Jonah and the Whale: Lesson Ten

God's mercy is bigger than our anger.

When God spared Nineveh, Jonah was very angry.

Jonah 4:1 (KJV): But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

Jonah ran in the first place because he knew God was gracious and merciful, and he did not want Nineveh spared.

Jonah 4:2 (KJV): And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

Jonah cared about a gourd. God cared about a city full of people.

Jonah 4:10-11 (KJV): Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. We should too.

Luke 15:7 (KJV): I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Scripture References: Jonah 4:1 Jonah 4:2 Jonah 4:10-11 Luke 15:7