“Is It Right for You to be Angry?” (Jonah 4)

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" (vs1-4)

God is gracious, merciful, and slow to anger, but this shouldn't make us sin; it should make us PROCLAIM His salvation and live that others know Him, even as Jesus went about doing good (vs1-2). He didn't let God's goodness lock Him up in silence or self-serving, but He got fully involved in proclaiming the name of the Lord and living that others be saved. He says, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). Let this mind grab you. God is GRACIOUS, so let everyone know.

Secondly, the gifts of a husband, wife, children, home, etc, are all “shady plants” from God that should make us love and worship Him, never turning away (vs5-6). We read, “So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant”. Don't FORGET God when you get married, have a baby, or get good news (Rom 1:21-25). Remember to thank and praise Him by holiness.

Thirdly, we get miserable when we forget Christ (vs8-9). We read, “But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." Paul, as he considered the church, said that it was better for him to live than die, even though dying is personally better. He said, “For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith”. He willingly remained in the turmoils of life so that OTHERS might be saved, which shows the gospel's activity in Paul's heart. Jonah, on the other hand, is upset because he can't see beyond himself – what he wants, how he feels – to what honors God and helps sinners. He is being SELFISH, and so he's miserable. Being loving – receiving all that we have as God's gift through Jesus Christ - makes us submissive and happy amidst afflictions. It is the attitude: love for God and His cause makes us HAPPIER than sinful self-absorption.

Finally, bless God's name that He forgives sins and tolerates our wickedness (vs10-11). We read, “Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" Here is feeble Jonah, fresh out of the fishes belly, arguing with God, calling himself right. And yet, God patiently teaches, rather than destroys. We read, “But the LORD said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left––and much livestock?"

Don't take His character for granted: God's love provokes our love. He is gracious to the saints... gracious, gracious, and more gracious... in spite of our repeated “in Your face” sins. No one could bear so patiently, but the Lord.

Therefore, (1) know there's forgiveness of sins. Let no sinner think that God is stingy with mercy. Deal with Him by Jesus Christ, confess your wickedness, and He will forgive you. (2) Don't think that you can't be used, O child of God! You can. Jonah is imperfect, and yet he preaches the most soul saving sermon in history (Jonah 3). He is selfish, like you and me, and reproved, but he is still being used. Someone said, “Perfection is the enemy of good”, so that not being able to do things “perfectly” has made many people refuse to do anything at all. This is Satan's trick against the gospel, so that men think because they are not orators, they can't preach in meekness and love. Some think, “I'm not the best, so I can't do anything worthwhile for the Lord”. Others say, “I can't be perfect, so what's the point in fighting against sin?” This mind-state is wrong. God is perfectly gracious and relenting of His wrath, so He uses saints who are SINNERS still.