The reluctant prophet sat down in a shade and boiled. That’s Jonah. He was angry because he knew God was compassionate and would forgive the growing enemy of Israel. Jonah was born long before President Abraham Lincoln, and that is also a shame. Lincoln is reported to have answered with compassion a very angry reporter who had asked, “Why don’t you crush and destroy your enemy? Why are you trying to make them your friends?”
Without giving it a thought, Lincoln replied, “Am I not destroying my enemy when I make them my friend?” I do not know if that is a direct quote or even if Lincoln really said this. Regardless, it makes the perfect point – an enemy only exists in the eyes of the beholder.
God had called many people His enemy but usually it was due to their actively working against Him or His people. God from the beginning of our sinful fall had a plan of salvation for all mankind. He created a world for us and created life in us. He allows us to live for the ultimate purpose of becoming His children. Some choose Him and life while others choose their own paths and death.
Nineveh was a nation of potential. They were people for which God had compassion. Jonah’s anger bubbled at the thought that God could love his enemy. How many times have people become angered with God because life did not meet their expectations or because God showed mercy to their enemy?
Jonah gives us a great lesson on the compassion of God in verses 3 and 4. Jonah knew from Exodus 34:6 that:
- God is gracious – God is kind and merciful.
- God is compassionate – God has empathy and feeling for all people and their life circumstances.
- God is slow to anger – God is patient which is difficult to embrace sometimes especially when we have differing ideas about justice.
- God is abounding in love – I cannot say this better than Romans:
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. Romans 5:20 (NLT)
- God relents from sending calamity – Opposite to popular belief, God is not a mongering tyrant looking to catch people doing evil so He can bring them more misery. God is compassionate and looking to relieve our suffering.
Jonah thought death was better than seeing God give life to an entire city of those he disliked. Jonah was persistent. He sat down in the hot sun after building a shabby shelter to await God’s coming judgment. God showed compassion on Jonah to shade his head. The next morning, God sent a worm to take away the comforting vine He had caused to grow. Jonah became even angrier
Jonah failed to understand that God creates life and only He can decide to remove life. Jonah did not have that choice. God created the vine to grow and provide shade. God also provided life to the 120,000 in the city of Nineveh. Like the worm that destroyed the life of the plant, sin was destroying the life of the people of the city. God is about life and wanted Jonah to be as passionate about seeing life in others as much as Jonah wanted to keep the life in the shade. If Jonah was as passionate about life as God was, Jonah would not have had any problem with bringing God’s message to these people.
Here’s another lesson about the vine. When the vine was alive, it provided shade and comfort. When it died, the sun blazed through and the dry eastern wind scorched. If you want to have more comfort around others, help them to find life! As Lincoln changed enemies into friends, we also should be passionate about sharing the life flowing love of Christ with others! Oh, I could shout about this one! Instead of having indignation about those who receive God’s love, how about becoming indignant about the things that keep people from experiencing it?
- Do we see the same life in others that God sees?
- How do you view people who make themselves unlikable?
- What light does Exodus 34:6 shed about the character of God?
- Where do you see potential for sharing God’s love with others? What can you begin doing?
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