Jonah’s Anger
Today’s Verse:
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.…Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? ~Jonah 4:1,4
Jonah was angry with God. Jonah expected Nineveh to be unrepentant after he had preached to this wicked city. To his surprise, everyone in the city, beginning with its king, repented and sought God’s mercies. God was merciful, and He spared the city from judgment. Jonah did not anticipate that the city would be spared. We are told that he was exceedingly displeased and very angry. Jonah’s reaction is a lesson on "When mad is bad."
There is the definition of anger.
Anger is a human emotion that we are born with. It is indignation within our spirit against something that offends or upsets us. Anger can be good when it is a controlled reaction against something that is immoral, unjust, or unrighteous. An example of this is to be angry when one person maliciously takes advantage of another person. On the other hand, anger can be bad when it is an uncontrolled outburst, resulting in words and actions that are hostile towards other people. An example of bad anger is road rage. Uncontrolled anger is inherent from the moment of birth. It is a spirit that expresses outrage for self-fulfilling purposes.
There is the damage from anger.
Anger leads to ruptures in relationships. Anger results in fightings and wars. Anger leads to hasty words that are spoken with disrespect and the intent to do harm. Anger leads to wrath and vengeance. A lady once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. "There's nothing wrong with losing my temper," she said. "I blow up, and then it's all over." "So does a shotgun," Sunday replied, "And look at the damage it leaves behind!"
There is the diagnosis of anger.
William Penn said, "It is he who is in the wrong who first gets angry." The root of anger is pride. All of us have a pride problem. Pride is looking out for number one—me! Our pride allows us to get easily offended. Our pride desires to take retribution against other people. Our pride assumes that everyone else is wrong and that only we are right. Do you have an anger problem? Are you always walking about with an angry spirit? Are you reactive like an unpredictable geyser that lets off hot steam? We must come to grips with our anger if we are prone to an angry spirit.
There is the defeat of an angry spirit.
First, do not make friends with an angry man. An angry spirit begets an angry spirit. Second, we must confess that we have the sin of an angry spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction into our heart. Third, we must submit ourselves to God and His Word and die daily to self. Dying daily means that we ask the Lord to crucify this old, fleshly nature and to keep us from getting easily angered and upset about things. Paul said, “Be ye angry, and sin not.”
God asked Jonah, “Doest thou well to be angry?” That is the question that we need to confront ourselves with this morning. Don’t allow your spirit to be uncontrolled. Remember God’s mercies to you and live in the realm of a controlled and peaceful spirit.
Have a peaceable God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 10-12