Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
JONAH 4
Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion
1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “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.”
10 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. 11 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?”
Application Notes
4:1-2 Jonah revealed the reason for his reluctance to go to Nineveh (1:3). He didn't want the Ninevites forgiven; he wanted them destroyed. He bitterly complained to God about God's very own desire: to be merciful and compassionate to everyone (Exodus 34:6-7). Jonah did not understand that the God of Israel was also the God of the whole world. Are you surprised when someone you dislike turns to God? Is your view of Gods love and mercy as self-centered and narrow as Jonah's was? We must not forget that, in reality, we ourselves do not deserve to be forgiven by God. No one deserves his forgiveness. A sign of spiritual maturity is being truly thankful when we see anyone turn to God and commit to faithfully follow him.
4:1 Why did Jonah become angry when God changed his plans and spared Nineveh? The people of Israel did not want to share God's message with Gentile nations in Jonah's day, just as they resisted that role in Paul’s day (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). They had forgotten their original purpose as a nation—to be a blessing to the rest of the world by sharing God's message with other nations (Genesis 22:18). They were to demonstrate how people were to live under God's leadership, and this would show the world what God is like. Jonah thought that God should not freely give his salvation to a wicked pagan nation. Yet this is exactly what God does for anyone who comes to him in faith.
4:3 Jonah had run from the job of delivering God's message of destruction to Nineveh (1:2-3); then he wanted to die because the destruction wouldn't happen. How quickly Jonah had forgotten God's mercy for him when he had been inside the fish (2:9-10). Jonah was happy when God saved him, but he was angry when God saved Nineveh. Jonah was learning a valuable lesson about God's mercy and forgiveness: It was not only for Jonah or for Israel alone; it extends to all who repent of their sin and believe in God.
4:3 Jonah may have been more concerned about his own reputation than God's. He knew that if the people repented, none of his warnings to Nineveh would come true. This would embarrass him, although it would give glory to God. Are you more interested in getting glory for God or for yourself?
4:5-11 God ministered tenderly to Jonah just as he had done to Nineveh and to Israel, and just as he does to us. God could have destroyed Jonah for his defiant attitude and resentful anger, but instead he gently taught him a lesson. If we will obey God, he will lead us to places of greater service. His harsh judgment is reserved for those who persist in rebellion.
4:9 Jonah was angry at the withering of the shady plant, but not over what could have happened to Nineveh. Jonah struggled to understand God's compassion. Jonah cared deeply about a small plant that he didn't even plant, but he could not see why God would have mercy on a people and place that he had created by his own hand. Jonah took God's mercy on himself for granted, and he disdained God for showing that same mercy to Nineveh. How easy it is to be more sensitive to our own interests than to the spiritual needs of people around us. We need to cultivate the same compassion for others that God has for all creation.
4:10-11 Sometimes people wish that judgment and destruction would come upon those whose evil actions or hatred of God seems to demand immediate punishment. But God shows more mercy than we can imagine. As humans, we find it difficult to understand God's heart. He feels compassion for those we want judged, and he devises plans to bring them to himself. God loves everyone, no matter how evil or cruel they are. He longs for all people to give up their sinful ways and turn to him to find eternal life. What is your attitude toward those who defy God and are especially wicked? Do you want them destroyed? Wouldn't you rather they experience God's mercy and forgiveness?
4:11 God spared the sailors when they pleaded for mercy. God saved Jonah when he prayed from inside the fish. God saved the king and the people of Nineveh when they repented and turned to him. God answers the prayers of everyone who turns to him. God will always accomplish his will, and he desires for all people to come to him, trust in him, and be saved. We can be saved if we heed God's warnings to us through his Word. If we respond in obedience, God will be gracious, and we will receive his mercy, not his punishment.
4:11 The book of Jonah provides fascinating insights into our own sinful human nature. Jonah was stubborn, angry, and resentful and we may identify strongly with his shortcomings. As God treated Jonah, he will also treat us. He listens, explains himself to us, gives us second chances, and reveals his heart to us. We can feel safe telling God our true feelings about people who are difficult to love in our families, ministries, or workplaces. And we can trust him to take care of us as he did Jonah.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)