Jonah 4:6-11
Jonah's Unhappiness
6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
"I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."
10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to the Assyrians...Jonah goes the opposite way...Jonah is the only prophet whose mission does not effect the Jewish people...And Jonah does not like it (his assignment)...
The Assyrians are a barbarian type people...They terrorize other nations, including Israel and Judah...Maybe this is why Jonah does not want to go and ask the Ninevites to repent... Maybe they might kill him...
Jonah does minister to the Assyrians...And they do repent... But this does not make Jonah happy...He sits under a vine, that God has provided him and now he is finally happy, about the vine...Then God sends a worm that eats the vine and Jonah is unhappy again because of the discomfort of the heat...When we are tired, hot, unhappy sometimes it is hard to get back on track... Sometimes little things in life, like vines can make us happy and grow out of hand...Many times a combination of things get us down...Maybe this was Jonah's case...
We should try to step back and feel the grace of God, who just helped 120,000 people and many cattle as well and see the bigger picture...Trust in God and ask for His help...It is tough, just as it was for Jonah...