Jonah 3: a bet on the Lord's mercy

The Lord is merciful even though He is also righteous and punishes the wicked.
Jonah hated the people of Niniveh, certainly, they deserved to be destroyed. It is not common that a prophet from the Lord preaches on a foreign land, however Jonah preaches:

4 Jonah entered the city, went one day’s walk and preached, “In forty days Nineveh will be smashed.”

Apparently he preached to just a small portion of the city because the city was much greater than a one days' walk length. He would be glad if it really were smashed; but the people of Nineveh bet on the Lord's mercy!

5 The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it—rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers.

Even the king repented. He made a decree:

8-9 (...) Everyone must turn around, turn back from an evil life and the violent ways that stain their hands. Who knows? Maybe God will turn around and change his mind about us, quit being angry with us and let us live!”

It was really a bet: "who knows? Let us repent and expect that the Lord is merciful to us".
The prodigal son bet on the mercy of his father too; but unfortunately the older son didn't.
Am I betting on the mercy of the Lord?

Jonas2: Salvation belongs to God!

Jonas was about to die in the middle of the ocean. There was no way to survive. I will face death one day; a death that is certain.
Jonah saw the power of the Lord moving in his favor to deliver him; although he was fleeing from the Lord. Certainly the Lord was merciful to Jonah.
For Jonah, the temple of Jerusalem was very important, even though he was prophet from Israel and not from Judah. Jonah expected death:

3-4 You threw me into ocean’s depths,
    into a watery grave,
With ocean waves, ocean breakers
    crashing over me.
I said, ‘I’ve been thrown away,
    thrown out, out of your sight.
I’ll never again lay eyes
    on your Holy Temple.’

facing death, Jonah prayed to the Lord:

2 He prayed:
“In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God.
    He answered me.
From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’
    You heard my cry.

and he was saved:

6b-9 Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive,
    O God, my God!
When my life was slipping away,
    I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
    made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
    walk away from their only true love.
But I’m worshiping you, God,
    calling out in thanksgiving!
And I’ll do what I promised I’d do!
    Salvation belongs to God!”

Jonah saw that his prayer went to the Holy Temple where the Lord listened to Him. Jonah was very thankful and he wanted to please the Lord through sacrifices. We are called to carry the cross after Jesus. May I carry the cross with joy in my heard, pleased by what Jesus has been doing to me.