Jonah 4:5 NASB95 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city.
We see in Jonah and example of a prophet who wants to be God. He knows he is not but he sure desires to have his own sovereignty.
This is not just a problem in prophets it is a problem most people suffer with.
If Jonah was God Nineveh would have been destroyed without a chance of repentance. If we were God those who we have problems with would suffer the same fate.
The problem is since we are not righteous as God is then we would have to punish ourselves for our own unrighteousness and in so doing would destroy ourselves.
Jonah went out of the city and sought for himself protection while desiring others to have none. This is selfishness. How awful the world would be if it was under the authority of a God who sought his own protection from judgment while seeking judgment for all others.
Praise the Lord we have the opposite. We have a God who took the punishment in Himself. Though it was undeserved He took it so as to provide protection for all others.
Thank the Lord we are not God!
So in the power of God let's not strive to be like Jonah (selfish) but instead like Jesus (sacrificing).
Love Bro. Scott