A Teachable Moment (Jonah 4:5-11)
The proceedings of the teachable moment
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Jonah 4:5 (ESV)
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:8–9 (ESV)
The providence in the teachable moment
6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint . . . Jonah 4:6–8 (ESV)
. . . hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ Mark 9:47–48 (ESV)
41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” Luke 9:41 (ESV)
Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!
Psalm 148:5–8 (ESV)
The passion in the teachable moment
8 . . . And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” Jonah 4:8–9 (ESV); Luke 15:28–30
9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” . . . 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:9–11 (ESV)
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” . . . Genesis 4:9 (ESV)
The point of the teachable moment
10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:10–11 (ESV)
2 You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Deuteronomy 5:32 (ESV)
“right and left” idiom (cf. Deut 5:32; 17:11, 20; 28:24; Josh 1:7; 23:6; 2 Chr 34:2; Prov 4:27) [Joanne Hoyt]
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” . . . Luke 23:34 (ESV)