Arguing with God (Jonah 4)

ARGUING WITH GOD (JONAH 4)

What is a missionary? Here are some traditional and non-technical definitions from the web:
“A missionary is a person who, in response to God’s call and gifting, leaves his/her comfort zone and crosses cultural, geographic or other barriers to proclaim the Gospel and live out a Christian witness in obedience to the Great Commission.”
“A missionary is one who gives up everything that they have and love to further the cause of Christ.
“A missionary is one who never gets used to the sound of heathen footsteps on their way to a Christless eternity”
“A missionary is one who is thrust into a strange culture, a strange people, a strange language and then comes to the realization that he is the strange one and everyone around him is normal.”
“Becoming a missionary is like majoring in philosophy - no matter how good your intentions are, you’ll never be rich.”
“A missionary is a person who is sent to say something or do something, which the person who sends him either cannot or does not choose to go himself to say or do.”
“A missionary is a person who teaches cannibals to say grace before they eat him.”
“A missionary is a person who knows two languages and can’t speak either one.”

While everyone should participate in missions by joining a long-term or short-term mission trip, it is best to be informed than to be inspired before you go. Why do we go? What can we do? More importantly, what is our attitude?

The story of a resentful, rebellious and runaway prophet and missionary is an oxymoron, a contradiction, but that is the story of one of the most beloved biblical characters. Jonah prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 14:25) more than 50 years before its destruction in 722 B.C. at the hands of the Assyrians, the very enemies whose capital is at Nineveh, the city where Jonah was presently. Bear in mind Jonah’s attitude mirrored that of Israel towards Gentiles and, in application, the attitude of the local church to foreign missions. Would you save a nation that will ultimately be responsible for exiling your nation? What is our responsibility to nations and people that are richer and mightier than us, farther than where we want to go?

Turn from Your Self-Righteousness
1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:1-3

Charles Darwin was a chronic complainer who was happiest when he had something to gripe about.

One night, he and his wife were guests at a banquet at which everything went wrong. The speeches were dry; the champagne was hot; the food was inferior; the service even more so, and worst of all, the naturalist was given a seat in a draft, about which he had a phobia. Throughout the meal, he grumbled and swore.

Later, the sponsor of the affair came over to Mrs. Darwin and said apologetically: “I do hope your husband will forgive us. We wanted so much for him have a good time.” “He had wonderful time,” she assured him. “He was able to find fault with everything.”

It’s been said, “Some people aren’t really happy unless they complain.”

Jonah was not a happy camper. The phrase “greatly displeased” is a syrupy, soft and sparing translation of its original in Hebrew, which is more sinister than merely “displeasure.” Its few occurrences in the Bible are “evil,” a translation that is very unflattering to Jonah. Similar and comparable statements include Joseph’s rejection of his master’s wife, calling it “a wicked thing” (Gen 39:9), Nehemiah weeping for the Jews in “great trouble” (Neh 1:3) and calling marriage with unbelieving Gentiles a “terrible wickedness” (Neh 13:27).

Further, describing Jonah as “greatly displeased” and “became angry” – the two phrases - is comparing him chiefly with the bloodthirsty and vindictive Saul, who was “very angry” and “galled/displeased” – in reverse order with Jonah - when the ladies sang David’s praises. (1 Sam 18:8)

Jonah’s anger was out of control. So far he prayed twice. The previous time he prayed was out of distress when he was inside the fish (Jonah 2:1-2), but now it was in and from anger, which has no chance or place in prayer. His passionate “O Lord” plea in Hebrew was a poor imitation of and a disgraceful tribute to passionate prayer warriors such as Hezekiah at the announcement of his death (2 Kings 20:2-3, Isa 38:3), and Nehemiah (Neh 1:5, 1:11) and Daniel’s (Dan 9:4) prayer for the Jews to survive exile and even the sailors who attempted to save him (Jonah 1:14). Unlike Hezekiah, Nehemiah and Daniel, Jonah’s prayer was not life and death.

In his self-righteous unbelief, Jonah justified his “fleeing” to Tarshish (v 2), but both instances in the past (Jonah 1:3, 1:10) indicate he was fleeing from the Lord, not fleeing to Tarshish, and he confessed as much to the sailors. Jonah was honest but hypocritical, because he was humble and happy in his first prayer when the Lord forgave him but hotheaded and hardhearted in his second prayer when the Lord forgave others.

Trust in God’s Sovereignty
4 But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:4-8

“I will not believe anything that I do not understand,” said a man in a hotel one day.

“Neither will I,” said another. “Nor will I,” said a third.

“Gentlemen,” said one who sat close by, “on my ride this morning I saw some geese in a field eating grass; do you believe that?”

“Certainly,” said one of the three listeners.

“I saw the pigs eating grass; do you believe that?”

“Of course,” said the three.

“I also saw sheep and cows eating grass; do you believe that?”

“Of course,” was again the reply.

“Well, the grass turned to feathers on the backs of the geese, to bristles on the backs of the swine, to white wool on the sheep, and to hair on the cow; do you believe that, gentlemen?”

“Certainly,” they replied.

“But do you understand it?”

Jonah’s actions and attitude were louder than his words upon hearing the Lord’s challenge. The prophet left without a word or an acknowledgment. He did not trust the Lord’s sovereignty, His judgment or His omniscience. Truth to be told, Jonah was not jealous for God but judgmental of others. While God was slow to anger, Jonah was quick to accuse. The salvation of the Ninevites was a greater miracle than the survival of Jonah. In fact, they had a far better understanding of anger than Jonah. Previously, they stated, in their repentance: “Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:9) Unlike Jonah, they understood that God’s anger (Jonah 3:9) serves a bigger purpose, which is for man’s repentance. God’s anger is directed at man’s sin and shamelessness, never at man’s sorrow for sin and surrender to Him. We are not told the object of Jonah’s anger. Was it at people or at God? One thing for sure, it was not at himself.

God gave Jonah every right and all the time in the world to sort out his feelings, but he held his tongue (v 4-5) to a more provocative and passionate form of protest. He did not return to his country or leave the country, but chose a prime location, made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to watch the show and fireworks that did not happen. Jonah refused to believe that was the end of that, stubbornly choosing instead to sit there the next 39 days or so (Jonah 3:4), if he had to, which the Lord interrupted the next day.

The verb “provide” (v 6), which appears four times in the book (Jonah 1:17, 4:6, 4:7, 4:8), points out Jonah’s selfishness in a big way. He was thankful (Jonah 2:10) the Lord provided a great fish to swallow him (Jonah 1:17), and he was very happy the Lord God provided a vine to give shade to his head (Jonah 4:6), but he was angry that God provided a worm to chew the vine (Jonah 4:7) and a scorching east wind that blazed on his head (Jonah 4:7). He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live.” He only wanted things done to suit himself, to serve himself, and to satisfy himself.

Note that the second time Jonah expressed his willingness to die (v 8), it was not directed to the Lord anymore or uttered in prayer; it was out of fatalism, futility and frustration, and not of faith.

Think of Others’ Salvation
9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.” 10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Jonah 4:9-11

St. Francis of Assisi one day said to several of his followers. “Let us go to the village over the way and preach.” As they went, they met a humble pedestrian who was greatly burdened. Francis was in no hurry and listened carefully to his tale of woe.

When the village was reached, Francis talked with the shopkeepers, spent time with the farmers at their fruit and vegetable stalls, and played with the children on the streets. On the way back, they met a farmer with a load of hay, and Francis spent time with him. The morning gone, the group reached the monastery from where they had set out in the early morning.

One of the followers, who was greatly disappointed, said to Francis. “Brother Francis, you said you were going to preach. The morning is spent and no sermon has been given.” And the saintly Francis replied, “But we have been preaching all the way.” (Tan #3104)

Jonah’s anger was misplaced. He should be angry at the worm. Even then, God was not interested in whom he was directing his anger at, but why was he angry. While verse 1 and 4 do not tell us about the object of his anger, but verse 9 tells us more about the object and the extent of his anger. By the way, there is more “anger” per chapter in the book of Jonah than any Old Testament book.

“Concerned” (v 10) means “cover” literally. God did not expect Jonah to spare those who are indifferent, insubordinate and impenitent, but Jonah was unsympathetic, uncaring and unkind to contrite and confessing Gentiles. His concern for the plant or vine was not really for the plant, but for himself, for the shade the plant provided for his head.

Note that Jonah had little happiness in the Ninevites’ change of heart. They were not saved by Jonah’s impassioned plea, which never happened (Jonah 3:4 “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”), because Jonah did not tell the hearers who to believe in and what they must do. The adverb “very” (v 6) perfectly contrasts Jonah’s upbeat and downbeat moments and motives. From “greatly/very displeased” (v 1), Jonah became “very happy” about the vine. Jonah’s priorities, passion and prejudice were all wrong.

The minimalist prophet barely mouthed five words in Hebrew to minimize effect (v 4). To his horror and helplessness, a spiritual outbreak ensued. The king did not just declare and a national day of mourning, but a national season of mourning (Jon 3:6-7).

The word “know” that occurs six times in the book is quite ironic. Jonah knew that God was a gracious and compassionate God (Jonah 4:2), knew he was running away (Jonah 1:10) and knew that he was at fault (Jonah 1:12) but, alas, he did not care that Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who does not “know” (v 11, “tell”) their right hand from their left (Jonah 4:11). He knew about God and himself, but not about Gentiles.

Another word that shows up more per chapter in the book of Jonah than any Old Testament book is the word “great/big,” which occurs an amazing 14 times in the book over four chapters (compare to the most Old Testament occurrences: Jeremiah’s 48 times but over 52 chapters). Four refers to “the great city” (Jonah 1:2, 3:2, 3:3, 4:11). The irony in the book is that Jonah saw the great city Nineveh’s wickedness (Jonah 1:2) and size — a city requiring three days visit (Jonah 3:3), but not the harvest: “Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:11) – which is the climax of the book. He viewed the people in terms of their sin (“wickedness”) and the city by its size (“three days”), but God viewed them in terms of souls and salvation.

Conclusion: What are you angry about today? Do you see past people’s color, culture or class? Do you present God’s commission and compassion in a positive or pathetic light, in a right or self-righteous way, with a joyful or a judgmental attitude? Do you love God and others, or do you just love yourself?