Jonah 4
The Lord God deals with Jonah's heart.
Chapter 4 is where the similarities of Jonah to Jesus ends. His heart and attitude are no longer a forerunner of the Lord. As we will see, the Lord God has to deal with Jonah again. I do struggle with his actions here. I have studied revivals and awakenings for years. I'm praying now for a move of the Holy Spirit in Nelson County and our nation. I've begged the Lord to let me experience it somewhere and sometime in my life. Jonah did experience a huge move of the Holy Spirit and he was angry with the results! So for me, it is tempting to wish the book of Jonah ended after chapter three with Jonah celebrating a mountain top experience. But it did not and of course, we can gain some important lessons from chapter four.
1 Jonah was greatly displeased. Again, we do not know what Jonah experienced or knew about in the past concerning the Assyrians and their cruelty. It must have been horrifying and very difficult to deal with. We are emotional beings. This is how God created us. But how we respond to difficult situations is what sets us apart from the world. It is okay to be angry, sad, hurt, traumatized, and emotional. But we should let the Lord help us deal with these issues and get us through them so we don't stay there. When we dwell on them, we can lose sight of Him and what He is doing around us and what He wants to do through us. Jonah had quickly forgotten that the Lord God had just given him a second chance. Have you forgotten about this? Read chapter 2 again. And how does it end? Salvation is from the Lord! The Lord's ways are higher than ours and that is a good thing. He had a heart for the wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah refused to apply the grace and mercy he received from the Lord God to the Ninevites.
2 Jonah prays a most unusual prayer. Remember, Jonah was a prophet and they declare the word of the Lord so people turn to God. This is exactly what happened. It seems to me that converted Assyrians would be a good thing for Israel. Would the world be a better place without terrorists? Much! Do we rejoice when they get converted? Absolutely!
3 The pity party has begun. Multitudes have just gotten saved and Jonah wants to die. He is losing it! Now, where is Jonah's focus? The Lord God and His Kingdom and plans or himself? Himself. Do you want to be in a sorry state of mind or even depressed? Join the Jonah pity party. Maybe Jonah was experiencing burnout? It is very possible. The Bible commentator, J.Vernon McGee said Jonah had been through a lot. In fact, he had been through a fish!
4 A great question! We could camp out on this verse for quite a long time. The Lord always gets right to the heart of the matter when He is dealing with us. Do we really have a good reason to be angry at God? Do we know the beginning from the end of all things? Do we understand all of His creation? Do we know everything He is doing in the world? Do we know all His plans for our life? No, we do not.
5 Jonah went out of the city. To the east of Nineveh, there are some hills. Jonah set up a shelter where he could look down on Nineveh and see what would happen. Would they really repent? Would they really change? They were Gentiles after all. At the same time what was going on in heaven? In Luke 15:7 Jesus said, I tell you in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Heaven was having a very big time over this move of the Holy Spirit! Jonah was down in the dumps.
6 The Lord God was still pursuing Jonah even when he was in a terrible state of mind and refusing to see what He had done. He was also setting him up to help him see his own narrow-minded ways. The Lord in His goodness gave poor Jonah relief from the hot sun. Jonah was now extremely happy. The focus was back on him and not Nineveh. Angry at the Lord Gods' mercy and salvation to the souls in Nineveh but extremely happy for himself. Talk about me focused! Let's not go there, people.
7 But God! He was trying to give Jonah an attitude adjustment here. To look at something that God was doing. To be thankful to the Lord for His goodness and mercy.
8 The Lord God brings another wind to punish Jonah and get him moving in the right direction. It didn't seem to work too well. Jonah begged to die! Maybe he should have gone into the city to get some shade and water. No, he was too stubborn to even get help from the repentant Ninevites. We have all at one time or another been there. We are emotional beings. But let's think about this. If Jonah had rejoiced along with heaven, would he be suffering all alone out in the hot sun? I don't think so! Jonah should have been riding a camelback to Israel and praising the Lord God for what He did in pagan Nineveh. Isaiah and weeping Jeremiah would have loved to have gotten those results.
9 Let's try this again Jonah. Do you have good reason to angry about the plant? Jonah just would not give in. He said yes he does. He was a tough nut to crack!
10,11 Oh Jonah! He had compassion on a plant that God created and blessed him with that perished overnight. Shouldn't God have compassion on the people of Nineveh that are perishing that He created? 120,000 children were there. Was it their fault the city was wicked? God even had compassion for the animals. Hopefully, Jonah turned his focus back on the Lord God. We can be sure that the Lord still had plans for his life.
Things To Consider
There is no doubt we are in very discouraging, distressing, dangerous, times. As emotional beings, there are many reasons to be distracted from the things of God and what He is doing. We are human. It is our nature to retreat and isolate when bad things happen to us or those we care so much about. As with Jonah, this is when we lose our focus. We only see ourselves and the problems related to us.
Are you angry with God? Do you really have reason to be?
Are you still obedient in those times? Did Jonah want to go to Nineveh? Did he love the people of Nineveh? No. But he obeyed and the Holy Spirit did a great miracle there. Obedience is powerful! God honors commitment!
Are you thankful that the Lord God has given you a second chance through Jesus and His salvation? What are you doing with that second chance?
Is the Lord God trying to get your attention in some way? He will pursue us even in our pity party and disobedience. I am so thankful for that! Let Him bring you back to Him and His plan for your life. It is a far better place to be. Rejoice in the Lord!
Yes, the world is getting crazier by the day but let's focus on Jesus. John 16:33 says, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world. Hallelujah! Jesus is awesome!
I hope you have enjoyed this study on the book of Jonah. Again, this was a very difficult calling the Lord gave to Jonah. How many of us today would go to a strange country by ourselves and witness to terrorists? But through Jonah's obedience, amazing things happened in Nineveh. The Lord God desires to do amazing things in your life too. Will you be obedient when the word of the Lord comes to you?
Chapter 4 is where the similarities of Jonah to Jesus ends. His heart and attitude are no longer a forerunner of the Lord. As we will see, the Lord God has to deal with Jonah again. I do struggle with his actions here. I have studied revivals and awakenings for years. I'm praying now for a move of the Holy Spirit in Nelson County and our nation. I've begged the Lord to let me experience it somewhere and sometime in my life. Jonah did experience a huge move of the Holy Spirit and he was angry with the results! So for me, it is tempting to wish the book of Jonah ended after chapter three with Jonah celebrating a mountain top experience. But it did not and of course, we can gain some important lessons from chapter four.
1 Jonah was greatly displeased. Again, we do not know what Jonah experienced or knew about in the past concerning the Assyrians and their cruelty. It must have been horrifying and very difficult to deal with. We are emotional beings. This is how God created us. But how we respond to difficult situations is what sets us apart from the world. It is okay to be angry, sad, hurt, traumatized, and emotional. But we should let the Lord help us deal with these issues and get us through them so we don't stay there. When we dwell on them, we can lose sight of Him and what He is doing around us and what He wants to do through us. Jonah had quickly forgotten that the Lord God had just given him a second chance. Have you forgotten about this? Read chapter 2 again. And how does it end? Salvation is from the Lord! The Lord's ways are higher than ours and that is a good thing. He had a heart for the wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah refused to apply the grace and mercy he received from the Lord God to the Ninevites.
2 Jonah prays a most unusual prayer. Remember, Jonah was a prophet and they declare the word of the Lord so people turn to God. This is exactly what happened. It seems to me that converted Assyrians would be a good thing for Israel. Would the world be a better place without terrorists? Much! Do we rejoice when they get converted? Absolutely!
3 The pity party has begun. Multitudes have just gotten saved and Jonah wants to die. He is losing it! Now, where is Jonah's focus? The Lord God and His Kingdom and plans or himself? Himself. Do you want to be in a sorry state of mind or even depressed? Join the Jonah pity party. Maybe Jonah was experiencing burnout? It is very possible. The Bible commentator, J.Vernon McGee said Jonah had been through a lot. In fact, he had been through a fish!
4 A great question! We could camp out on this verse for quite a long time. The Lord always gets right to the heart of the matter when He is dealing with us. Do we really have a good reason to be angry at God? Do we know the beginning from the end of all things? Do we understand all of His creation? Do we know everything He is doing in the world? Do we know all His plans for our life? No, we do not.
5 Jonah went out of the city. To the east of Nineveh, there are some hills. Jonah set up a shelter where he could look down on Nineveh and see what would happen. Would they really repent? Would they really change? They were Gentiles after all. At the same time what was going on in heaven? In Luke 15:7 Jesus said, I tell you in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Heaven was having a very big time over this move of the Holy Spirit! Jonah was down in the dumps.
6 The Lord God was still pursuing Jonah even when he was in a terrible state of mind and refusing to see what He had done. He was also setting him up to help him see his own narrow-minded ways. The Lord in His goodness gave poor Jonah relief from the hot sun. Jonah was now extremely happy. The focus was back on him and not Nineveh. Angry at the Lord Gods' mercy and salvation to the souls in Nineveh but extremely happy for himself. Talk about me focused! Let's not go there, people.
7 But God! He was trying to give Jonah an attitude adjustment here. To look at something that God was doing. To be thankful to the Lord for His goodness and mercy.
8 The Lord God brings another wind to punish Jonah and get him moving in the right direction. It didn't seem to work too well. Jonah begged to die! Maybe he should have gone into the city to get some shade and water. No, he was too stubborn to even get help from the repentant Ninevites. We have all at one time or another been there. We are emotional beings. But let's think about this. If Jonah had rejoiced along with heaven, would he be suffering all alone out in the hot sun? I don't think so! Jonah should have been riding a camelback to Israel and praising the Lord God for what He did in pagan Nineveh. Isaiah and weeping Jeremiah would have loved to have gotten those results.
9 Let's try this again Jonah. Do you have good reason to angry about the plant? Jonah just would not give in. He said yes he does. He was a tough nut to crack!
10,11 Oh Jonah! He had compassion on a plant that God created and blessed him with that perished overnight. Shouldn't God have compassion on the people of Nineveh that are perishing that He created? 120,000 children were there. Was it their fault the city was wicked? God even had compassion for the animals. Hopefully, Jonah turned his focus back on the Lord God. We can be sure that the Lord still had plans for his life.
Things To Consider
There is no doubt we are in very discouraging, distressing, dangerous, times. As emotional beings, there are many reasons to be distracted from the things of God and what He is doing. We are human. It is our nature to retreat and isolate when bad things happen to us or those we care so much about. As with Jonah, this is when we lose our focus. We only see ourselves and the problems related to us.
Are you angry with God? Do you really have reason to be?
Are you still obedient in those times? Did Jonah want to go to Nineveh? Did he love the people of Nineveh? No. But he obeyed and the Holy Spirit did a great miracle there. Obedience is powerful! God honors commitment!
Are you thankful that the Lord God has given you a second chance through Jesus and His salvation? What are you doing with that second chance?
Is the Lord God trying to get your attention in some way? He will pursue us even in our pity party and disobedience. I am so thankful for that! Let Him bring you back to Him and His plan for your life. It is a far better place to be. Rejoice in the Lord!
Yes, the world is getting crazier by the day but let's focus on Jesus. John 16:33 says, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world. Hallelujah! Jesus is awesome!
I hope you have enjoyed this study on the book of Jonah. Again, this was a very difficult calling the Lord gave to Jonah. How many of us today would go to a strange country by ourselves and witness to terrorists? But through Jonah's obedience, amazing things happened in Nineveh. The Lord God desires to do amazing things in your life too. Will you be obedient when the word of the Lord comes to you?
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