Jonah's discontentment and correction
Read Jonah chapter 4
The inclusion of this fourth chapter shows us the real message of the book of Jonah. If we only had the first three chapters, the main message would be a call to repentance. But since Jonah includes this chapter, we realize that the main message is one of mercy. "Mercy triumphs over justice" (James 2:13).
It's a sad situation when we think ill of others. Jonah felt so strongly antagonistic towards the Ninevites that he wished for their destruction. Jonah knew God was merciful, which is more than the wicked servant of Luke 19:21 knew. Yet Jonah did not share the merciful heart of God. It's serious when we know the Scriptures that tell us God's character but those Scriptures have no impact on our lives.
Jonah prayed twice in this book: once in sorrow, praying for deliverance; and once in anger, praying for death. He asked mercy for himself but had no mercy for others.
There are a number of people in the Bible who say they are weary of their lives (Rebekah, Job, Elijah, and others). It's usually an extreme expression of selfishness!
But God maintains His tenderness towards the one who feels this way. He gently asks, "Is it right for you to be angry?" It's a good question. There are right times for anger! God invites Jonah to share the facts about his anger and justify the reasons for it. But Jonah walks out on the conversation, so to speak, and leaves the city (4:4-5).
God still didn't abandon Jonah. Instead, He took him to school. God intends to teach Jonah through object lessons. Jonah made a booth for shade; all through the book, we find how resourceful he is (finding a ship, making a booth, and so on). But God's provision is an improvement on the limited booth-- the full shade of a natural plant.
This chapter reveals Jonah's emotional instability. It's really what people would call today a bipolar condition. Jonah's emotional responses swing from great anger to exceeding gladness, even though the reality of what is happening does not seem to warrant such highs and lows. He was exceedingly glad about a plant! God gave us our emotions, but they should not rule us.
Additionally, we see how self-centered Jonah is-- the shade is only for him, and as long as his need is met, he is happy.
God gave Jonah a blessing so He could get his attention by taking it away. When we have a loss like this, it's good to ask whether God is also trying to get our attention. Job was so content in his middle-aged life that he was ready to die in his nest (Job 29:18), yet he had more to learn about God.
Despite Jonah's weaknesses, even suffering from the instabilities of his humanity, God is resourceful enough to meet him in his present need.
God had prepared the fish, and now He prepared three more things for Jonah: the plant, a worm to damage the plant, and a wind that dried up the plant and brought the desert heat to Jonah. Jonah was miserable to the point of death.
Compare the sorrow of the Lord Jesus unto death and the sorrow of Jonah. The Lord was sorrowful because He would bear our sins; Jonah was only thinking of himself.
God's message to Jonah is this: You didn't even have anything to do with making the plant, and you're upset that it's gone. Wouldn't I be upset at the destruction of people I Myself have created?
In chapter 1 God had exposed the wickedness of Nineveh; now we learn that God has tenderness towards them, as well.
Abraham shared God's heart of mercy when he prayed for the preservation of Sodom. And God even showed more mercy than Abraham dared to ask for, delivering Lot even though the city would be destroyed. People like to paint God as a terrible Being, but no! He is compassionate and full of mercy.
It's helpful to remember that Jonah himself is no doubt the one used to write this book. God's mercy must have impacted Jonah, and we can feel confident that he must have learned this lesson. Jonah allows God to have the last word in this book, and His question about mercy should impact us as well.
There was a time when David had to go after his enemies, and he recovered everything that was lost (1 Samuel 30:18-19). God has done this in the story of Jonah: He recovered the Ninevites who repented, and He recovered the prophet Jonah as well. If we learn God's ways through the story of Jonah, how much more will we learn as we appreciate the Lord Jesus Himself.
[A message on Jeremiah 9:23-24 followed this study: "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the LORD."]