FRIDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2017 MORNING
Jonah 4:5-11 New International Version (NIV)
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Footnotes:
- Jonah 4:6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.
God was trying to teach Jonah about His love and compassion for people. Jonah had refused God’s call to go to preach to the people of Nineveh to give them a chance to repent of their sins.
Finally Jonah agreed to go. The people repented and were spared destruction. Jonah was not happy because the people were enemies of the Jews. But God loves all people.
IJUMAA TAREHE 17 FEBRUARI 2017 ASUBUHI
YONA 4:5-11
5 Ndipo Yona akatoka mjini, akaketi upande wa mashariki wa mji, akajifanyia kibanda huko, akakaa chini yake uvulini, hata aone mji ule utakuwaje.
6 Na Bwana Mungu aliweka tayari mtango, akaufanya ukue juu ya Yona, ili uwe kivuli juu ya kichwa chake, na kumponya katika hali yake mbaya. Basi Yona akafurahi sana kwa sababu ya ule mtango.
7 Lakini siku ya pili kulipopambazuka, Mungu akaweka tayari buu, nalo likautafuna ule mtango, ukakatika.
8 Basi ikawa, jua lilipopanda juu, Mungu akaweka tayari upepo wa mashariki, wenye hari nyingi; jua likampiga Yona kichwani, hata akazimia, naye akajitakia kufa, akasema, Ni afadhali nife mimi kuliko kuishi.
9 Mungu akamwambia Yona, Je! Unatenda vema kukasirika kwa ajili ya mtango? Naye akasema, Ndiyo, natenda vema kukasirika hata kufa.
10 Bwana akamwambia, Wewe umeuhurumia mtango, ambao hukuufanyia kazi, wala kuuotesha; uliomea katika usiku mmoja, na kuangamia katika usiku mmoja;
11 na mimi, je! Haikunipasa kuuhurumia Ninawi, mji ule mkubwa; ambao ndani yake wamo watu zaidi ya mia na ishirini elfu, wasioweza kupambanua katika mkono wao wa kulia na mkono wao wa kushoto; tena wamo wanyama wa kufugwa wengi sana?
Mungu alitaka kumfundisha Yona jinsi anavyowapenda na kuwahurumia binadamu. Awali Mungu alimwita Yona kwenda kuhubiri Ninawi ili watu wake watubu na kumrudia Mungu, lakini alikataa. Yona hakutaka watu wa Ninawi kutubu na kuhurumiwa kwa sababu wao walikuwa maadui wa taifa la Israeli.
Mwishoni Yona alikwenda kuhubiri huko na watu walitubu na Mungu aliwasamehe. Lakini Yona hakufurahia.
Na sisi tujifunze kwamba Mungu anapenda watu wote hata maadui zetu.
