Jonah 4:1-11
Q.1. How did Jonah hide his callous heart toward Nineveh? What did he want God to do? Why did he want to die? Did God allow the prophet to brood? – (Jon.4:1-5 c.f. Gen.4:5-7)
Jonah tried to hide his hard-heartedness toward the ungodly Ninevites, by claiming that he knew the outcome all along, and by blaming God for his own disobedience – … “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore 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 (Jon.4:2). This was dishonest, because without a preacher, the thousands in Nineveh would have perished without hope (c.f. Is.52:7; Rom.10:13-15). Jonah was so self-focused, that he would rather see thousands destroyed, than that his word might be contradicted. Therefore, he had a tantrum, and asked to die (Jon.4:3). In His mercy, God challenged the reason for Jonah’s attitude, just has He did with Cain (Jon.4:4 c.f. Gen.4:5-7).
Q.2. How did God draw attention to the prophet’s moodiness and lack of compassion? Why had God sent Jonah to Nineveh? What do we learn about the heart of God for sinners? – (Jon.4:6-11)
Jonah camped outside the city in the harsh heat, hoping God might still destroy these ‘heathen’. – … There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city (Jon.4:5). God then acted out a parable, in order to drive home His compassion for the lost. Firstly, He grew a plant to give Jonah shade from the relentless heat – … And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant (Jon.4:6). Then God appointed a worm to eat through the stem of the plant so it withered. Next – … God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.” (Jon.4:8). God then questioned Jonah’s complaint regarding the plant. (Jon.4:10). How much more was God justified in saving the people He had made – Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” (Jon.4:11). These events underscored God’s compassion for all people, including the Gentiles.