As the prophecy of Jonah comes to a conclusion, the final chapter offers a vital lesson about the character of God. Jonah is angry because God has shown mercy, but as Jonah states, he knew that God would show mercy because God is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger and forgiving. These characteristics are first offered by God himself, as he describes his person to Moses in Exodus 34. Jonah doesn't believe that the Ninevites deserve the mercy of God, though he himself requests God's mercy and receives it throughout this prophecy and again here in Chapter 4. Jonah is a recipient of God's mercy, but does not want the Ninevites to benefit from that same mercy. This is the lesson for Jonah and for us - God is merciful and compassionate; and as followers of Jesus, we must also show mercy. May God give us grace to increasingly show mercy to one another and to those we see as outsiders.
The prophecy of Jonah has characteristically been viewed through the lens of the great fish that swallows Jonah, but Jonah is about much more than the spectacular events that characterize the book. Jonah is a book that vividly demonstrates the mercy of God to Jonah, to terrified sailors, and to the foreign Ninevites. Jonah is called to go and preach to Nineveh, but he refuses the message of God and instead flees. Throughout this brief book, Yahweh will pursue Jonah and demonstrate to him repeatedly his rich mercy that is available to Jonah, the sailors, to Nineveh and the Ninevites. The mercy of God is available to you as well, today that mercy comes through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for your sins. Through this rich mercy, you too can have a relationship with God.
Graceway Church of Michiana exists in South Bend, IN for the purpose of Exalting our great God and Savior, Edifying and Encouraging believers and Engaging our Community.
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