The LORD's Divine Reasoning Jonah 4:10

When the LORD prepared a “worm” that destroyed the “gourd” that gave Jonah shelter, He also prepared a “vehement east wind” which “beat upon the head of Jonah”. In his despair, Jonah wished himself to die, and afterwards God asked him if he did “well to be angry for the gourd”. Jonah replied that he did “well to be angry, even unto death”, and in chapter four and verse ten of this prophesy we find the LORD reasoning with Jonah once again where we read:

Then said the LORD, You have had pity on the gourd, for the which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

The verse begins, “Then said the LORD, You have had pity on the gourd, for the which you have not labored, neither made it grow;” The writer began with the phrase, “The said the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah speaking, uttering, avowing or avouching”, “You have had pity” or “compassion, regard and willingness to spare” “on the gourd” which means “the castor-oil plant or bottle gourd”, “for the which you have not labored” or “Jonah had not toiled, worked severely and with irksomeness”, “neither made it grow” which means “become great and important, promoted, made powerful, magnified or done great things”. The LORD reasoned with Jonah that he had “compassion and pity” upon this “castor-oil” plant of which he had nothing to do with it's growth.

The verse continued, “...which came up in a night, and perished in a night:” The writer added, “which came up in a night” which means “as a firstborn or member of a group”, “and perished” or “vanished, went astray, was destroyed and exterminated” “in a night” which means “as a firstborn or member of a group vanishing at nighttime”. The LORD reasoned that this “gourd” came quickly and vanished just as quickly as it came.

When we consider the words of this verse, we see how the LORD wanted Jonah to realize his “compassion and pity” over a “here today and gone tomorrow” plant. It is a marvel how people can have such “pity” and “concern” over things that come and go, but will not have compassion toward people. Jesus Christ is interested in people everywhere, and since they have an eternal destiny, His attention is particular to them. Although people turn from the LORD and reject Him, He continues to be “compassionate and pitiful” toward them. Lest we become hardened against people and full of “pity” toward meaningless and temporal things, may we humble ourselves before the LORD and ask Him to help us to be as He is.

Next time we end the book of Jonah and see the LORD ask him, “should I not spare Nineveh?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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