Jonah’s Attitude

The story of Jonah is one of the great stories of the Bible. Jonah ran from God’s call, was swallowed by a sea creature, and then was belched upon the seashore three days later. Jonah then warned the Ninevites of impending judgment, and—incredibly—the prodigiously wicked Ninevites repented.

But Jonah wasn’t happy that the Ninevites repented.

He was disappointed that they came to faith in God and were spared divine punishment. It’s hard to imagine someone having such a negative attitude. In fact, Jonah complained about the death of a plant while at the same time wishing the Ninevites had perished. It has been suggested Jonah’s disposition was due to fear he would appear to be a false prophet. It is also possible it was simply a matter of malice.

The Assyrians were exceptionally wicked.

Their cruelty was well known, and they were idol worshipers. It is possible Jonah simply felt that the Assyrians—avowed enemies of Israel—simply didn’t deserve to live. Concerning God sparing the inhabitants of Nineveh, Jonah was “displeased … exceedingly,” and “very angry” (Jonah 4:1).

He was very angry that God had chosen not to destroy a city full of people! The Ninevites repented, God spared them, and Jonah was “very angry.” If Jonah’s heart had been right with God, he would have instead been jumping for joy.

Humanly speaking, one could justify Jonah’s attitude.

But what Jonah’s attitude reveals is that even God’s own people —even those involved in ministry— can have hard hearts. Jonah should have remembered God’s great mercy toward him. When Jonah disobediently ran from God, God saved his life, showing him mercy and grace. It pays to remember what we really are.

In dealing with others, honest recognition of our own sinfulness will infuse us with mercy and tolerance. It is easy to write off someone as too sinful to save. But if you remember that God saved you —you whose sins held Jesus on the cross— then you’ll realize that God can save anyone. And you’ll rejoice when He does. The last thing we want is to have an attitude like Jonah’s.