Jonah 6
Strikingly, the text does not explain how Jonah responds to this instruction. Instead, it ends leaving the reader with the contrast between Jonah’s resentful attitude and God’s great mercy to the Ninevites.
The Hebrew is particularly vivid (lit. “it was evil to Jonah as a great wrong”)
But this flight, as we have stated, was a proof of manifest rebellion, since, by shaking off the yoke, he despised the call of God.
because he knew that God was merciful. But how did he know this?
his experience is to us an evidence that there is nothing more preposterous than for us to settle this or that according to our own wisdom, since this is alone true wisdom, to submit ourselves wholly to the will of God.
God expressly condemns his wrath
Grant, Almighty God, that as thou seest us implicated in so many errors, that we often fall through want of thought, and as thou also seest that the violent emotions of our flesh wholly blind whatever reason and judgment there is in us,—O grant, that we may learn to give up ourselves altogether to obey thee, and so honour thy wisdom as never to contend with thee, though all things may happen contrary to our wishes, but patiently to wait for such an issue as it may please thee to grant; and may we never be disturbed by any of the hinderances which Satan may throw in our way, but ever go on towards the mark which thou hast set before us, and never turn aside from thee, until, having gone through all dangers and overcome all impediments, we shall at length reach that blessed rest, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thy Son. Amen.
God shows here how paternally he cares for mankind. Every one of us is cherished by him with singular care:
As the story of Jonah began, it involved the Lord, Jonah, and “Nineveh, that great city” (1:1–2). Now as the story ends, the same three themes appear: Jonah, the Lord, and “Nineveh, that great city”
This final chapter consists of a speech of Jonah framed by brief narrative statements (vv. 1–5) and a narrative plus a speech of the Lord (vv. 6–11). The speeches of Jonah at the beginning and of the Lord at the end balance each other, since each is exactly thirty-nine words (cf. Jonathan Magonet, Form and Meaning: Studies in Literary Techniques in the Book of Jonah, p. 56).
“angry” which literally means “burned up”
that is what gets Jonah. If they are in on the love of God, then Jonah wants out. He would rather die than live!
