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. 1:17; 4… Nevertheless, the real work of preparation happened in Jonah. That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. All rights reserved worldwide. Let us study our own hearts and ways; let us not forget our own ingratitude and obstinacy; and let us be astonished at God's patience towards us.Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710. 5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and # [Neh. They were a vicious and violent people (as were most nations in those days). See what our creature-comforts are, and what we may expect them to be; they are withering things. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. “It 3 will not leave even a root or branch. Do I well to be angry at the mercy of God to repenting sinners? y out of the belly of Sheol I cried,. 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. Verses 1-2 The anxious people of Nineveh waited for the 40 daysto end. 4. That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. According to one tradition, Jonah was the boy brought back to life by Elijah the prophet in 1 Kings 17. 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? Jonah thought that they deserved it. He tried to stop it by fleeing (ch. He was not duly humbled for his own sins, and was not willing to trust the Lord with his credit and safety. Yet will I look again toward Thy holy temple. He wishes for death: this was the language of folly, passion, and strong corruption. When nothing happened, they knew that God had heard their prayers toforgive them. The story of a fish swallowing a man and the man living sounds impossible, and since most liberal scholars deny the possibility of the supernatural, they reject the book of Jonah as anything but a fairy tale. I knew(B) that you are a gracious(C) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(D) a God who relents(E) from sending calamity. The Question of God (Jonah 4:4-8) Jonah 4:4. A thing small in itself, yet coming seasonably, may be a valuable blessing. In Jonah 2:1-10, Jonah is trapped in the belly of the great fish.He prays for salvation, and in the end, after this terrible trial, he is vomited forth onto dry land. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. Jonah 4:6 "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. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some would rejoice and some would leave! Persons of strong passions are apt to be cast down with any trifle that crosses them, or to be lifted up with a trifle that pleases them. Why did God not punish thesecruel and evil people? For that matter, we might hear some of the following: Complaints about the influx or type of people coming into the church [i.e. The least creatures may be great plagues, or great comforts, as God is pleased to make them. A small worm at the root destroys a large gourd: our gourds wither, and we know not what is the cause. Do we do well to be angry at that which is for the glory of God, and the advancement of his kingdom? But it — The divine forbearance in sparing Nineveh; displeased Jonah exceedingly — “Seeing that what he had foretold against the Ninevites did not happen, he was afraid lest he should pass for a false prophet and a deceiver, his ministry be despised, and his person exposed to the violence of the Ninevites. ii. 4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. See how tender God is of his people in their afflictions, even though they are foolish and froward. 8:15] made a booth for himself there. Jonah Goes to Nineveh. Jonah is one of the most ridiculed books by liberal scholars. And the LORD said, “Is your anger rightly kindled in you?” 5. into the heart of the seas,. In this frame of mind, he overlooked the good of which he had been an instrument, and the glory of the Divine mercy. 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. Jonah 4:1-2. THERE HE MADE HIMSELF A SHELTER, SAT IN ITS SHADE AND WAITED TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE CITY: "In high dudgeon he went out of the city (on its east side because there was high ground, and on the west Calah abutted on the wide fast-flowing Tigris). Jonah’s Prayer. When God called him the first time, Jonah suspected that God wastoo kind to punish Nineveh. Key Themes . NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. (5-11)1-4 What all the saints make matter of joy and praise, Jonah makes the subject of reflection upon God; as if showing mercy were an imperfection of the Divine nature, which is the greatest glory of it. Jonah 4:5 Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where He made himself a shelter and sat in … Jon 4:5 JONAH WENT OUT AND SAT DOWN AT A PLACE EAST OF THE CITY. Jonah acknowledged God’s sovereignty (verses 1-3), and submitted to it (verses 4-9). 11 And should I not have concern(O) for the great city of Nineveh,(P) in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”. Jonah 4:8, "[~'Elohiym]," the personal God, sends the worm. (L) 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. Jonah Resented God’s Compassion (4:2) It may seem strange that Jonah was unhappy that God wanted to forgive the Assyrians until we remember what an enemy Assyria was to Israel. Jonah 4:1-11—Read the Bible online or download free. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Jonah’s name means “dove”; and his commission, as recorded in the book of Jonah, was to convey a message from God to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.The book of Jonah gives no indication of his prophetic activity in the land of Israel. 4 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. Lessons--1. (1-4) He is taught by the withering of a gourd, that he did wrong. Jonah 2:1 "Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly," "Then Jonah prayed": When he was in the fish's belly. Jonah 4:1-3. The Book of Jonah (Yonah יונה) is one of the twelve minor prophets included in the Tanakh. Text. 10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. 4 1 “For indeed the day 2 is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at homeThat is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. Before a new church -- either a state of good and truth with a group of people, or a new state of good an truth in ourselves - can come into existence, a period of temptation, of struggle, must occur. In fact, now that God has been compassionate on Nineveh, Jonah would rather die. Jonah repines at God's mercy to Nineveh, and is reproved. z and you heard my voice.. 3 a For you cast me into the deep,. As Jonah waited for the destruction of Nineveh, God provided what to shade him. Thepeople were very glad. Jonah 2:4. So angry, he says in Jonah 4:3 that it would be better for him to die. 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east of the city. Now l Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, 1 three days’ journey in breadth. See How They All Connect. (5-11) Commentary on Jonah 4:1-4 (Read Jonah 4:1-4) What all the saints make matter of joy and praise, Jonah makes the subject of reflection upon God; as if showing mercy were an imperfection of … and he answered me;. Jonah 4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." When afflicting providences take away relations, possessions, and enjoyments, we must not be angry at God. Jonah’s Anger at the Lord ’s Compassion. (1-4) He is taught by the withering of a gourd, that he did wrong. (Jon 4:4; Jon 4:9) 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? Jonah Goes to Nineveh. 2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? Jonah 4:1 Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and became angry. The deepest remorse has its remedy in a return to duty. We are mistaken if we believe that all of God's people will celebrate the moving of God. 6 Then the Lord God provided(K) a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. Jonah 4:6, "[~Yahweh] ['Elohiym]," the compound name of God found in the Book of Genesis. That was Jonah's crime. Can I justify it? He made a booth there and sat under it in the shade, until he should see what happened to the city. And murmurers shall be made to understand, that how willing soever they are to keep the Divine grace to themselves and those of their own way, there is one Lord over all, who is rich in mercy to all that call upon him. 3 Then the word of the L ord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to l Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the L ord. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access the, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Luke, Comfort Print, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Romans, Comfort Print, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story. What God really prepared was a person, a prophet. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." It is to his sparing, pardoning mercy, we all owe it that we are out of hell. Sin and death are very dreadful, yet Jonah, in his heat, makes light of both. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan. We should often ask ourselves, Is it well to say thus, to do thus? Jonah is identified as a prophet and servant of God during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (2 Kings 14:24-25)—between 792 and 753 B.C. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. It is a great encouragement to hope we shall find mercy with the Lord, that he is ready to show mercy. The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. Those who have fretful, uneasy spirits, often make troubles for themselves, that they may still have something to complain of. Jonah 4:9, "[~'Elohiym]," the Ruler of Nature sends the east wind. 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? 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 6 ו A gourd in the right place may do us more service than a cedar. New International Version (NIV). The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. x “I called out to the L ord, out of my distress,. The first movement is (in verses 2-4). There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. (F) 3 Now, Lord, take away my life,(G) for it is better for me to die(H) than to live.”(I), 4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”(J), 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city.