Preschool
Let brotherly love continue (Hebrews 13:1).
The Mercy of God
Memory Verses
Primary
Let brotherly love continue (Hebrews 13:1).
Junior
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him (1 John 2:10).
Background Scripture: Jonah
Lesson Scripture: Jonah 3:3-10; 4:1-2, 10-11
Introduction
The story of Jonah is amazing in many ways and gives us valuable insight into God’s nature and his thoughts toward man. We have been given the records of God’s working in the Old Testament to help us come to know Him. In many ways, God thinks differently than men. We tend to believe that God sees things just like we do and that his thoughts are the same as ours. It is important for us to understand that his thinking is not like ours, nor do his ways match our own (Isa. 55:8). When we come to recognize the sometimes unexpected facts about the way God wants to deal with us, it will change our lives. May the study of the book of Jonah help us come to a better understanding of God and his great mercy to his creation. At the same time, it will deprive the evil one of the ability to lie to us about the character of God.
Key Verse
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3).
Lesson Scripture
Jonah 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Studying the Lesson
The book of Jonah is a short and easy-to-read story. It is believed to have been written by the hand of Jonah himself, undoubtedly at the direction and inspiration of God. If this is true, it seems that Jonah had no interest in putting himself in a good light, because the story is not written in such a way that it makes him to be the hero. Instead, it showcases Jonah’s weaknesses, disobedience, and human tendency toward vengeance instead of extending mercy to his enemies. It teaches us much about God as we see his mercy extended first to Jonah, and then also to the people of Nineveh.
A background understanding of the historical context of the account we are studying can enhance its meaning. The Assyrian Empire, with Nineveh as its capital, was a world empire for about three hundred years, beginning soon after the end of Solomon’s reign. It gradually conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It was likely during this time that Jonah was called to go preach God’s message to Nineveh. God asked him to go to the enemy of his own nation, a nation that was known for military might and was in the act of absorbing his own people and destroying their identity. Is it any wonder then that Jonah had no desire to go?
Jonah boarded a ship at Joppa and headed for Tarshish, which was at the bounds of the known world. He wanted to go as far away as he could. We could think that God would be finished with Jonah and that He would visit judgment upon him for his unwillingness, but even though Jonah was actively running away from God and from Nineveh, God had means of bringing him back. Try to imagine Jonah sleeping through the violent storm that came upon the ship he had taken passage on, now especially with such a disobedience on his conscience. What type of man was he? And yet sleep he did until he was awakened by the terrified sailors. Jonah knew immediately that the reason for the storm was his own presence on the ship. It seems that his heart was still not softened. We do not read that he pled with the sailors to continue trying to save the ship or that he asked God to forgive him. Instead, he simply told the sailors to throw him overboard to his death. Was Jonah’s heart really so hard that he was willing to face death rather than obey God’s command? What an example of the stubborn nature of man!
Jonah was thrown overboard, swallowed by a fish, and in the fish’s belly for three days and nights. The Bible says that then he prayed to God and asked for deliverance and mercy. Did it take that long for Jonah to become willing to give in to what God wanted? What is so amazing is the length God went to in rescuing Jonah. He bore so patiently and mercifully with Jonah, even though Jonah himself seemed set on taking his own way.
Practical Truths for Today
As we ponder this lesson, we can get just a glimpse of God’s infinite wisdom. Jonah, whom we would say was unfit to carry out God’s plan, becomes noticeable because of the experience he went through. God, in his patience and longsuffering, used Jonah’s unwillingness to further his plan and redeem Jonah from going the wrong way.
There could have been those who witnessed the fish vomiting Jonah out on dry land. These could possibly have been with Jonah as he preached to Nineveh, adding weight to his words. The people of Nineveh heard the message of judgment, and they believed it. Perhaps they already knew in their hearts they were living in a way that was evil. If they had only believed the message but had not had hope and faith in God’s mercy, could they have changed? As they came to God, accepting that they were in the wrong and showing their willingness to change by the actions that they took, God saw their works and repented of the judgment He would have delivered upon them. In the people of Nineveh, we see an example of true repentance. They did not argue with the message sent to them; they owned the responsibility for their sin and were willing to change. The conditions for receiving God’s mercy continue to be the same even to our day.
Jonah may have had a better understanding of the mercy of God than what first appears. If he had believed there was no mercy to be had, no recourse to the judgment that God was asking him to announce, would he not have reveled in the task of delivering the message of destruction to his enemies? Instead, Jonah tried to escape from his responsibility as if he feared God would spare them. Did he secretly hope there would be no messengers willing to go? Did he hope that if no one gave the warning that the people of Nineveh would continue without a change and face sure destruction? It would have been part of Jonah’s teaching and upbringing that the children of Israel were God’s special nation. Did he have a hard time understanding why God would extend mercy to a nation that was their enemy? Did he think the Ninevites did not deserve mercy?
These questions should leave us contemplating our own mindset. We may gauge others by what we think they deserve according to their actions while judging ourselves by our good intentions. We may worry God may favor others ahead of ourselves. Interestingly, Joppa is mentioned as the place where Jonah was as he tried to flee from God’s command to preach to another nation. Eight hundred years later, it was in Joppa that the Lord gave Peter a vision that made it clear that God is no respecter of persons—everyone can have access to his mercy. Perhaps this is just another small way God confirmed that He really accepts everyone.
When Jonah saw that God had accepted the people’s repentance and extended mercy to them, he was angry. Unregenerate human nature has very little mercy in it. In disgust, Jonah commented to God, “For I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” This beautiful statement, spoken in anger, shows the difference between the human attitude and God’s way. Even after all that he had personally went through since God had called him, Jonah still wanted to see vengeance carried out. It seems his heart was still quite hard against the people of Nineveh. We, too, may find it difficult to accept that even though a grave injustice has been done to us or someone we care about, mercy can be extended to someone who has done great wrong and real change can be effected.
As Jonah sat waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh, God’s final lesson for him has value for us too. First, God caused a gourd plant to grow over Jonah, providing him some relief from the heat. The Bible says Jonah was really thankful for that gourd. Then the very next day, a worm came and killed the gourd plant. Afterwards, the wind blew from the east, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah. He was so hot and faint he wished to die. In this extreme condition, God spoke to him again. He asked Jonah if he had the right to be angry because the gourd had died. Jonah answered emphatically that he did indeed. Then God compared the gourd, which had given Jonah pleasure and comfort, to the city of Nineveh. He said, “Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night . . . should not I spare Nineveh?” The gourd had pleased and comforted Jonah. Is God not indicating He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked? (Ezek. 33:11). He mentioned the many people in the city who couldn’t tell their right hand from their left. Was he talking about the children? He also said there were much cattle in the city, as if that were also a consideration against destroying it. God looks with pleasure on his creation and always desires to work in a way that leads to restoring life, not taking it.
Questions
- What are the reasons we sometimes doubt God’s mercy?
- If we have a misconception of God, thinking Him to be a judge without mercy, how can we change our thinking?
- Is it possible to trust too much in God’s mercy?
- Is God’s mercy ever given grudgingly?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).