1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
God had just shown Nineveh mercy by relenting from the disaster He had said he would bring on them. But Jonah was displeased by this. While God’s anger dissipated, Jonah became hot with anger. Jonah then prays and reveals the reason he fled to Tarshish. He knew God’s character, that He is merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Ex 34:6; Joel 2:13; Neh 9:17; Ps 103:8). God is favourable towards us, does not delight in punishing the wicked, and has a loyal and faithful love. Jonah knew that if the Ninevites repented that God would show them mercy and he did not want that. Jonah would have known that Amos and Hosea prophesied that Assyria would destroy Israel and he did not want to see his enemy receive mercy. Jonah was so upset by God’s act of mercy toward his enemy that he asked God that he might die. In the fish, he had asked to live (Jon 2:2) but now he felt he had no reason to live. God was concerned for Nineveh, Jonah was not. Jonah wanted God to act swiftly against the disobedience in Nineveh but if he was consistent, he should expect that God should swiftly deal with his own disobedience. But God, ever merciful, engages Jonah and asks him if he has a right to be angry.
Without answering God, Jonah left the city and built himself a quick shelter, and sat down to see what would happen to the city. What did he expect would happen? Did he think that God would again change His mind because of his outburst? Jonah was so convinced that Nineveh deserved to be punished that he childishly sat and waited until they were judged. God made a plant to grow up quickly and provide shade and comfort for Jonah. This delighted Jonah. The next day, God sent a worm that attacked the plant and it withered and died. The plant may have been a castor-bean plant that grows quickly in hot climates reaching 12 feet and has large leaves. It also easily withers if its stalk is damaged. The growth of the plant within a day is still a miraculous and compassionate provision from God. As the sun rose, God sent a scorching east wind and the sun beat down on Jonah so that he became faint. Again Jonah sulked and asked to die because of his discomfort. God asked Jonah if he was right to be upset about the plant. Jonah answered that he was right to be angry, even angry enough to die. God pointed out that Jonah was concerned over a plant that he didn’t plant, work on, or cause to grow. It was fleeting, growing overnight and withering away overnight. In contrast, should God not be concerned over the people of Nineveh, more than 120,000 people who were morally and ethically naïve? Jonah was selfish and concerned only for his personal comfort. God is unselfish and concerned about the many people worldwide who need His grace.
God has shown us all incredible mercy and grace. Why are we so slow to extend grace and mercy towards others? God commissioned us to reach others with the gospel and yet most of us remain too focussed on our own comfort without enough concern for the eternal destiny of others. Who do you need to reach out to today?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Call of Abraham: Genesis 12