Midweek Devotion

This week read the book of Jonah

For Jonah, it would be just perfect if the Ninevites that he tried to run away from were all struck dead by God. It would just be perfect if God would wreak vengeance on that bunch of no-good tormenters of Israel, for they have treated Jonah’s people badly. They have slaughtered them and made life hell. He wanted payback. And that is what he preached “40 more days and Nineveh is toast!” (3:4). Notice his message was totally negative and with no good news. He knows God is angry with them, and he wants just desserts for them. That Jonah is angry, goes without saying, but the Ninevites responded to God, they believed God and repented with all seriousness with prayer, fasting, sackcloth and dust (3:5) and when God saw what they did and they had turned from their evil ways, God had compassion and did not destroy them (3:10). Mercy triumphs over judgment! Awesome grace of God was beautifully displayed. And we know that yes, God is angry, He is horrified by sin, yet He will graciously forgive if anyone will turn and plead for mercy. That has always been the case and will always be the case. So God was no longer angry at Nineveh. But someone else in story remained angry, Jonah, flew into a rage

Here he is the one who knows personally the grace of God. He had just been rescued from his own grave and even said “salvation comes from the Lord” yet he couldn’t really stomach what he confessed. That salvation really comes from God. He was angry at God, I wonder if we are like that?

We learn from our scripture what Jonah knew about the Character of God. He prayed to God, “I know what kind of God you are. That is why I did not want to come here. You are gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. That is why I tried to run.”

You are just such a softy that I want to die! And God asks Jonah why is he angry? He stomps off to a hill side where he can watch the city and waits. Personally he feels like these are horrible people and they deserve judgment. He does not want God to show mercy to these bad people. Perhaps the people will slip up and he will have a front row seat for their destruction.

God caused a vine to grow and give him shade. It quickly appeared without any nurture or help from Jonah. Jonah was happy for the first time in our scripture. The next night God sent a little worm to kill the plant and Jonah was right back to being angry, pouting n the hill side. God sent a hot wind and Jonah stayed alone on a barren hillside and wanted to die. He was not willing to go back into the city or head for home. He just wanted to pout, over the mercy of God for the City and for the loss of the plant.

God ask him if he had reason to be angry about the plant. He says yes and that he wanted to die. He sounds like a spoiled child. He sounds like a person that wants every thing done their way and just acts terrible if they don’t get their way. God shares his view that he had something to do with this great city and the people in it. He talks abut the 120 thousand that don’t know their right from their left, probably the number of innocent children in the city, and the animals. God says that he on the other hand has had everything to do with the creation of this great city and people. Should he not care?

Jonah has been angry with God and only submits when he feels forced and is a stubborn and harsh representative. He only serves God at a minimum level and has no joy in his work. He does not really care about what God wants, he wants to control who God will touch and save.

When are we like Jonah? Where are we in the picture of God’s kingdom today? Are we happy to be working in the kingdom? To we appreciate his efforts on our behalf. Do we resent his work in the lives of others? The story of Jonah is about a reluctant prophet that God uses in spite of his flaws and attitude. God’s work is our work. We are called to look where he is working and joyfully join him there.