We read in Jonah 4:1, “Jonah was very unhappy about this and became angry.” (GNB)
There are two kinds of emotions that Jonah expressed as mentioned in the verse above, one was sadness, and the other was anger. As we meditate on this portion of scripture, we will try to understand the reasons for these emotions, and see what we can learn from Jonah’s experience.
The reason for Jonah’s unhappiness and anger is found in Jonah 3:10, “God saw what they did; he saw that they had given up their wicked behavior. So he changed his mind and did not punish them as he had said he would.” (GNB)
God had sent Jonah to preach against the people of Nineveh as their wickedness had greatly increased with the warning that if they did not repent, God would destroy their city in forty days. The people of Nineveh took the words of the prophet Jonah as the very words of God, felt remorse, and repented in sackcloth and ashes. Not only did the people repent, the king also repented, and when God observed their penitence, God relented from the destruction that He has pronounced on them. When Jonah noted that the change in the people also changed the heart of God towards them, and that they were spared, Jonah was overwhelmed with the feeling of sadness and indignation. Jonah was more bothered about his ego, and was not really concerned that the lives of so many were transformed, and thereby spared from destruction. Jonah’s reputation was at stake, and he was really upset about it.
There are so many like Jonah who are troubled about what other’s think of them, when the truth of the matter is that no one really has the time to bother, or even think about another these days. Most often it is our ego or pride that is the cause for the surge of such emotions within us. As children of God if we are struggling with these emotions, we need to analyze ourselves, and set things right with God.
Paul’s experience
The Apostle Paul went through some difficult, and complicated situations too. These are recorded to encourage us as these are applicable to our circumstances today as they were to Paul in his days.
These are the words of Paul to the church at Philippi as recorded in Philippians 1:15-16, “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;”(NKJV)
Paul speaking about some of his contemporaries who preached Christ, mentioned that some did so out of jealousy and animosity, just for the sake of competition, and with the intention to create controversy. They preached in the name of Christ, but their intentions were far from what Christ Jesus taught. While some preached out of goodwill, there were those who preached with the selfish motive to add troubles to Paul, who was already in chains.
We must take note that motives and actions are both important. Sometimes motives will be good, but the actions may be wrong, and so also there are times when the actions will seem good, but the motives behind doing them will be wrong. Even when a message is being preached, we must be able to discern the motive behind the same. There is another version that translates that some preached Christ out of competition, and to create controversy. This is so prevalent even today. Our motive for teaching the word, and preaching the good news of the Gospel should always stem out of a pure heart, and sincere motives. Never should our preaching be done with envy hidden inside our hearts, and also should never be for the sake of competition or to create trouble for other servants of God.
The coming of the Lord is close at hand, and whenever Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God, it was with reference to one kingdom. Jesus is the only way into that Kingdom. There are no divisions in that kingdom, no room for hatred or jealousy. If this is so, we realize that everyone who is a minister of God should do so with oneness of heart and mind, with no room for any sort of divisions. It is a fact that there are differences amongst us, but let us never forget that our God is one, and we are all working for that one kingdom, so let us do so with a pure heart.
Jonah had no compassion for the multitude of people who would be destroyed, and no wonder then he got unhappy, and angry with God. God could have destroyed Jonah for his disobedience instantly, but in His grace God gave Jonah a second chance. Wistfully, when God gave the same advantage to the people of Nineveh, Jonah was not pleased about it. The word of God admonishes us that the measure that we use for others is the same measure that God will use for us. Hence, those areas in our lives that are not in keeping with God and His ways should most certainly be set right.
The experience of Moses
Moses led the people of Israel from their cruel bondage in Egypt into freedom, because God performed mighty wonders through his hands. These Israelites were led by God through the wilderness in most miraculous ways. At one point God called Moses to come to Mount Sinai so that He could hand over the laws and commandments to Moses. As Moses tarried for a while on that mountain, the people became impatient, and this is what they did.
• The people wanted gods to lead them
We read in Exodus 32:1, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.” (ASV)
Moses led the people of Israel, and they had witnessed the awesome hand of God delivering, and protecting them all along the way. However, for a brief while when Moses was delayed, they got impatient, and these were their words to Aaron, “for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.” There seemed to be a faulty understanding of who actually delivered them. They were looking to Moses instead of seeking the invisible, Most Holy, All-Powerful, Omnipresent, and Almighty God who had led them thus far. Instead they wanted to make gods whom they thought could lead them on their journey.
• Aaron obliged to the demands of the people
We observe that Aaron too did not fear or revere God, but rather feared men and wanted to please them, and he made a golden calf for them.
This is recorded in Exodus 32:4, “And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, “These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”” (ASV)
The people then joined together, and payed reverence to that idol, and referred to it as the gods that brought them out of the land of Egypt. It was God’s mighty hand that wrought a mighty deliverance for the Israelites who were in slavery for more than four hundred years. This incident would have grieved and broken the heart of God who had so lovingly led these people. They failed to comprehend the goodness of God, the wrath of God that was poured out on their enemies, and in spite of beholding all of it, they were still hardened to make for themselves a golden calf. These Israelites had walked across the Red Sea as it parted for them, and gotten to safety away from the Egyptians who were in pursuit of them. All of them sang and danced before God when they reached the other side. They also acknowledged that there was no God like unto the God of Israel. However, these very same people now payed their obeisance to the idol of gold that they had crafted with their own hands.
We may not be making idols like the Israelites, but if we give other things the place that is due to God, and if we prioritize others over God, this is the same consequence we will face. There are many who have been recipients of God’s immense goodness, but over time they have forgotten all of them, and have given the place due for God, to money, worldly pleasures and to their work. Some others have given preference to their children, their grandchildren, and have begun to worship them in a way. Let us recollect the manifold blessings that we have received from God.
• They offered sacrifices to the idol
We read in Exodus 32:6, “And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.” (ASV)
The Israelites surrendered themselves to the golden calf when they offered burnt-offerings, and made peace with it when they offered peace-offerings.
• God’s righteous indignation
We read about the consequence of this act in Exodus 32:7-8, And the LORD said to Moses, "Go! Get you down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made them a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'”(NKJV)
God’s heart was so grieved that He relinquished His ownership of the people, and informed Moses that he alone was responsible for them. The Lord told Moses all that transpired below the mountain, that the people had corrupted themselves, turned away from God’s command, had made the molten calf, worshipped it, sacrificed to it, and given it all the honor that was due to God alone. By so doing the Israelites lost their identity of who they were, and their exclusivity that they belonged to the living God.
Whenever, we give other things priority in our lives over God, we too will lose our on our identity and uniqueness. Think about all the benefits that we have received from the hand of the Lord, and keep thanking Him always. The word of God reminds us that we should declare the wonders that God performs in our lives to others, and more importantly we should pass them on to our children. Our hearts must be filled with gratitude for all God’s blessings, mercies and grace showered on us every single day. If we have forgotten, let us remind ourselves about this often.
This was also one of the reasons why the Lord commanded the Israelites to observe certain feasts and festivals. These were merely to serve as reminders of all that God had done in their lives, so they could talk about it to their children and their children’s children.
It is indeed a fact that if most of us have stepped into the year 2021, it is only the grace of God that has sustained us. The year 2020 brought unimaginable changes, dangers, loss and death to many because of the pandemic, but through it all the Lord graciously brought us out of all these calamities. We could never truly thank the Lord enough for all of His mercies showered on us so that we can worship Him today.
As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10, all these incidents have been recorded in the bible, as examples, for us to be cautioned not to be like the people of Israel. Just as God delivered the people of Israel from the cruel bondage to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, so also He had redeemed us and made us His own children. This is our great privilege, and we must be grateful to the Lord for choosing us to be His own. There are many who are better than us, but it is the grace of God that we are His children, and we must thank God for this blessed privilege and opportunity that is ours.
God told Moses that since the people had rebelled against Him that He would destroy them, and make a nation out of Moses. The Lord was enraged with the Israelites, and as the bible warns us it would be a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It is true that God is gracious and merciful, but on the other hand He is just and will judge sin. That is why it is important to walk circumspectly before the Lord, and to avoid all those things that are displeasing to God.
• Moses pleaded with God
There was a big difference in the way Jonah looked at the people of Nineveh, and the way Moses perceived the situation of the Israelites. Jonah was more concerned about his reputation, but Moses was totally opposite to that of Jonah.
We read a part of this prayer of Moses as recorded in Exodus 32:31-32, Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” (NKJV)
Moses first and foremost confessed the sins of the people to the Lord. Moses knew that they had committed a grave sin against a most holy and awesome God, who was due all their honor and reverence. He pleaded with God to be gracious, and forgive the sins of the people, failing which Moses did not mind having his own name removed from the book of life. This was the heart of Moses who did not desire to be safe and exalted, while the people he led were about to be destroyed.
This should be the heart of every servant of God that not one whom God has entrusted to them should perish or be in harm’s way. Men and women of God who will plead with God in His presence on behalf of the people. Someone who is not considering their own welfare, but is seeking God’s blessings on the people whom they are serving.
The way Jesus prayed
When Jesus was crucified on the cruel cross and as he hung in great anguish, His strength drained, and hardly able to speak, these were His words as recorded in Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.” (NKJV)
We see two things that happened that day. At the foot of the cross were soldiers, who did not realize that Jesus was dying for their sins, and were casting lots for His garments. These men were so worldly, and were caught up with what they could get, and were oblivious to what was happening on that cross. Jesus did not cry out to the Father to destroy everyone, or to let them repent of their wickedness, but rather Jesus prayed forgiveness over all who stood around that cross.
This is the kind of attitude that God desires for all of us to have. We need to take a check to see if we have a heart like Jonah, or if we have a heart like that of Moses and Jesus. Even today Jesus is interceding on behalf of us to the Father. Let us remember the purpose for which we have been called, and let us remember that we have received grace to enter into the Kingdom of God. It is good for us to constantly remember all the goodness of God in our lives, and to seek to fulfill His will and plan for our lives. If we do so the Lord will certainly be glorified in and through our lives.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
