What lessons and applications do we have from the Book of Jonah?

While Jonah sat outside in his little shelter under the blazing sun, God appointed a plant to grow up over him. It grew as large as a shade tree over his head and added greatly to his comfort. Jonah was very happy about the plant as it protected him from the sun but immediately God appointed a worm to attack the plant at dawn on the next day. The plant died and the sun came up, along with a scorching east wind from the desert to burn down on Jonah’s head. He became faint and wanted to die, saying, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

Once again God asked, “Do you have a right to be angry? And Jonah replied, “I do. I am angry enough to die.”

But God replied, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.”

What Jonah saw, was the injustice of it all. He saw himself as happy and secure in the shelter of the plant, and then suddenly the worm had attacked and destroyed it. And now he thought, “I just cannot tolerate this kind of injustice. I am ready to die.”

Then in effect God said, “Look at Nineveh. It is a large city that has taken scores of years to build for both human and animals comfort. Now you want it to be destroyed. You want to see judgement. Yet, when I destroyed the plant, that took only a day to create, you were angry, and it was made only for your own physical comfort. How logical is it that you would be so angry and want Me to destroy a large city when you are so angry because I destroyed a single plant? And how unjust are you? Should I not have “compassion on Nineveh” where in are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

There are four lessons in the Book of Jonah;

A)    God will save anyone. He apparently saved the heathen sailors on board the ship; and He saved the wicked-Assyrians in the city of Nineveh.

B)    We saw how very patient God was with His prophet. He did not strike him down when he first refused to obey but used several of circumstances to bring him back into the centre of His will.

C)    It is not by power or by might that men are saved but by God’s grace. As Jonah said in 4;2, “I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” And we think 2nd. Peter 3;9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”

D)   God is telling us to care about all men regardless their race or religion. Because of Jonah’s disobedience, many people suffered; and because of his selfish attitude, many more would have suffered. God wants us to love all human race, most especially those of the household of faith. We have to tell this good news of God (Gospel) to others those who don’t know about Jesus or calling Him Prophet. God Himself ordered us on Matthew 28;19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

 By our faith to Jesus and love to others we have to show the non-believers the actual love of God. It is our duty to help the preachers financially to do God’s work. Otherwise “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7;23).