Five More Lessons From The Life Of Jonah

Chapter 4 of Jonah brings us even more lessons from his life.  Have you learned any new ones? 

Jonah sulks when the gourd dies.

Jonah 4:1  But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

1. Oh, this is a hard verse for me!  Why?  I really don’t know.  I just know I don’t like this verse because I have to identify with Jonah. There have been times that instead of being overjoyed at the conversion of someone, I have actually found myself angry or disappointed that someone came to church or turned to Christ.  Maybe it is because I know that I, myself will need to make changes, like perhaps loving what I consider to be unlovely. Woe is me.
Lesson Learned:  Who am I that God would love and forgive me?  If God can and does forgive a sinner like me then I need to remember from whence I came and be glad and rejoice when a sinner comes to Christ. I need to be willing to leave my comfort zone for the sake of someone else.

Jonah 4:2-3  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. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

 

2.  God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, of great kindness, and instead of being grateful for all that He has done for me, I often become resentful if the “heathen” receive from God what they don’t deserve.
Lesson Learned:  I am as heathen in my heart as anyone else.  What if God gave me what I deserved?  I would be in hell.  Praise God for His salvation and that He saves to the uttermost! Anyone can be saved from the wrath of God. (Here’s how)  He took my feet from the miry clay and set them on the rock to stay and will do so for any sinner that is willing to repent to turn to Him. Do you think you are a good person, that is good enough to get into heaven?  (Look here to see if you are a good person)  None of us apart from Jesus Christ and His finished work are good enough.  

Jonah 4:4-11  Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 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. 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.   But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 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.  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.   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:   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?

 

3.  Praise God He saved Ninevah.  He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  

Lesson Learned:  God is no respector of persons.  He made us all.  He has pity on us all.  He knows we are pitiful lost sheep, wandering, who need a shepherd.

 
I look forward to meeting Jonah one day and hearing “the rest of the story”.

4.  The Story of Jonah ends abruptly.  I wonder if Jonah went on in obedience to the Lord or if he continued sulking and going his own way.

Lesson Learned:  Do not sulk when things don’t go the way you think they should.  Do not feel sorry for yourself.  Instead, rejoice in God’s goodness and His works and continue to obey.

5.  Maybe Jonah knew some Ninevites personally and this is why he became angry. More than likely he knew what the Ninevite people represented.  He may have not liked the fact that God was blessing the one(s) who perhaps had wronged him or could live and do the horrific and cruel things they did.    

Lesson Learned:  Although someone may have hurt me through certain circumstances, I need to learn to forgive just as I have been forgiven and to rejoice when I see God’s blessings on them. 

I am sure there are many other lessons that we can learn from Jonah.  I am thankful for the few that God has pointed out to me in recent days. Below are the first three parts in lessons from Jonah.

Seven Lessons From The Life Of Jonah

Seven More Lessons From The Life of Jonah

Four More Lessons From The Life of Jonah