He Learned a Lesson in Mercy

 

JONAH would have plenty of time to think. Before him lay a journey of more than 500 miles (800 km), and overlasnd trek that would take him about a month, perhaps even longer.  To begin, he had to choose between the shorter routes and the safer ones and then steadily make his way through valleys, and over mountain passes beyond counting.  He likely had to  skirt the vast Syrian Desert, for such rivers as the mighty  Euphrates, and seek shelter among the foreigners in the towns and villages of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Assyria.  As the days passed, he thought about the destination that he so dreaded, the city that drew closer with each step he took-Nineveh.

One think Jonah knew for certain.  He could not turn around and run away from his assignment. He had tried that before.  As we saw in the preceding chapter, Jehovah patiently taught Jonah by means of a windstorm at sea and a miraculous rescue involving a huge fish.  Three days later, Jonah was vomited out alive onto a beach, an awed and more compliant man. - JONAH, chapt 1, 2. 

 When Jehovah ordered Jonah to Nineveh the second time, the prophet obediently headed east on this long journey.  (Read Jonah 3:1-3.)  However, had he allowed Jehovah's discipline to work a thorough change in him?  For instance, Jehovah has shown him mercy, saving him from drowning, holding back punishment for his rebellion. And giving him a second chance to carry out his assignment.  After all of this, had Jonah learned to show mercy to others?  Learning to show mercy is often difficult for imperfect humans.  Let us see wha twe can gather from Jonah's struggle.

Next time: He Learned a Lesson in Mercy - A Message of Judgment and a Surprising Response

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