“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly…” Jonah 4.1 ESV
It is odd that Jonah could have faith in and even submit to God when in truth he had a fundamental disagreement with Him. The educated phrase that comes to mind is raison d’ etre, which is basically translated as “reason for being.” Jonah’s whole construct ran contrary to everything God is and is about. The contrast is stark.
Jonah had perhaps come to God for what that action would look like. Or maybe he had, like so many of us, inherited the faith and figured, this is just what you do; there’s no deep meaning or reason to it.
But deep meaning and reason have a way of touching down whether we find it convenient or not. Jonah had to reckon with the mercy of God for all men. He was bound to collide with this particular revelation from the get-go.
Jonah argued with God in subsequent verses that this juxtaposition was the whole reason he tried to run in the first place. He knew God would be merciful to Nineveh; that’s why he wanted to withhold the Word of the LORD from them. He knew God is merciful. He hated the idea of obedience because he hated Nineveh and He knew that his obedience would produce at least an opportunity for Nineveh to lay hold of God’s mercy for themselves. He didn’t want that for them. But it’s almost like he didn’t want it for himself, either. Jonah didn’t lay hold of it. If he did, it was under protest. It was passive, not active.
I love that God was so relentless in Jonah’s life that His heart for mercy was made obvious even against the will of His prophet, but what a cautionary tale Jonah’s life is to us today. I think it demonstrates clearly that it is futile to oppose God.
The Father has sent us an ultimatum in Jesus Christ. There is but one way, and the offer stands, by grace through faith (both are gifts; don’t tell me God isn’t merciful). We can be restored to the Father or not, but if we refuse, the Father will be praised. Even if the rocks cry out, He will be praised.
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