JONAH 4
If God wanted only to save the city of Nineveh, the book would have ended at chapter 3. But there was still more work to do, for God wanted to save His servant from himself. Jonah was an angry man (vv.
The basic problem was that Jonah was not completely yielded to God. His mind knew God’s truth, and his will obeyed God’s orders; but he did not do the will of God “from the heart” (Eph. 6:6). He obeyed only because he was afraid of what God might do to him. His was not a ministry of love.
When we are angry with God, everything in life gets out of perspective, and we say and do selfish things. Things become more important than people, and comfort more important than ministry.
But God is long-suffering and tenderly deals with us to bring us to Himself. It is essential in Christian service to be happy with the will of God. Each of us should be able to say, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8).