Nineveh was "sin city" if there ever was one.   No one deserved God's favor less than Nineveh.  Yet Jonah was told to go to this sinful city and preach repentance to them.

According to our four-year old granddaughter, Jonah told God “No” and you shouldn’t ever tell God, “No”. What wisdom!

Applications for us as believers? When God gives clear direction, do we obey or run like Jonah did?

Jonah didn’t seem too concerned about his disobedience. He went below deck on the ship and fell into a deep sleep.  Another application to make - no one is beyond God's redemption.

While Jonah was in the belly of the fish, he spoke these words.
"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Oh, how very true today!  Why would anyone want to cling to idols?  Grace is there for the asking.
 

Extremely significant piece of Scripture found in Jonah. So significant that Jesus uses the sign of Jonah to prove that He was the Messiah.

Matt 12:39-40
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jonah 1:17
But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

A couple of other significant things to consider. Since Jesus made the connection between Himself and Jonah, what other connections can we make? Look specifically at the prayer Jonah prayed while in the belly of the fish. Any connections with Jesus?

Jonah knew that God could save the people of Nineveh, but Jonah wanted vengeance from God for them, not mercy. In fact, he was angry with God for saving them. But the Lord replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"God is speaking to us as well as Jonah. Even though we may want vengeance for our enemies, we have no right to be angry with God when He saves them on the basis of a deathbed confession.

Jonah only understood forgiveness through blood sacrifice.  The people of Nineveh didn't offer any sacrifices and yet God had mercy on them.  Jonah didn't understand that.  All this is a foreshadow of post-Jesus forgiveness.

It is easy for us to make comparisons to Nineveh and our world today. The good news is, if we repent and give up our evil ways, God may have compassion on us and save us just as He did Nineveh. Remember the verse, "if my people..."