Jonah Pouting Outside of Nineveh Jonah 4:5

When the LORD spared Nineveh of the judgment Jonah pronounced upon them, Jonah was “displeased” and longed for God to take his life from him. Jonah knew God is merciful and gracious, and he wondered whether the LORD would spare the people of the city if they humbled themselves and repented of their ways. The LORD asked Jonah if he did “well” being “angry”, and in chapter four and verse five of this prophesy we see Jonah go “out of the city”, pouting and watching to see what would happen to Nineveh. We read:

So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

The verse begins, “So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth,...” The author began with the words, “So Jonah went out” or “dove” “departed and proceeded forward ” “of the city” which refers to “the town and guarded place of waking”, “and sat” or “dwelt, remained and abode” “on the east side” which refers to “the front, before, aforetime and ancient or beginning” “of the city” which means “the town and guarded place of waking”, “and there made” or “fashioned, accomplished and produced” “him a booth” which means “a thicket, pavilion or covering or rude and temporary shelter”. After the LORD asked him whether he did “well” to be “furious”, Jonah traveled to the outside or the “beginning” of the city, made himself a shelter and settled in there.

The verse goes on to say, “...and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.” The author continued, “and sat under it in the shadow”” which means “remained, dwelt and abode beneath the shade, protection and transitoriness of the shelter”, “till he might see” which means “look at, inspect, perceive and consider” “what would become of the city” which is all one Hebrew word “'iyr” and refers to “the town and guarded place of waking known as the city of Nineveh”. Jonah purposed to watch what might happen to Nineveh even though the LORD informed him they would be spared.

When we meditate upon these words, we might be able to understand Jonah's feelings. Jonah, after spending three days and nights in the “great fish”, finally obeyed the LORD, cried out to Nineveh - -“yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown”, saw the people including the king repent and watched the LORD alter His plan to destroy them. Now, he decided to pout, left the city and built a temporary shelter just so he could observe whether the LORD would change His mind and destroy them anyway. When we see Jesus pour out His grace upon people whom we feel should be judged, do we pout? Do we watch carefully to see whether God will bring judgment upon them or not? What if the people who need judgment are us? Let us imagine we were the ones that humbled ourselves, repented and called out upon the LORD to “spare” us? How would we feel then? The LORD Jesus is ready to extend his mercy to those who will call upon Him, and may the LORD help and lead to imitate Him as we look toward those who have wronged us.

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

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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