Monday, November 11 – Jonah 3, 4 – Additional Reading: Prophets and Kings, Chapter 22, “Nineveh, That Great City”
1. What impression does Jonah give about the size of Nineveh? (Jonah 3:2)
2. How did Jonah react when he saw that God was willing to forgive Nineveh? (Jonah 4:1-3)
3. What illustration did God give Jonah about His love for Nineveh? (Jonah 4:10, 11)
Commentary and Reflection:
We continue reading the book of Jonah. After being vomited out by the great fish, God repeats His call to the prophet, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” (v. 2)
This story reveals both the character of God and the character of Jonah. We can give Jonah credit for recounting his testimony honestly and transparently.
God’s love is persistent. He worked with Jonah when he rejected the call, pursued him even to the point of being thrown into the sea, and then once again instructed him to go to Nineveh. God did not give up on Jonah or Nineveh.
The story shows that the Lord is not partial and is interested in the salvation of all races and nations. He does not wish to destroy but to save.
Jonah’s message was not very appealing or elaborate; it warned of imminent destruction. Clearly, the Spirit of God had gone ahead of Jonah. Before he had finished going through the city, the message achieved the effect God intended, which the prophet feared. The people of Nineveh, starting with their king, repented.
Here is the outcome that Jonah feared: “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10)
“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.” (Jonah 4:1). Jonah wasn’t just a little upset but exceedingly displeased. What a prayer Jonah offers to the Lord! In his prayer, he testifies to God’s character and his own. If the Lord had destroyed Nineveh, Jonah would have been pleased. “I’m sorry, but they deserved it.” “What a great prophet I am! I went and told them the truth, and what I said happened.”
Jonah was nationalistic, legalistic, stubborn, proud enough to presume to tell God what to do and he had a bad temper. God asks him, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4). We see God’s patience. What would you have said to Jonah in God’s place? I can think of a few things.
To teach Jonah, God allows a plant to grow and then takes it away the next day. The trials we face have a purpose, don’t they? Some blessings or comforts that God has given us might be removed for a reason. There was a lesson Jonah needed to learn—he was concerned about his own comfort and professional reputation. But something more important than both was the salvation of a city with many innocent children. It turns out that the Lord was not only saving a city but also a prophet.
Thank God for His persistent love that endures. Praise Him for He is willing to forgive.