Jonah is Angry

The people of Nineveh were evil and depraved-they hated everyone, including Israel, and did all kinds of horrible things to them and others. The Jews despised them, and God’s call to Jonah to preach to them was an offensive call-that is why he resisted. God’s grace is an amazing gift to us, but we often want it to be withheld from our enemies. There often seems to be a contradiction between God’s justice and His mercy. Jonah knew that God was gracious and merciful and would be willing to forgive the people of Nineveh. That is why he did not want to preach to them, and even when he did, he still hoped they would refuse to repent and receive God’s wrath. We often struggle with taking the message of God’s grace and hope for some people because of their lifestyles and actions. We often hope for God’s justice for them and, like Jonah, may become angry when we see God’s grace and mercy extended to our enemies.

Jonah is Angry