1 But Jonah was very upset. He became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, "Lord, isn't this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home? That's why I was so quick to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don't want to destroy them. 3 Lord, take away my life. I'd rather die than live."
4 But the Lord replied, "Do you have any right to be angry?"
5 Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.
5 Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.
Jonah knew that if he preached a message of destruction instead of repentance that Israel would repent and Jonah really did not want them to be forgiven.
What is wrong with Jonah? He loves himself more than he loves God or other people.
How can a person with such a clear vision of God's character so greatly misunderstand his own purpose in life?
Jonah obviously did not believe that being like God was his goal.
Jonah thought he was better than the people of Ninevah. Do we ever think that we are better than other people?
What do you think Jonah hoped would happen to the city?
I think he was waiting to see Ninevah destroyed.
Read Jonah 4: 5 - 11
5 Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.
6 Then the Lord God sent a vine and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the vine. 7 But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up.
8 When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine?"
"I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die."
10 But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine. But you did not take care of it. You did not make it grow. It grew up in one night and died the next. 11 Nineveh has more than 120,000 people. They can't tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of cattle. So shouldn't I show concern for that great city?"
Jonah had made a shelter why do you think God provided the vine? The vine would actually keep Jonah cooler because the moisture would exude through the leaves. That is why it is cooler to sit under the shade of a tree rather than the shade of a building.
Jonah built his shelter while God made the vine. God is still pursuing Jonah. Jonah gets mad and stomps off and waits hoping that God will change His mind and do what Jonah wants done.
Read Jonah 4: 7 again. Who provided the worm? God
Read Jonah 1: 17 and 4:7 together. What parallels do you see between the great fish and the little worm? God provided both. God used both to get the attention of Jonah. The great fish was used to save Jonah from drowning. The little worm was used to make Jonah uncomfortable. The discomfort was meant to save Jonah's spiritual life.
Read Jonah 4:9
When Jonah says he is angry enough to die it sounds to me like a spoiled little kid that did not get his way. How many times do we act like that with God?
So when we face our time when we may not have our "vine" (which can be anything that God has given us) we need to remember that we still have God and He will never leave us. I have seen a lot of people get mad at God when someone they love dies. It is hard to lose a loved one but we will still have God and He will be with us.
Jonah has the attitude of the devil. He is selfish and upset that people are not being destroyed. At this time Jesus was in the process of giving His life away so that we all could be saved. Salvation is for all.
Jonah had nothing to do with the life and care of the vine but yet he was so angry that he wanted to die. God created and sustained the Ninevites. God tells us that he has an interest in our life and our salvation.
The book of Jonah is like a cliffhanger because we don't know if Jonah ever truly repented or if he continued living just for himself.
I'm very thankful that God does not have Jonah's attitude.
6 Then the Lord God sent a vine and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the vine. 7 But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up.
8 When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine?"
"I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die."
10 But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine. But you did not take care of it. You did not make it grow. It grew up in one night and died the next. 11 Nineveh has more than 120,000 people. They can't tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of cattle. So shouldn't I show concern for that great city?"
Jonah had made a shelter why do you think God provided the vine? The vine would actually keep Jonah cooler because the moisture would exude through the leaves. That is why it is cooler to sit under the shade of a tree rather than the shade of a building.
Jonah built his shelter while God made the vine. God is still pursuing Jonah. Jonah gets mad and stomps off and waits hoping that God will change His mind and do what Jonah wants done.
Read Jonah 4: 7 again. Who provided the worm? God
Read Jonah 1: 17 and 4:7 together. What parallels do you see between the great fish and the little worm? God provided both. God used both to get the attention of Jonah. The great fish was used to save Jonah from drowning. The little worm was used to make Jonah uncomfortable. The discomfort was meant to save Jonah's spiritual life.
Read Jonah 4:9
When Jonah says he is angry enough to die it sounds to me like a spoiled little kid that did not get his way. How many times do we act like that with God?
So when we face our time when we may not have our "vine" (which can be anything that God has given us) we need to remember that we still have God and He will never leave us. I have seen a lot of people get mad at God when someone they love dies. It is hard to lose a loved one but we will still have God and He will be with us.
Jonah has the attitude of the devil. He is selfish and upset that people are not being destroyed. At this time Jesus was in the process of giving His life away so that we all could be saved. Salvation is for all.
Jonah had nothing to do with the life and care of the vine but yet he was so angry that he wanted to die. God created and sustained the Ninevites. God tells us that he has an interest in our life and our salvation.
The book of Jonah is like a cliffhanger because we don't know if Jonah ever truly repented or if he continued living just for himself.
I'm very thankful that God does not have Jonah's attitude.
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