Reading in the book of Jonah, I started reflecting on God’s compassion shown toward the people of Nineveh. The city had a reputation for wickedness that deserved God’s judgment. However, God sent Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh and they turned from their sin. God had compassion on them and they escaped judgment.
Jonah
Jonah is well known for running from God and being swallowed by the fish. But Jonah served God as a prophet in Israel,1 and knew of God’s character.
For example, in Jonah 4:2, Jonah says that he knew that,
“Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.”
It is interesting to note that Jonah lists several items in addition to God’s compassion. God does not get angry quickly, demonstrating His patience with our weaknesses. In His lovingkindness, He is “condescending to the needs of his creatures,” and is “abundant, plenteous in kindness”2 toward us. When we turn from our wickedness, God relents, or is “moved to pity” us in our calamity.
Compassionate is the translation of the Hebrew word racham. It means, “to love,” “pity,” and to “be merciful.” It appears thirteen times in the Old Testament. Often the term is accompanied by other descriptions of God’s character expressed toward us.
Compassion Plus
Here are a few other passages that describe God’s compassion toward His people. Each of these also bring in other characteristics of God in His relationship with us.
Exodus 34:6 “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.”
In this passage from Exodus, truth is added to what God is known for. He abounds in truth meaning He has much truth or exceeds in truth.
Deuteronomy 4:31 “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”
Here we see that God is committed to following through with His promises. He is dependable and reliable even though man is not dependable nor reliable.
Compassion toward Jonah
God also showed patience and compassion toward Jonah, despite the fact that Jonah disobeyed God. Jonah tried to run away from God, though it is actually impossible to do so.
Jonah apparently hated the people of Nineveh and did not want God to forgive them. He seemed to think that if he didn’t go preach to them, God would give up and there would be no forgiveness for the Ninevites. God does not give up!
Regardless of Jonah’s disobedient actions, God was patient with Jonah. God worked on Jonah’s attitude by sending a storm, and then sending a fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, and was finally convinced that he should obey God and preach to Nineveh.
All the while, God was merciful to Jonah. It seems that Jonah never does get his attitude right. The story ends with God asking Jonah, “should I not have compassion on Nineveh?” It doesn’t look like Jonah was ever convinced that God was right. (For more on this, see my post, Jonah Obeys?)
Conclusion
Some of the things we learn from this is that God extends mercy to mankind. God is also patient, is slow to become angry, abundant in truth, and follows through on His promises.
God understands us whom He created and knows our weaknesses. His patience and abundant grace toward us allows us time to turn from our foolish ways and seek Him.
His mercy is great towards us.
Appendix
I wrote an earlier article concerning the patience of God and why the wicked seem to prosper. That post is entitled, God’s Patience.
God offers His compassion and mercy, but many reject His love. Those who reject Him will receive His wrath instead of His love. I write about the wrath of God in an article titled, God’s Wrath.
1 2 Kings 14:25
2 Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon -explaining some of the Hebrew words in Jonah 4:2.