Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Jonah 4:5-11
5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness,[a] not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness,[a] not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
Commentary:
4:10–11 perished. Finally Jonah expresses concern over something perishing (see note on 3:9), but ironically it is a plant, not the 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left, an idiom for being morally and spiritually unaware, that probably refers to the entire population. Jonah’s compassion for the plant explains the rather odd expression that translates the final words in the Hebrew text, and also much cattle. The ironic question raised by these words is: If Jonah will not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the 120,000 people whom God created and cares for, will Jonah not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the animals, since after all, Jonah was willing to have compassion on a plant? The question is left unanswered so that the readers of the book may answer it for themselves.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1691.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1691.
Questions:
The book of Jonah ends with a surprising question from God: "Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?" Jonah mourned the loss of a plant that had brought him comfort, yet he had no compassion for the people of Nineveh who were living in spiritual darkness. God lovingly exposed Jonah's distorted priorities by reminding him that people matter infinitely more than possessions, comfort, or personal preferences.
Every person is created in the image of God and deeply loved by our Creator. God's heart has always been for all nations, all peoples, and every person who is far from Him. As followers of Christ, God calls us to allow His compassion to reshape our own hearts until we begin to love people the way He does.
Every person is created in the image of God and deeply loved by our Creator. God's heart has always been for all nations, all peoples, and every person who is far from Him. As followers of Christ, God calls us to allow His compassion to reshape our own hearts until we begin to love people the way He does.
- Who is someone you find difficult to love, forgive, or even care about? What attitudes or assumptions might be keeping you from seeing that person the way God sees them?
- What does God's compassion for Nineveh reveal about His character? How should knowing that God desires all people to come to Him shape the way we view those who are far from Christ?
- Have you become more concerned with your own comfort, preferences, or frustrations than with the spiritual condition of the people around you? Through our study in Jonah has God been calling you to pray for, to serve, or to share the gospel with someone?
Prayer Topics:
- Praise God that while you were still far from Him, He pursued you with mercy, grace, and love.
- Ask God to replace any bitterness, prejudice, indifference, or self-centeredness in your heart with His compassion.
- Pray for someone in your life who does not know Jesus. Ask God to soften their heart, open opportunities for you to show Christ's love, and give you the courage to faithfully share the gospel.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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