Hating God’s Goodness.
God’s goodness is treated lightly by Jonah in this final episode in the 10 part series by Brian Stapley, who asks the question – am I like Jonah?
God Counsels Jonah
In Jonah Chapter 4, God comes to Jonah to counsel him, and then? Well, that’s the big question, isn’t it? Where does Jonah end up? Some children’s versions of this story wrap it up by saying “Jonah learned his lesson and he never made that mistake again.” But actually, it seems Jonah doesn’t get the point at all. Let’s read, starting at Jonah, chapter 4, verse 1.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:1
This display of God’s goodness, “was evil to Jonah with great evil.
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.
Jonah 4:2
A Prayer of Lovely Words and Angry Tone
He prayed. Some prayer! His prayer had lovely words delivered in an angry tone. His prayer spit out a description of God’s character as if he had something foul in his mouth. Jonah had a love poem for his prayer, and he spoke it in disrespect, disgust, distrust.
He disrespected a God who would forgive Assyrians. He was disgusted that Nineveh should receive the same mercy he received. He distrusted the Covenant God, Jehovah, who seemingly breaks his covenant with Israel by letting their worst enemies survive.
What The Storybook Bible repeats with joy, Jonah makes his great complaint. The Storybook Bible calls it: “God’s Never stopping, Never giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. Jonah would hate that.
Take My Life
Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
Jonah 4:3
Here Jonah was saying, “You are so loving and kind I want to kill myself!” The New Living Translation puts Jonah’s words this way, “Just kill me now, Lord. I’d rather be dead than alive because nothing I predicted is going to happen.”
Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah 4:4
“Does it make any sense for you to be mad at my goodness?”
In the Shade
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. 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.
Jonah 4:5-6
“Out of the city” means away from any man-made cover, and probably without any natural cover. There were no palm trees, or leafy trees. That is why God had to “fast-grow” a plant. The average high temperature in that part of the world is 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
Jonah 4:7
The Bible says God prepared the worm, prepared the fish (1:17), prepared the vine (4:6),), and prepared the wind (4:8). God used a huge fish and a tiny worm for His purposes. Every living thing in this story submits to God’s authority – except Jonah.
Shelter Needed
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.”
Jonah 4:8
Temperatures can rise steeply in that east wind, all the way to 132 degrees Fahrenheit! If Jonah wanted immediate shelter, where do you think he would have had to go? Back into Nineveh!
Then God said to Jonah,
“Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
Jonah 4:9
If you didn’t already know the rest of the story, what would you predict his answer would be? My guess would be: “No, I am wrong, Lord.” But no, he tossed this into God’s face:
“It is right for me to be angry, even to death!’”
Jonah 4:9
Livestock and Pity
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 4:10.11
“And much livestock” is a strange way to end. I think this might mean, you got all worked up about 1 death in the vegetable kingdom – the plant. But God could not draw a breath of pity from you for thousands upon thousands of people or animals – “much livestock”.
I Can Be a Jonah
I hate to admit it, but I can be a Jonah. God allows pain to come into my life — a sadness, a total defeat, a heart-breaking loss — and I question whether he loves me. That’s a “Jonah”.
I hesitate to tell a non-Christian about God’s love because they are hostile and not very likeable. That’s a “Jonah”. May we pray to hear God in all his loving kindness, and share his love like the God who gave us the Son of his love.
In what ways are you like Jonah? Contact us at HopeStreamRadio, or comment below.
Brian Stapley
Brian Stapley is the husband of Margaret and “Christian-proud” father of Tabitha, Ben, Jeremy and Joel. He has been director of the Boys JIM Club of America since 1981 and a “JIM Clubber” since 1958, the year he became a Christian. The mission statement of the JIM Club is, “Discipling boys to love Jesus deeply and express him vividly.”
He has been an educator since 1970, primarily as a high school English Teacher. (Don’t dangle your participles.) He has been in fellowship at Scottlea Gospel Chapel, St. Catharines, since 1976 and travels to preach about three dozen times a year, in Ontario and New York State. He is a ventriloquist, in company with Casey, Theodore, Dodo, Grumpa, and a menagerie of others. Also, a bit of a magician.
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