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Jonah 4:5

5 So Jonah [Yonah] went out [yatsa] of the city [iyr], and sat [yashab] on the east side [qedem] of the city [iyr], and there made [asah] him a booth [cukkah], and sat [yashab] under it in the shadow [tsel], till he might see [ra'ah] what would become of the city [iyr]. KJV-Interlinear

5 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. NASB

Jonah refuses to hear the truth. The Lord was going to destroy the city and he was determined to see it happen. Jonah went out of the city. Don't want to be in it when it gets destroyed, ya know!

He went to the east side of the city. Coincidentally that is the side of the tabernacle you are on when you enter it. Grace begins on the east facing west. Facing west Jonah was facing the city as one would face the tabernacle, and from there one who is knowledgeable of doctrine knows that, that is where grace begins - by illustration.

Jonah was not interested in grace however. He was only interested in seeing these undeserving 'heathens' get what was due them. A quick and painful death.

Now it is interesting to note that most probably Jonah did not know anyone in the city. He did not know their names, their occupations, their nature. He didn't know anything about them. He only had knowledge of the reputation of the city. So Jonah's information was based on gossip (or hearsay).

Of course Jonah had Gods orders to go warn them of their doom. So that information carried some pretty good weight, but God also knew something that Jonah did not know. That the people of the city would respond to the gospel, and that would terminate the destruct order against them.

This Jonah rejected.

Jonah was adamantly against the Ninevites. He hated them because they were gentiles. Jonah was prejudiced. He exaggerated their nature. He decided for himself that they did not deserve any consideration from God. Although it was Jonah who just recently was deserving of death for disobedience to God, and he certainly called on God for his own deliverance from the ocean.

But for himself, grace was ok. For others it was not.

Jonah exaggerated the nature of the Ninevites. He knew the nature of God in that God is merciful and slow to anger. In other words God gives us all lots of opportunities to fail before he hammers us. Why are the Ninevites any different than Jonah?

Jonah was in effect lying in his own biased evaluation of the Ninevites. He did not like them therefore no matter what they did, they were undeserving of any consideration.

Arrogant people have a blind spot. Believers and unbelievers can be arrogant. Jonah was becoming a Bible thumper, as some call them. These are folks who have narrow interpretations of Gods Word and they tend to apply their own (biased) reasoning and judgments when applying the scriptures to real life situations. This is easily recognized by folks and this is probably the number one reason why other people get turned off by Christianity. Arrogant Christians are hypocrites or they are self righteous.

Conservative people, whether Christian or not can fall into this type of trap as their conservative thinking, absent proper Bible studies, will eventually lead them into some very rigid conservative and intolerant thinking patterns. Doctrinally negative conservatives are just as bad as liberals.

Jonah was closed minded. He has been told by God that the judgment has been withdrawn. The people have repented. Jonah rejected this. He goes to the east of the city to see their destruction. He is always getting reminders of Gods grace even though they might be subtle reminders. Like being on the east looking back to the west or the direction of grace.

He constructed a shelter, a very temporary shelter. God provided the branches that he built the shelter with, and God provided the shade under which Jonah received some comfort from the heat of the sun. Jonah is surrounded by grace, and yet he refuses to see it. He is so angry and caught up in his own self centered opinion that he will even build a shelter out of branches which is not very practical, so he makes his own life somewhat miserable. He left the comfort of a city that has repented. He would have been welcome in the city. He went to a hill in the wind and sun - more discomfort. He built a stick home. Remember the three little pigs? And now he sits there and waits, pouting, until the destruction of the city, which he fully expects to come, actually does come.

He blames God. He blames the Ninevites. He is disgusted at his having to be here in the first place. He hates everyone and he refuses to see his own failure in all of this. And his failures are now greater than those of the Ninevites. He cares more for his own ego and opinion than he does for anyone or anything else. He even wants to die, but he has no good reason for that either. He is allowing his emotions to run his life.

Now is the time to post a prayer.

End Of Lesson

Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.

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