seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Jonah 4 :1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
a. Jonah 4:6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.
The easy English site is the easiest to understand. That's why I keep going back to it.
The anxious people of Nineveh waited for the 40 days to end. When nothing happened, they knew that God had heard their prayers to forgive them. He was not going to destroy their city and everybody in it. The people were very glad. But Jonah was very annoyed. Why did God not punish these cruel and evil people? Jonah thought that they deserved it.
When God called him the first time, Jonah suspected that God was too kind to punish Nineveh. This was the real reason why Jonah decided to run away from God. Jonah could not understand how God could love such cruel people. The people of Nineveh deserved to die. However, God had not destroyed them.
But once again, God has no hard words to say to Jonah. He merely asks him a question: ‘Have you the right to be angry?’ But Jonah is so angry that he does not bother to answer.
It seems that Jonah began to shout his warning in the west of Nineveh. He then walked on towards the east. He chose a place to sit outside the city, with the rising sun behind him and so shining on the city. He was still hoping to see God destroy Nineveh. This would be like the time when God destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-28). Meanwhile Jonah made a simple shelter out of branches to protect himself from the hot sun.
As God provided a great fish (chapter 2), so now he provided a plant. Jonah was glad of the extra shade that the plant gave him against the fierce sun. But the plant lived for only one day. God intended to teach Jonah a lesson about kindness.
So, as God had provided a fish and then a plant, so now he provided a worm. That night the worm attacked the plant, and the plant died. So Jonah lost its shelter.
Next day, when the sun grew hot, God also provided a hot east wind to blow upon Jonah’s head. Jonah felt so weak and miserable, he wanted to die. Jonah’s words were like Elijah’s words in the desert. Elijah, too, had run away. But he really wanted to do God’s work, and thought he had failed (see 1 Kings 19:4).
Jonah still did not understand how wrong he was. God has no pleasure in seeing evil people die. He told Jonah that he was wrong not to pity the people of Nineveh. God knew that they were like children. They needed God to be like a good father to them.
God cares for everything that he has made. He cares for every person and he cares for every animal. He is very patient. He will go to great trouble to try to persuade every person in every nation to trust in him and to follow him.
This is from Bibletrack.org.Verse 1 says it all, "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." What's up with this? The prophets of Israel and Judah preach to their own people, and they reject God's word. Jonah preaches to these heathen strangers, and they turn to God. He's so upset about his success, he asks God to just go ahead and take his life in verse 3, and again in verse 8 when he says, "It is better for me to die than to live." These Assyrians had previously visited a town near Jonah as conquerors, and he did not want these people to prosper. Jonah, just deal with it! God has spoken and spared the lives of these repentant Assyrians - at least for a few dozen years or so. The Assyrians did terrorize Israel and it's neighbors at the end of that century. The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to them in 721 B.C. seen in II Kings 17 ,
It's interesting that the Book of Jonah ends without actually scratching Jonah's itch. As far as we know, Jonah may have mourned his success until the day he died. It just goes to show you: God's ways are not our ways. Any one of us may some day be called upon by God to minister in areas we personally find unnecessary or distasteful. We don't have to agree or even understand; we just need to obey God!
Last minute confessions..... it came to me yesterday and again this morning.... people seem to have a problem with last minute confessions and salvation.
I have cousins who have been good Christians their whole life. They attend church every time the doors are open..... they study and they pray.... they support others and they support their church. They are kind people who have devoted their whole life to doing the right thing. Oh they're not perfect.... they have some really lousy days.... but for the majority of the time.... they wholeheartedly love the Lord.
In contrast.... I have heard about others who were just no good. David Berkowitz comes to mind..... He's a real piece of work. After killing people and shooting a dog he claimed told him to do things.... Berkowitz was put in prison.... where he is reported to have found God.
Now.... I ask.... if God told me that I had to go to New York City and find a murderer and tell him to repent...... I would have a lot of anxiety. That man was a serial killer.... he would think nothing of killing me..... at the very least I would make a really dangerous enemy.
But.... IMHO.... it's not about the murderer finding God.... it's about God finding the murderer. When a horrifically evil person.... who claims that a black lab named Sam is telling him to slaughter people..... finds salvation.... it's not really likely that that horrifically evil person went looking.... it's more that God put others in his path.
When I told hubby I was going to write about the last minute salvation of people like Berkowitz..... Hubby said "they all find God in prison".... sarcastically.
I think that's where Jonah was going. If God wanted to forgive the people in Ninevah.... he didn't need Jonah to go make them angry by calling out their sins and calling them to repent. I think, if I were Jonah, I would have been afraid of getting my teeth punched down my throat for talking that way to a murdering scum. But God makes a good point.
Even that murdering scum was created by God. Sometimes the best testimonies come from the stupidest, meanest, people.
Back to my cousins.... the good people in the church..... they work their whole life to be a shining star for Jesus..... their week revolves around the church calendar..... how fair is it that someone like Berkowitz gets to heaven after only a few minutes of good works [comparitively]?
God says.... He created the good people and the messed up people..... he loves them all and wants to see them straighten their lives out.
IMHO.... it is a much nicer life without all that murder and mayhem.
