The fact that Jesus mentions Nineveh in Matthew is instructive of their infamy. The Assyrians were therefore rightly perceived by the Jews as enemies of God Nahum Some scholars have estimated that the city of Nineveh held a population of about , people at that time of Jonah's ministry and the , mentioned in Jonah may have been innocent children whom God sought to spare.
They were also blatantly evil so that the , may have been the total number of people including children. When God sent Jonah to deliver his warning of imminent judgment on Nineveh, Jonah was perhaps convinced that the time for the destruction these enemies of Israel had come.
Jonah had hoped that that God would not forgive the Ninevites though he knew that He was a gracious God Jonah Three possible reasons may explain his flight to Tarshish Jonah First, Jonah perhaps sought to evade the opportunity to deliver the message so that God would eventually destroy them.
Secondly, his flight may have been informed by the fear for his safety. This was a legitimate concern but we know that God preserves His people wherever He sends them. He was afraid God would be merciful to them.
You see, Jonah knows that God is a merciful and compassionate God. He gives second chances. He spares us his wrath. In verse 3, Jonah gets a little over dramatic and concludes his life is not worth living.
He tells God it is better to die than to live. He is acting just like a child here. He is trying to manipulate God with his anguish. He is trying to get God to change his mind. Jonah why are you getting so upset about this? Why is this bothering you so badly? After this prayer, Jonah goes up to the hill to sit down at the east of the city and look over it.
He is waiting to see what God will do with the city. He waiting and hoping God will destroy it. As Jonah is sitting there God appoints a plant to spring up. Notice this is the third time God appoints something in the book. The first time was the the great wind God hurled upon the sea , the second was the great fish , and here the plant is the third The text is reminding us of who is in control over His creation, and it is the Lord of hosts. He sovereignly appoints what he wills, and rules creation.
God is working on the stubborn, unmerciful, and unloving heart of his prophet. This time Jonah answers with quite a tirade. Yet when God took the plant from him he becomes just as angry.
He cares more for the plant than for his fellow humanity in Nineveh. Jonah selfishly wants his way no matter the outcome. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than , persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? The book ends with that unanswered question. Sproul tells us, means that the prophet cared more about plants than about people. Jonah forgot that no sinner deserves God's forgiveness—even a prophet of God Almighty—and wanted to withhold the possibility of pardon from those he deemed unfit for the kingdom.
But we are all unfit for the kingdom, so we should long for the Lord to save others just as He has saved us. Teaching Series. Conference Messages. Tabletalk Magazine. Gift Certificates. Ligonier Ministries. Supporting Ligonier.
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