Useful Bible Studies > Jonah Commentary > chapter 4

The reason for Jonah’s anger

Jonah 4:1

God’s prophets were the holy people by whom God declared his messages. They had the serious duty always to declare those messages truthfully (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

For Jonah, that duty seems a painful and difficult matter. So often, God’s words to him came because of something wrong that he was doing. In his book, Jonah had to confess publicly to some very seriously wrong behaviour and attitudes. That was the only way that he could truthfully declare the messages from God in this book.

After Nineveh’s people turned to God, Jonah’s attitudes became completely unlike God’s attitudes (see Matthew 5:43-48). God was pleased that the wicked people in that city had turned from their wicked behaviour (Ezekiel 18:23). Jonah was not pleased – in fact, he was very angry. He had boldly spoken about God’s judgment against Nineveh (3:4); and probably, that message pleased him. It certainly did not please him to know that God would not now be punishing Nineveh. These people who were now turning to God, had formerly been very wicked (1:2). Jonah firmly believed that they should suffer some punishment.

In other words, he thought that God was too kind to them. That may surprise us, because Jonah too had benefitted from God’s great kindness. He had refused to obey God, but God forgave him. God even saved him from death. People who benefit from God’s kindness should be pleased to see God’s kindness to other people.

However, Jonah did not realise that his thoughts were foolish. Rather, he believed that his thoughts were right and proper. He had not changed his opinions about the wicked people in Nineveh. He had always believed that God should punish them for their evil acts. He still believed that God in his kindness had helped them to turn from their evil behaviour. So in Jonah’s opinion, God should now punish them before he forgives them.

Next part: Jonah complains about God's perfect character (Jonah 4:2)

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