What pleased God, displeased Jonah.  Jonah's self centeredness kept him from rejoicing at God's mercy in relenting disaster on the people of Nineveh at their repentance.  The Lord asked Jonah,

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"Do you do well to be angry" Jonah 4:4"

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Does it do us well when we choose to hold on to anger. The inability to choose mercy and hold on to anger and unforgiveness is nothing more than evil pride.

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Jonah's pride and hatred against a people that in the natural one might justify due to their history with the people of Israel is not justified in the spiritual.  Nineveh was a resurgent Assyrian military state. To Jonah the people of Nineveh represented oppression, the Assyrian imperialistic ambition had been and was being displayed. Let's be frank, Jonah's disdain for the people of Nineveh might be merited.  However, as a man or woman of God one should desire mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation.

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We need to learn from Jonah's anger.  Anger unchecked turns into an evil sinful desire of destruction on whom we feel offended by.  In Ephesians 4:26-27 Paul writes, 

 

"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil"

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Paul warns us to give a cut off to anger.  Being angry is not a sin, but unchecked anger gives opportunity to the enemy gaining a foothold in our lives.  Unchecked anger will go through a metamorphosis, it will morph into sin.

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When we do not give place to reconciliation we give place to division.  We are living in a time in history that is retaining an account of the wrongs of the past.  As the church we are called to walk justly, seek mercy and walk humbly with our God.  In so doing we walk as reconcilers. We are called to be the peace makers. We are called to repentance and reconciliation.  

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We cannot continue to bring back the sins of the past as though they are still in the present.  We address the sins of today, we address the injustices of today and in addressing today we accept the offering of our offenders repentance and exercise forgiveness and mercy. The Father at our repentance has given us forgiveness and mercy by Christ's sacrifice on Cross. The sins of our past are not accounted to our account today. So we should not account the sins of the past with others when they have been repentant for.

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