Face to Face Church Inc. - Saving Work of the Holy Trinity (Jonah 2:1-10)

Saving work of the Holy Trinity

Jonah 2:1-10

by Pastor Jesse Licardo

June 8, 2024, Lakewood CA

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Understanding the story of Jonah.

The book of Jonah is a narrative of his personal experience with God.

Jonah was a true prophet confirmed in 2 Kings14:25

“He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.”

He lived during the reign of Jeroboam the second, around 800 B.C.

Referred to as a preview of Jesus death burial and resurrection by the Lord Jesus himself. In Matthew 12:38-42

“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”

Overall context:

Jonah 1:1-3

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Nineveh, capital of Assyria, a great city, one of the oldest cities int he world.

2. Established by Nimrod

Genesis 10:9-12

“He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.”

The population was about 120,000

Jonah 4:11

“And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?””

From history they were very evil, idolaters, wicked and cruel people. Tortured their prisoners, and were known to inflict the most severe pain even to mothers and children. Barbaric in nature.

Was a threat andHated by the Israelites.

I. God’s command for Jonah to call out against the Ninevites for their evil.

Jonah responded by running away from God because he did not want to go and preach in Nineveh.

Jonah 1: 1-3

In verse 3, he doesn’t want to preach to the Ninevites, yet he goes to Joppa, modern day southern Tel Aviv,Israel. An ancient Levantine port city founded but he Canaanites, that is now part of southern Tel Aviv, Israel.

Interestingly enough 800 years later it was in Joppa that Peter received a vision.

Acts 11:5-18

““I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””

This is the very same place where Jonah tried to run away from the call of God to go to the gentiles, is where God called Peter to go onto the gentiles.

The book of Jonah is about:

God’s love
God’s mercy.
God’s forgiveness
God’s compassion
God’s justice
God’s patience
And the Refining of Jonah’s character.

The process of breaking down a hardened prophet.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God is proactive. Proactive defined as acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes. from Merriam Webster dictionary.

Verse 1. God takes the initiative to talk to Jonah.

Why did I God choose Jonah?

If Jonah needed to represent God rightly, he needed to learn how to love his enemies and to do God’s will, not his own will.

Jonah needed to change, he needed to repent, Jonah needed to go through the process of brokenness. Why? Because God loves Jonah and wants him to have the right heart, attitude, right perspective and right character for service.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

II. Jonah’s response to God was to run away from his mission.

Is it possible to disobey God?

Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan.

Problem with Jonah:

He didn’t like God’s command because he hated the oppressive Ninevites and loved only his own people, the Israelites.
He cannot reconcile how God can be just and merciful and forgiving even to pagans and their enemies.

“but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jonah 4:1-3

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.””

sometimes when we do not know the will of God, when we do not understand the will of God, we like to do our own will.
If you don’t trust God completely it will result in doing your own will.
There will be times when God commands doesn’t make sense, but we still must trust the Lord and not act on our own.
In Jonah’s perspective he thinks he knows better and refuse to obey God.
But in Isaiah 55:6-11

““Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

God is omniscient (all knowing). He is aware of the pass, present and future. Nothing takes him by surprise,his knowledge is total.

What we learned from Jonah is that sometimes, we want to do our own will more than God’s will.

III. God will not hire you if He is just going to fire you.

You cannot run away from God

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

You cannot hide from Him.

Sin is slippery slope, disobedience a downward spiral

Jonah 1:1-17. “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

God will go after you you.

The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea (vs 4)
And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah (vs 17)
The Lord appointed a plant (vs 6)
The Lord appointed a work (vs 7)
God appointed a scorching east wind (vs 8)

If you disobey God, if you are sinning against Him the storms of life will come and the consequences will be painful.

In vs 4 and 5 observation:

When people really get into trouble, who do they call on?

In times of peace and prosperity, we often take the name of God in vain, but in times of trouble when we get into a life threatening situation we are often quick to cry upon God.

What can we observe about Jonah’s demeanor during the storm?

When you’re sinning against God it will affect the people around you, your family, your church, and others you associate with. It will affect your decisions and demeanor.
Gen.4:3-15 read
Consequence is real

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When you are sinning against God you become insensitive, it makes you callous, it hardens you. You become desensitized.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jonah’s response to the storm:

He was sleeping, and many Christians today are spiritually asleep amidst trials in life.

He did not pray during this ordeal.

When you know you are living in sin, it is hard to pray.

a hard headed prophet
We need to take God’s word seriously
Do not think you can get away with disobedience
Sometimes we are like Jonah, we go to church but our heart is not right with God.
Hebrews 12:6-11

God’s loving and tender mercy.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

IV. Jonah interrogated

Jonah 1: 8

“Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?””

Problem with identity:

Jonah said he was a “Hebrew” rather than declare that he was a prophet of God because he knew he was running away from God and not doing what he was supposed to

Jonah 1:9

“And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.””

Is your knowledge of God consistent with your actions?

Jonah was well versed in God’s word but his actions say otherwise.

Is our knowledge of God only Head knowledge?

The process of brokenness takes time. When will the storm stop?

God initiates brokenness for our own good.

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The process of brokenness happens when you begin to take full responsibility for your actions and fully surrender to God. You learn to OWN up and not blame others.

Jonah 1: 12

“He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.””

When you run away from God you’re actually running away from what is best for you.

You cannot run away from your calling. You must keep your vows.

“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!””

‭‭As a vessel God will break you so He can remold you as a vessel of His choice.

God used Jonah’s foolishness for the conversion of the sailors.

Jonah 1: 14-16

“Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.”

Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

God’s ultimate plan is for us to be conformed in the image of His son.

Sign of brokenness

We learn to depend on God

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭8

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

Humility is evident.

Isaiah 66:2

“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

Obedience is perceptible

Jonah 3:1-10

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

Broken people have a positive attitude

Chapter 2 of Jonah 1-10.

Unbroken people tend to be negative in perspective.

Those who have been broken by God learn to surrender their will to Him.

Notice, Jonah didn’t pray in the boat nor when he was thrown in the water. He prayed only when he was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the big fish. V.17

What did Jonah learn and know about God?

If the storms of life will not get your attention when god wants your attention, He will get your attention.
Why 3 days and3 nights?

C.S. Lewis wrote:

Pain insists on being attended to.

God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to raise a deaf world.

God is determined for us to learn our lesson either the easy way by obeying, or the hard way like Jonah. He will keep the pressure until you learn.

In Jonah’s prayer, He uses quotations from the book of psalms:

Jonah began his prayer by quoting Psalms 120:1

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭120‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭18‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭88‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭88‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭31‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭69‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul,”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭31‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭50‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭22‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭22‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

V. God is the God of 2nd chances.

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jonah’s message to Nineveh: “Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬

Result of his obedience

“And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.”
‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”
‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬
God granted them Mercy.

V1. Jonah 4:1-2 is the quotes Exodus 34:6-7

“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬

God is patient amidst Jonah’s foolishness

“Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

-Jonah was angry because he didn’t want God to spare Nineveh

God is a God of Mercy and Grace. Gracious and compassionate, loving and forgiving forbearing towards us.
“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Unlike Jonah, Judgement is never God’s first option but it is always His last resort.

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

VII. Jonah could not accept the fact that God forgave the inhabitants of Nineveh when after hearing the warning they repented and believed. He was angry with God. He wanted Judgement for them not Mercy.

What about us? Do we give others a second chance specially if we have been hurt by them?

“but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

VIII. God continues the refinement Jonah.

“Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The shortsightedness of an angry legalistic Prophet.

“But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jonah was angry about the demise of the plant because the plant benefited him. He was focus on self. in contrast God’s cares and Love people.

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV
Are you a responsible ambassador of Christ?

We can learn allot from Jonah.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭38‬-‭42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.5.6-7.ESV

Glory to God