Tag: Jonah 4

Jonah’s Object Lesson

Old Testament: Jonah 4

Poetry: Psalm 73 (on repeat the rest of this week)

New Testament: Luke 12:13-21

In Jonah chapter 3, the great city Nineveh repented, and they turned towards God. Afterwards, God had mercy on the people and relented on the upcoming disaster that Jonah was warning them of. 

For those who follow God, it should be easy to rejoice when God shows his mercy and love. However, in Jonah chapter 4 we see that Jonah was displeased with the mercy that was afforded to the people of Nineveh. Why was Jonah angry at this? This is possibly due to Nineveh being the capital of the nation of Assyria, an enemy of Israel. Perhaps being on opposite sides, Jonah wanted to see his enemies destroyed, or perhaps his own personal morality guided that the Ninevites deserved destruction. Perhaps the disaster never befalling Nineveh also delegitimized the words that he spoke to them, and made him feel less powerful. Either way, Jonah’s heart was not in the right place, and God saw to it that Jonah saw this too. 

After Jonah complained to God, he rested. There, God allowed a plant to grow. Jonah found joy in this. Then, God caused the plant to die in the morning, and called in a great heat to overcome the area that Jonah was in. Again, Jonah cried out at the demise of the plant that he had. 

God then likened this plant to Nineveh. It gave great joy to Jonah despite him not being the reason it grew, and it was only there overnight. So too Nineveh should also receive mercy even if recently they turned from their wicked ways. 

Although only 11 verses long, Jonah 4 reveals a lot to us about who God is, and how we should interact with him. First off, God used the plant as a metaphor for Nineveh, much like how his son Jesus would use parables to teach spiritual lessons to people in ways that they may understand. 

Secondly, God has love for people, even for those that are not his chosen people. Perhaps Jonah may have disagreed with this at the time, but regardless this goes on to show the legitimacy of the great commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28, and carried out through the rest of the New Testament. The love of God is for everyone. 

Thirdly, we should always want what God wants. Even if we do not understand God, or if we do not agree with the way things may be going for us, we must adopt the viewpoint that aids so many people throughout the Bible: “not my will, but yours be done.” “Yours” referring to God, our father in heaven. 

-Colby Leggitt

Reflection Questions

  1. Even when we feel that we are worthless, how can we remind ourselves of the greater purpose that God has called us to?
  2. Why was Jonah so upset that God relented to the disaster to befall Nineveh? How can we connect this to times in our lives when we are angry that things don’t go our way? 
  3. What does God tell us about the worth of being angry (without very good reason)?
  4. Was God’s lesson on Jonah too harsh? Are such tribulations the kind of tough love that is needed sometimes for us to see things the way God wants us to?
sglcalendar2024Download

Your Enemies

Jonah 4

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

A couple years ago in a class at our youth event FUEL, I was in a class that focused on the idea of forgiveness. In the class we were watching a video by Bob Goff, a Christian author and lawyer, recounting his case against a witch doctor preying on the children of a few tribes in Africa. To make a long story short, Bob was able to assist in getting a witch doctor named Kabi jailed for the mutilation of a child. Unfortunately this crime was nothing new, but this time the child lived! This is definitely a story that is worth looking into after this, but let’s pick it back up in a little bit.

I want to turn to the life of Jonah the prophet. Despite the fun story many of us heard as kids I don’t think Jonah was a good prophet! He disobeyed directly what God had told him to do and expected God to simply vanquish his enemies. When he arrived at Nineveh, Jonah gave a half hearted message “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” And that’s all he said yet, it worked. When the people of Nineveh heard this they repented and mourned and decided to serve God, including their king.

When Kabi was jailed it seemed like a win, but an interesting thing happened. The enemy of this story, Kabi, acted in the same way Nineveh did. Kabi wanted to repent and turn to God!

When God decided not to punish Nineveh, Jonah was angry. He went on a hill and built a lean-to shelter and God grew a plant to shade Jonah. God then sent a worm to  kill that plant so that the hot sun and scorching winds would wear Jonah down. Jonah 4:9-11 reads “ ‘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.’ 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. 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?’”

When I was told Kabi was allowed to repent of his sins I was actually furious. I thought the most evil thing imaginable had been done and now this man gets to repent! But let’s look at the parallels. That plant was God’s to give and God’s to take away, just like our own grace given to us by God. The message of Jonah four is to be a reflection on our own lives and ask, “Are you okay with serving a God that loves your enemies?” And if not? He loves them anyway. Considering we’re not always on God’s side doing what he asks of us, it might just be a good thing.

-John Evans

Reflection Questions

  1. Are you okay with serving a God that loves your enemies?
  2. What was God’s desire for Jonah? For Ninevah? What is God’s desire for you? For your enemies?
  3. How can you grow closer to God’s desire for you?
  4. How will you show compassion to your enemies?
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload