These small group studies of Jonah extensive cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, lessons to learn, and applications.  Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.

Jonah 4:1-6 Inductive Bible Study

Jonah 4:1-6

Jonah Disagrees with God

Or

Jonah Whines, then Sulks

Summary- Far from being pleased at the fruitful outcome of his preaching, Jonah was angry that the Lord had spared the Ninevites. One of the very reasons he had fled to Tarshish was so that the Lord would NOT be merciful to the Ninevites, because he knew that the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and one who turns back from causing calamity. In anger, Jonah said he wanted to die, because death was better than life. God does not reprove, but questions him. Jonah doesn’t even bother to answer God, but goes to choose a vantage point from which he can look at Nineveh and hopefully see the destruction of the Lord rain down on it. To teach Jonah a lesson, God appointed a plant to quickly grow up over him and shade him. Stay tuned for what happens to the plant…

Central Teaching- God’s children don’t have the right to be angry about His plans. We don’t need to agree, only obey.

Key Words- angry, gracious, life, death, city, shelter

Key Verse(s)- 4:2

Ten things this passage says-

Ten things this passage does NOT say-

What does this passage teach me about God?

His plan is perfect.

He does not need our approval.

He is merciful.

He is gracious.

He is compassionate.

He is slow to anger.

He is abundant in lovingkindness.

He often relents concerning calamity.

He hears even our complaints.

He often teaches through asking questions and giving practical life lessons.

He does not always give us what we ask for, and this is good!

He is in control of nature.

He is everywhere. We cannot escape His presence.

How can I apply this to my life?

Don’t questions God’s methods or His plan. They are good, even if I don’t agree or understand. He is right.

Know the character of God. Though at times I might still rebel against Him, knowing His true character should ultimately ground me and lead me back to Him.

Realize that it’s good that He doesn’t give me everything I ask for. Sometimes I ask for really stupid/harmful things!

Don’t set my heart too much on having my own way, or on physical things.

Don’t try to run away from God. I can’t.

Questions-

What greatly displeased Jonah? V1

How did Jonah’s attitude contrast to the Lord’s? V1

With Whom was Jonah angry? V1

What do you think was the root cause of Jonah’s anger? V1

What is usually the root cause of anger? V1

How can we avoid having this kind of angry reaction? V1

What was the real reason Jonah fled to Tarshish? V2

Why do you think Jonah did not want the Lord to forgive the Ninevites? V2

How did Jonah’s attitude differ from the sailors’ in chapter 1? V2

What did Jonah know about God’s character? V2

What does it mean that God is gracious? V2 (He longs for and favors others.)

What does it mean that God is compassionate? V2 (He is tender in His affections.)

What does it mean that God is slow to anger? V2 (He does not delight in punishing the wicked.)

What does it mean that God is abundant in lovingkindness? V2 (He is loyal in love and faithful to His covenant.)

What does it mean that God relents concerning calamity? V2

What attitude did Jonah display about God’s character towards himself, versus towards the Gentiles? V2

Were Jonah’s “fears” justified? V2

What was Jonah’s ultimate conclusion from the events that happened? V3

Why do you think Jonah wanted to die? V3

What did Jonah’s request show about His knowledge of the Lord’s power? V3

What can we learn about this in relation to our prayers and the Lord’s answers? V3

Why do you think the Lord asked this question? V4

DID Jonah have good reason to be angry? V4

What can we learn about teaching from this method? V4

Why do you think asking questions is sometimes more helpful than telling people? V4

What does this show us about the Lord’s attitude towards his children? V4

What was Jonah’s reply to God? V4

Why did Jonah go sit east of the city? V5

What did Jonah build for himself? Was it apparently adequate? V5

What, if anything, does Jonah’s action say about his opinion of the power of his prayers? V5

What does it say about his opinion of God’s word? V5

What do you think Jonah was hoping would happen? V5

Why did God appoint a plant to grow up over Jonah? V6

What was Jonah’s reaction to the plant? V6

Why was Jonah happy about the plant? V6

What was Jonah’s part in causing the plant to grow? V6

Contrast Jonah’s attitude towards the plant with Jonah’s attitude towards the Ninevites. V6

Cross References-

Jonah 4:1-

Num 20:11-12

11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Num 20:24

24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

Ps 106:32-33

32 They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah,

So that it went hard with Moses on their account;

33 Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,

He spoke rashly with his lips.

Jonah 4:9

9 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.”

Mic 6:3

3 “My people, what have I done to you,

And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

Matt 20:15

15 “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

James 1:19-20

19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

James 2:8

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.

3 John 6

6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

Jonah 4:4

4 The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”

Matt 20:15

15 “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

Luke 15:28

28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

Acts 13:46

46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

James 4:5-6

5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

2 Sam 6:8

8 David became angry because of the LORD’S outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.

Ps 37:8

8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

Ezek 3:14

14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong on me.

Jonah 4:11

11 “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?”

Matt 20:15

15 “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

Luke 10:40

40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

Luke 11:32

32 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

1 Cor 9:17

17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

Jonah 4:2-

1 Kings 19:4

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”

Jer 20:7

7 O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived;

You have overcome me and prevailed.

I have become a laughingstock all day long;

Everyone mocks me.

Jonah 1:3

3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Luke 10:29

29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Ex 34:6

6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;

Num 14:18-19

18 “The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ 19 “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

Ps 78:38

38 But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them;

And often He restrained His anger

Ps 86:5

5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.

Ps 86:15

15 But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

Hos 11:8-9

8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I surrender you, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart is turned over within Me,

All My compassions are kindled.

9 I will not execute My fierce anger;

I will not destroy Ephraim again.

For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst,

And I will not come in wrath.

Joel 2:13-14

13 And rend your heart and not your garments.”

Now return to the LORD your God,

For He is gracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness

And relenting of evil.

14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent

And leave a blessing behind Him,

Even a grain offering and a drink offering

For the LORD your God?

Mic 7:18

18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity

And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in unchanging love.

Ex 32:14

14 So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Ps 90:13

13 Do return, O LORD; how long will it be?

And be sorry for Your servants.

Jer 18:8

8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.

Amos 7:3

3 The LORD changed His mind about this. “It shall not be,” said the LORD.

Jonah 3:10

10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Jonah 4:3-

Num 11:15

15 “So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”

Num 20:3

3 The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!

1 Kings 19:4

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”

Job 3:20

20 “Why is light given to him who suffers,

And life to the bitter of soul,

Job 6:8-9

8 “Oh that my request might come to pass,

And that God would grant my longing!

9 “Would that God were willing to crush me,

That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

Jer 20:14-18

14 Cursed be the day when I was born;

Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!

15 Cursed be the man who brought the news

To my father, saying,

“A baby boy has been born to you!”

And made him very happy.

16 But let that man be like the cities

Which the LORD overthrew without relenting,

And let him hear an outcry in the morning

And a shout of alarm at noon;

17 Because he did not kill me before birth,

So that my mother would have been my grave,

And her womb ever pregnant.

18 Why did I ever come forth from the womb

To look on trouble and sorrow,

So that my days have been spent in shame?

Phil 1:21-25

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,

Job 7:15-16

15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,

Death rather than my pains.

16 “I waste away; I will not live forever.

Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Eccl 7:1

A good name is better than a good ointment,

And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

Jonah 4:8

8 When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”

1 Cor 9:15

15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.

Ex 14:12

12 “Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Job 3:21

21 Who long for death, but there is none,

And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

Job 6:9

9 “Would that God were willing to crush me,

That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

Job 7:16

16 “I waste away; I will not live forever.

Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Job 10:1

“I loathe my own life;

I will give full vent to my complaint;

I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

Eccl 2:17

17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

Ezek 3:14

14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong on me.

Jonah 4:4-

Num 20:11-12

11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Num 20:24

24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

Ps 106:32-33

32 They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah,

So that it went hard with Moses on their account;

33 Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,

He spoke rashly with his lips.

Jonah 4:9

9 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.”

Mic 6:3

3 “My people, what have I done to you,

And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

Matt 20:15

15 “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

James 1:19-20

19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

James 2:8

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.

3 John 6

6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

Jonah 4:5-

1 Kings 19:9

9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:13

13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”””

Isa 57:17

17 “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;

I hid My face and was angry,

And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.

NASU

Jer 20:9

9 But if I say, “I will not remember Him

Or speak anymore in His name,”

Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire

Shut up in my bones;

And I am weary of holding it in,

And I cannot endure it.

Jonah 1:5

5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

Gen 19:27-28

27 Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the LORD; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace.

Jer 17:15-16

15 Look, they keep saying to me,

“Where is the word of the LORD?

Let it come now!”

16 But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You,

Nor have I longed for the woeful day;

You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips

Was in Your presence.

Luke 19:41-44

41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Jonah 4:6-

Ps 103:10-14

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

14 For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust.

Jonah 1:17

17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

Est 5:9

9 Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.

Prov 23:5

5 When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.

For wealth certainly makes itself wings

Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

Isa 39:2

2 Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

Amos 6:13

13 You who rejoice in Lodebar,

And say, “Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?”

Luke 10:20

20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

1 Cor 7:30

30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;

Isa 25:5

5 Like heat in drought, You subdue the uproar of aliens;

Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced.

Jonah 4:8

8 When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”

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