When God commissioned Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh to warn them of coming judgement, he turned on his heels and ran in the opposite direction. In his attempt to make this ‘great escape’, he found himself in the belly of a large fish. Clearly, there was no escaping this mission. Jonah repented and chose to obey God. He warned the people of Nineveh to repent or be destroyed in 40 days. So why did Jonah run away? The city of Nineveh was huge, with thousands of people living in it. They were wicked people known for their evil, immoral and cruel ways. What’s more, they were the sworn enemies of God’s people.
They ruthlessly tormented the Israelites, without mercy. You would think Jonah would be pleased to read them their rights, especially when he knew God would protect him on this special assignment. The issue was: Jonah knew the heart of God – even for these people, Israel’s enemy. In his heart, Jonah wanted to see justice at the hand of God – not mercy. But mercy is what prevailed when the people of Nineveh immediately repented.
God’s kindness has the ability to turn the most wicked of hearts and move them to repentance. Our enemy the devil suffers a double-blow when we wage war against his spiritual forces and extend God’s love, kindness and mercy to the people those forces seek to manipulate.