Jonah 3:10, 4:2,4,9,11
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] 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 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."
But the Lord replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry?"
But "Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left [or, what is right or wrong], and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
[Jonah] 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 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."
But the Lord replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry?"
But "Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left [or, what is right or wrong], and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Jonah knew that this city-nation deserved to be destroyed, and that's what he wanted: Justice! But he also knew God, and knew that He would have compassion on them and relent from sending the calamity. So when the people and their leaders turned from their evil ways, God was true to Himself to withhold the punishment. That's why Jonah was upset.
O my Father, Let me never, not ever rejoice in any calamity, but rejoice when Your Truth wins out, as it did in Nineveh at that time. Jonah did not have the right to be angry with God for having compassion instead of destroying them, and I will never have the right to relish the destruction of people who are caught up in the evil deceptions of our enemy, this world system and their own flesh. Help me always to have Your compassion to desire their redemption from the wickedness that has trapped them and bring them into Your glorious Light.
I know that you "are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." O Father, I pray for America. Please cause our people and leaders to turn from our wicked and evil ways, to turn to You and acknowledge Your power and sovereignty; and that You would have compassion and relent from visiting upon America the destruction she has invited upon herself. Please bring us back to Your righteousness before the end.
O my Father, Let me never, not ever rejoice in any calamity, but rejoice when Your Truth wins out, as it did in Nineveh at that time. Jonah did not have the right to be angry with God for having compassion instead of destroying them, and I will never have the right to relish the destruction of people who are caught up in the evil deceptions of our enemy, this world system and their own flesh. Help me always to have Your compassion to desire their redemption from the wickedness that has trapped them and bring them into Your glorious Light.
I know that you "are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." O Father, I pray for America. Please cause our people and leaders to turn from our wicked and evil ways, to turn to You and acknowledge Your power and sovereignty; and that You would have compassion and relent from visiting upon America the destruction she has invited upon herself. Please bring us back to Your righteousness before the end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
