Fairness in Jonah

[Bean]

'Nowhere to run.. Nowhere to hide' - 'Don't try to run from YHWH.' is the usual message given about Jonah - and a good and true message it is, and surely just one of an untold number of good and true lessons in Jonah. The following is a different, perhaps often overlooked, caution from Jonah.

 

Jonah means 'dove, pigeon'.. and Jonah was like a bird sent to carry the word of YHWH to a lost city. but, as we all know, Jonah flew from the command of Yahuwah, and fled from the task of warning the unredeemed of the impending condemnation they'd suffer without YHWH.

 

Eventually, after that illustrious adventure with the great fish prepared by YHWH, Jonah got to Ninevah and he proclaimed Yahuwah's word of warning to the unholy city - and, lo and behold, that evil city completely - from the king, on down - repented.

 

A great cause for rejoicing, right?

 

Except, this lost empire's repentance really ruffled Jonah's feathers..

 

But it displeased Yonah exceedingly and he became angry.

 So he prayed to Yahuwah and said, "Ah, Yahuwah,

was not this what I said when I was still in my country?

Therefore I fled previously to Tarshiysh for I know that

You are a gracious and merciful 'El, slow to anger and

abundant in kindness, One who relents from doing harm..."

4:1,2

 

He was upset because YHWH had sent him to warn evil people of their destruction, when he, as he claims, 'knew' that YHWH would not destroy them because of His mercy. Pretty awful reason, isn't it - first, to claim to 'know' what YHWH will do, when He had not told him, was awfully presumptuous of Jonah.

 

And then, to use that as an excuse for why he, instead of thanking YHWH, chose to be angry with Him, is even more prideful. Jonah should have rejoiced with his Creator and the host of heaven over the repentance of the wicked.

 

Destruction was pronounced on evil, and the evil repented - this should have made Jonah happy.

 

Lesson 1: Don't be upset when what was evil, turns good, and is spared destruction.

 

Jonah was sent like a dove to carry a message of peace to the lost.. 'Evil will be destroyed. Perish not, repent and be saved', but instead he became like a carrier pigeon run awry.. a mourning dove who cooed for an end to his life, because of what he saw as mockery from his Creator.

 

Therefore now, O Yahuwah, please take my life from me,

for it is better for me to die than to live!"

Then Yahuwah said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

4:3,4

 

And instead of covering himself in ashes and praying for the continued repentance of all those lost souls, Jonah flies to the shelter of the sidelines, makes himself comfortable, and remains perched there, waiting for the destruction - the destruction which he doesn't even believe is coming to pass.  

 

Not exactly the picture of a willing servant - but YHWH has mercy on him anyway, and sends a vine to grow some shade for the twice-soured Jonah..

 

So Yonah 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 Yahuwah 'Elohiym prepared a plant and made it come up over Yonah,

that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery.

So Yonah was very grateful for the plant.

4:6

 

Grateful for the plant, a thing which benefited him.. but still no mention of being grateful for the great repentance of the many lost souls in Ninevah. The vine delivered Jonah from the harshness of the weather.. and he was happy for that deliverance for himself - but not happy for the deliverance from damnation for the others to which he prophesied.

 

But as morning dawned the next day

the 'Elohiym prepared a worm and

it damaged the plant that it withered

4:7

 

uh-oh.. tantrum alert.. alert.. alert..

 

Jonah was upset that Ninevah repented, because he thought it made him look foolish for prophesying a word that did not come to pass (even though, in reality, it did, because if they had not repented, as many would have have perished in sin) - and YHWH in His mercy helped Jonah.. He sent him deliverance in the form of a vine.. but, still, Jonah did not repent of his own pride.

 

Now, that good plant that YHWH sent to help Jonah becomes corrupt, and must be destroyed.. a second opportunity to repent.. but Jonah still does not.. and instead grows even more bitter, to the point that he wishes YHWH would send death to him.

 

And it happened, when the sun arose,

that 'Elohiym prepared a vehement east wind

and the sun beat on Yonah'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." 

4:8

 

Jonah could have taken this opportunity to see the error of his ways.. nevertheless, he chose to be angry that the good plant, which became evil, had to be destroyed..

 

Lesson 2: Don't be angry when what was good, turns evil, and must be destroyed.

 

What Jonah says next really demonstrates how important it is for us to heed these two lessons..

Then 'Elohiym said to Yonah,

"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!" 

4:9

 

Even to death - that is Serious. Jonah, a man sent to carry a word of warning from YHWH to the lost, and a man sent to witness a great repentance and salvation, was OK with trading his life in order to cling to his angry sins of pride.

 

But Yahuwah 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 Niyneweh, that great city,

in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons

who cannot discern between their right hand and their left

and much livestock?"

4:10,11

 

We are all sent out like Jonah.. to carry a word of peace in a warning to the lost.. the Gospel of Peace, it is called. We are to deliver it to the evil, and pray for the repentance of those sinners. And be happy when those who were once our enemies, no matter how evil they were, choose deliverance and are redeemed in Yahushua.

 

And we should no more be angry with YHWH when the good which becomes evil, even our best friend, is delivered to destruction, than we should when the evil which becomes good, even our worst enemy, is delivered to life. We should not be angry at all, but grateful, we ourselves having been delivered from destruction by Yahushua's sacrifice.

[Seeker]

"As surely as I live and breath" declares the sovreign Yehovah, "I take no pleasure in the DEATH of the wicked, but rather they would turn from their ways and LIVE."  Ezekiel 33:11  I exult in and am humbled by the goodness and mercy of YHVH my Eloah.  He DESTROYS the wicked but gives LIFE freely to all who ask Him.  All His ways are perfect and they are just.  And as Yeshua commanded, may we be perfect, even as He is perfect, abounding in love and mercy showing forth wisdom, full to overflowing with His Life in us!