约拿书［第四章］
Book of Jonah 4
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约拿书 第四章 |Book of Jonah 4【‘先恩典后真理’的神】
03/03/2023
在前几章经文里我们比较多地去看到约拿不足的生命，今天来到约拿书的最后一章，让我们专注地去看耶和华神怎样去牧养这位悖逆的先知约拿！
一、先听约拿吐苦水的神（V1-4）
神面对无理取闹的约拿，祂耐心地聆听约拿的心声，甚至包括约拿想要求死的想法，然而祂并没有直接指出约拿的不是。祂乃是首先问了约拿一个问题，去启发约拿思想自己生命的问题，哪怕约拿并没有作出回应。
二、再满足约拿需要的神（V5-6）
约拿出到城外搭棚，心中愤愤不平地替神充当起审判官的角色，并在那里观察尼尼微城接下来会发生什么。然而神在这个时候还是没有指责他，而是安排了一棵蓖麻树去为约拿遮阴，让他有好的休息，而约拿也因此大大喜乐。
三、终对约拿讲真理的神（V7-11）
当约拿有了很好的休息后，第二天一早神就让蓖麻树枯萎，并安排东风和日头来让约拿体会到艰苦。约拿再次求死，此时神也回应约拿：‘你不是蓖麻树的权柄，而你也为蓖麻树的枯萎感到难过。更何况尼尼微城里有许多无辜的儿童，我不是更要爱惜他们吗？’ 故事停在这里，相信是因为约拿在神智慧的言语下无言以对，所以就促成了这样的结尾。
总结：
求主帮助我们去效法祂的榜样，好对人活出‘先恩典后真理’的生命。当我们所牧养的孩子，组员，甚至是员工还没有办法去活出真理的时候，让我们先耐心地聆听他们的心声，满足他们的需要，然后就把管理他们的主权交还给神。相信当神兴起环境，也因着他们因为离开真理而活在艰苦里的时候，因着我们已经跟他们有好的关系，我们就能够在属神的智慧下，把真理带进他们的生命，以至于这些的生命最终都能够在真理里回转，又再次地回到神的面前！
Jonah 4: The God of 'grace before Truth'
GK611 Morning Devotion
03/03/2023
Speaker: IP Moses + Rev David Tan
Introduction:
Today we come to the last chapter of the book of Jonah, and let's focus on how the LORD God shepherded this rebellious prophet Jonah!
1. God who first listened to Jonah's bitterness (V1-4)
When God confronted the unreasonable Jonah, He patiently listened to Jonah's heart, even including Jonah's desire to ask for death, yet He did not directly point out Jonah's faults. Instead, He first asked Jonah a question to inspire Jonah to think about his own life, even though Jonah did not respond.
2. The God who met Jonah's needs again (V5-6)
Jonah went outside the city and pitched his tent, acting as a judge for God with indignation in his heart, and was there to observe what would happen next in the city of Nineveh. However, God did not rebuke him at this time, but arranged a plant to shade Jonah, so that he could have a good rest, and Jonah rejoiced greatly.
3. The God who finally spoke the Truth to Jonah (V7-11)
After Jonah had a good rest, God let the plant wither early the next morning, and arranged the east wind and the sun to make Jonah experience hardship. Jonah again asked for death, at which time God also responded to Jonah: 'You are not the authority of the castor tree, and you are grieved by the withering of the plant. What is more, there are many innocent children in the city of Nineveh; shall I not love them all the more?' The story stops here, I believe because Jonah was speechless under the wisdom of God's Words, so it contributed to this ending.
Conclusion：
Ask the Lord to help us to follow His example, so that we can live a life of 'grace before Truth' to people. When the children, groups, and even staff we are shepherding are not yet able to live out the Truth, let us first patiently listen to their hearts and meet their needs, and then give God back the sovereignty to manage them. We believe that when God raises up the environment, and because they are living in hardship because they have left the Truth, and because we already have a good relationship with them, we will be able to bring the Truth into their lives with godly wisdom, so that these lives will eventually turn back in the Truth and come back to God again!