The LORD Prepared a Gourd Jonah 4:6

When the LORD spared the city of Nineveh after declaring through Jonah that He would destroy it, Jonah complained in prayer and made himself a temporary “booth” outside the city to see what would happen to it. In chapter four and verse six of this prophesy, we see the LORD “prepare a gourd” to give Jonah some shade “from his grief” where we read:

And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

The verse begins, “And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head,...” The writer began with the words, “And the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God” “God” who is “the ruler, judge and divine one” “prepared” or “counted, reckoned, numbered, assigned, told and appointed” “a gourd” which means “a castor-oil plant or bottle gourd”, “and made it to come up” “ascend or climb” “over Jonah” “above and higher than the one whose name means “dove”, “that it might be a shadow” or “shade for protection” “over his head” which refers to “the top and upper part of Jonah's body”. Even though Jonah was pouting about God's decision for Nineveh, the LORD made a “gourd” to grow over him for shade.

The verse goes on to say, “... to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.” The writer continued, “to deliver” or “snatch away, deliver, rescue and save” “him” which refers to Jonah “from his grief” or “bad, evil, disagreeable, malignant and unpleasant experience”. “So Jonah” or “dove” “was exceeding glad” which means “largely, intensively and loudly filled with joy, mirth, gaiety, pleasure and rejoicing” “of the gourd” or “castor-oil plant or bottle gourd”. The simple covering of the shade from the “gourd” made Jonah a very happy man.

When we consider the words in this verse, we see the LORD's care and concern for Jonah even though Jonah was upset with Him. God cares for people even when they are mad at Him and do not get their way. Jesus Christ came to the earth to save sinners from their pernicious and evil ways, and when people are angry at Him for any reason, it does not alter His compassion for them. By this small “gourd” Jonah was made happy by the LORD. What does the LORD need to do for us that will make us rejoice? Perhaps as we think on these things, we will find ourselves in some “shelter” of the LORD, and if we do, may we understand, He's with us and able supply relief even when we do not know it is He that is providing.

Next time we see the LORD prepare a “worm” that destroys the “gourd”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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