” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. ” JONAH 3:10-4:1 After Jonah is saved from death. God tells him to go to Nineveh to play the role of Prophet. It is a tough message. Nineveh will be destroyed if they do not repent. Jonah, in the quiet compartments of his brain, hopes they do not change, and the ” shock and awe of destruction” can begin. So, Jonah announces it while in Nineveh.
Repentance begins with the King. People and animals are ordered fast. The King hopes that God will stop his idea of destroying, and with him wearing sackcloth and sitting in ashes will show to God that he means to turn around his life.
God relents, and Jonah is angry. God has changed his mind. Jonah may have thought that he had announced to Nineveh that they would be overthrown, and God now had to hold up to his part of the agreement. Destroy Nineveh !!! Is it okay that God changes God’s mind ? In our understanding of God, this should not happen, but the writer of Jonah says it is what happened. God can do whatever God wants to do.
Have you ever been angry with God ? Did God change God’smind on you and your family ? Did you ever think that someone really deserved to never be forgiven ? I have held those feelings. It is worse for me to hold those negative thoughts than it is for the person, or for God. It is human to feel let down like Jonah, after all he did what God asked him to: to go back to Nineveh. Grace and peace for our life together.
