Jonah 4:1-4 "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. (4) Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?"
Think about what Jonah had been through - all because of his own
stubbornness. He had been placed in the hull of the ship as common cargo.
He had been in the heart of a terrible storm at sea. He had been thrown
overboard and swallowed by a great fish. He had been taken to the depth of the
sea where he came to his senses and cried out unto the Lord. Covered with
gastric juices, he ran to Nineveh and cried out to them. He had observed a
marvelous revival take place in this wicked city. You would think because God
spared him that he would be rejoicing. But no! ... "It displeased Jonah
exceedingly, and he was very angry." He was angry that God had shown
His great power and had spared such a city. It must have been an amazing sight
to see people being transformed right in front of his own eyes, but "it
displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry."
You can read between the lines and hear Jonah saying to God, "This is why
I didn't want to come in the first place. I knew you are merciful and that you
were going to spare this city. (In between those lines, you hear Jonah saying..
and I can't stand them!) Just take my life. I told them you were going to
overthrow the city, but instead, you spared them. It's better for me to die
than to sit here and watch them in such a state of joy." To this the Lord
replied, "Doest thou well to be angry?" I can almost hear God
saying, "Look at these people and see the righteousness that is being
produced in that place. And you Jonah... Just how righteous do you feel right
now in your anger?" We will finish the book of Jonah tomorrow and
will see that it really ends in a mysterious manner. But this morning I ask, Is
there anyone.. or someone that you feel is not worthy of being spared by God?
Is there anyone that you would think, "This world would be a better place
without them"? Do you think the grace of God is sufficient to
convert even the most wicked? I'm sure there were people who did not think Saul
was worthy of grace. To that, he would say, "You're right. I'm not worthy,
but by the grace of God I am what I am." I say that about myself
also and no offense, but I say that about you also. None of us are worthy, but
I'm so thankful that "thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness." Aren't you thankful?