When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (Jonah 3:10 ESV)
Relent
The Bible has examples of foolish folk who keep promises they should not have kept. For instance, a judge vowed to kill the first person he saw, if only God would give the victory He had already promised. When he won, that judge foolishly killed the next person he saw: His daughter.
But God relents of threats God has made, that in the end would harm His people.
He softened His heart towards the Egyptians, the wandering Israelites, and those who nailed Him to a cross.
And here, when the Ninevites turned from their sin, even past the last warning, God saved them.
Demanding God’s justice is a scary and dangerous thing. Unexpectedly, He is gracious oh so very often.
And that turns MY world upside down.