"Jonah’s Gourd," The Southern Baptist Messenger vol.3 no.15 (Aug. 1853)
THE GROWING OF THE GOURD over the head of Jonah
shows how good and merciful the Lord was to him in his afflicted
and angry condition, and is a standing testimony of his
faithfulness to his promises made to his children, that he will
not forget or forsake them in any circumstance. God designed
to try Jonah by the Gourd, in like manner as he often tries his
children, to see if their blessings are received with gratitude, and
whether they will be humbled by their undeserved favors or not
(not but what God knows what the result will be,) to prove to
them something special, as in this case to prove to Jonah more
fully the folly of his hasty and unjustifiable conclusions, and the
turpitude of his unsanctified nature.
The Gourd was smitten and withered as a just rebuke to
Jonah for his ingratitude and fretfulness at the mercy of God in
sparing Ninevah on her repentance, and by this circumstance is
proven, not only to Jonah, but to the world, the justice as well
as the mercy of God in sparing this great city. The circumstances
of this case prove conclusively to all Christians that it is
not their privilege to conjecture what may be the result of obeying divine commands, and that they should not murmur if the result should not be to their expectations or desires, but be not
only resigned to the divine hand but truly thankful that all
things are under the rightful control of infinite wisdom, and
that whatever may be the result all shall be for the glory of God
and for the good of his children. |
