CHAPTER 4

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

As amazing as Jonah's experience in the whale's belly is his response when Nineveh's people repented and surrendered to the Lord! Jonah was angry!

Why was Jonah angry? Because he didn't really WANT those people to be saved! Jonah didn't like those people. He really was prejudiced against them. That's the reason he ran away from God's first commissioning call.

Can you imagine a Christian who really doesn't WANT someone to be saved? Would a real Christian really allow prejudice to make him/her exclusive in offering the plan of salvation to others? Is the church today practicing exclusiveness rather than inclusiveness?

Now, just listen to what Jonah is saying to God in his prayer: "God, I KNEW if you sent me to preach there, that those people would repent. And You, being God of mercy, would pardon their sin and save them. So God, just go ahead and KILL me, 'cause I can't STAND it!"

OH! LISTEN Christians! OH! LISTEN church! God is an ALL INCLUSIVE God! He wants NONE to perish in eternal death!
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
KJV

We humans are slack in our witnessing. We are slack because of our prejudice! But GOD is not slack! God has NO prejudice! God want ALL sinners to be saved!

Jonah's life was now miserable! It was not miserable because of God's mercy and love. It was miserable because of Jonah's prejudice!

Did you ever wonder why some Christians WON'T witness to others? Maybe it's prejudice!
Did you ever wonder why some Christian's faces look like they were "born again" in a barrel of sour pickle juice, and they are constantly complaining rather than rejoicing? Perhapse it's prejudice!
When are we going to begin practicing God's INCLUSIVENESS instead of our EXCLUSIVENESS?

4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

It is NOT WELL to live angrily! Just look at Jonah, a prophet of God, acting like a spoiled child! His prejudice led him to anger, and his anger made him miserable!

Christians, prejudicial treatment of others will lead you to an angry, miserable life!

6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

God gave Jonah an "object lesson." God prepared a gourd to grow. The gourd grew over Jonah and made a shadow which brought relief. Jonah was thankful for that.

Then God prepared a worm to eat away the gourd. Then God sent a strong East wind and made the sun burn Jonah's skin. When he fainted from the heat, he just wanted to DIE!

Jonah would NOT turn loose of his prejudice! He was angry about God saving the Ninevites, and he was angry about the gourd! Jonah would rather live in the misery than to turn loose of his prejudice!

10 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

God asked Jonah if he had pity on the gourd, why not have pity on the PEOPLE!

Let me ask you a question, Christian. Is it better to live in misery or JOY?
If you would live in JOY of God's ALL INCLUSIVE salvation, tell it to EVERYONE without prejudice!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.