The Lord is compassionate

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.  Arise and go to the Nineveh, that great city and preach to it the message that I tell you. Jonah arose and went to the Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord, a three-day journey: to obey is better than sacrifice.  In obedience, he proclaimed the word of the Lord to Nineveh and said, “ Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Jesus said, the time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the gospel.

Jesus said:  My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work
 
Jesus said: My brother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it. 

The people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then their King heard the word of the Lord and proclaimed a fast that mandated man and beast – symbolic of the first things that open the womb and belongs to the Lord–be covered with sackcloth.

Let everyone cry mightily to God, turn from his or her evil way, and from violence in his or her hands to God. Perhaps, God will forgive, turn from his fierce anger so that they may not perish.  The decree of the king and his nobles as published:

“Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11 )

But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarded of those who diligently seek it. 

Jesus said : Have faith in God 

Jesus said : Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6)

 The people of Nineveh feared God, His wrath and did not want to perish, so they acknowledged their sin, turned from their evil ways, in true repentance, which was evident by their works, a tree is known by it fruits.  God saw their works, forgive their sins, and relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and answered the king’s request- righteousness exalts a nation, sin is a reproach. This also attested by attested by Jesus in the gospel.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom  and the knowledge of the Holy one is understanding. 

And He said to man,behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and the run away from evil is understanding.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 john 1)

Does this mean fasting produces repentance? The purpose of fasting is to draw near to God and acknowledge dependence upon Him. There are many reasons for which one may fast, however, the purpose of the fast in Nineveh was repentance: “Let everyone cry mightily to God, turn from his or her evil way, and from violence in his or her hands to God.” Fasting does not produce repentance, as exemplified by Jonah in the great fish; however, when you fast and submit to the Holy Spirit, He will show you things that need repentance.  

Now, therefore, says the Lord,turn to Me with all your heart.With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments;return to the Lord your God,for He is gracious and merciful slow to anger, and of great kindness and He relents from doing harm.Who knows if He will turn and relent,and leave a blessing behind Him—A grain offering and a drink offering.For the Lord your God?

Jonah was exceedingly displeased and became angry, that the Lord forgave Nineveh.  In anger, he prayed to the Lord, “Ah Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Justifying his initial disobedience by focusing on his will instead of God’s ,he said: therefore I fled to Tarshish, for I know that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, one who relent from doing harm. Jonah knew God conceptually, but had to grow in his knowledge and understanding and to do what pleases Him.  

As a father trains a child in admonition of the Lord, the Lord demonstrated His love and compassion for Jonah by patiently asking him probing questions that were introspective, to shine light on Jonah’s harden heart. Although he proclaimed repentance he did not have a repentant heart toward God. The Lord looks at the heart and mind of men ; everything is uncovered and laid bare before Him, to whom we must give account, nothing is hidden from His sight.  Even though Jonah feared the Lord, he was partially obedient to the Him, and he defiled himself by stewing in anger, this prevented him from perceiving what the Lord was accomplishing through him, and caused him to asked the Lord several times to take his life from him, because he felt it was better for him to die than to live.  

Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath.

Jesus said "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
 
In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry

Was it right for Jonah to be angry? Yes, Nineveh was a cruel enemy and their atrocities against Israel deserved judgment (Nahum 3) but vengeance is mine says the Lord, I will repay. “The anger of a man does not produce the righteousness of God.The Lord forgave Jonah his trespasses and delivered him from the great fish, despite his disobedience, and expected Jonah to do likewise. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgives you.

God prepares means by which all men, including his servant would grow in the knowledge of Him in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.  The Lord prepared a great fish to deliver his servant, a plant for a day to shade Jonah from his misery, and a worm to wither the plant, and an east wind to beat on Jonah to make him faint, to glorify His name.  The grace of God that bring salvation to men, was released to the sailors, who search for the Lord with all their heart and He saved them; to Nineveh with one hundred and twenty thousand persons who turned from their evil ways to God and He saved them and to the prophet, with a grateful heart, who was being taught to love his labor, and enemies, the Lord loved Jonah to save him, for salvation is of the Lord, who came to call sinners to repentance.

Glory the God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.