Today in my Bible readings the book of Jonah was on the menu. In one way it’s a story I know so well, one I’ve heard numerous times, even before I was ever in a relationship with Jesus but what I’ve found so often is that familiarity means I miss things that God is highlighting. Reading Jonah yesterday I saw myself in Jonah so much and I found myself laughing at Jonah’s interaction with God.

I won’t retell the whole story in detail but in case you’ve never heard it a short summary goes like this. God calls Jonah to go to a city where the people are living wickedly. Jonah doesn’t want to go so he boards a ship heading a different direction to escape from God.

#badidea

God sends a wind which starts a huge storm and the boat is in high danger of sinking. The sailors panic and in the end Jonah admits that it is his fault. He gets thrown overboard, the storm subsides, a huge fish swallows Jonah and protects him from death and in the end he goes to the city and begins to preach.

The city respond incredibly to Jonah’s preaching and they turn from their wickedness – it’s pretty remarkable.

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:6-9 (NIV)

God sees their response and decides to turn away his judgement. Great news…….. although seemingly not for Jonah. He is raging!

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing 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. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:1-3 (NIV)

That is quite a reaction. God asks him why he has a right to be angry but we hear nothing more. Then we are told that Jonah leaves the city, and settles down to watch and see what might happen to the city, maybe he thinks God might still destroy it. While he is there God grows a plant where Jonah is sitting, the plant provides shade for Jonah in the middle of the heat – Jonah is very happy. However, the next day God sends a worm which eats the plant, then a hot east wind comes and Jonah is fading under the hot sun. Jonahs response is similar to earlier;

……He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:8b (NIV)

God’s reposes is similar to earlier as well

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” Jonah 4:9a (NIV)

This time however the story doesn’t move on and Jonah decides to respond to God’s question. This is the part that cracks me up

“It is,” he said. “And I‘m so angry I wish I were dead.” Jonah 4:9b (NIV)

Oh man, I see myself so much in Jonah here. That’s probably what I would have said (maybe minus the second part). Jonah is proper mad, he feels like he has done so much and God’s mercy and compassion is offensive to him. Of course it doesn’t stop there. What I love about God is that He allows us to respond and talk to Him like a friend but we better brace ourselves whenever we miss what His heart is. I just love His response to Jonah.

But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, 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 4:10-11 (NIV)

Yikes. We don’t hear what Jonah’s reposes was – I’m guessing he just kept quiet!