Jonah 4

When we last saw Jonah, he had just started preaching in Nineveh.

And everyone, up to and including the king believed God and repented in sackcloth and ashes.

Jonah should be proud of himself.

One day and an entire city has repented.

But not Jonah.

Jonah 4:1–3 NKJV

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

So Jonah ran away from God because he knew God would forgive the Ninevites?

Jonah put those sailors through the storm because he knew God would forgive the Ninevites?

Jonah got swallowed by a fish because he was running from God because God would forgive the Ninevites?

Jonah is upset because God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness?

This bothers Jonah?

No, Jonah is a grudge keeping, vindictive man.

We all felt sorry for him when the fish showed up.

And when he prayed so earnestly for salvation.

But now we see more of his heart.

He is more than willing to accept God’s grace for himself, but not for those he doesn’t like.

Do we ever act that way?

Do you ever wish harm on someone you don’t like?

Do you get angry when they get that promotion or something really good happens to them?

How is that loving your neighbor?

Mark 12:29–31 NKJV

Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

While we’re at it, let’s get this out of the way,

OK, first let’s get this out of the way,

Jonah is a drama queen!

Oh, it is better that I die than see you forgiving those Ninevites!

Jonah sounds more like a Jewish mother trying to shame her child into doing something than a prophet of God.

Jonah is angry that God has forgiven them.

Jonah, who just got delivered after praying while inside a fish.

I’ve heard of cutting off your nose to spite your face, but getting killed because your enemy changes their ways?

Now he’s upset that the God who hear him, was gracious to him, abundantly king to him

Jonah 4:4 NKJV

Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

jon 4

A simple question with no answer, but one worth asking ourselves?

This same God is forgiving the Ninevites

Jonah’s enemy.

But one worth asking ourselves?

Do we ever ask ourselves if it’s right that we’re angry?

Do we ever examine the reasons that we are angry?

Do we ask ourselves if it’s right for us to angry at the other person?

Do we bother to ask God what we should do?

Jonah 4:5 NKJV

So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.

So Jonah goes out, sets up a nice little place to see what God is going to do with Nineveh.

He makes himself a nice shelter.

Has a little shade.

Sounds rather comfy.

Remember, Jonah is still angry at the Ninevites.

He would rather die than see them forgiven.

So what do you think he hopes will happen?

Jonah 4:6 NKJV

And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

Ah, isn’t that nice, God provides some relief from the heat for Jonah.

God is still showing Jonah mercy, even while he complains that Nineveh is going some as well.

How often do we complain when others receive the simple mercies we take for granted?

Jonah 4:7 NKJV

But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.

Aw, Jonah’s plant died.

Not by accident or anything Jonah did,

God killed the plant.

Do you ever think God has a reason why things you have fall apart?

Maybe it’s in response to something you’ve done or an attitude you harbor?

Malachi 3:10–11 NKJV

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts;

We tend to think of the blessings from heaven.

But just as important is the rebuke of the devourer.

Jonah 4:8 NKJV

And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

So Jonah’s plant dies, the sun is beating down on him and now a hot wind is blowing over his little campsite that he setup to watch the hoped for destruction of Nineveh.

This would be a humorous caricature if it didn’t so accurately represent us.

We are vindictive and vengeful.

We want to watch the suffering of those we don’t like.

Then, when God makes us uncomfortable in our unloving state we retaliate.

I wish I were dead!

You know, George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life at least thought others would be better off is he were dead.

Jonah just can’t seem to live with those he hates repenting of their deeds and turning to God.

Do we hope the homosexual or the transgender repents or do we want to see them destroyed?

Do we want to see the abortionist saved or dead?

Would we be happier if the terrorist is killed or repents of their evil?

Jonah 4:9 NKJV

Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”

OK, now Jonah is acting like a spoiled child.

Pouting because he didn’t get his way.

And when God asks about his behavior, what does Jonah do?

The adult version of a temper tantrum.

Instead of dropping to the ground and crying “I want them dead, I want them dead, I want them dead!”, he just says “I’m angry enough to die!”

Jonah 4:10–11 NKJV

But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?

Jonah 4:10 NKJV

But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.

Jonah, you fool.

You had pity on a stupid little plant.

You didn’t plant it.

You didn’t take care of it.

You didn’t make it grow.

It showed up overnight and the next day it was gone.

And this plant warrants you pity.

Yet here’s this great city.

Their ignorant.

Not stupid, not evil, they just don’t know right from wrong.

There are over 120,000 people, and who knows how much livestock.

I always thought it was interesting that God was worried about the livestock.

Should God have pity on them?

Apparently not according to Jonah.

And that’s where it ends.

We’re not told what happens to Jonah.

And what happens to Nineveh?

Nahum and Zephaniah both prophesy it’s destruction.

But that’s it.

A bit of an unfinished story.

But like an open ended question, it leaves room for us to examine ourselves.

Conclusion