Jonah and the God of Second ChancesSample

“Then the LORD said, ‘is it right for you to be angry?’”—Jonah 4:4

Have you ever asked someone a question you already knew the answer to? Or maybe your parents have asked you a question they already knew the answer to? 

“Did you take the trash out?” they asked as they stood staring at the overflowing bin of paper towels, banana peels, and yesterday’s meatloaf surprise. If they already knew the answer, why would they ask the question?

God often does this, too. Shortly after Adam and Eve sinned for the first time in the Garden of Eden, God asked, “Where are you?” After Cain killed his brother Abel, God asked, “Where is your brother Abel?” Did God not know? Of course He did; He's God! He knows everything, sees everything, and is everywhere. So, why does He do this? Why did He ask questions of these people that He already knew the answer to? Why does He often do this with us?

God asks questions because they reveal our heart. You see, God already knows the truth, but He wants us to know the truth. And I'm not just talking about a surface-level understanding of the truth. He wants us to truly understand where our heart is at and what must be done to realign with Him. Think of it like this: sometimes, my parents would ask me to do a chore and I would put it off as long as I could, but then when they would ask, “Son, did you do _________?” my heart would drop. I knew I was guilty. I knew what I'd done wrong, and I knew what I needed to do to get back on track.

What’s sad here is that Jonah doesn’t realize this right away.  Just a few short verses later, we see the last written words of Jonah, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death” (Jonah 4:9). God was trying to get Jonah to see what He saw. Jonah was upset about a plant that offered him shade for a little while. And then after God destroyed the plant that He Himself provided, Jonah was angry to the point of death.

God wanted Jonah to see how much more he should care about the people of Nineveh . . . The more than 120,000 people that He created, people Jonah didn't care all that much about, that he didn't really think deserved God's compassion and forgiveness. And yet, all Jonah could think about was a plant that was there one day and gone the next. He couldn't see beyond what was right in front of him; he refused to look at the world through the lens of God. 

I know Jonah is often looked at as a hero for going and preaching at Nineveh, but the reality is he was a guy who didn’t check his heart and was angry at God’s compassion. He serves as an example, but maybe not so much as a role model. 

So, the next time God asks you a question, ask yourself . . .

• What is God trying to reveal in my heart?  
• What truth does He want me to see?  

Don’t be like Jonah, who completely lost perspective of the deliverance God gave him. Be reminded that God is “a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2). He asks questions because He cares. You need to be willing to ask yourself the same questions He asks you and change what needs to be changed.

Questions For Reflection

• What is a question God has asked you recently that challenged you?
• What is one good thing you learned from Jonah’s example in this book and one thing you learned that was a bad example?