Nineveh’s Fast
God command Prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh and to preach the Ninevites. But the gentle Prophet Jonah refused fearing to be called false prophet when God’s forgives them. The Lord’s commandment came to the prophet. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-3)
The Lord new Jonah’s kindness and changed the direction of the ship which took him to Nineveh. (Jonah 1:4-17) when Jonah realized his reaching to Nineveh city, he had no choice but to preach saying “repent.” The Ninevites then heard the announcement and they repented through pleading and fasting. The Lord made mercy and did not destroy the Nineveh city.
The story then reads as follows: “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord and said, “Ah, Lord, was not what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left and much livestock?” (Jonah 4:1-11)
The Lord Who is merciful, as He forgave the Ninevites accepting their prayer and fast, He will have mercy on us, if we also pray, fast and engage in goodness much ,devoid off evil, hate and revenge in this fast.
May the Lord endow us mercy: Amen!