Jonah 4:5-11 Series

Jonah 4:5-11

So we finished Jonah 4:1-4 last week with Jonah asking God to take his life because he was displeased with the patience, mercy and grace that God had given to Nineveh. Imagine being mad at that.

But Jonah isn't done with his little temper tantrum yet as we will see in these last verses. The lesson that God is attempting to teach Jonah is about sharing the saving message He had given Jonah to give to these undeserving people, and it doesn't seem to be getting through to him. Jonah has become hardened and rebellious.

What have we learned about this story and our calling to share the message we have been given? Are we fighting God? Are we rebellious? Do we think others are not deserving to hear it?

Have we learned that God's will is always what comes to fruition no matter if our will is in conflict with it or not?

5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

Why do you think Jonah was sitting around waiting to see what happened in the city? Do you think he was hoping for their success or hoping for their failure?

I have no doubt Jonah was waiting around hoping for their failure so he could say to God, see God I told you, they weren't worth your effort or mine, you should have listened to me God, I know what is best.

That is what we do when we refuse to share the gospel with others, we tell God we know what is best and He doesn't. We tell God others are not deserving of His patience, mercy and grace only we are.

So let's see how God response to Jonah and his little temper tantrum.

6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.

God's response to Jonah is to give him more patience, to give him more mercy, and to give him more grace.

There is this saying, it is “kill them with kindness” I think this is what God is doing here. What it means is as bad as someone is being to you return it with kindness. The hope is that the kindness will kill the poor attitude. That something inside that person will tell them how much of a jerk they have been.

Really it is telling them how good God is. We are reflecting God by doing this, undeserving kindness mixed with patience, mercy and grace.

Love incorporates these things doesn't it? The way we show love is by having kindness, patience, mercy and grace towards another who may be undeserving of it.

7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint.

God is showing Jonah a comparison of what it is like to be in His undeserving favor and what is like to not be in His favor.

See God hasn't given up yet on Jonah. Patience, kindness, mercy and grace is still on display. It is a what we are to reflect again and again and again to others.

Don't give up on people, I can guarantee you giving up is what they expect you to do.

So how does Jonah react now to what God has done?

8 And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah is one tough nut to crack isn't he? This is the third time if my recollection serves me well that Jonah wanted to just die over this. He still hasn't learned the lesson God is trying to teach him.

Jonah should have been overjoyed by Nineveh coming to God. He should have thought, well I'll be God was right. He should have been amazed at the power of God's words and the effect it had on them. He should have been reminded how wretched he was and how God shed these same blessings on him. Jonah should have, but he didn't.

9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”

Again this phrasing can be tricky, God is saying to Jonah you don't understand Jonah, look what I am trying to show you. You are mad that I took away something you didn't deserve in the first place. You didn't cherish that grace when it was given to you.