Intro The Power of a Question:

-What’s in the box?

-Are you talking to me?

-Why do we fall, sir

-Are you not entertained?

-What is the matrix?

-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

 

These are but a few great questions found in movies over the last generation. Each one memorable in its own way. If you are familiar with any of the films simply saying the questions probably brought to mind the scene it’s from, the feeling of the moment, maybe even your own memories of watching it for the first time.

A well-timed question has the way of permeating deep into our minds and forcing us to think deeply whether that questions is ask of us or we ask it of our selves such as my favorite lines from the show Les Miserable: “Who Am I”

 in the book it is: What has to be done, Great God What has to be done.

-It is a question asked to provoke the challenging questions whether Val Jean will deny who he was and in so doing condemn another man to suffer his punishment or take hold of his past and in so doing condemn the good name he had built to come to ruin and the town with it.

(as the book highlights will he condemn his happiness or his virtue)

In this the question forces thought:

Today I hope to a question will provoke thought, though not one of my own makings but a question from God himself:

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

 

Context of Series:

Clearly this question then highlights today we are diving into the sin of Anger

there are many places to go with this subject and we will today unpack to the best of my ability within the time a lot the different aspects of Anger as sinful in the Word using the narrative of Jonah as our Lense and with it the gracious reality of God as revealed in the narrative and as the reality of our own salvation.

 

If you have your bible join me in Jonah 4

As you turn there let me give you a quick Jonah refresher:

Overview Jonah:

-Called by God to preach to Nineveh about their impending doom (A People not known for their righteousness)

_He’d rather not, so he takes off in a book to the ends of the world

-Yet God find him judges him for his actions leaving him ultimately thrown into the water and eaten by a large fish

-After three days and not dying he cries out to God for mercy which he is given

Jonah 2:8–9 “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!””

-God calls him again and sends him to Nineveh which this time he goes and preaches the impending doom

-Nineveh respond in Prayer and repentance and God Relents

-Thus, bringing us to chapter 4 and a very upset Jonah-

Here we will see the heart of Sinful Anger

I. The Heart of Anger

But before we unpack this let me give you a definition of anger you may not have heard before:

“Anger is the rising up of the heart in passionate displacency against an apprehended evil, which would cross or hinder us of some desired good. It is given us by God for good, to stir us up to a vigorous resistance of those things, which, within us or without us do oppose his glory or our salvation, or our own or our neighbor’s real good.

-Richard Baxter

This definition highlights for us the heart of Anger that free from sin is pure and good, unfortunately as Mr. Baxter himself will attest this is very often not the reality of what we see in scripture but for rare occasion, usually we see the abuse of this as the self-rise up against the truth.

 

Here we see Jonah angry at God’s mercy and for him God’s Injustice:

Jonah 4:1–3 “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 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. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.””

-The grace of God towards sinners spurs in Jonahs’s heart not thanksgiving but Anger…….

Spurring God to ask a question that should hit us at every turn:

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

Jonah has no reply to this He knows he is wrong he just doesn’t care

Jonah 4:5–8 “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. 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 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.””

-So now God shows mercy to his angry prophet to teach him a lesson, a lesson he again is quick to forget

 

-Jonah 4:9 “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.””

 

Jonah shows us a man who is consumed by his own anger that even the merciful gifts of God are a front to him.

Jonah believes his system and standard of Justice is far superior to God’s, for the most common form of anger arise when we believe injustice is afoot, as even scripture points out this may well be a good gift for anger is not always sinful, but more than likely in our cases due to sin is.

Many of us here are probably thinking that’s not me, Jonah is out of control.

-If I received half the grace Jonah received, I would be beyond gracious but would we. Do we not so often see ourselves as the arbiter of God’s justice and righteousness, deciding who is too far from the kingdom and when we should be clear is not worthy of the gospel, even being so bold as to celebrate their deaths.

But sure, let say you are not in Jonah’s case you would never be angry like that, at the salvation of sinners that crazy, the depths of Anger in scripture go far deeper than the simple narrative of Jonah:

Richard Baxter in his Christian Directory identifies at least 9 different faces of Anger that God condemns throughout Scripture:

Let’s take a moment and unpack these as they help us to see the depth of the Question: “Do you do well to be angry”

 

II. The Many faces of Anger

1. When anger is directed against God or anything good, treating it as if it were evil. (This is Jonah)

This occurs when individuals become angry at those who seek to guide them toward salvation, point out their sins, or obstruct their sinful desires. It reflects a rejection of divine truth and benevolent intervention.

• Jonah 4:1-11: The prophet Jonah exemplifies this when he became furious because God showed mercy to Nineveh, contrary to Jonah's desire for their destruction. His anger stemmed from God's goodness and compassion, which he perceived as an offense to his own expectations.
• Proverbs 12:1:"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." This proverb highlights the sinful anger that arises from resisting truth and correction, demonstrating a foolish rejection of wisdom.

 

2. When anger clouds judgment and prevents clear, rational thinking. (Highlighted in the wisdom Literature)

Sinful anger distorts one's perspective, making it difficult to assess situations accurately or make sound decisions.

• Ecclesiastes 7:9: "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools." This verse links impulsive anger with foolishness, indicating its detrimental effect on sound judgment.
• Proverbs 14:29:"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." A quick temper, fueled by uncontrolled anger, is presented as a barrier to understanding and a pathway to foolish actions.

3. When anger leads to inappropriate behavior, sinful words, or harmful actions against others.

• Ephesians 4:31-32:"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." This passage condemns anger that manifests in destructive behaviors and words, contrasting it with Christian virtues.
• Colossians 3:8: "But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth." This verse instructs believers to discard anger and its associated sinful expressions that harm relationships.
• Proverbs 29:22: "An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." This proverb illustrates how uncontrolled anger leads to conflict and numerous sinful acts.

 

4. When anger is misplaced or lacks a legitimate reason.

• Matthew 5:22: "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Jesus explicitly condemns anger that is unjustified, emphasizing its spiritual gravity.
• Proverbs 3:30: "Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm." This proverb advises against engaging in conflict, which often stems from baseless or mistaken anger.

 

5. When anger makes us unfit to perform our duties to God or to other people.

• James 1:20: "for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." This verse clearly states that human anger, when sinful, obstructs our ability to act in ways that are pleasing to God.

 

6. When anger diminishes love and kindness, prevents good deeds, and fosters malice, revenge, conflict, and social unrest.

• Proverbs 15:18: "A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention." This proverb clearly illustrates how uncontrolled anger leads to conflict and disrupts peace in relationships and society.
• Proverbs 29:22: "An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." This verse reinforces the idea that anger leads to conflict and sinful actions, hindering good and promoting unrest.

 

7. When anger persists for too long, even after its legitimate purpose has been served.

• Ephesians 4:26-27: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." This command directly warns against prolonged anger, acknowledging that while anger itself isn't always sinful, allowing it to fester can lead to sin and spiritual vulnerability.
• Proverbs 29:11: "A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back." This verse suggests that uncontrolled and prolonged expression of anger is characteristic of foolishness, while a wise person exercises restraint.

8. When anger is selfish and motivated by personal gain or desire, rather than righteous indignation.

• James 4:1-2: "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel." This passage directly links conflict and anger to selfish desires and passions, highlighting anger that arises from unfulfilled personal interests.
• Galatians 5:19-21:"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." This list of "works of the flesh" includes "fits of anger," indicating that anger stemming from carnal desires and leading to strife and rivalries is sinful.

9. When anger is driven by jealousy or selfish ambition, leading to disorder and harmful practices.

• James 3:16: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice." This verse directly connects selfish ambition and jealousy, which often manifest as sinful anger, with societal disorder and evil actions.
• Proverbs 13:10: "By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." Insolence, a form of pride, is identified as a direct cause of strife, which is a manifestation of sinful anger.

 

Each the 9 faces of Anger that Baxter unpacks draws us back to a misplace sense of self and places ourselves in God’s position, we feel somehow God is not working as he should, and we then should in each moment of Anger honestly reflect on the question “Do You Do Well to be Angry”

 

For your anger may be different than mine but no less sinful, and this how can we be free from this snare that has entangled our hearts, how do we move from thins state of being into a new state, by the gracious work of Christ who through the out pouring of his grace teaches us the wonder and goodness that it is to bestow on others:

 

III. The Miraculous Gift of Grace

For how our text end does but with God showing Jonah how misplaced his anger is, and his need to see things more clearly

Jonah 4:10–11 “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 many cattle?””

 

God responds to the Anger of Jonah by again focusing on His steadfast love and grace.

-He is the creator; he is the one who freely offers forgiveness and mercy

-He is the one who chooses how his justice is poured out on an unbelieving word

For We were enemies of God and sinners, and he extended grace to us:

Ephesians 2:1–5 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been s-saved—”

-God’s grace was towards us,

-His Grace was towards Jonah (He gave him the fish, he gave him a second chance, he gave him shade, he provided and Jonah took gladly but greedily for the mercy of God was only for him)

So, when anger creeps up on us are we reminded of who we are, are we reminded of God’s grace towards us, are we reminded of the gospel in that moment

“Do you do well to be angry”

If you are a believer here today know that a gospel people should not be known as an angry people, but as a forgiving people, who extended the grace of God to other in proportion to the grace we have received.

-Why do we hold on to anger when our Lord has not held onto our sins

-Why do we allow the fog of our anger cloud our minds from the grace of God towards others

-Why do we allow ourselves to miss the expression of his grace because of our own sinfulness

 

-Do we do well?

 

If you are not a believer today, then I guess the question for you is:

“What keeps you from this gracious God?”

-There are no sins he won’t forgive

-There is no journey that you have taken he cannot redeem

-There is nothing that can separate from the love and gracious forgiveness of God, except yourself

-Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and pow'r.

Repent and believe and receive the gracious compassion of our Lord.

 

 

 

So, what’s keeping you?