From Jews to Gentiles, Day 4

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. ⁴ On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

⁶ When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷ Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹ Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 4

Jonah's Anger at the Lord 's Compassion

¹ But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. ² He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ³ Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

⁴ But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

(Jonah 3:3 - 4:4)

Most of us know about Jonah's aquatic adventures (see Jonah 1 and 2)), but here we find the rest of the story. When Jonah finally obeyed God and preaches to the Ninevites, they changed their ways. Instead of being thrilled, Jonah pouted. He hated the Ninevites and would rather have seen them destroyed. Again, here we have an example of God's compassion for all people, even a brutal people such as the Ninevites.

Prejudice has no place in the church because it has no place in the heart of God. If god can forgive all people, then we must as well. But if the prophets can suffer from prejudice, then so can we.

If God told you to share his love with someone you really despised, could you do it?

Ask God to change your heart so you can love the people the way God does.