Bible Commentaries

John Brown

Jonah 4:1-2 (NASB) BUT IT GREATLY DISPLEASED Jonah 4:3 (NASB) "THEREFORE NOW, O LORD, PLEASE TAKE MY LIFE FROM ME, FOR DEATH IS BETTER TO ME THAN LIFE."

A. It is not uncommon at all for Monday to be a very depressing day in the Life of a pastor.

1. And this is often after a wonderful day in the Lord on Sunday!

2. Elijah wanted to die right after he defeated the prophets of Baal.

a) A Christian is most vulnerable when they are drained physically, mentally, and spiritually.

b) And although Jonah has been an "unwilling" servant- he has been through a great deal in a very short time and the only solution he can see at this time, is death.

(1) But the lord has a few questions for him.

IV. Jonah 4:4 (NASB) AND THE LORD SAID, "DO YOU HAVE GOOD REASON TO BE ANGRY?"

A. Dr. G Douglas Young translated this verse like this: "Is doing good displeasing to you?" Jonah. (Through the Bible- J Vernon McGee- Vol3. page764)

1. Well I think the answer to these2question was be a little different for Jonah:

a) "Is doing good displeasing to you?" - the answer would be- in this case, "Yes!"

b) "Do you have good reason to be angry?" - the answer would have to be "No!"

(1) But since when does "reason" and "logic" give way to a raging heart?

(2) Jonah knows he has not real reason for his reactions Jonah 4:5 (NASB) THEN JONAH WENT OUT FROM THE CITY AND SAT EAST OF IT. THERE HE MADE A SHELTER FOR HIMSELF AND SAT UNDER IT IN THE SHADE UNTIL HE COULD SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE CITY.

A. I think Jonah was still pretty sure that once the king and the city saw that the Lord wasn"t going to "toast" them- they would return to their wicked ways. So he bought himself a ringside seat on a hill to the East of the city and even made a little "lean-to" to get out of the sun.

VI. Jonah 4:6 (NASB) SO THE LORD GOD APPOINTED A PLANT AND IT GREW UP OVER JONAH TO BE A SHADE OVER HIS HEAD TO DELIVER HIM FROM HIS DISCOMFORT. AND JONAH WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY ABOUT THE PLANT.

A. Jonah 4:7-8 (NASB) BUT GOD APPOINTED A WORM WHEN DAWN CAME THE NEXT DAY, AND IT ATTACKED THE PLANT AND IT WITHERED.

8 AND IT CAME ABOUT WHEN THE SUN CAME UP THAT GOD APPOINTED A SCORCHING EAST WIND, AND THE SUN BEAT DOWN ON JONAH's HEAD SO THAT HE BECAME FAINT AND BEGGED WITH [ALL] HIS SOUL TO DIE, SAYING, "DEATH IS BETTER TO ME THAN LIFE."

A. Here is Jonah again- full circle- wanting to die.

1. If this weren"t so sad it would be funny. When he had the plant he was happy or at least content.

2. But he has the maker of the plant, the maker of the fish, and the maker of the universe talking to him, and can"t see the value in it.

a) Life has meaning with the gourd, but not without it!

b) Jonah is not only without his gourd- he is out of it also.

VIII. Jonah 4:9 (NASB) THEN GOD SAID TO Jonah 4:10-11 THEN THE LORD SAID, "YOU HAD COMPASSION ON THE PLANT FOR WHICH YOU DID NOT WORK, AND [WHICH] YOU DID NOT CAUSE TO GROW, WHICH CAME UP OVERNIGHT AND PERISHED OVERNIGHT.

11 "AND SHOULD I NOT HAVE COMPASSION ON NINEVEH, THE GREAT CITY IN WHICH THERE ARE MORE THAN120 ,000 PERSONS WHO DO NOT KNOW [THE DIFFERENCE] BETWEEN THEIR RIGHT AND LEFT HAND, AS WELL AS MANY ANIMALS?"

A. " Jonah , you took such good care of this plant that I provided." "It became so important to you, and so valuable in such a short time." "Why is it so hard for you to understand my love for the people of Nineveh?" "You loved one little plant and saw value in it, why can you not see the value in120 ,000 people who have turned their hearts to me?"

X. CONCLUSION

A. I would like to make this application in closing:

1. There are millions of "Ninevites" out there that need to hear about the Lord. They need to have a chance to repent and get right with the Lord.

a) But it will not be til we see how much the Lord loves them that we get involved.

b) And finally, why is it so easy for us to attach ourselves to and find value, in the meaningless things in life, but so difficult to give the Lord and His purposes the right place in our hearts?