Well, we've finally made to the last chapter of the book of Jonah. For myself and the guys that participated in this study, it has been a true blessing. I pray that anyone who reads this blog will have gotten something out of Jonah that has challenged their faith and has brought them closer to Jesus. Let me encourage you tho take some time and study Gods word. Not just a few verses here and there but whole books. Get the most out of Gods word. When you study just a verse or two here and there you tend not to get the entire thought of the text. OK, with that said, let's get to the observations made in Jonah chapter 4.
Observation from Jonah Chapter 4:
-Jonah was mad that the people of Nineveh repented
-Jonah makes excuses to God as to why he didn't obey in the first place (he knew God would relent)
-Jonah wishes to die because of the repentance of the people of Nineveh (how is this better than repentance?!)
-Jonah has the temper of a 3 year old and stomps out of the city hoping to watch God destroy it (He is selfish, thinking that the people are not deserving if the same grace that God has given to him. He also thought this of the mariners in chapter 1)
-God provides a plant to give Jonah shade.
-Jonah was thankful for the plant (now he was sinning and comfortable)
-God destroys the plant and not Nineveh
-One again Jonah shows his displeasure for the people of Nineveh by caring more about a plant that has died than he does about 120,000 people that are spiritually dead
-Jonah pleads again to God to take his life
-God rebukes Jonah for not caring for the souls of men, but for a plant that he did nothing to deserve
-God describes the people of Nineveh as spiritually and morally unaware or dead
Conclusion:
In Jonahs mind, the grace that God showed to him in the belly of the fish and for sparing his life, was to good for the people of Nineveh. The lesson that God was trying to get across to Jonah by providing the plant and then taking it away was that God is the giver of all things and therefore can take away as he sees fit. We are all undeserving of everything that God has given to us, even the gift of grace, repentance and the faith to believe in him. In this last section, God seems to be very disappointed with Jonah. Jonah, of all people, should know better and he does. However he lets his pride, arrogance and selfishness totally jack up his walk with God. Even with all of Jonahs and our own shortcomings, God can and will use us to bring glory to him.
