God had compassion on the perishing souls of nineveh and called Jonah to preach His word to them. “Arise, go to nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me” Jonah 1:2. Even after knowing God personally, Jonah disobeyed His word and travelled in ship to go Tarshish.
God had compassion on Jonah and so wanted to teach him a lesson. God caused a great storm and the ship in which he was travelling was about to be broken up. The passengers put lot to find the reason for the storm and it fell on Jonah’s name. Jonah told them to threw him into sea so that the the sea would cease its raging. “So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea and the sea ceased from its raging.” Jonah1:15.
God had compassion on the co-passengers of nineveh and saved them promising eternal life. “Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows” Jonah1:16. Jonah was swallowed by a fish and he has to be in fish’s belly for 3 days. Jonah realised his mistake and looked unto God in prayer.
God had compassion on Jonah and gave him new life. “So, the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Jonah2:10.Jonah obeyed God and preached that God would destroy nineveh because oftheir wickedness.The people of nineveh believed God and repented.
God had compassion on the people of nineveh and saved them. “God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it” Jonap:10. Jonah became angry that God has not destroyed nineveh. He got irritated that the plant which gave him shade was destroyed by a worm.
God said “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and left?” Jonah4:10,11.
God has compassion on you and me that He didnt destroy us even when our life is not pleasing Him. He wants us to repent from our wickedness and inherit the eternal life which He has prepared for us in heaven. Shall we repent today..?
