Jonah Chapter 4

Read Jonah 4:1-4

Jonah is in the city when he prays this prayer. He is watching the response of the Ninevites to God’s message. Jonah learns from God that He has decided not to destroy the city.

1) How did Jonah respond to God’s decision to show compassion for the Ninevites and not
destroy them? Greatly displeased and became angry. A more appropriate translation of angry would be furious. Jonah was ticked off. With whom was Jonah displeased/angry? God.

2) Put in your own words Jonah’s prayer to God in verses 2 and 3. Point out Jonah is still in the
city when he prays this prayer.

I knew this would happen. When you first told me back in Israel to go to Nineveh and cry against it. I knew this would happen. That’s why I fled to Tarshish, to delay this. I know you God. You are gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, full of mercy, and one who does not seek to destroy. Now kill me.

3) From reading Jonah’s prayer, why was he angry at God? He chose to show compassion/mercy towards Nineveh rather than wipe out every single man, woman, and child in the city. Read how Jonah describes God. God showing such qualities to Nineveh should have made Jonah feel how? Rejoicing, excited, partying mood. Instead he’s angry at God. Do you get the impression that Jonah makes God’s mercy, compassion, etc. sound as if they are faults? Jonah in a way was telling God - Nineveh does not deserve Your mercy/compassion/love. The city deserved Your anger/wrath. The city deserves what YOU told me to tell them. The city deserved to be blown off the face of the planet. Why? From Jonah’s point of view why? They are evil, cruel, violent people. They are Israel’s number one enemy. They are Gentiles. How did Israelites view Gentiles? Godless, wicked, depraved, fuel for fires of hell. Beneath contempt. Again, this attitude stemmed from the Israelites’ egotistical/monopolistic view of their relationship with God. God’s blessings, his mercy, love, compassion should be limited to them. Jonah had this attitude regarding the Ninevites. If you were to ask Jonah, “Hey Jonah, don’t you remember that God recently showed compassion and mercy towards you? Remember when the Gentiles pagans attempted to spare your life by not throwing you off the boat? How God sent the big fish to save you from drowning? Remember the words of your prayer inside the big fish - Salvation comes from the Lord?” What do you think Jonah’s response might have been? I am an Israelite. I’m not surprised God would show me mercy. These people are Gentiles. They deserve to be destroyed. Therefore, when God showed mercy to the Ninevites, it angered Jonah to the point where he rather be dead than live in a world where God shows mercy to Gentiles. Again, it is not up to us humans to decide who deserves God’s mercy and who deserves His wrath. Homosexuals, Muslims, Osama bin Laden, do not deserve eternal salvation. They deserve eternal damnation. That is not our choice to make. It’s God’s.

4) Why did Jonah want to die? Jonah would rather die than live in a world where Gentiles are shown mercy by God. Or, he may have been afraid of what might happen to him if his fellow Israelites learn of how God used him to save Nineveh from destruction.

5) Read verse 4. How did God respond to Jonah? Did God strike him dead? No. He asked Jonah a question. Have you any right to be angry? Can you justify your anger towards me because I chose to spare Nineveh? What was Jonah’s response? Silence.

6) Read vs. 5. What did Jonah do? Jonah went outside the walls of the city, built a shelter from the bright sun, and waited to see if God might change His mind again and wipe out Nineveh.

7) Read vs. 6-8. What all did God do to Jonah in these verses? What were Jonah’s reactions? God caused a huge vine to grow to protect Jonah from the blazing sun. Keep him cool/comfortable. What was Jonah’s reaction to this? Happy; thrilled. God once again shows compassion for Jonah. The next morning what did God do? God allowed a worm to eat the vine to the point it withered and died. Jonah no longer had protection from the hot sun. Furthermore, God made it even more uncomfortable for Jonah by having a scorching wind from the east to blow at Jonah. The hot wind combined with the blazing sun made Jonah extremely uncomfortable. His reaction? He wanted to die.

8) Read vs. 9-11. What did God ask Jonah? “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” Jonah said “Yeah! I’m so ticked off I want to die.” Why was Jonah so angry? Jonah loved the vine. It provided him with shade and comfort. Now it had been taken from him. The death of the vine upset Jonah greatly to the point where he once again wanted to die.

9) What was God’s purpose for doing what He did in vs. 6-8? To once again teach Jonah a lesson in mercy/compassion. If Jonah could show compassion for a plant which he had nothing to do in growing, that grew one day and died the next, should not God show compassion for the people of Nineveh, and its animals, which God did create? The Ninevites were God’s creation. He formed each in the womb. God watched them be born. God watched the Ninevites grow and mature. He watched them make poor decisions and succumb to evil. God despised what they became and yet He still felt compassion for them. Why? Because they were His creation that He had fashioned and formed with his own hands. And so, God sent Jonah to warn them of what He would happen in hopes that the Ninevites would repent. They did. On the other hand, Jonah felt more pity for a plant than he did for human beings created by God.

10) What was Jonah’s response? Silence. No “God you are right. How could I continue to be so hard-headed?” Just silence.

APPLICATION:

Why was Book of Jonah included in Scripture? What did God want Israel to learn from Book of Jonah? God’s love is not confined to one nation. God loves all peoples. He shows compassion for all peoples. His redemptive plan was for all peoples. By showing compassion/mercy to Assyrians, God was showing Jonah and Israel He loved all peoples/enemies. Did Jonah get it? No. Did Israel? No. Their enmity towards Gentiles continued well into the New Testament era.
What does God want us to learn from the Book of Jonah? Same as above. Also Jonah 2:8 - Salvation comes from the Lord. We do not have the authority to determine who deserves eternal salvation and who deserves eternal damnation.