Jonah and the Worm

Jonah Chapter 4 

You probably know the story of Jonah and the fish. God wants Jonah to go to a city called Ninevah, tell them to quit doing bad stuff and worship God. Jonah hops on a boat and flees in the opposite direction. God sends a big storm that threatens to wreck the ship, so Jonah confesses to the sailors what happened and asks that they throw him overboard. God saves Jonah from death in the sea by making a fish swallow him and spit him out at Ninevah. Jonah does his job, preaches to the king, and Ninevah repents, fasting and wearing sackcloth and rolling in ashes. Jonah is nothing but upset because Ninevah is an enemy country and he essentially saved them!

"O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster."

God does not destroy the city and Jonah has a hissy fit. "God, you're too nice and kind and you don't destroy people, I wish I could just die!". Of course this a silly reason to be upset, for these are the same reasons that we love God. His goodness, mercy, patience, and forgiveness are the reasons why we live and breathe.

God loves all people in all the world (why does he love us, that's a different study, but today it is sufficient to know that He does). God loves even loves the people we hate or cast out - that's why Jesus spent time with tax collectors, lepers, and prostitutes - God loves everyone, especially those who need Him most.

God not only loves only people we hate, but also nations we consider enemies. When is the last time your church put together a mission team for Iran or North Korea? It's laughable, right? God loves those people too, and we learn that from Jonah!

"Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city". Ninevah was an enemy state, a nation who hated Israel. If it was today, they would have a nuclear program and rockets aimed at Israel. Jonah felt he had essentially become a traitor - by going to Ninevah, he was selling out his own country and essentially committing treason! He knows what God promises to do, but he can't resist hanging around and hoping that the city of Ninevah will still be destroyed. Fire from heaven raining down, an earthquake swallowing them up, invisible angel armies waging battle. . .when God destroys in the old testament, it is epic and Jonah still hoped to see the carnage.

"Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching feast wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, 'It is better for me to die than to live'".

God is compassionate - he makes a monster plant grow in a day to provide Jonah shade. And Jonah, who is a bit manic depressive is "exceedingly happy". Plaaaaaant, I love you plaaaaant, you're so shady and green and cool and rad, I love you PLAAAANT! Big Plant, you're my best friend!".

Then the next day comes. "Noooooooooooo! Killer worm! Aaaaaaaahhhhahahhahanonononononono! I'm hot and thirsty and I want to die. I hate you stupid worm!". Jonah is quite melodramatic - happy as can be one day, then the next is the end of the world. Pretty amazing that he's literally doing God's will, has just come from spending three days inside a fish, and still doesn't trust God.

Jonah, despite his anger, childishness, and lack of trust does do one big thing right. He talks to God - aka, he prays. He does not hesitate to let God know he is upset, and God can at least have a teachable moment.

"Jonah, are you right to be angry? And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

In the end, through fish bellies and worms, God has his way and spares the city (and it's cattle)! There is no limit to what God will do to care for those who he loves. We can have peace knowing that he will move heaven, earth, and even monster plants to show us his love!

Takeaway thoughts

1. God is endlessly creative in how he loves and pursues us. Big fish and worms are just the beginning, eventually he sends his own son, Jesus.

2. Pray, pray, pray. Jonah had a horrible attitude about Ninevah, but he was at least straight up with God about it. There are no bad prayers. God may not answer the way we want (like raining down fire to destroy our enemies), but he does answer in a way that is best for us and the people in the world that he loves!

3. God loves all people, even our enemies. God does not just love Americans, he loves the entire world. So should we!