3.  Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.

Did you ever not get your way and decided to pout? It is like a boy who is hurt and takes his ball and goes home. I think about that phrase when I act childish because I don’t get my way.  It is means a person quits a game or stops working with others because they do not get their way. This action ruins the fun or work for everyone else.

Sin is not only doing what you know is wrong, but not doing what you know is right. Jonah knew what he was supposed to be doing, but out of anger refuses and his prejudice isn’t only against Ninevah, but also became anger toward God. This was not open disobedience against the will of God for Jonah, but an attitude refusal to do what you know you should be doing. It is hard to imagine Jonah, who had received grace and mercy from God, failed to have that attitude toward the Ninevites. He wanted to see them pay for their sin, but did not want to pay for his own sin. Just because a person has been forgiven or received mercy from God does not make them more merciful.

He quickly forgot his own rebellion and turning away from the Lord. Instead of only doing what was wrong, he didn’t do what was right. There is the story in Matt. 18:23-35 of a king who released the debt that a man owed him, even though it was a great amount. You would think he had learned mercy, but instead the man finds another person who owes him a much lesser amount and has him thrown into prison because he couldn’t pay up, nor does he forgive that man his debt. God is not happy with our hanging onto grudges. If you have been forgiven of your sins, you ought to forgive others their sins against you.

Jonah finally preached destruction, but destruction never came. The reason for his pouting was he didn’t get to see his prophecy fulfilled the way he wanted. There are sins of commission and sins of omission.

I remember hearing an evangelist preaching on prophecy in my home church when I was a Junior High schooler. He showed in the Bible how close we were to Christ’s second coming. He had us all memorize how the Old Testament was fulfilled in the New Testament and he took the world's events and wove them as fulfillment of various prophecies. He preached a powerful sermon to which many came forward in repentance and in faith in Christ. “Why Christ is coming within the next 10 years.” was the title of his presentation. I was already saved, but many hoped they could accept Jesus that night because if Jesus returned two seconds later - it would be too late.

Twenty years later, when I was on a return trip to visit Mom in Detroit, I saw advertised in the paper this same evangelist preaching in another local church. Guess what the title of his sermon was, “Biblical reasons why Jesus will be returning within the next 10 years.”

It is hard to understand, when he was wrong, how God could use that person to win people over to the Lord. However, if people were just responding out of fear and not true repentance to God, is there a difference? Only God knows their heart. I felt he was manipulating the audience and instead of encouraging people to come to his revival meetings, I discouraged people from going. I lost all credibility in that evangelist and in other preachers that use ways to manipulate the scriptures. I often wonder if that evangelist is angry with God for not coming within 10 years. Out of conviction, I needed to repent of my attitude and feelings which were wrong.

Be careful how your attitudes can get in the way of not doing God’s will or desires.

Dale