Jonah was displeased about this. He then even speaks to God as if God has got it all wrong and should have known better than to send Jonah to Nineveh. Why didn't He just zap them in the first place and have done with it? Jonah then starts to try and justify his earlier actions in running to Tarshish.
Note that Jonah realises what God is like, he just wishes God was different. He knows God is "gracious and compassionate", it is as if Jonah was trying to save God from Himself!
So why do we get this story in the Bible? Maybe it is a parable of what Israel was like. They knew what God was like, but did not in their hearts agree with God. The root of the problem was in their own heart. Likewise the root of our problems lies in our own hearts.
Jonah is so disgruntled that he asks God to take away his life. Instead God seeks to reveal something of His heart to Jonah. Thank goodness God does not always answer our prayers!
Jonah went out to watch over the city. Maybe he was hoping God would now see sense and rain down fire and brimstone on the place. He hoped in vain. It was very hot and God provided a vine for Jonah to protect him. Then He sent a worm to eat the vine. The vine withered and Jonah again wants to die.
God was using the vine as an illustration. Jonah cared about the vine. God cared about Nineveh. God's concern is wider and greater than ours. There are many peoples, individuals and groups, who, if we are honest, we would be too bothered if they disappeared from the earth, we may even welcome it. God's heart is different.
Just as an aside note that Jonah's declaration that he wishes he was dead is not put into effect. There is a lot of teaching on the power of the tongue. Now what we say does matter, for it reflects what is in our hearts. And what we say does matter, but we also need to have a degree of balance on the matter.
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