Temper tantrum

Jonah’s focus and concern was on a broad-leaf plant rather than having mercy on the people of Nineveh. The plant the Lord prepared was for Jonah not Nineveh. This is key. When the sun came and the worm ate the plant Jonah’s focus became even more evident…self. Self-imposed law will enable us to focus on self. We will always fail to fulfill it creating continual self-disappointment. Jonah’s eyes were on the plant rather than the Creator and Giver of the plant because of self-imposed law. I am reminded or Rom. 1:25, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

Jonah 4:1-11,

¹ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, One who relents from doing harm. ³ Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” ⁴ Then the LORD said, “Is it right (functionally good) for you to be angry?” ⁵ So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶ And the LORD God prepared a plant^[a] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. (me, me, me) ⁷ But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm (destruction), and it so damaged the plant that it withered. (all that can be shaken will be shaken) ⁸ And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” ⁹ Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” (temper tantrum) ¹⁰ But the LORD said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”