Jonah 4 is the chapter that generally turns readers against him and write him off as an ungrateful sod and unsaved. Maybe I am a Jonah advocate because this passage again shows Gods love and what we do to push God away. So lets get into the passage:

Jonah 4.1. But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. ² He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this ^[a]what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore ^[b]in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

Clearly Jonah spoke to God before he fled from home and he basically says “Yea, I told you so. I know you too well and know you are so merciful and full of grace that you will probably save them”

Jonah actually reminds me of the rich young ruler. The young man stated everything he had done then Jesus asks him to sell everything (the things that was holding him back from truly knowing God) and follow me. Jonah had hatred in his heart for the Ninevites and God was teaching him mercy, grace and forgiveness.

Jonah goes as far as to want to die and God says “do you have a good reason to be angry”. Interestingly this statement is repeated again later on. However, the context here is that God is asking Jonah “do you have a right to be angry” because I am merciful and full of Grace? I think we are all guilty of this thought in our life at one time or another. Have you ever been secretly angry when people who do “bad” or unjust things, never get punished. Or there is an injustice and it makes you angry.

You see, God works in a different realm. He loves people no matter their sin. He continually pursues us, so that we see his love despite. Even despite us pushing God away He continues to love us.

Anyway, Jonah leaves the city and goes to the hills that overlooked Ninevah. Maybe he was thinking I can watch those Ninevites turn back to their old ways and then see what God will do or perhaps he wants to see if the change in the Ninevites continues or Jonah wanted the chance to say to God “I told you so”. What do you think?

Nonetheless, he is planning to sit there for some time because he builds a rather inadequate shelter. So God in His mercy and Grace prepares a plant to cover his head as Jonah wallows in pity and misery. Jonah acknowledges this and is grateful for the plant. Isn’t it funny that he appreciates Gods mercy on him but doesn’t equate that to the mercy shown to the Ninevites. Maybe he was making a judgement upon who should receive God’s love. It is easy to do that but I remind myself that when I judge others I am thinking I am equal to God.

The next day God sends a worm which slowly withers the plant. Then the hot wind and sun beats on Jonah. So,in his misery he again wishes he was dead. Jonah also demonstrates more compassion and concern for the plant than he does for the Ninevites.

I get two messages from this event. Firstly, Jonah was really more concerned about being seen as a false prophet i.e. his reputation, rather than the saving of the Ninevites. In fact he was even more concerned about a plant than the Ninevites.  Secondly, God loves us so much that he wants to experience His love without things in our life like pride that push God away. So God uses situations to draw us near to Him and remind us of the things that push him away.

It is easy to say “God is love” but when one experiences and contemplates God’s love that phrase has so much depth, meaning and fulfilment.

 

 

 

 

Jonahs response in Chapter 3 is a stark contrast to his response in Chapter 1. It is interesting to read the two similar verses (I have italicised the common words). As follows:

Jonah 1 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me”

Jonah 3 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you”

The subtle differences between the 2 verses are important to understand. Firstly God says to Jonah to simply cry out. Well did Jonah know what to say? Was he just going to denounce their wickedness using words tainted with revenge and not words from the heart of forgiveness and mercy? Would he really say the right thing if in his heart he had “hatred” for the people of Nineveh. After all he had good reason to think like that, considering how they killed many Hebrews in the past.

In  Chapter 3 we see that Jesus will give him the words to speak. I think the difference is significant. The first arise and go to Nineveh (in Chapter 1) was more about a metaphor about Jonah going to the place where he was really no different to the people there. Yea Jonah’s relationship with God was no different to the people of Nineveh despite him being a Hebrew and I say that because of his response to God’s call to him. You see Jonah was quite comfortable with his lifestyle on his farm and practicing the traditions of worshipping the one and only true God.

You see Jonah may not have been showing the evil deeds and wickedness of the Ninevites, but inside he hated the Ninevites because in reality his relationship with God was more about traditions and not from the heart. So God sent him on a mission to find Him. Because God could have called many others to warn the Ninevites and we see  when Jonah gave his heart to God that he could then be an instrument to save others.

God literally had to shake him up and pull him out of his complacency. In Jonah’s case do you think God used a rather extreme method of winning him back to God? Do you think God used an extreme measure to win your heart?

Jonah certainly had a conversion experience and this resulted in him becoming a mouthpiece for God. Sort of reminds me of Moses. He was reluctant to go back to Egypt for a host of reasons. Yet Moses had the experience of the burning bush. Yes, God spoke to him and despite his lack of confidence he went back and Aaron was his spokesperson.

As you know, the people of Nineveh turned from their evil ways and God spared them. The only reason the words were life changing was that they were from God. It wasn’t Jonah’s words that saved them, it was God speaking through Jonah that saved them. We are simply portals for God to express His love to mankind.

After thought

Don’t you find it also interesting that Jonah cried the following words out to the Ninevites “Yet in forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” What does “40 days” remind you of? It reminds me of the 40 days Jesus was in the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. It also reminds me that Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days after His resurrection and that Moses was in the mountain with God for 40 days as well and the list goes on. Why was Jonah preaching to the Ninevites for 40 days. Maybe it symbolises a testing period or a period of reflection and meditation on what really matters in life. In all cases after the 40 days great things happened. Especially when you remember the Holy Spirit came after the 40 days.

I am thinking this is a great topic for another blog, so I leave it for you to ponder for now.