JONAH, POUTING, DISPLEASED, DEJECTED. JONAH 4

The prophet Jonah had seen God show amazing mercy to the city of Nineveh, and yet, he was angry. (v1) He was not pleased when God tenderly relented of well-deserved judgment. He should have delighted in God’s graciousness, and like David penned a Psalm of thanksgiving. Fleshly self ruled even in this servant of God.

He used prayer to vindicate his worthless heart attitude. ( v2) Jonah used the title, Lord and God even when arguing with His Creator. He had a hunch that God would pardon even a defiant runaway. He understood deeply the nature of his God, ‘You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and plenteous in loving-kindness, one who relents from doing harm. Jonah knew more of the true God than any person in Nineveh. His revival preaching should have sustained and comforted the people with the truth of the living God. He failed inexcusably.

The seeds of depression had been sown in Jonah, with his rage, rejection of God’s perfect way, cold passionless prayer, and unforgiving spirit. Such depression is commonly observed in medical practice and pastoral counselling. . We must watch for familiar symptoms and a developing pattern. God’s Word is rich in truth.

Are you surprised to hear Jonah say,’ Please take my life from me. It is better for me to die than live.’ Jonah was not the omniscient Lord , even though he addressed Him as such The historic revival that spared Nineveh was only hours old, yet the revival preacher wanted to end his life. Satan attacked, infuriated at the power of the preached Word? Or was it the aftermath of the whole experience of Jonah’s rebellion, threatened shipwreck, the cyclone, the three days’ internment, and the long enervating trudge to Nineveh? God warned us in His holy Word.

Or was it the psychological and spiritual end result of a great experience?

The disciples faced the demonised child immediately after days of heavenly glory on mount transfiguration. This often follows our hallowed experiences, when Christ has drawn near.

Tenderly our Lord pleaded with His great Prophet. ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’

Our God did not reject or even rebuke the faithful preacher in this dismal hour. ( v4)

Jonah left the heart of the city, watching on the outskirts as the sun rose. . While he assembled a shelter for his shade, he surveyed Nineveh hoping that God’s fury would consume it. (v5)

The Lord God ( showing His creative and godly attributes in His title ) ‘prepared a plant to be a shade for Jonah’s head, and deliver him from his misery’. ‘So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.’(v6) The Lord did not withdraw His compassion even from such an unworthy person. Next morning the Lord had prepared ‘ a worm, which damaged the plant so that it withered’. ( v7) God worked to humble and restore Jonah.

Later the inspired James wrote ‘Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation (Nineveh had been lifted from the trough of heathendom ), but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field, he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat, than it withers the grass ( with Jonah it was the gourd ) , its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance withers away.’ ( James 1:9-11 )

The God Who had prepared’ a great fish to swallow Jonah’, a plant to shelter him, a worm to wither it, now prepared ‘ a vehement east wind ‘ so that the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint.’ (v8) When Moses crossed the Red Sea, the Lord prepared an east wind to lift the columns of ocean sky high. God worked in the life of Jonah to will and do of His good pleasure. Again he wished to die, claiming ‘ it is better for me to die than live.’ In depression there was injury or trauma to Jonah’s pride, burning anger and smouldering resentment to God for His sparing grace, self-

pity, churning over in his heart longing to see the smoke of God’s righteous judgment from ruins of Nineveh. Ensure that these elements do not find place in your life.

Jonah’s voice was silent from this moment, as the heavenly Father addressed His grumpy servant. We do not know whether he later boasted of His marvellous God , who had spared him and such a great civilisation. He should have seized the opportunity to glory in his God. He missed out badly. Do we miss out also?

The Lord gently discussed Jonah’s anger with him. We may have exploded, as he replied, ‘I am greatly angered even to death.’ ( v10 ) Depression leads on to the depreciation of all that is beautiful and right, as with Jonah. Christ later said, ‘I am come to give life’, whereas Jonah was preoccupied with self-interest and death.

‘The Lord said, ‘You had pity on the plant for which you have not laboured, nor made it to grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night’. ( v10) You showed mercy to a botanic specimen, when you were callous-hearted to men, women and children whom I loved, and for whom My Son would later die.

God bared His eternal heart to Jonah – and to us – when He pleaded, ‘Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city ( The Lord stated its immensity ) , in which are more than 120,000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left, and also much livestock’. God created the entire animal world as well as mankind. Our years in Indonesia showed that every child over two years of age distinguished between his right and left hand.. If a child offered his left hand to you or received a gift with the left hand, he was immediately rebuked, for the left hand was associated with all body hygiene, obviously insulting the giver or receiver. So many people under two years was readily understood by Asians. The population of Nineveh and its environs was 2 - 3 millions. Archeology has established the sophistication and expanse of the city.

Two observations follow from this remarkable prophecy.

God is a pitying God. ‘Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? He does not retain His anger for ever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins in the depths of the sea.’ ( Hosea 7:18,19).

He longs for nations of men and women and little ones to turn from their sins to Him as Saviour and Lord.

Christ Jesus although hidden in this account, unveiled Himself as He walked the Emmaus Road, ‘Beginning at Moses and all the prophets ( as well as Jonah ) He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." ( Luke 24;27)

Let us boldly and joyfully show the glories of our great Redeemer and Saviour in all the scriptures; including the prophecy of Jonah