2007-02-18 16:32:49 · 6 answers · asked by puma 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Compassion. Jonah needed to learn compassion.
Jonah was sitting there wanting to see the firework show when God destroyed Ninevah (and, mind you, those Assyrians really were *not* nice people, by and large, what with torturing their captives to death and all -- They were like the Nazis of their day), and God had told him to preach to them (which he had done) to try and get them to repent (and they actually had), and Jonah didn't want them to repent because he knew God was a compassionate God (dispite what you hear from atheists in Yahoo Answers) who would forgive the Assyrians if they repented. And they did, so He had.
So while Jonah is sitting there waiting for fire and brimstone entertainment (or whatever), God has this "gourd" (i.e., a vine or something) grow up in a few hours over the little booth Jonah had made for himself, and the vine helps him have some shade. And then the next day God has a worm kill the gourd/vine, and has a hot windstorm blow up to make Jonah uncomfortable.
And Jonah complains about it (big surprise), saying (not for the first time) that he would rather be dead. And God tells him, look, bub, are you getting all out of sorts because this vine I grew to give you a bit of comfortable shade got killed? Well, right down there in that city you've been preaching to for the last however many days, there are 120,000 people who are so ignorant about their sins that they in effect don't know their right hand and their left hand apart. And you're upset about your shade vine? Shouldn't I be concerned for all those peoples' wellfare?
Does that make more sense, now? :)
Barjesse37
2007-02-18 16:59:54 · answer #1 · answered by barjesse37 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jews hated the people who lived in Nineveh, only through Great trials was Jonah willing to go preach the word of God to them. But even after saving them he still hated them and was asking God why he would save them. The gourd was Gods way of teaching Jonah how he (God) loved the people and why he had Jonah preach to them.
2007-02-18 16:46:25 · answer #2 · answered by saintrose 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"The Lord God prepared an ivy"... Hederam. In the Hebrew it is Kikajon, which some render a gourd: others a palmerist, or palma Christi.
2007-02-18 17:01:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If Jonah could fell angry for the death of a plant, then why shouldn't God fell sorry for an entire city and save it?
2007-02-18 16:38:15 · answer #4 · answered by Randy G 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Only G-d has the right to create or take away life since He is the only one who created it. Jonah did nothing to warrant that privilege much less _itch about it, or the lack of it
2007-02-18 16:42:32 · answer #5 · answered by know it all 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God created it and then God did away with it, I take it is all about trusting God and letting God be God.
2007-02-18 16:41:10 · answer #6 · answered by t2ensie 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋