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The establishments of the world are nothing compared with the justice of the Lord. Also, they cannot be compared with the Grace, and Mercy, of Him.

God has every right to bring judgment on His Chosen people. he has every right to bring judgment on all who reject Him, and worship other "gods." In the span of just over 100 years God spared Nineveh through the preaching of Jonah, but through the preaching of Nahum, Nineveh, as well as the Assyrian Empire would fall because of their idolatry. It's ironic, because God also used the Assyrians to judge the 10 northern tribes of Israel. After the fall of Assyria, God would b ring down the Babylonian Empire, after using them to judge Judah. One day, soon, and very soon, the King is coming back to regather His people into one fold. The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. (Ezekiel 37:15-28)

The story of Jonah is a story of the cycle of a typical Christian, or so it seems. Jonah obeyed God - only when facing trials. And, he thought that his righteousness was on a higher level than God Himself. There are consequences. God Wins!

Jonah 1 and 2 would not exist if Jonah had simply obeyed the Word of the Lord. His death experience caused him to become humble, and turn back to the Lord.

Jonah: The Perils of Self-Righteousness - Jonah 1:1-17 - 6/12/2022 Jonah was a righteous man, indeed. Yet, because of his righteousness he failed to see the mercy, and loving-kindness of the Lord. This was the true cause of his "ride in the great fish." This message can also be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X8bRGPkXMzQ

Throughout all of history there is something that has never changed - the kindness (goodness) of God. It is the reason the Lord rescued His people, and is the motivation for Christian living today.

The Picard Girls sing Rejoice in the Lord - 9/30/2007 @ Independent Baptist Bible Church, Middletown, Connecticut

One of the most wonderful things to do is, as saints, to get together around a piano, and sing some of the great hymns of the faith. Heaven Came Down... is a wonderful song, pointing out the complete work of Christ.

Believers have every reason to rejoice in the Lord.