JONAH CHAPTER 4: NOT WHAT IS EXPECTED 

Chapter 4 has tension.  We have God’s judgment and grace seen side-by-side in this book.  God is there ready to judge.  God is there ready to give mercy.  The tension between judgment and mercy exists.  God is fully willing to do either and it is not until a decision is made by people to accept or reject that the tension eases.  Jonah sits on a hill to see how the tension works out. 

It was the human beings’ response to God in that tension is in view here. 

In addition, the book of Jonah does not end as we expect: 

• we might expect to see lightning and thunder and people wiped out 
• we might expect a prophet to praise God for grace 
• we might expect a prophet to learn his lesson 
• we might expect Jonah swallowed by some other kind of beast 

The book of Jonah does not end as we might expect but ends with God being God and being true to His nature.  He is grace-filled to the sinful wretched Ninevites and the bad-attitude rebellious prophet.  Basic truths about Jonah and God are expressed in chapter 4 and the reader (me and you) are meant to take these truths to heart so that we believe them and do not repeat mistakes.  We happen to believe these lessons and truths are found elsewhere in Scripture as well. 

Another element in Jonah 4 is the wording of a few of the verses that indicate some humans in Nineveh do not know their left from their right.  This indicates, to some, that children are being discussed.  Keep in mind that mercy and grace are in full view when the ignorant and innocent.  And yet (see the tension), that sinfulness often sweeps up the innocent to destruction. 

Some other ideas in the chapter:  

God is merciful while human beings often are not 

A man who found mercy does not want to offer it to others 

God’s character is constant amidst all other changes 

Disaster is meant to turn people to God for repentance 

God disciplines those He loves 

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