Jonah 4:6-8

Jonah's gourd vine and a worm -- Jonah 4:6-8 : God continued to love his pouting prophet so He "prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his evil situation. So Jonah was exceedingly glad to have the protection of the gourd." (Jonah 4:4) Jonah had built a little booth and now the gourd vine would provide him with additional shade and insulation from weather, much like a tent. Sadly, Jonah was very happy to have the vine but not happy about the repentance of the people or about the mercy of God.

God used the gourd vine to teach Jonah a visual, but very sobering lesson. "God prepared a cutworm when the morning dawned the next day, and it smote the gourd so that it withered." (Jonah 4:7) The lesson began with the worm and the vine and continued when "God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah so that he fainted and wished in himself to die and said, It is better for me to die than to live." (Jonah 4:8) God sent a quiet but intensely hot wave of air that was terribly depressing to Jonah. Now Jonah wanted to die for a different reason other than the fact that the people had repented and God had shown mercy.