March 17, 2024 – Jonah 4

Lesson Date: March 17, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Jonah 4:1-11

AIM: To lead students to discover some causes and effects of Jonah’s anger toward God, and to examine themselves for signs of anger toward God so they can repent and submit to Him.

Before class: Read the notes on Jonah 4 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Write the word “Angry” on the board.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct the students’ attention to the word “Angry” written on the board.  Ask: “How would you define the word angry?”  Allow time for some responses, and then explain that a dictionary definition of angry is, “feeling or showing anger,” and the dictionary defines anger as, “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism.”[i]

Ask: “Have you ever been angry?” (yes, everyone has).  Ask: “Have you ever been angry with another person?” (yes).

Ask: “Think about a time when you were angry with someone; how did your anger affect your relationship with that person?”  Allow time for some responses.  If students do not offer many responses, ask some of the following questions: “Did your anger hurt your fellowship?” “Did you feel distant or disconnected?”  “Did you feel hurt or resentment?”  “Did you withdraw into yourself?”  “Did you feel despair or hopelessness?”  “Did you want to hurt the other person?”

Stress the fact that anger between people strains and breaks relationships, causing hurt feelings and pain, which usually results in even more anger.  Tell the class this is a terrible cycle.

Write the words “With God” after the word “Angry” on the board.  Ask: “Did you know that it is possible to be angry with God?” (they probably do).  Tell the class it is actually very common for people to be angry with God.  Say: “As a matter of fact, many of us in this room may be angry with God right now.”

Tell the students that the title of today’s lesson is Angry With God.  Tell them we will discover some causes and effects of Jonah’s anger toward God, and examine ourselves for signs of anger toward God.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Tell the students this is our last lesson from the Old Testament book of Jonah.
   • Ask: “What happened in chapter 1?” (God told Jonah to preach to the evil people of Nineveh; but instead, Jonah tried to run from God, ending up in the belly of a fish).
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Turning To God; we discovered the steps Jonah and the people of Nineveh took to turn to God).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Jonah 2:9).
   • Ask: “What happened in chapter 3 of Jonah?” (Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, who turned from their sins and begged God for mercy).
2. Angry About God’s Mercy.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Jonah 3:10 and Jonah 4:1.
   • Ask: “How did Jonah react to God’s mercy toward the people of Nineveh?” (he was very unhappy and very angry).
   • Read Jonah 4:2-3.
   • Tell the class verse 2 reveals the reason Jonah initially refused to preach in Nineveh and tried to run from God.
   • Ask: “According to the last half of verse 2, what did Jonah know about God?” (He is merciful, kind, and often withholds judgment when people repent).
   • Stress the fact that Jonah didn’t want to preach to the wicked people of Nineveh because he didn’t want them to repent of their sins and be spared God’s judgment: he hated them and wanted them to die!
   • Ask: “What does verse 3 reveal about Jonah’s state of mind?” (he was very depressed, despondent, and wanted to die).
   • Ask the students to notice how many times Jonah referred to himself as you re-read verses 2 and 3 (he said “I” or “my” a total ten times).
   • Tell them that Jonah was very self-centered, desiring his will more than God’s.
   • Tell the students that Warren Wiersbe has said, “When we are angry with God, everything in life gets out of perspective, and we say and do selfish things.”[ii]
   • Ask a volunteer to read Jonah 4:4-5.
   • Ask: “What did the Lord ask Jonah?” (is it right for you to be angry about my mercy to the people of Nineveh?).
   • Ask: “Did Jonah answer God’s question?” (no).
   • Ask: “What did Jonah do?” (he went outside Nineveh, made himself a shelter, and sat down to see what would happen to the city).
   • Stress the fact that Jonah was still hoping God would destroy the city, and he wanted to be there to see it happen.
   • Summarize: Jonah was very angry about the Lord’s mercy toward the people of Nineveh. He sank into deep depression, still hoping Nineveh would be destroyed.
3. The Lord Blessed Jonah in Spite of His Anger.
   • Tell the class that Jonah was a disobedient prophet who was angry with God and would rather see sinners die than repent and turn to God.
   • Read Jonah 4:6.
   • Ask: “What did the Lord do for Jonah?” (caused a gourd plant to grow up and give Jonah shade).
   • Ask: “Why did God do this for Jonah?” (“to deliver him from his grief”).
   • Tell the class that even though Jonah was wrong, God was still gracious to him.
   • Ask: “How did Jonah feel about the blessing of the gourd?” (he was extremely happy).
   • Ask: “Did Jonah thank the Lord for the gourd?” (no).
   • Summarize: In spite of Jonah’s hatred toward the people of Nineveh and anger toward Him, the Lord blessed Jonah.
4. Angry About Life’s Circumstances.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Jonah 4:7.
   • Ask: “What did God do the next day?” (caused a worm to eat the gourd and destroy it).
   • Read Jonah 4:8.
   • Ask: “What did God do next?” (He caused a harsh and hot east wind to blow and the sun to beat down on Jonah’s head).
   • Ask: “How did Jonah feel about that?” (he became despondent again and wanted to die).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Jonah 4:9.
   • Ask: “What did the Lord ask Jonah?” (is it right for you to be angry because the gourd plant died?).
   • Tell the class that in the Bible God often asked his people questions to help them see that they were wrong.
   • Ask: “How did Jonah answer the Lord?” (he felt completely justified to be angry, saying he was angry enough to die).
   • Ask: “Did Jonah control the weather, or did God?” (God).
   • Stress the fact that when we are angry about circumstances outside of our control, we are actually angry with God.
   • Tell the students that Warren Wiersbe has said, “It is essential in Christian service to be happy with the will of God.”[iii]
   • Summarize: Jonah was resentful and angry about his life’s circumstances, sinking even farther into despair and wishing he was dead.
5. The Lord Taught Jonah an Important Lesson.
   • Read Jonah 4:10-11.
   • Ask: “What did the Lord tell Jonah in verse 10?” (you have felt sorrow and despair over the death of the gourd, which you didn’t plant or make grow, and which was so temporary that it grew up in a night and died in a night).
   • Ask: “What did the Lord ask Jonah in verse 11?” (shouldn’t I have compassion on and spare Nineveh, which is home to many thousands of people who don’t even know the difference between right and wrong?).
   • Explain the following:
     • God taught Jonah that people are far more valuable than things or our comfort.
     • He also taught Jonah that it is better to be merciful to people than to seek to hurt them.
     • We don’t know how Jonah responded or if he learned these lessons, but God put them in the Bible so we could learn them.
   • Summarize: The Lord told Jonah that people are far more important than things and mercy is better than judgment.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Direct the students’ attention once again to the words written on the board, reminding them that the title of today’s lesson is Angry With God.

Ask: “Why was Jonah angry with God?” (because God was merciful toward the people of Nineveh whom he hated, and because the gourd plant died, exposing him to harsh wind and heat).  Tell them Jonah was angry about the way God treated other people and life’s circumstances which were out of his control.

Ask: “Do we ever get angry with God?” (yes, and it is very possible many in this classroom are angry with God about something right now).

Tell the class a few reasons we might be angry with God include:

• We didn’t receive a blessing we thought we deserved.
• Other people appear to be blessed more than we are.
• Circumstances in life haven’t turned out the way we thought they should.
• We have been deeply hurt by someone and think we deserve better treatment.

Ask: “How can we recognize anger toward God?”  After some responses, tell the students some signs of being angry with God include:

• Anger and hostility toward other people.
• Discontentment with who you are, what you have, and how people treat you.
• Being unhappy with the way God made you.
• Complaining often and never being satisfied.
• Feelings of discouragement and depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
• Envying others.
• Resenting the blessings others experience.
• Regret and feelings of despair.

Tell the students when we realize we are angry with God, we must confess our sin and humble ourselves to Him and His will.  Tell them we don’t control life’s circumstances; we only control our response to those circumstances.  Stress the fact that God is in control, and our duty is to surrender to Him.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Tell them if they realize they are angry with God, they should confess their sin, humble themselves before Him, and accept the circumstances He has given them.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Suggest that students memorize 1 Peter 5:6-7 this week, and repeat it when they are tempted to be angry with God (those memory verses are not included in the quarterly).  Tell them to watch out for signs of being angry with God.

[i] Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anger#h1

[ii] Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Commentary, Warren W. Wiersbe, Copyright © 1991 by Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 592

[iii] Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Commentary