满有耐心的神
What if I can’t be bothered? What if I’d rather finish my coffee; go out for brunch; try and solve Wordle?
Sometimes I know that I should do something, but I just don’t know if I can be bothered.
我就是不想干一件事又怎么样？我就是想喝完咖啡，出去吃早午餐；尝试 Wordle 游戏猜字，又怎么样？有时我知道我应该做什么，但我就是不愿意费心或费力去做。
In sense, that was Jonah’s problem too in this book– knew what God wanted him to do, or how he should respond. But selfishness kicked in – he’d rather be comfortable.
从某种意义上说，这也是约拿在本书中的问题—知道上帝要他做什么，或者他应该如何回应。但自私侵蚀了他——他宁愿舒舒服服的。
As JD said last week, for many people, story of Jonah ends with Ninevites repenting and God relenting. But it doesn’t end there; ch. 4 in climax. God working in Jonah’s life as much as pagans.
正如 JD 上周所说，对于许多人来说，约拿的故事以尼尼微人的悔改和上帝的宽容而告终。但这并没有结束。第四章的高潮是上帝在约拿的生命中做工，与对那些外邦人所的一样多。
We saw in first few verses of ch. 4 Jonah have meltdown; he gets super-angry at God; like a toddler having tantrum. And when he was finished v.4, God asks‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ And there’s no answer; Jonah walks off; as JD suggested, it’s as though he’s running again.
我们在第四章前几节中看到约拿崩溃了；他对上帝超级生气；像一个蹒跚学步的孩子任性地发脾气。当到了第 4 节时，上帝问：“你这样大发脾气合理吗”，约拿没有回答；约拿走了；正如 JD 说的那样他好像又在跑。
And we’re going to watch God deal incredibly patiently with him. Let’s pick up the story in v.5.
我们将看到上帝以难以置信的耐心对待他。让我们继续第 5 节的故事。
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Jonah 4:5
约拿出去，在城东的一个地方坐下。在那里，他给自己搭了一个庇荫棚，坐在树荫下，等着看这座城市会发生什么。约拿书 4:5
I find this whole scene interesting. Jonah knows that nothing is going to happen; Yahweh has relented and decided not to judge the people of Nineveh because of their genuine repentance and turning to Him. And yet Jonah builds shelter outside the city, sits in shade, and waits.
我觉得这整个场景很有趣。约拿知道什么都不会发生。耶和华心软了，决定不审判尼尼微人，因为他们真诚地悔改并转向他。然而约拿却在城外搭建了避难所，坐在阴凉处，等待着。
You would have thought that he couldn’t wait to get out of there – to leave Nineveh behind. He was so reluctant to go in first place; why not cut his losses and run? What’s waiting for? Waiting to see if God changes mind? Or is he being manipulative –somehow thinking his continued presence might put Yahweh under pressure to give the Ninevites what Jonah is convinced they deserve?
你会以为他迫不及待地想离开那里——把尼尼微抛在后面。他本来就那么不愿意去；既然没达成目标为什么不就离开呢？还在等什么？等着看上帝会不会改变主意？或者他想操纵局面–还指望他的继续留在那可能会让上帝感受他的压力，让尼尼微人得到约拿确信他们应得的报应？
Look at what this gracious, patient God does next.
让我们看看这位满有恩典与耐心的上帝接下来怎么做。
Then Yahweh God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. Jonah 4:6
然后，上帝安排了一棵枝茂多叶的植物，让它生长过约拿的头，好给他遮荫，缓解他的不适，约拿对这棵植物非常高兴。约拿书 4:6
That first line is almost a repeat of 1:17, where Yahweh ‘provided’ the great fish to save Jonah from drowning. God is presented throughout the story as the sovereign Creator, fully in control of everything that he has made. And just as back in ch.1 he provided the fish, now he ‘provides’ a leafy plant. That word ‘provide’ is going to crop up two more times in next few verses.
第一行几乎是第 1 章 17 节的翻版，在那里上帝“安排”了一条大鱼来救约拿免于溺水。在整个故事中，上帝被呈现为至高无上的创造者，完全控制着祂所创造的一切。就像在第 1 章中祂安排了鱼一样，现在祂“安排”了一棵多叶植物。在接下来的几节经文中，“安排”这词将再出现两次。
But plant provides additional shade to whatever the shelter was that Jonah had built, which suggests that maybe he wasn’t much of a handyman! Improved the shelter; gave relief from the hot desert sun.
但是这植物为约拿的庇荫棚提供了额外的遮蔽，这表明他自己搭的那个棚子并不怎么样！庇荫棚得到改善；他从炎热的沙漠阳光中解脱出来。
And did you notice Jonah’s response? NIV says he was “very happy.”Literally it reads, he “was happy with great happiness.” Jonah is rapt – he’s ecstatic. Finally something has gone right for him! But what’s fascinating is this is a massive contrast to how Jonah had been feeling/reacting in v.1 –literally there it read, “he was angry with a great anger.”
你注意到约拿的反应了吗？NIV （和合本圣经）说他“非常高兴”。从字面上看，他“大大喜乐”。约拿全神贯注——他欣喜若狂。终于有对的事情发生在他身上了！但令人不解的是，这与约拿在第 1 节中的感受/反应形成了显明的对比—字面上说，“他大大不悦。”
So at the start of the chapter, Jonah was “angry with a great anger” But now a few verses in, he’s “happy with great happiness.” It’s like going from one extreme to another; from complete downer to absolute delight. But this stunning contrast in his emotions says something pretty sad about his priorities. He has a complete downer, pity-party; temper-tantrum at start because God is gracious and forgiving to Nazis. But then he’s over the moon – totally ecstatic. Why? Because a plant has grown that gives him shade and makes him comfortable. Doesn’t that show his proprieties are out of whack? And this is our first reflection:
所以在本章的开头，约拿“甚发怒”。但现在的几节经文，他又“大大喜悦”。这就像从一个极端走向另一个极端；从完全的沮丧到绝对的喜悦。但他情绪上的这种惊人对比说明了他对事情的熟重熟轻的判断很有问题。他起初彻头彻尾的沮丧和自怜，甩脾气，因为上帝对那些“纳粹”是仁慈和宽恕的。但随后他又心花怒放—完全欣喜若狂。为什么？就是因为长出了一棵植 物，可以给他遮荫，让他感到舒服。。
这不是表明他对事情熟重熟轻的判断有问题吗？这是我们的第一个反思：
I am Jonah … when my comfort is more important than God’s mission
当我自身的舒适比上帝的差派更加重要时…我是约拿
See, in the story, Yahweh is concerned about people of Nineveh; His heart is for sinners who are lost. Jonah concerned about his plant, his shade, his personal comfort. There’s an inherently selfish streak to Jonah’s whole demeanour and attitude. In the 2007 song from Hillsong United, “Hosanna,” there is a line that says,‘Break my heart for what breaks yours, Everything I have for your kingdom’s cause’
看，在故事中，上帝关心尼尼微人；他的心顾念迷失的罪人。约拿却关心他的植物、他的树荫、他的个人舒适。约拿的整个举止和态度都有一种天生的自私倾向。在 Hillsong United 2007 年的歌曲“Hosanna”中，有一句台词说，‘愿伤祢的一切打破我心房‘，’用我的所有成全祢旨意”
But truth is that Jonah is acting the exact opposite way than those lyrics – his heart isn’t broken by what breaks God’s heart. God’s heart is broken by sinners who are far from Him. God’s heart is moved when He eventually has to bring judgment and wrath because He is holy. But Jonah’s heart isn’t broken by sinful people; instead he’s angry when God spares people he doesn’t think are valuable. And instead, Jonah’s happy about a plant.
但事实是，约拿的行为方式与那些歌词完全相反——他的心并没有被令上帝心碎的东西伤透。远离祂的罪人伤透了神的心。上帝的心伤痛因祂是圣洁的神，不悔改的罪人最终必须承受祂的审判和愤怒。但约拿的心并没有被有罪的人伤透；相反，当上帝饶恕他认为没有价值的人时，他会生气。相反，约拿却对植物很满意。
But Yahweh is patiently at work in this story. Remember, this story of Jonah is not ultimately about pagan townspeople or pagan sailors – it’s about a prophet of God who acts more like a pagan than the pagans. And it’s about God transforming the life of this prophet by His grace. So look what God does next, in vv.7-8:
但上帝在这个故事中耐心地做工。请记住，这个约拿的故事最终不是关于外邦人民众或水手——它是关于一位上帝的先知，他的行为更像外邦人。这是关于上帝通过祂的恩典改变这位先知的生命的故事。所以看看 7-8 节中上帝接下来会做什么：
But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, ‘It would be better for me to die than to live.’ Jonah 4:7-8
然而，第二天黎明时分，上帝又安排了一条虫子，它咀嚼了这株植物，使它枯萎了。当太阳升起时，上帝指派了一阵灼热的东风，太阳照在约拿的头上，使他变得昏昏欲睡。他想死，然后说：“我死了比活着还好。”约拿书 4:7-8
We saw in v.6 that God “provided the leafy plant…” Now God provides 2 more things:
– hungry worm that chews plant (7) so that the extra shelter that Jonah had is now gone.
– scorching east wind causing heatstroke (8)
我们在第 6 节中看到上帝“安排了多叶植物……”现在上帝又安排了另外两件事：
- 咀嚼植物的饥饿蠕虫（第 7 节），因此约拿拥有的额外庇荫现在已经消失了。
-灼热的东风导致他中暑 (8)
Why Yahweh doing this? Why is Yahweh making Jonah’s life miserable? Simply put, because Jonah can’t be bothered. He can’t be bothered obeying God; he can’t bothered with pagan sailors who may be dying; he can’t be bothered telling ancient Nazis about the God of grace. He’s only bothered and concerned about himself. And so Yahweh is providing a tangible lesson about why Jonah should be bothered.
SoJonah is feeling horrible; and he repeats the death wish from v.4.
And look at how God responds:
上帝为什么这样做？为什么上帝让约拿变得悲惨？简单地说，因为约拿不愿被搅扰。他懒得顺服
神；他不理会可能快要死去的外邦人水手；他懒得告诉那些古代时的“纳粹“恩典之神是谁。
他只是担心和体贴自己。因此，上帝安排了一个切实的教训，说明为什么约拿应该要付出。
所以约拿感觉很可怕；他重复了第 4 节中的死亡愿望。
看看上帝是如何回应的：
But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?’ ‘It is,’ he said. ‘And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.’Jonah 4:9
但上帝对约拿说：“你为这棵蓖麻大发脾气合理吗？”约拿回答说：“我就是气死了也合理。”约拿书 4:9
So Yahweh asks 2 questions in ch.4 that are virtually identical. Did you notice? Let’s put them both up on the screen:
因此，上帝在第 4 章中提出了 2 个几乎相同的问题。你注意到了吗？让我们把它们都放在屏幕上：
“Is it right for you to be angry?’ Jonah 4:4“
你这样大发脾气合理吗？”约拿书4：4
‘Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?’ Jonah 4:9：“
你为这棵蓖麻大发脾气合理吗？”约拿书 4：9
See the first question is about the city; Jonah was angry because Nineveh was not destroyed.
The second question is about the plant; and Jonah was angry because it was destroyed.
And what God is trying to show Jonah here is that his priorities are completely upside down.
He absolutely hates the people of Nineveh and wants God to fry them, but he’s absolutely devastated when his precious plant dies. And once again Jonah sounds likepetulant toddler angry at not getting their own way!
看到第一个问题是关于城市的；约拿很生气，因为尼尼微没有被毁灭。
第二个问题是关于植物的；约拿很生气，因为它被毁了
上帝在这里试图向约拿展示的是，他对事情孰重孰轻的判断完全颠倒了。
他彻底憎恨尼尼微的民众，并希望上帝将他们烧毁，但当他的珍贵植物死去时，他完全悲痛欲绝。再一次约拿听起来像个蹒跚学步的孩子任性地发脾气，因为上帝没有按自己的方式行事而发怒！
But here’s the tragedy – Jonah more concerned about his shady plant than people made in God’s image
And that leads to our 2nd reflection:
但悲剧就在这里--约拿更关心帶給他遮蔽的植物，而不是按照神的形象制造的人。
这就引出了我们的第二个思考。
I am Jonah … when I love things more than people
当我爱美物胜过爱人的时候，我是约拿
Truth is that it is very easy to love our stuff more than the people in our lives.
– we love our toys: new lounge suite; new house; new set of wheels; latest i-phone or big-screen tv;
– we prioritise our goals: our tasks become more important than people, our agenda, our ambitions
– we pay into our financial security, our investments, our savings over giving to church and to ministries that impact people for Christ
事实是，爱我们的东西胜过爱我们生命中的人是很容易的。
–我们喜欢我们的玩具：新的客厅沙发,新房子, 新车;最新的 i-phone 或大屏幕电视；
–我们优先考虑自己的目标：我们看重自己的任务，自己的议程、自己的抱负胜过于看重人
–我们为我们的财务安全、我们的投资、我们的储蓄而付出，却忽略我们为教会奉献和为基督去影响他人的事工
Here's key Q: do our calendars, do our bank accounts, do our investments of time and energy show that we love people made in God’s image? Or they show that we’re more concerned with our own stuff; our own comfort and pleasure?
And that’s what Yahweh goes after as come to the end of the book. Look vv.10-11:
这是关键问题：我们的日程、我们的银行账户、我们对时间和精力的投资是否表明我们爱按上帝形象造的人？或者它们表明我们更关心自己的东西；我们自己的舒适和快乐？
这就是上帝在本书结尾所看重的。看 vv.10-11：
But Yahweh said, ‘You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals?’
Jonah 4:10-11
但上帝说：‘“这棵蓖麻不是你种的，也不是你栽培的，它在一夜之间长成，又在一夜之间死去，你尚且如此爱惜， 我怎能不爱惜这尼尼微大城呢？城中单是连左右手都分不清的人就有十二万多，还有许多的牲畜。”？约拿书4:10-11
Notice dramatic contrast in what Yahweh saying. Contrasting His values with Jonah’s.
First, they value different things. Jonah highly values this leafy plant; Yahweh values a city full of people
Second, their values are of different quantity: for Jonah, one single plant has left him absolutely gutted;
but God’s heart is for a city of 120,000 people.
Third, there’s a difference in work. Notice that Yahweh emphasises that Jonah did nothing for that plant –there was no effort or work on his part, yet he’s devastated. But Yahweh is the Creator; he made each of those people, and He loves them deeply.
Yahweh wants Jonah to realise just how much God loves people, even Nazis, who are made in His image
And we can be just as slow as Jonah was.
注意上帝所说的话的强烈对比。将祂的价值观与约拿的价值观进行对比。
首先，他们重视不同的事物。约拿高度重视这棵多叶植物。上帝看重一个人满为患的城市
其次，他们看重的数量不等同，对于约拿来说，一株植物让他彻底崩溃；但上帝的心看重一座拥有 120,000 人的城市。
第三，做工不同。请注意，上帝强调约拿并没有为那棵植物做任何事—他没有付出任何努力或工作，但他却被植物的枯萎崩溃。但上帝是创造者；祂一个一个地创造了那些人，
祂深深地爱着他们。上帝希望约拿明白神是多么爱人，甚至是纳粹，他们是按照祂的形象造的
而我们也有可能像约拿一样反应迟钝。
I am Jonah … when I forgot how deeply God loves sinners
当我忘记上帝如何爱罪人的时候，我就是约拿…
We get mad at colleagues who steal the credit for work or don’t pull their weight
We get frustrated at drivers who pull in front of us
We get angry at people within the church who may have hurt us often without realising
We get annoyed by society around us where millions have beliefs that we think are totally wrong
But how often do we stop and think about those people – each one – made in God’s image
and deeply loved by Him, despite their flaws and sins and failings and brokenness
我们对那些窃取工作功劳或不努力的同事感到生气
我们对从旁插到我们车前的司机感到不爽
我们对教会内可能经常没有意识到伤害到我们的人生气
我们对周围的社会感到恼火，数百万人的信仰是我们认为完全错误的
但是我们有多少次停下来想想那些人——每一个人——都是按照上帝的形象创造的，
并且被祂深爱着，尽管他们有缺陷、犯罪、绊倒并且破碎
So how does Jonah respond to this closing comment of God? Have a look at verse 12.
那么，约拿如何回应上帝的结语呢？请看第 12 节。
What suddenly realise is there’s no v.12; the story just ends. We have no idea what Jonah said; how he responded. And this is deliberate; it leaves us pondering how Jonah might have responded; what he should have answered.
And that’s deliberate because it’s Inviting us into story too – how would we answer? What’s our response? UK pastor Phil Moore writes,
突然意识到没有第.12 节；故事就这样结束了。我们不知道约拿说了什么；他是如何回应的。这是故意的；这让我们思考约拿会如何回应；他应该回答什么。这是故意的，因为它也在邀请我们进入这个情景—若是我们的话会如何回答？我们的反应会是什么？英国牧师菲尔摩尔这样写道，
The book of Jonah does not tell us whether or not the prophet repented of his self-absorption and of his ungodly hatred towards pagans. This is deliberate…
约拿书没有告诉我们先知是否对他的自私和他对外邦人的那种属世的仇恨有悔改的意念。这是故意的……
See Moore argues exactly what I just said – that we’re being invited into the story. Because we are Jonah – we’re more like him than we ever realised – the book ends like this so we can think about our response.
Moore goes on:
看摩尔论证了我刚才所说的—我们被邀请参与这个故事。因为我们是约拿—我们比我们想象的更像他——这本书以这样的方式结束，为了让我们可以思考一下我们的反应。
摩尔继续说：
Will we be distracted by the equivalent of Jonah’s leafy plant – self-indulgent trinkets that ultimately do not matter – or will we follow the example of Jesus by pouring out our lives for the world? Phil Moore
我们会被类似约拿的绿叶植物—无关紧要的自我放纵的小饰品分心—还是会效仿耶稣的榜样，为世界倾注我们的生命？菲尔·摩尔
See, as we come to the end of this series, we realise more and more that we’re exactly like Jonah.
Each week, we’ve paused and reflected how we can be just like him in multiple ways.
Here’s just a sampling of these reflections from the series:
看，当我们来到这个系列的结尾时，我们越来越意识到我们和约拿一模一样。
每周，我们都会停下来思考我们是怎样地在多方面都与他一样。以下只是该系列中这些反思的一些示例：
I are Jonah… when I say no to what God has clearly said
当我拒绝上帝明确的旨意时，我是约拿
I are Jonah… when my life doesn’t measure up to what I say I believe
当我的生活与我所说的我所信的不相符时，我是约拿
I are Jonah… when I fail to acknowledge the depth of my sin
当我没有认识到我罪性的深度时，我是约拿
I are Jonah… when I obey God, but my heart isn’t really in it
当我表面遵从上帝而心却没有真正在那时，我是约拿
I are Jonah… when I think I’m better than I really am
当我认为比真正的自己更好时，我是约拿
I are Jonah… when I love things more than people
当我爱美物胜过爱人时，我是约拿
You can understand, can’t you, why this book is read in the Jewish synagogues on the Day of Atonement? That’s the day in the whole year when the Jewish people most reflect on their sin and brokenness and their need for atonement, for a substitute, for forgiveness.
Because the book of Jonah is not just telling the story of Jonah; it’s telling my story, and your story.
It’s not just a window into Jonah’s life, but a mirror into our own.
And it’s not there to condemn us, or make us feel useless or dirty. The whole point of the book is that every single one of us needs the grace of God –pagans, prophets, Nazis, nincompoops.
When we go over to the New Testament, Jesus references Jonah a couple of times. At one point he condemns the people of his generation, reminding them about the story of Jonah:
你能明白，是不是，为什么在赎罪日的犹太会堂里读这本书？那是一年中犹太人最多反思他们的罪和破碎以及他们需要赎罪、献祭和祈求宽恕的日子。
因为约拿书不只是讲述约拿的故事；他在讲述我的故事，还有你的故事。
这不仅仅是一扇了解约拿生命的窗口，而是一面我们自己的镜子。
它并不是要谴责我们，或者让我们感到无用或肮脏。这本书的重点是，我们每个人都需要上帝的恩典——外邦人、先知、纳粹、愚蠢的人们。
当我们翻到新约圣经时，耶稣几次提到约拿。有一次，他谴责祂那一代人，提醒他们约拿的故事：
The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.Matthew 12:41
在审判的日子，尼尼微人和这世代的人都要起来，尼尼微人要定这个世代的罪，因为他们听到约拿的宣告，就悔改了。看啊！这里有一人比约拿更伟大。马太福音 12：41
“Someone greater than Jonah is here.”
See, as we said in the first week of series, Jesus was everything that Jonah wasn’t. He was obedient; He was compassionate; He was gracious. When Jonah ran from God’s call because he hated sinful, evil people, Jesus ran towards us because He loves us, despite our sin and inconsistencies and brokenness.
And really, the entire series could be summed up this way:
“比约拿更伟大的人在这里。”
看，正如我们在系列的第一周所说的，耶稣在诸事上都不与约拿一样。祂很顺服；祂富有同情心；祂有恩典。当约拿因为恨恶有罪的人而逃避上帝的呼召时，耶稣却因为祂爱我们而跑向我们，尽管我们有罪、矛盾和破碎。
真的，整个系列可以这样总结：
I am Jonah …so I need Jesus
我是约拿…所以我才需要耶稣基督
I am Jonah, so I need one who is greater than Jonah – I need Jesus.
See, on the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament, a sacrifice would be made for the sins of the people. Two goats would be brought, and lots would be cast between them.
One of them would then be sacrificed as an offering for the people’s sin – that was the substitute. The other was the scapegoat, a word that we still use today. And the high priest would confess the sins of the people over the scapegoat, and then it would be released into the wilderness, to carry their sins and failures far, far away.
That’s what Jesus did for us. He was both our substitute and our scapegoat; the one who died in our place, and the one who carried our sin far, far away.
New York pastor Tim Keller writes,
我是约拿，所以我需要一位比约拿更伟大的人——我需要耶稣。
看，在旧约中的赎罪日，祭司会为赎人们的罪献祭。会带来两只山羊，在它们之间拈阄。然后他们中的一只会被宰杀作为人们赎罪的祭物——那是代罪公羊。另一只是“把罪带走的公羊”，我们今天仍然使用 scapegoat 这个词。大祭司用“把罪带走的公羊”替人们认罪，然后将其释放到旷野，让它将人们的罪孽和失败带到很远很远的地方。
这就是耶稣为我们所做的。祂既是代替我们罪的那位，也是把我们的罪带走的那位；祂为我们的罪而死，也将我们的罪孽带到遥远之地。
纽约牧师蒂姆·凯勒写道，
Jesus is the prophet Jonah should have been…[But] Jesus did not merely weep for us; he died for us. Jonah went outside the city, hoping to witness its condemnation, but Jesus Christ went outside the city to die on a cross to accomplish its salvation.Tim Keller
耶稣是约拿本应是的先知…… [但是] 耶稣不只是为我们哭泣；祂为我们而死。约拿到城外，希望见证整个城被定罪，但耶稣基督却到城外，死在十字架上以完成祂救赎的使命。蒂姆·凯勒
See I am Jonah. And so are you. And that’s why we need a Saviour.
看呐，我是约拿，你也是。正因为如此我们需要一个救主。
I am Jonah …so I need Jesus
我是约拿，所以我需要耶
