Get the Big Picture
Devotions for Growing Christians
Get the Big Picture
Jonah 4:9-11 - Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death." Then the Lord said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"
If possible, read the whole book of Jonah before proceeding.
The Old Testament book of Jonah is more than just the historical record of a Jewish prophet who was swallowed by a big fish - it’s the Word of God! Because it’s Scripture, it’s packed full of lessons for growing Christians. As God worked with His servant Jonah many years ago, so He works with His servants today. All growing Christians are servants of the Lord!
The first three chapters of the book describe how Jonah disobeyed the Lord by running away from a job that the Lord told him to do. Instead of preaching to the Assyrian city of Nineveh as God commanded, Jonah sailed away towards Tarshish, a city at least 2500 miles in the opposite direction. But in His disciplining love, God brought Jonah back. We know that Jonah’s return trip was quite traumatic, but that's usually the way it is. When God's people disobey, the return to obedience is often through discipline.
Jonah was recommissioned (3:1) and preached boldly at Nineveh, that great capital city of the ancient Assyrian Empire. The result was one of the greatest "revivals" in history. From the king on down, the people of Nineveh repented of their evil ways (3:5). And God withheld His judgment! Nineveh was spared for approximately another 150 years until it was overthrown by Babylon in 612BC.
By the way, what we learn about God in the book of Jonah is a far from the misinformed idea that the God of the Old Testament was a cruel, vindictive God, who only cared about the Jewish people. No way! The story of Jonah is just one example of how God’s love was extended well beyond the borders of Israel to the pagan nations of the ancient world.
When we come to chapter 4, we’re surprised to find that Jonah was upset! Instead of being elated over the amazing results of his ministry, Jonah was very angry (4:1). Why? Because Jonah didn't really want the Lord’s mercy to be extended to Nineveh (4:2). After all, the Assyrians were Israel’s arch-enemies. (The ancient Assyrians are known to have been one of the most cruel nations in warfare, viciously torturing their prisoners of war.) Jonah wanted to see his pronouncement of judgment realized. Let those Assyrians get what's coming to them! They deserve to go to hell without any mercy! (By the way, is it possible that we may feel this way about some people whom God loves?)
Jonah was so upset with God that he wanted to die (4:3)! Have you ever been so frustrated and angry with the circumstances in your life that you felt the same way? God wants us to be mature servants, but many times we act like selfish, spoiled, and shortsighted children. Jonah pouted all the way out of the city. He set up a makeshift observation post (4:5), hoping that maybe, just maybe, God would still destroy Nineveh. Maybe even send fire from heaven! "Burn, baby burn!" expresses Jonah's attitude at this point.
Because of Jonah's bad attitude, God had to reprove him, and that's what the rest of chapter 4 is all about. Jonah's problem in chapter 4 was not his problem in chapter 1. No longer was there willful and blatant disobedience. Now it was a bad attitude and a lack of maturity. Jonah didn't have to go through the storm and fish experience again, but he did need to be reproved. God wanted Jonah to grow up and get the big picture - God's view of the situation. Many times the Lord must reprove His servants today because of our bad attitude, immaturity and tunnel vision.
The Lord gave Jonah an object lesson to help him visualize his own problem, and to recognize how selfish his attitude was (v6-8). First a shade plant grew up, under which Jonah sat in comfort while he waited for the "fireworks" to burn Nineveh down. "This is really great," Jonah said to himself (4:6). But then the Lord had a worm come along, and it destroyed the very plant that God Himself had given Jonah for shade and comfort! When the hot eastern sun came up, Jonah was ready to quit (4:8). He was so depressed he even "begged the Lord with all his soul" to take his life.
How easy it is to see ourselves in Jonah! When we’re not right with the Lord, our feelings run like a roller coaster. One day we're way up and "extremely happy" (4:6), but the next day we're down in the depths, feeling sorry for ourselves and even wishing we were dead. Very small things (like a little worm) can ruin our whole day. A scratch on our car; an empty mailbox; a small tear in a new sweater; a rainy day when we had an outdoor event planned. So often we’re obsessed with our little problems. God wants His people to grow up and get the big picture - His viewpoint!
As in the case of Jonah, the Lord often gives us good things that we don't deserve for our own comfort. He may even let us have something we had our hearts set on. We’re really happy, and we may even take this blessing as a sign of God's approval on our lives and actions. But - it may not be a sign of God's approval at all. It may just be the goodness of God to undeserving servants. After all, everything we have is only by the goodness of God!
But, like Jonah, how often we get upset if the Lord takes away any of our little comforts. We act like selfish children. We can't seem to see that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away." And He has a very good reason for doing so, a reason that we may never fully understand in this lifetime. (See Job 1.) God may take away a comfortable job or an easy schedule or even a person we like to have near us. When the Lord takes something from us, let’s not get angry and resentful with God, who has the big picture. Let’s patiently trust Him, and look for the life lessons He may have for us.
The Lord drives home the point of His object lesson to Jonah in verses 9-11, and it goes something like this: "Jonah, why are you so uptight about that plant? Can you give me one good reason? Can't you see that you're selfish and short-sighted? You're so concerned about one plant - but I'm concerned about 120,000 people! Don't you see that these people are mine, Jonah? I made them. I love them. I don't want them to perish! You're not even concerned about all the animals that would die - never mind the people! My dear servant Jonah, I love you - but please grow up and get the big picture!"
What a lesson for us! So often we get hung up on the incidentals, while the world around us is perishing. We're more interested in our fun than our family; more interested our college room than in our roommate; more interested in our bonus than our boss; more interested in our trophies than our teammates. How it must hurt God to see His children more interested in their "toys" than in the needs of others. Let’s grow up, and start to see things from our Heavenly Father’s perspective.
Did Jonah learn the lesson? He must have learned it, because he wrote the book! It takes a mature man to write about his own folly, obstinacy and immaturity. In fact, he learned the lesson because our Lord refers to him as a great prophet (Luke 11:32)! Jonah learned the lesson that God is trying to teach us: Grow up and get the big picture!
- Dave Reid