonah points to the message of Jesus.

Consider the similarities and differences between Jonah and Jesus:

Jonah preached a message of judgment, but Jesus preached a message of grace and salvation.

While Jonah almost died for his own sins, Jesus died for the sins of the world

Jonah’s ministry was to one city, but Jesus was and is the Savior of the world

Jonah’s obedience was reluctant but Jesus always submitted to the Father and willingly laid down His life.

Jonah hated the Ninevites but Jesus loved those He came to save

Jonah went outside the city to watch Nineveh be judged. Jesus was crucified outside the city so that we would be spared from God’s judgment.

In Exodus 34:6-7, we saw that the Lord is:

Merciful and gracious
Slow to anger
Abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness
Forgiving of iniquity and transgression and sin
But he will by no means clear the guilty

If you’re reading this article and you are not a Christian, I am warning you: God is merciful, but he will by no means clear the guilty. We have all sinned and are all guilty of breaking God’s Law. We all deserve God’s wrath and to spend eternity in hell separated from Him.

But the good news is that you can be forgiven this very day. Repent of your sin and trust in Jesus alone, and God will extend mercy and grace to you because of the work of Jesus Christ – His life, death, burial, and resurrection.

For Christians, our attitude towards sinners should reflect the compassionate heart of Jesus rather than the calloused heart of Jonah.

What lost people are you praying for?

Have you shared the gospel with anyone recently?

How many times have you complained about how things are going in our country?

Considering your answers, does your heart for sinners reflect the heart of Jonah, or the heart of Jesus?

Our attitude towards sinners should reflect the compassionate heart of Jesus rather than the calloused heart of Jonah.

The way things get better in our world is when Christians start loving people the way God loves people. The gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Rom 1:16).

If you want to see change in the world, love God with everything you have, and love your sinful neighbors as you love yourself and share the gospel with them.

Jonah hated the Ninevites but God loved them.

Who are the Ninevites in your life?

Will you see them as God sees them and love them as God loves them?

God’s Mercy for the Wicked – Jonah 3:1-10

April 5, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. Unfortunately, the sermon was not recorded.

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

In chapter one (Jon 1), we read about Jonah and the storm. In chapter two (Jon 2), we read about Jonah in the fish. Today, we will be reading about Jonah’s experience in the city of Nineveh.

Jonah 3:1-10
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they 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.

BIG IDEA: God will pour out his wrath on sinners, but He shows mercy to those who repent.

That’s a pretty basic theological statement, but it’s not a popular message for modern minds. Many don’t like the idea of God, especially the God of the Bible. Even more despise the idea of God’s wrath and the thought of us being sinners in need of repentance. In fact, the only part of that sentence that most people like is that if there is a God, He is merciful. Nonetheless, our views of God must come from Scripture and not from ourselves or the culture.

After the fish spit Jonah out (Jon 2:10), in verse 1 we’re told that “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.”

In the Old Testament, prophets were to take the word of the Lord that came to them and proclaim it. Today, there are no prophets as there were in the Old Testament. Today, God does not speak through prophets, but through His written Word, the Bible. The job of every preacher of God’s Word is to communicate the meaning of Scripture as it was intended by the author, as inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20-21). As Christians, we are to read God’s Word and have it change our hearts and minds (Rom 12:2). We cannot expect to be faithful to the will of God when we refuse to open the Word of God.

We cannot expect to be faithful to the will of God when we refuse to open the Word of God.

We’re not told where Jonah was spit out, but once again, the Lord tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. At the very least, Jonah would have had 550 miles to travel, which would have taken at least a month if he was riding a camel or donkey and much longer if he was on foot. The Lord tells him to call out against the city of Nineveh and to speak “the message that I tell you.”

As Christians, we are not free to alter the message of Scripture. We are to proclaim God’s message even when it is unpopular. We preach the truth of God’s Word and we do not apologize for it. To alter or soften God’s Word is to be disobedient to God Himself.

Jonah was given a second chance even though he was disobedient to the Lord. If you are not a Christian, you may be surprised that even though God will judge every sin, He is also a God of second chances.

Though God was displeased with His prophet, He never deserted him, as evidenced by His sending of the great fish. As God was merciful to Jonah, He will offer mercy to the Ninevites as well.

How about you? How many times have you disobeyed God and deserved His punishment, yet God has shown you mercy?

God showed mercy to Jonah because He cared about the Ninevites. But God also cared about Jonah. He wanted Jonah’s heart to reflect the heart of God (Jon 4:9-11). God is not simply interested in obedience out of duty, but He wants us to delight in Him (Ps 37:4).

This time, Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord (v. 3).

In chapter one when Jonah received his commission, he “fled to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (1:2). This time, Jonah realizes that he should not and cannot run from God’s will and so he goes to Nineveh in reluctant obedience.

Scripture does not give us every detail of the story. As I mentioned earlier, we are not told where Jonah was spit up onto dry land. We’re not told if he went to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice (Jon 2:9). We are simply told that Jonah “arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.”

The text says that Nineveh “was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.”

Nineveh is called a great city four times in Jonah (Jon 1:2, 3:2-3, 4:11).

There is some debate about what exactly the text means when it mentions “a three days journey.”

One possibility is that it would take three days to get through the city and its suburbs.
A second possibility is that it would take three days to go around the outside of the city.
A third possibility is that “three days’ journey” is an idiom that is meant to communicate how long it would take to get to Nineveh. In other words, this phrase is meant to communicate that the city is far away from Jonah when he began his journey.

The clear thing about the text, however, is that Nineveh was a significant place. As we will see in chapter four (Jon 4), this great city greatly mattered to God.

When Jonah arrives in the city (in v. 4), he began to warn the Ninevites of God’s coming wrath. His message was simple – “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that those were the only words that Jonah spoke, but it was the core of Jonah’s message.

In Scripture, the number 40 is often identified with testing or judgment.

During the great flood in Genesis, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.
The Jewish spies explored Canaan for 40 days.
The nation of Israel was tested in the wilderness for 40 years.
Goliath taunted Israel’s army for 40 days.
Here, the Lord gives the Ninevites 40 days to repent of their wickedness.

The word “overthrown” is the same word that was used in the warning to Lot about Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:23-29). It’s clear using this word and the number 40 that the author is communicating that Jonah’s message was a word of judgment. Notice, Jonah did not name their offenses. He didn’t tell them what they ought to do. He did not explicitly offer any hope of avoiding judgment.

He didn’t even mention God’s name. Remember, in chapter one (Jon 1:9) he told the Gentile sailors that He feared the Lord, and Jonah used the name Yahweh. But when it came to the Ninevites, it seems that Jonah shared very little. He simply warned them of coming judgment. As we will see in chapter four, Jonah did not want the Ninevites to repent. He wanted God to wipe them out.

Like Jonah, we are called by God to give people bad news. We are called to warn them of God’s coming wrath against them. It is only when people understand the depth of their own sin against a holy God will they be ready for the good news that He offers forgiveness through Christ. The good news of the gospel only makes sense to people if they understand their condemnation without Christ.

We are called to warn others of the wrath to come, even our enemies.

We are called to warn others of the wrath to come, even our enemies.

Jonah was not a missionary that preached a message of hope but was a reluctant prophet that preached a message of judgment and doom. In what must have been a shock to Jonah, the people of Nineveh believed his message.

Verse five is a summary statement of what happened, and vv. 6-9 contain the details.

Perhaps you may be asking this question:

Why would a city full of wicked people believe Jonah, who was a prophet from a different place and who worshiped a different God?

There are several possible reasons:

One is that around the time of Jonah’s mission, Assyria had experienced a series of famines, plagues, revolts, and eclipses, each of which would have been interpreted as omens of far worse things to come.
It’s also possible that someone saw the fish spit Jonah up onto dry land and that news had spread to Nineveh.
Perhaps the pagan sailors spoke of Jonah as well as the mighty power of the Lord to still the sea. Maybe they had told traders that went into Nineveh and told the tale.

One or more of these were contributing factors, but the most likely cause is that they had a guilty conscience (Rom 2:15) because of their wicked ways and that God had begun to till the soil of their hearts.

The text says that the Ninevites “believed God”, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they were converted. There seems to be no indication that they entered into a covenant relationship with God. Notice, there is a mention of God (Elohim), but not of Yahweh (the Lord) as there was with the sailors (Jon 1:14-16).

We also are not told that they removed their idols or understood God’s law. In the ancient world, people believed there were all sorts of powerful gods, but they only worshiped ones they believed had power over their lives.

It seems that they didn’t really believe in God in a salvation sense, but rather that God’s word of judgment was true and would come to fruition if they did not change their behavior.

They wanted to do whatever it took to keep themselves from experiencing God’s wrath.

The message of Jonah reached the king of Nineveh. Verse six says that he got up from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

Sackcloth was rough and uncomfortable material (similar to an old potato sack) that was worn to indicate mourning.

Not only did the king put on sackcloth and sit in ashes, but he issued a proclamation that was published throughout the city in vv. 7-8.

7-8

In modern day terms, he called an emergency press conference and gave instructions to the citizens of Nineveh: neither men nor animals were to eat or drink. They were to be covered with sackcloth and to “call out mightily to God.” In addition, they were to turn away from their evil and violent ways.

By commanding the people to cry out to God and to turn from their evil ways, the king hoped that they would be spared from God’s wrath. That is what we see in verse nine.

The king doesn’t seem terribly confident that God would relent but he hopes that their repentance will turn God away from his fierce anger.

Notice that the king is concerned that the Ninevites would perish. This is the third time that a pagan has shown concern that people might perish. We saw the captain of the ship concerned about him and his crew (1:6). We saw the sailors ask the Lord for mercy and that they would not perish for throwing Jonah overboard (1:14). And here in v. 9, we see the king of Nineveh hoping that the city will not perish.

Ironically, God’s prophet Jonah has expressed no such concern. In fact, he was very short with the sailors and the Ninevites, but his prayer of thanksgiving for his own deliverance was quite long (Jon 2).

As Christians, we should care more about human suffering than unbelievers.

As Christians, we should care more about human suffering than unbelievers.

As the Ninevites repent, they are in fact spared.

In v. 10, we see that when the people repented, God relented.

God saw the people’s repentance and he spared them. The text says that, “God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

The KJV says that God repented. I don’t really the use of the word repent. I say that because when I think of repentance, I think of a change in morality. But God is perfect. He does not sin, and He does not change.

The theological word for the idea that God does not change is immutability. I want to share two verses to emphasize that God does not change:

Numbers 23:19 – God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

The reality is that God did not change His mind. Implied in Jonah’s message of judgment was that judgment would be spared if the people repented.

There are varying opinions as to whether the Ninevites were converted. One commentator says that Jonah was the most successful evangelist of all time. In my view, the text seems to indicate that the repentance of the Ninevites was quite shallow.

It seems to me that he Ninevites were not really acting in true faith and devotion to Yahweh, but were really acting out of self-preservation (see especially v. 9 – “Who knows?”). But God honors their small step in the right direction and relents from His imminent judgment.

Overall, it seems that the majority of the Ninevites were not truly converted, but perhaps a few were. Remember, Jesus mentioned the Ninevites to the Pharisees because of their willingness to repent when warned of coming judgment (Matt 12:38-41).

Conclusion

The repentance of the Ninevites is similar to someone who hears the gospel and walks down the aisle. He or she makes some sort of emotional decision but later drops out of church and continues to live as they always have with no regard for obedience to Jesus.

Most of these people want to escape hell and exhibit some remorse for their sins, but many have not genuinely put their faith and trust in Jesus, which becomes evident over time (Mark 4:13-20).

We all need to be warned about superficial repentance. In His mercy, God spared Nineveh of immediate judgment. However, it is not enough to be spared a temporary judgment. If the Ninevites only repented but did not put their faith and trust in Yahweh, they would be judged in eternity. In fact, only 125-150 years later, Nineveh experienced God’s wrath, which is expressed in the book of Nahum.

Friends,

It is one thing to believe that a message is true in your mind. It is another to believe it in your heart.

It is one thing to believe that the gospel is true. It is another to build your life upon it (Matt 7:24-27).

It is one thing to walk the aisle and “accept Jesus”. It is another to follow after Jesus, deny yourself, take up your cross, as you submit to Him as Lord (Luke 9:23-24).

God is patient. He is kind. He is merciful. But He will pour out his wrath on sinners who do not repent (John 3:36).

Do we see ourselves as needing mercy just as much as the Ninevites? It’s easy to compare ourselves with others and to become self-righteous. The reality is that we are all in need of God’s grace (Rom 3:10-11, 23).

Maybe you’ve never committed acts of violence or torture, but we have all broken God’s Law. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

The greatest news is that God shows mercy to those who repent of their sin and trust in His Son Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, and died for our sins as a substitute for us, who deserved His wrath.

Have you trusted in Jesus as Lord? Are you honoring Him with your life? Are you offering yourself to God as a living sacrifice?

Christians,

God does not tell us to tell people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life. Jesus never said this to anyone.

Are we willing to share the message of God’s Word, even the uncomfortable parts about God’s wrath and judgment?

God commands us to call people to genuine repentance and true faith in Jesus.

Will we be found faithful when God calls us to the Ninevehs in our life?

Salvation Belongs to the Lord – Jonah 1:17-2:10 (Part 2)

April 1, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. You can watch the sermon here (forgive the audio and video quality).

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

Jonah 1:17-2:10
And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
    passed over me.
Then I said, ‘I am driven away
    from your sight;
yet I shall again look
    upon your holy temple.’
The waters closed in over me to take my life;
    the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
    at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
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!”
And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

In part one, we saw that our disobedience leads to despair and death.

In today’s post, which covers verses 6b-10, we will see that God’s deliverance leads to thanksgiving.

Jonah’s disobedience had led him to despair and it was leading to his death. But when Jonah was drowning and the waters were closing in, God’s mercy finds him.

Look at v. 6b:

yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.

Just as Jonah recognized that God was responsible for him being thrown overboard, he now recognizes that God brought him up from the pit. When God disciplines and afflicts His children, it is always for our ultimate good – to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom 8:28-29). God does not waste any of our suffering.

Just as Jonah had sunken down to a pit and hit rock bottom, we were destined for the pit of hell until God intervened (Rom 5:6-8).

Jonah said, “You brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God” (v. 6b).

That is something we need to remember every day. There was nothing we did to earn our salvation (Eph 2:8-9). God brought us out of the pit of hell through His Son Jesus Christ.

Even as believers, we go through dark times – we could call it a metaphorical pit. Even in those times when God’s people are in their deepest anguish, He is there.

Jonah’s rebellion has brought him low, but God’s mercy will raise him up. In vv. 7-8, Jonah humbles himself before the Lord.

7-8

When Jonah’s life was fainting away, he remembered the Lord. In chapter one, we saw the word of the Lord came to Jonah, but Jonah ran away. Instead of going up to Nineveh, he went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship. He laid down and went to sleep. Now, Jonah has gone down into the sea.

In chapters 1-2, the trajectory of Jonah’s life is down, down, down. The sailors urged Jonah to cry out to his God, but He would not. Jonah finally cried out to the Lord when he began to feel the life going out of him.

God heard Jonah’s prayer, and He sent the fish that He had already appointed (1:17).

When your life feels out of control or when you feel your life fainting away, cry out the Lord. He will hear your prayers.

When your life feels out of control or when you feel your life fainting away, cry out the Lord. He will hear your prayers.

In contrast, Jonah says in v. 8, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” We saw this with the sailors. When the storm was raging, they each cried out to their gods, but of course nothing happened. There was no salvation with the false gods/idols they were praying to. Anyone that worships idols will not be delivered.

This message was also for the Israelites who would later read Jonah’s story. As you know, the Israelites had a bad habit of forsaking their love for God and intermarrying with pagans and worshiping false gods. Jonah knows that if his people do that, they forsake their hope of God’s steadfast love. The word translated “steadfast” is a word that is often used when describing God’s covenantal love with Israel. The message for Jonah’s first readers was this – do not trust in idols, or you will forfeit God’s steadfast love.

Do not trust in idols, or you will forfeit God’s steadfast love.

Likewise, we cannot live for ourselves and put our hope in idols such as money, sex, power, or status and expect to experience God’s steadfast love. When you come to Christ, you are to die to yourself and live for Him. Any other way of living will prove worthless and vain in eternity (Luke 9:23-25).

When you’ve hit rock bottom, put your hope and trust in God. The false gods that you are living for for will not save you. Only God can save you from the pit.

And that’s why we see tone of thanksgiving in v. 9:

But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

Jonah offers thanks to the Lord for His great salvation. He vows (or commits) to make a sacrifice to the Lord. If you recall from Leviticus, animal sacrifices were to be made with animals without blemish. Jonah is very thankful to God for His deliverance and will offer a costly sacrifice.

Today, we no longer offer animal sacrifices because Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial laws. He died as the once and for all sacrifice (Heb 9-10). In response to our salvation, we read in Rom 12:1-2 that we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We are to live our lives as holy and pleasing to God. That is how we best thank Him today – by living completely for Him.

In the last part of v. 9, Jonah says, “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” This is the message of the book of Jonah. In his prayer, Jonah acknowledges that there was nothing he could do to save himself. His deliverance was not a result of his efforts, but the result of God’s mercy and grace.

This is the message of the book of Jonah – “Salvation belongs to the Lord.”

The clear teaching of Scripture is that no one is good enough to be justified before God (Rom 3:10-11, 23). In our natural state, we are dead in our sins and destined for hell. We can only be justified, or made right with God because of the work of Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). Salvation is not of man. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

This is the message that we should proclaim: Sinners drown in their sin and devotion to idols and false gods, but God saves through His Son. Salvation belongs to the Lord. There is salvation in no other name except Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

Finally, “the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”

Again, the fish was not sent to punish Jonah, but to deliver him.

Conclusion

Jonah 2 offers us hope. While our disobedience leads to despair and death, God’s deliverance leads to thanksgiving.

We see this in three ways^[1]https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/mercy-at-the-bottom:

God still listens. Despite Jonah’s rebellion, he cried out to God. God heard Jonah’s prayers, and he is always ready to receive our most desperate cries. No matter what you are going through, God still listens.

God still reigns. Jonah knew that God was in complete control. We saw that in verses 3-4. When you are going through a difficult time, know that God is not asleep. Jonah’s situation reminds us that we can trust God even in the most dire of circumstances. God is sovereign even when we feel like we are drowning.

God still delivers. Jonah experiences God’s salvation and concludes that God saved him for a purpose. Jonah has been spared to once again worship God in his holy temple and to go warn the Ninevites of God’s coming wrath. God saves us for a purpose – namely so that we worship him and minister to others.

God’s deliverance of Jonah reminds us of how He has delivered us through Christ

Jonah was entombed in the belly of a fish for 3 days. Jesus was entombed in the heart of the earth for 3 days.

Jonah felt grief when He was in the water. Jesus felt grief when He was forsaken by God on the cross.

Jonah experienced God’s wrath because of his sin. Jesus, in contrast, took God’s wrath upon himself for the sins of others and to atone for them

Jonah entered a watery grave, but he didn’t stay there. Jesus was laid in a tomb, but he didn’t stay there.

Jesus was raised from the dead, and appeared to many witnesses, ascended into heaven 40 days later and sat down at the Father’s hand where he now reigns in glory.

Have you been running from God?

Are you on your way to hitting rock bottom? Is your marriage on the rocks? Are your kids destroying their lives? Are you living in unrepentant sin?

There is hope in God. The same God that saved Jonah from death is the same God that offers us spiritual life through the life, death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, trust in Jesus today. If you are a Christian, hold fast to the promises of God. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

References[+]

References
↑1	https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/mercy-at-the-bottom

Tag: Old Testament (Page 2 of 3)

God’s Care in Your Despair – Ruth 2

Turning to God in Your Pain – Ruth 1

An Overview of Ruth

Resources for Studying and Preaching Jonah

The Lord’s Lesson for Jonah – Jonah 4:1-11

God’s Mercy for the Wicked – Jonah 3:1-10

Salvation Belongs to the Lord – Jonah 1:17-2:10 (Part 2)

Recent Posts

Categories