Jonah 3:10-4:11

We now come to the point of this story of Jonah: should I not pity Nineveh.  This is contrasted with: it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.

Jonah prophesied in a time of prosperity under Jeroboam II.  Jonah knew the prosperity made it hard for people to see their desolate hearts.  They continued to seek the calf gods at Bethel and Dan.  Jonah knew that the time would come when God would punish Israel, and he knew that the Assyrians with their capital Nineveh would be God’s tool of judgment.  Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

Further, Jonah knew the Name of God.  We are referring to the most quoted passage in the Bible (Ex. 34:6-7) where God declared His Name to Moses.  Jonah knew what very few people know today: the God of the OT is no different that the God of the New Testament.  Hear God’s name from God Himself:

"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."

Jonah knew these two things: that in the future God would use Nineveh to punish Israel, and that God in the present would be merciful to Nineveh if they repented.  And it happened just as he thought, and thus he preferred to be dead (4:3).  Oh how fortunate that what Jonah knew about God was true because God could have accommodated Jonah on the spot.  But God patiently taught Jonah His grace by posing the question, Is it right for you to be angry?

Remember that word prepared (1:17)?  Here it is again, three times.  Jonah made himself a shelter outside the city to watch what would happen.  God prepared a plant to give Jonah good shade.  God prepared a worm to destroy the plant.  Finally, God prepared an east wind to make Jonah’s life miserable.  Again, Jonah was miserable and preferred death to life.  And again, God questioned His prophet: Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?

Jonah had nothing to do with the plant.  God made it appear; God made it disappear.  Jonah is not in charge.  Who is in charge?  God is!  But who is God?  God is just who Jonah knew He was: a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm (4:2).  Thus it is self-evident: God by nature should have pity/mercy/compassion on this great city full of people who know nothing of right or wrong.

Do we know this?  Do we understand that God loves people that quite often we hate?  We may exhibit hate for our political opponents, people who oppose our views on societal norms, people who don’t belong in our country, people who clearly display their wicked hearts.