郁闷的先知
Kia ora e te whānau.
弟兄姐妹，平安！
Are you surprised that we’re still in the Book of Jonah?
我们还在约拿书讲道系列中，你感到惊讶吗？
I wouldn’t you blame you if you assumed that the story of Jonah had finished.
After all, we finished chapter three with these words:
如果你认为约拿的故事已经结束，我不会责怪你。
毕竟，第三章是这样结束的：
When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened./ Jonah 3:10 (NLT).
神看见他们所作的，就是悔改离开恶行， 神就转意，不把所说的灾祸降在他们身上了。（拿三 10）
God gave Jonah a second chance.
God gave the Ninevites a second chance.
God relented. The Ninevites are spared.
Surely – story over.
上帝给了约拿第二次机会。
上帝给了尼尼微人第二次机会。
上帝宽恕，尼尼微人得以幸免。
故事应该就这样结束。
And this is often where some people stop in their retelling of the Jonah story.
一些人在讲约拿故事时往往到这里就结束了。
But, the story is far from over. After all, this book is more about the wayward prophet than the pagan people.
但是，这个故事远远没有结束。毕竟，这本书更多的是关于那个不听话的先知，而不是异教徒。
That is why chapter 4 of Jonah is so incredibly important. Chapter 4 is where the story and the book reach their crescendo.
这就是为什么约拿书第四章是如此令人难以置信的重要，第四章是约拿故事以及整本约拿书达到高潮的地方。
You see, the main person in the story who needs to be changed by God’s grace is Jonah himself.
And Jonah has a glaring double standard.
Something needs to change in Jonah. As we will see, something also needs to change in us.
你看，故事中需要被上帝恩典所改变的主角是约拿自己。
而约拿有一个明显的双重标准。
约拿身上有一些东西需要改变。正如我们将看到的，我们身上也需要有所改变。
So chapter 3 finished
第三章就结束了。
How would you expect a prophet of God to respond to the revival that takes place in chapter 3?
你会期望上帝的先知对第三章发生的复兴作出怎样的反应？
Ecstatic joy? A celebration party?
欣喜若狂？一场庆祝？
Let’s read about Jonah’s response:
让我们读一读约拿的反应：
“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.”/ Jonah 4:1
约拿对这事非常不高兴，并且发起怒来。（拿四 1）
Wait! What?
等等！发生了什么？
Jonah had a front-row seat to one of the greatest moves of God in human history. He has experienced the greatest response ever received by a preacher in human history!
约拿坐在人类历史上、上帝最伟大的行动之一的前排座位上。他经历了人类历史上传道人所得到的最伟大的回应！
He goes into the adult equivalent of a temper tantrum.
他却进入发脾气的状态。
Imagine an artist getting angry when a prominent museum accepts their art for an installation? You’d be like ‘wait! What?’
想象一下，当一个著名的博物馆将艺术家的艺术作品进行安装时，艺术家会不会很生气？你会说“等等! 发生了什么？”
There are some clever wordplays here in this opening verse in the original Hebrew text that show the depth of Jonah’s anger.
在希伯来语原文的经文中，有一些巧妙的文字游戏，显示了约拿愤怒的程度。
One of the key words we've seen throughout the Book is the word ‘great.’ We’ve already seen the way …
God sent Jonah to the great city of Ninevah
When he ran, God sent a great wind,
and it produces a great storm.
And the pagan sailors are converted through a great fear.
Then God appoints a great fish for Jonah.
我们在整本书中看到一个关键词”大“（英文 great），我们看到......
上帝派遣约拿到”大“城尼尼微去；
当约拿逃跑时，上帝派了”大“风来，并产生了”大“风暴；
异教的水手们藉由”大“的恐惧转变了信仰；
上帝为约拿指定了一条”大“鱼。
This key word gadol – translated “great” is used once more to describe Jonah’s great displeasure.Though that word is missing here in the English translation, that same word ‘great’ is used to describe the magnitude of the emotion that Jonah felt in response to Yahweh’s gracious forgiveness of the Ninevites.
这里关键词希伯来文”gadol“，中文译作”大“，再次被用来描述约拿的巨大不快。虽然在英文译本中没有这个词，但这个 "大 "字也被用来描述约拿对上帝对尼尼微人的恩典宽恕所产生的巨大情绪。
His great displeasure was as enormous as a gigantic city, an awe-inspiring storm, and a colossal fish. Something is wrong here.
约拿的”大“不高兴就像一座巨大的城市、一场令人敬畏的风暴和一条巨大的鱼一样巨大。这里有些不对。
Speaking of ‘wrong’ - notice too the word translated here as “wrong.”
“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.”/ Jonah 4:1
注意翻译做”不对“这词（英文 wrong），中文译作”不高兴“。
约拿对这事非常不高兴，并且发起怒来。（拿四 1）
It's translated from the Hebrew word raˁah, which is the same word that was used back in chapter 3 in a couple of verses talking about the evil ways of the Ninevites: (circle words ‘evil ways’ even though verses may not be read)
这是从希伯来语 raˁah 翻译过来的，这个词与第三章中谈到尼尼微人的恶行时使用的是同一个词。
“Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.”/ Jonah 3:8
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented.”/ Jonah 3:10
不论人畜，都要披上麻衣；各人要恳切呼求 神，悔改，离开恶行，摒弃手中的强暴。（拿三8）
神看见他们所作的，就是悔改离开恶行， 神就转意，不把所说的灾祸降在他们身上了。（拿三 10）
So, do you catch what’s happening here?
那么，你明白这里发生了什么吗？
Jonah looks at the this great grace of God and he calls it a ‘great evil.’ Jonah is describing the gracious action of God as an evil act! In his view, Yahweh giving grace to the Ninevites is very, very wrong.
约拿看着上帝的这个极大恩典，他把它称为'大恶'。约拿把上帝的恩典行动描述成一种邪恶的行为! 在他看来，耶和华给尼尼微人的恩典是非常、非常错误的。
Each week, we’ve been allowing Jonah’s story to be a mirror into our own lives. Today, we'll see another three areas where this happens.
每个星期，我们都在让约拿的故事成为我们自己生活的一面镜子。今天，我们将看到另外三个方面。
The first is this:
第一个是：
I am Jonah when I get angry at God for not doing what I want
当我对上帝不按我的意愿行事而生气时，我就是约拿。
It is very easy for us to read the stories of the Bible, especially when God’s people fail so dramatically, and shake our heads at their actions.
我们很容易读到圣经中的故事，特别是当上帝的子民遭遇巨大失败时，我们会对他们的行为摇头。
I’ve found myself doing it with Jonah in this part of the story.
我发现自己在故事的这一部分中对约拿也是如此。
But before we self-righteously condemn Jonah for his sulking and anger, I think we would be wise to pause and consider the times in our lives when we have got angry at God.
但在我们自以为是地谴责约拿的生闷气和愤怒之前，我想我们最好暂停一下，想想在我们的生活中，有哪些时候我们会对上帝生气。
● We get angry when God doesn’t give us that job or promotion we so desperately want.
● 当上帝没有给我们提供我们迫切想要的工作或晋升时，我们会对上帝生气。
● We get angry when God doesn’t miraculously keep that romantic relationship together.
● 当上帝没有奇迹般地维持那段浪漫关系时，我们会生气。
● We get angry when God takes that loved family member home to be with Him.
● 当上帝把我们所爱的家人接回天家、与祂同在时，我们会生气。
● We get angry when God lets that diagnosis happen and doesn’t heal instantly.
● 当上帝让那个疾病发生而没有施行医治时，我们会生气。
● We get angry when God lets the business fail and go into bankruptcy.
● 当上帝让生意失败并进入破产时，我们会生气。
● We get angry when God doesn’t bring our teenager back home when we expect.
● 当上帝没有在我们期望的时候把我们的青少年带回家时，我们会生气。
● We get angry when God allows our spouse to walk out of our home and our marriage.
● 当上帝允许我们的配偶走出我们的家和我们的婚姻时，我们会生气。
● We get angry when that person who hurt us seems to prosper and be blessed.
● 当那个伤害我们的人似乎兴旺发达并得到祝福时，我们会生气。
We all get angry with God at different moments in our lives.
在我们生活的不同时刻，我们都会对上帝生气。
It’s those times when we are confused by God’s actions … or inactions?
就是那些我们对上帝的行为、或不作为，感到困惑的时候？
Wondering about the wisdom of His plan?
想知道祂的计划是否明智？
Or if He even had a plan?
或者祂是否有一个计划？
We are a lot more like Jonah than we would care to admit.
我们比我们愿意承认的更像约拿。
We may not pout and sulk and mope as much as Jonah did. But sometimes we get angry too.
我们可能不会像约拿那样撅嘴、生闷气、闷闷不乐。但有时我们也会生气。
The answer to those times, by the way, is to learn the biblical practice of lament. In his superb book, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, Mark Vroegop defines
回应这些时刻，我们要学习圣经中关于”悲痛“的那些经文。马克.弗罗伊戈铺的畅销书《愁云惨雾与深沉的慈爱》这样定义：
lament = “a prayer in pain that leads to trust.” Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, Mark Vroegop
悲痛 = “痛苦中的祈祷，最终信靠上帝”。
He adds, “Without lament we won’t know how to process pain… Without lament we won’t know how to help people walking through sorrow. Instead, we’ll offer trite solutions, unhelpful comments, or impatient responses.”/ Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop
他补充说：“没有悲痛，我们就不知道如何处理痛苦...... 没有悲痛，我们就不知道如何帮助正在经历悲伤的人。没有悲痛，我们会提供陈旧的解决方案、无益的评论或不耐烦的回应。”
There have been times in my own life when praying the laments of the Psalms has helped me honestly bring my pain and confusion to God.
在我自己的生活中，有好几次祷告诗篇中的哀歌，帮助我诚实地把我的痛苦和困惑带到上帝面前。
However, in the lament psalms, complaint is only one step in the process of moving from pain to praise. The problem is when we don’t continue through the rest of the process. We stop at complaint and become bitter and angry with God.
然而，在哀歌诗篇中，抱怨只是从痛苦到赞美过程中的一个步骤。问题是当我们没有继续完成这个过程的其余部分，我们就会停在抱怨上，变得痛苦并对上帝生气。
That was Jonah’s problem. I too am like Jonah when I get angry at God for not doing what I want.
这就是约拿的问题。当我对上帝不按我的意愿行事而生气时，我就是约拿。
What does Jonah do next?
He prays. That’s always a good thing. At least Jonah is engaging God in conversation about how he’s feeling.
约拿接下来做了什么？
他祈祷了，这总是一件对的事情。至少约拿在与上帝对话，谈论他的感受。
But as we read the content of his prayer – we’re in for another shock.
但当我们读到他的祷告内容时，我们又受到了冲击。
He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish./ Jonah 4:2 (NIV)
就向耶和华祷告，说：“耶和华啊！我还在本国的时候，不是这样说过吗？我知道你是有恩典有怜悯的 神，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱，转意不降灾祸，所以我才急忙逃往他施去。（拿四 2）
Wait! What?
等等！发生了什么？
Suddenly, at the end of the book, we are finally told why Jonah ran away from the mission in the first place.
突然间，在本书的结尾，我们终于知道为什么约拿一开始选择逃跑，逃离使命。
So far in the story, we have never been given a reason for why Jonah tried to flee from Yahweh.
到目前为止，在这个故事中，我们从未得到过约拿试图逃离上帝的理由。
He just ran.
他只是跑了。
The natural assumption is to assume that Jonah ran because he was afraid. After all, the Ninevites were brutal.
Who would want to be skinned alive?
What sane person would be keen on having their tongue pulled out or their nose cut off?
Didn’t Jonah run because he was afraid?
自然的假设是，约拿逃跑是因为他害怕。毕竟，尼尼微人是很残忍的。
谁会想被活剥呢？
哪个正常人会热衷于拔掉自己的舌头或割掉自己的鼻子？
约拿不是因为害怕而逃跑吗？
But the Bible never actually says that Jonah was afraid.
但圣经从来没有说过约拿害怕。
Here at the end of the story, we find out that Jonah ran because he was scared that Yahweh would be forgiving!
在这里，在故事的结尾，我们发现约拿跑了，因为他害怕上帝会宽恕!
He ran because he didn’t want God to forgive the Ninevites if they repented.
他逃跑是因为他不希望上帝在尼尼微人悔改时原谅他们。
That is what he admits here in verse 2. “That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish.”
这就是他在第 2 节中所承认的：所以我才急忙逃往他施去。
Jonah had tried his very best to stop the people of Nineveh even hearing about God’s anger at their great sin just in case it caused them to repent. And yet that was exactly what had happened!
约拿竭力阻止尼尼微人听到上帝对他们的大罪的愤怒，以防引起他们的悔改。然而，这正是所发生的事情。
Once again, we find the mirror placed in front of us:
我们再一次发现镜子摆在我们面前。
2. I am Jonah when I try to sit in judgment of God.
2. 当我试图坐在上帝的审判席上时，我就是约拿。
It’s not just that Jonah is angry. Jonah had arrived at the point where he had decided that he knew better than Yahweh.
这不仅仅是表达约拿的愤怒。约拿已经到了他认定自己比上帝更了解的地步。
In his wisdom, Jonah was convinced that the Almighty had made a mistake.
以他的智慧，约拿确信全能者犯了一个错误。
An error of judgment. A miscalculation. And Jonah assumed that Yahweh needed Jonah to help Him get it right.
一个判断的错误。一个错误的计算。约拿认为上帝需要约拿来帮助祂纠正错误。
That’s why Jonah had fled to Tarshish in the first place – to ensure that Yahweh didn’t make the mistake of being compassionate to the Ninevites who skinned their victims alive.
这就是为什么约拿一开始就逃到了他施，以确保上帝不会犯错，对凶残的尼尼微人表示怜悯。
Jonah was trying to work out how God can be merciful and forgiving to people who have done such violence and evil? In his opinion, Yahweh had got it wrong.
约拿试图弄清楚，上帝怎么能对做出如此暴力和邪恶的人仁慈和宽恕？在他看来，上帝搞错了。
Ultimately, the answer is the work of Jesus where God can be both just and the justifier of those who believe. Jesus deals with the justice issue by himself dying. He extends God’s love to all of us regardless of what we have done.
归根结底，是因为耶稣的工作，上帝既可以是公义的，也可以称是那些相信的人为义。耶稣藉着自己的死亡处理了公义问题。祂把上帝的爱延伸到我们所有人身上，无论我们做了什么。
Jonah doesn’t see the big picture and can’t understand how God can bring exude both justice and grace. But just because he couldn’t understand, didn’t mean it couldn’t be.
约拿没有看到大局，不能理解上帝如何既能带来正义又能带来恩典。他不能理解，并不意味着这不可能发生。
Because Jonah didn’t understand the big plan, he sat in judgement of God.
因为约拿不明白这个大计划，所以他坐在上帝的审判席上。
But isn’t this what we do when we don’t get that job, or a relationship or marriage fails, or we get a poor health diagnosis. Often times we end up doing exactly what Jonah did – we sit in judgment of God.
当我们没有得到那份工作，或者一段关系或婚姻失败，或者我们得到一个糟糕的健康诊断时，我们不就是这样做的吗。很多时候，我们最终做的正是约拿所做的，我们坐在上帝的审判席中。
It’s understandable that we feel disappointment and brokenness when dreams have come crashing down and our hopes have failed to eventuate.
当梦想轰然倒塌，我们的希望未能实现时，我们感到失望和破碎是可以理解的。
That’s normal and totally understandable. We’ve all been there.
这很正常，完全可以理解。我们都经历过这种情况。
But there is a point where we can end up sitting in judgment of God, just like Jonah did.
我们可能最终坐在上帝的审判席中，就像约拿那样。
We think we know what’s best for our lives.
我们认为我们知道什么对我们的生活是最好的。
The reality is that we do not see the master plan that God is enacting, and we do not know everything. As Timothy Keller says,
现实情况是，我们没有看到上帝正在制定的总体计划，我们也不知道一切。正如提摩太.凯勒所说：
“One of the reasons that we trust God too little is because we trust our own wisdom too much.
We think we know far better than God how our lives should go and what will make us happy…
Therefore, because of our deep mistrust of God’s goodness and Word, we do everything we
can to get out from under his hand.”/ Timothy Keller
我们不太信任上帝的原因之一是我们太信任自己的智慧。我们认为我们比上帝更清楚我们的生
活应该如何发展，什么会使我们快乐...... 因此，由于我们对上帝的仁慈和话语的深深不信任，
我们尽一切可能从祂的手下逃脱。
I too am like Jonah when I try to sit in judgement of God.
当我试图坐在上帝的审判席上时，我就是约拿。
Back to our story…
回到我们的故事......
Jonah continues to pray:
I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity./ Jonah 4:2
约拿祷告：
我知道你是有恩典有怜悯的 神，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱，转意不降灾祸。（拿四2）
Now where did Jonah get this understanding of God that seems to upset him so much?
约拿从哪里得到这种对上帝的理解，而这种理解似乎让他如此不安？
1. The first place we see this description is in the Bible - in Exodus 34.
1. 我们第一次看到这种描述是在圣经出埃及记 34 章。
The context there is the golden calf, Israel’s great sin at the time of the Exodus. Moses was up on Mt. Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments. Israel was at the bottom of the mountain breaking the second one about idolatry. Aaron made an idol in the shape of a calf. And the people – sadly - worshiped it.
那里的背景是金牛犊，以色列在出埃及时的大罪。摩西在西奈山上接受十条诫命。以色列人在山下违反了关于偶像崇拜的第二条。亚伦制作了一个牛犊形状的偶像。而人们，可悲的是，崇拜它。
In that story, God tells Moses, “leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.” He said He was going to wipe them off the face of the earth and start all over again. But Moses prayed for Israel. He said, “turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people” / Exodus 32:12.
在那个故事中，上帝告诉摩西，"不要管我，让我的怒火烧到他们身上，让我消灭他们"。他说他要把他们从地球上抹去，重新开始一切。但摩西为以色列民祷告，他说：“求你回心转意，不发烈怒；求你改变初衷，不降祸给你的人民。”（出三十二 12）
Does that sound familiar? It’s almost the same phrase the king of Nineveh uses to call his people to repent:
这听起来熟悉吗？这几乎是尼尼微王用来呼唤他的百姓悔改的同样的话语：
Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”/ Jonah 3:9
“或者 神回心转意，不发列怒，使我们不致灭亡。”（拿三 9）
Of course, here in Exodus, God shows grace – not to Nineveh – but to his own people Israel.
当然，在出埃及记中，神向祂的子民以色列彰显恩典。
Then in Exodus 34 God passes in front of Moses to let Moses see a glimpse of who He is at His very core.
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD. . .”/ Exodus 34:6
然后在出埃及记第 34 章中，上帝从摩西面前经过，让摩西知道祂的属性。
耶和华在摩西面前经过，并且宣告说：“耶和华，耶和华......”（出三十四 6）
When God’s name is mentioned twice like this, it’s code for ‘this core of who I am.’
What is at the core of His being?
当上帝的名字像这样被提到两次时，它是 "我是谁 "的表达。
祂存在的属性核心是什么？
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and truth . . .”/ Exodus 34:6
“耶和华，耶和华，是有怜悯有恩典的 神，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱和诚实。”（出三十四 6）
These are the word Jonah quotes in his prayer. He knows God had been compassionate and gracious and slow to anger and full of love and faithfulness to Israel from the very first day of her national history.
这些是约拿在他的祷告中引用的话语。他知道上帝从以色列国家历史的第一天起就对他充满了怜悯和恩典，不轻易发怒，充满了丰盛的慈爱和诚实。
He likes that.
他喜欢这些。
What he doesn't like is God extending this grace beyond the Israelites to the Ninevites as well.
他不喜欢的是上帝把这种恩典从以色列人身上延伸到尼尼微人身上。
Of course, there was another way Jonah had come to know the core of God’s character. It wasn’t just from Scripture. It was also because God had been gracious to him personally.
当然，约拿也通过另一种方式来了解上帝的核心属性的。这不仅仅是来自圣经，这也是因为上帝对他个人有恩典。
When Jonah went over the side of the ship, he was going to drown. But God sent him a saviour in the form of this great fish. Jonah knew first-hand that God was compassionate and gracious and slow to anger and full of love. If He wasn’t all of those things, Jonah would have been dead, and deservedly so! Remember, God gave Jonah a second chance!
当约拿翻船时，他本来要被淹死。但上帝给他送来了一位救世主，就是这条大鱼。约拿亲身体会到，上帝是有怜悯、有恩惠、不容易发怒、充满慈爱的。如果祂不是这样的上帝，约拿就会死，而且是死有余辜。请记住，上帝给了约拿第二次机会！我们知道约拿非常感激上帝的恩典。
We know that Jonah was incredibly grateful for that grace. Remember, back in chapter 2 – we saw him celebrate the fact that Yahweh is a gracious and compassionate God. He even ended his psalm with the emphatic declaration, “Salvation comes from Yahweh!” /Jonah 2:9.
我们知道，约拿对这种恩典非常感激。记得吗，早在第二章，我们看到他庆贺上帝是一位有恩典和怜悯的上帝。他甚至在结尾强调说：“救恩是属于耶和华的。”（拿二 9）
Now, in chapter 4, Jonah threw Yahweh’s own words from Exodus 34 back in the divine face.
现在，在第四章中，约拿把出自出埃及记第 34 章中上帝自己的话，又抛给上帝。
It’s interesting that when Jonah quotes this verse from Exodus, he leaves off a couple of words. We probably miss them because we don’t know them as well as the ancient Israelites. But, ancient people of God knew these words like we know the words to the song, Happy Birthday. After all, Exodus 34 is likely the most quoted passage throughout the Bible.
有趣的是，当约拿引用出埃及记的这节经文时，他漏掉了几个词。我们可能错过了它们，因为我们没有像古代以色列人那样了解它们。但是，古代上帝的子民知道这些话，就像我们知道《生日快乐》这首歌的歌词。毕竟，出埃及记第 34 章可能是整本圣经中被引用最多的段落。
So, when Jonah leaves something out, it would be screamingly obvious to any Israelite hearing this story. This would be like if you were at a wedding ceremony and hearing the bride say to their husband these words, "I take you to be my husband, for better or worse in sickness and in health for richer [PAUSE] Till death do us part."
因此，当约拿遗漏了一些东西时，对于任何听到这个故事的以色列人来说，这将是非常明显的。这就像你在婚礼上听到新娘对他们的丈夫说："我愿意嫁给你，无论健康与否，无论富有[停顿] ，直到死亡将我们分开"。
Any word get left out there? Richer …[‘poorer’]. If you were in the audience, you would be saying ‘what happened to ‘for poorer.’ ? The deletion is making a point.
有什么词被遗漏了吗？富有......['贫穷']。如果你是观众，你会说“贫穷”怎么没了? 删掉的内容是在说明一个问题。
This is exactly what Jonah is doing here.
这正是约拿在这里所做的。
See if you can spot the difference in the text Jonah is quoting from and what Jonah says:
看看你是否能发现约拿所引用的文字和约拿所说的不同。
In EXODUS it is “…the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and truth . . .”
In JONAH: I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love…
出埃及记：“耶和华，是有怜悯有恩典的 神，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱和诚实。”
约拿书：“我知道你是有恩典有怜悯的 神，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱。”
Jonah leaves out the word “truth.” Jonah is taking a swipe at the character of God.
约拿省略了 "诚实 "这个词。约拿是在对上帝的属性进行抨击。
“Sure – you’re all about grace God. Abounding in grace! But, what about truth, God? You said You were going to blast the Ninevites, and I took you at Your Word. I told them, 'Forty days, Nineveh and it's Sodom and Gomorrah time. It's hellfire and brimstone.' Now it's not going to happen, God, and I'm going to look like a fool. What’s worse is I'm going to go back to Israel, Your people, and it's going to look to Your people like I like the Ninevites. I don't like the Ninevites, God. I don't understand why you don’t like them.”
“当然，你是恩典的上帝。充满了恩典！但是，上帝，真理呢？你说你要毁灭尼尼微人，而我相信你的话。我告诉他们：‘四十天，尼尼微，现在是所多玛和蛾摩拉的时间。这是地狱之火和硫磺。’现在它不会发生了，上帝，我看起来像个傻瓜。更糟糕的是，我将回到以色列，你的子民那里，在你的子民看来，我像是喜欢尼尼微人。我不喜欢尼尼微人，上帝。我不明白你为什么不喜欢他们。”
Jonah is full of disgust at the core of God’s being.
约拿对上帝的属性充满了反感。
It’s not that Jonah hates God’s grace. He delights in it – for Him and His People.
It’s not that Jonah wants God to ALWAYS bring justice. He didn’t want justice for himself. He wanted grace!
Jonah has a glaring double standard.
这并不是说约拿憎恨上帝的恩典。他以它为乐，为祂和祂的人民。
这并不是说约拿希望上帝总是带来正义。他并不希望自己得到公义。他要的是恩典!
约拿有一个明显的双重标准。
He wants grace directed to himself and truth/justice directed to his enemies!
他希望恩典指向自己，而真理/公义指向他的敌人！这是他的双重标准。
In other words, Jonah believed that he was worthy of grace, but the Ninevites were not.
换句话说，约拿认为他配得上恩典，但尼尼微人却不配。
Isn’t this so much like you and me?
这不是很像你和我吗？
3. I am Jonah when I think I’m better than I really am.
3. 当我认为自己比实际情况好的时候，我就是约拿。
We want to appear better than we really are.
我们想让自己看起来比实际情况更好。
We wish to be looked up to by others.
我们希望被他人仰视。
We long to be admired.
我们渴望被钦佩。
We think we are deserving of grace and others are not.
我们认为我们应该得到恩典，而其他人则不然。
And, it’s super easy for any of us to find measurements that make us look good and others look bad.
而且，我们任何人都很容易找到使我们看起来很好而其他人看起来很坏的衡量标准。
In many ways, that’s what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did. They thought they were better they really were.
在许多方面，这正是耶稣时代的宗教领袖们所做的。他们认为自己比实际情况要好。
Listen to the stinging words Jesus said to them:
“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.”/ Matthew 12:41
听听耶稣对他们说的那些刺耳的话。
“审判的时候，尼尼微人要和这个世代一同起来，定这个世代的罪，因为他们听了约拿所传的就悔改了。你看，这里有一位是比约拿更大的。”（太十二 41）
The religious people he is speaking to thought they had it all together. They knew the Scriptures.
They could wag their finger at what was bad about society. They loved God’s grace to them – but wanted God to smite the Romans… and the lepers and the tax collectors.
他所讲的宗教人士认为他们拥有一切。他们知道圣经。他们可以对社会上的不良现象伸出指头评判。他们喜欢上帝对他们的恩典，但希望上帝惩罚罗马人、以及麻风病人和税吏。
Jesus took exception. He calls on THEM to repent. He reminds them that the people of Nineveh -as evil as they were at least acknowledged their own evil and wrong doing. But these religious leaders thought they were better than what they really were.
耶稣出其不意。祂呼吁他们忏悔。祂提醒他们，尼尼微的人，尽管他们很邪恶，但至少承认自己的邪恶和错误行为。但这些宗教领袖认为他们比自己的真实情况要好。
The reality is that none of us deserve grace and all of us are in need of grace.
现实是，我们没有一个人配得上恩典，我们所有人都需要恩典。
As a church that has ‘grace’ at part of our very name, this is vital for us to grasp that God extends his grace to everyone. God at his very core is gracious. He wants grace to be at the very core of how we treat each other and others in society.
作为一个以“恩典”为名的教会，我们必须明白，上帝将祂的恩典延伸到每个人身上。上帝的核心属性是恩典。祂希望恩典成为我们对待彼此和社会上其他人的核心。
I too am Jonah when I think I’m better than I really am.
当我认为自己比实际情况好时，我就是约拿。
As Jonah came to the end of his temper tantrum, he had one final thing to say to complete his meltdown.
当约拿的脾气走到尽头时，他还有最后一句话要讲来完成他的崩溃。
“Now, Yahweh, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live” / Jonah 4:3.
“耶和华啊！现在求你取去我的性命吧，因为我死了比活着还好。”（拿四 3）
He was so angry and disappointed with God that he just wanted to die.
他对上帝愤怒和失望，他只想死。
How would Yahweh respond to this latest episode from His sulking prophet?
上帝会如何回应这位郁闷的先知？
Would Yahweh flare with anger at this insolence? Would He strike out at Jonah for denigrating His character and plans? Would he give up on this rebellious, sinful preacher?
耶和华会对这种无礼的行为大发雷霆吗？他是否会因为约拿诋毁他的属性和计划而对他大打出手？他会放弃这个叛逆的、有罪的传教士吗？
The answer to that question is ‘No.’
答案是：“不会”。
Yahweh is the God of compassionate, wonderful grace.
上帝是有怜悯、有恩典的上帝。
● He is the God who is gracious with gentile sailors who pray to other gods.
● He is the God who is gracious to ancient Nazis who mutilate their victims and celebrate it.
● And He is the God who is gracious to His people who get angry with Him and question His plans and misuse His Scriptures.
- 祂是对向其他神祈祷的外邦水手有恩典的上帝。
- 祂是对古代纳粹分子施以恩惠的上帝，这些纳粹分子残害受害者并为之庆祝。
- 祂也是对那些对祂生气、质疑祂的计划、滥用祂的经文的人施以恩惠的上帝。
And so in the silence that followed Jonah’s temper tantrum, Yahweh asks a simple question:
因此，在约拿发脾气后的沉默中，上帝问了一个简单的问题：
“But Yahweh replied, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’” / Jonah 4:4
耶和华回答说：“你这样发怒对不对呢？”（拿四 4）
In asking this question, Yahweh is showing Himself to be exactly who the Hebrew Scriptures claimed Him to be – the “gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love.”
通过问这个问题，上帝表明自己正是希伯来圣经中所宣称的那样，“有恩慈、有怜悯的上帝，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱。”
And Yahweh’s question is a beautifully tender response that was designed to help Jonah think about what he was doing and saying.
而上帝的问题是一个漂亮的温柔的回应，旨在帮助约拿思考他所做的和所说的。
How does Jonah respond to this question?
约拿是如何回应这个问题的呢？
He refuses to answer. He walks away to a position overlooking the city of Nineveh. He gives God the silent treatment! It is almost though Jonah is running away again – if not in distance, certainly in attitude.
他拒绝回答。他走到一个俯瞰尼尼微城的位置。他对上帝采取了沉默的态度。几乎可以说约拿又在逃跑了，如果不是在距离上，肯定是在态度上。
As this scene closes, Jonah looks like a pouting toddler stomping his feet and throwing a tantrum in the supermarket aisle. And Yahweh looks like a patient and loving father, graciously and patiently dealing with His rebellious child.
当这一幕结束时，约拿看起来就像一个撅着屁股在超市过道里跺脚发脾气的小孩。而耶和华看起来就像一位有耐心的慈父，亲切而耐心地对待他叛逆的孩子。
The big idea I want us to grasp today is that
Grace is never given to those who deserve it, but to the undeserving
今天我想让我们掌握的一个大概念是，
恩典从来不是给那些应得的人，而是给不应得的人。
Jonah loved grace given to him but wanted justice given to everyone else.
He assumed he was worthy of grace and the Ninevites were not.
约拿喜欢给他的恩典，但希望给其他人以公正。
他认为自己配得上恩典，而尼尼微人则不配。
What this shows is that Jonah hadn’t properly understood grace.
这说明约拿没有正确理解恩典。
By its very definition, grace is something given to those who don’t deserve it.
根据其定义，恩典是给予那些不值得的人的东西。
That’s what makes grace, grace.
这就是恩典的特点。
And that’s what makes Yahweh, Yahweh. It’s core to His being.
这也是上帝之所以是上帝的原因。这是他存在的核心。
God’s heart is that this grace would be core to our being at GRACEcity.
God’s heart is that we would constantly extend grace to others – not because they have done
something to deserve it – but because we received it when we didn’t deserve it.
上帝的心意是，这种恩典将是我们恩典教会的核心。
上帝的心意是，我们要不断地向他人施恩，不是因为他们做了什么事而应得的，而是因为我们在不配的时候得到了恩典。
At His very core, God is the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and truth. That’s who we worship. That’s who we follow.
上帝是有怜悯和恩典的上帝，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱和诚实。这就是我们敬拜的对象。这就是我们所跟随的人。
All of us come in need today.
今天我们所有人都有需要。
As we come to the end of this message, it’s another opportunity – right now – to quiet our hearts and bow before the God who is so loving and gracious towards us. And to honestly acknowledge where we too are like Jonah.
当我们即将结束这篇信息时，这是另一个机会，现在，让我们的心安静下来，在这位对我们如此慈爱和有恩惠的上帝面前屈膝。 并诚实地承认我们也像约拿一样。
If you haven't yet trusted Jesus – can I encourage you to bow before the God who loves you and pursues you – and cry out to him. Talk to a friend you came with or our prayer team after the service. They would love to pray with you and give you a starting pack to help you in your journey with Jesus.
如果你还没有相信耶稣，我能否鼓励你在爱你和追逐你的上帝面前屈膝，并向祂呼喊。礼拜结束后，请与你的朋友或我们的祷告团队谈谈。他们很愿意与你一起祷告，并给你一个新手包，帮助你开始与耶稣的旅程。
All of us – let’s together receive His Amazing Grace towards us – as people who are so undeserving.
我们所有人，让我们一起接受祂对我们的奇异恩典，作为如此不配的人。
As we’ve seen… Grace is never given to those who deserve it, but to the undeserving
正如我们所看到的...... 恩典从来不是给那些应得的人，而是给那些不配的人。
PRAYER
Father,
There is so much of Jonah in me. Forgive me.
Forgive me when I have got angry at You and presumed that I knew better than You.
Forgive me when I have celebrated your grace towards me but sought for justice when it concerns people other than me.
Thank you that at your core, you the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and truth.
May you transform me to embody these same traits towards others who – like me – are also so underserving of such love and grace.
In Jesus name, Amen.
祷告：
我身上有很多约拿的影子。请宽恕我。
当我对你生气，自以为比你了解更多时，请宽恕我。
当我庆贺你对我的恩典，却在涉及到我以外的人时寻求正义时，请宽恕我。
感谢你，你是有怜悯和有恩典的上帝，不轻易发怒，有丰富的慈爱和诚实。
求你改变我，使我对其他人体现出这些相同的特征，这些人，像我一样，也是如此不值得这样
的爱和恩典。
奉耶稣的名，阿门。
