Link Jonah 4:10 to Exodus 34:6-7 traits.
How does Jonah 4:10 connect with God's character in Exodus 34:6-7?

Setting the Scene

• Jonah is angry because God spared Nineveh.

• God uses a lesson with a plant to reveal Jonah’s heart—and His own.


The Key Verse

Jonah 4:10: “Then the LORD said, ‘You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow; it came up overnight and perished overnight.’”


God’s Self-Description

Exodus 34:6-7: “Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…’”


Connecting the Dots

1. Compassion on what is frail

• Exodus: God is “compassionate.”

• Jonah: God pities Nineveh—and even highlights Jonah’s pity for a fragile plant.

• Point: If Jonah can feel for a plant, how much more does God feel for human beings “who cannot discern their right hand from their left” (Jonah 4:11).

2. Gracious, slow to anger

• Exodus lists “gracious, slow to anger.”

• God’s patience with rebellious Nineveh—and with resentful Jonah—illustrates that slowness to anger in real time.

2 Peter 3:9 echoes the same heart: God is “patient… not wanting anyone to perish.”

3. Abounding in loving devotion

• Exodus: “abounding in loving devotion (hesed).”

• God sends a prophet, relents from judgment, provides shade, and gives a final object lesson—all acts of steadfast love.

4. Forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin

• Nineveh’s wickedness (Jonah 1:2) deserved destruction.

• Their repentance meets God’s covenant promise: He “forgives … sin” (Exodus 34:7).

Psalm 86:5 affirms: “You, Lord, are good and forgiving; abounding in loving devotion to all who call on You.”

5. Justice maintained

• Exodus also states God “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”

• Nineveh’s pardon follows repentance; unrepentant evil would still face judgment (Nahum later records Nineveh’s downfall).

• The balance of mercy and justice remains intact.


Take-Home Insights

• God’s attributes in Exodus aren’t abstract; Jonah 4 shows them embodied in history.

• When God spares sinners, He is acting exactly as He said He is: compassionate, gracious, and forgiving—yet still righteous.

• The plant episode challenges believers to mirror that mercy instead of begrudging it.


Related Passages for Further Reflection

Psalm 103:8-10 – mirrors Exodus 34’s description.

Luke 15:11-32 – the father’s heart toward the prodigal parallels God’s mercy to Nineveh.

Micah 7:18-19 – celebrates God’s delight in showing mercy.

What lessons about priorities can we learn from God's response in Jonah 4:10?
Top of Page
Top of Page