Lessons from the belly of a whale . . .

Benjamin Franklin said, “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.” He also said, “Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.” Over the years I’ve had many things make me angry, and whatever the reason, my anger made me do and say some things that I later came to regret. Anger can cause all of us to do and say some pretty silly things, things we would never otherwise do or say.

Jonah became angry with the Lord when God withheld his judgment upon the city of Nineveh when the people repented. Not a very good reason to be angry if you ask me, and in his anger Jonah certainly did and said some foolish things.

[1] But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. [2] He prayed to the Lord, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. [3] Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."
Jonah 4:1-3 (NIV)

Now just think about what Jonah said; if he had really wanted to die, then why did he thank God for rescuing him from the belly of the great fish? Jonah’s life could have ended as fish food, but instead God was merciful and gave this reluctant prophet a second chance. Jonah even vowed to make good on his promises because he knew salvation came from the Lord (see Jonah 2:7-9). Having been so rescued from certain death, why would he now be angry with God for rescuing Nineveh from the death sentence of sin which was coming upon them?

Yet Jonah continues in his anger. When God mercifully gives him a plant to shade him from the heat of the sun, Jonah is grateful, but when the plant is eaten the next day by a worm and dies Jonah is again angry enough to just want to die (Jonah 4:6-8). I must admit that if I were God that I would have had enough of Jonah’s bitter attitude. One lightning bold should do the trick and Jonah’s request to die would have been granted (and his complaining would have been over too).

But God proved Himself to be gracious, full of compassion and slow to anger with Jonah; the Lord did not end Jonah’s life but gave him the opportunity to learn from God’s mercy. Shouldn’t we do the same and learn to be merciful and slow to anger as well?