Shouldn't I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can't discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"
People naturally go to one of two extremes in their attitude toward animals. We either look down on them and treat them inhumanely, feeling superior, or we elevate them to the level of persons and grant them rights that they do not possess. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tries to guard us from the first attitude. The "animal rights movement" tends to promote the second attitude. God has compassion on animals as creatures living below the level of humans that need His grace. This should be our attitude to them too (cf. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 1:28; Psalms 8:6-8). The reference to animals concludes the book and is the final climax of God’s lesson to the prophet and through him to God’s people in Israel and in the church. If God has compassion for animals, and He does, how much more should we feel compassion for human beings made in God’s image who are under His judgment because of their sins (cf. Jonah 3:8)! We must never let our concern for the welfare of God’s people keep us from reaching out with the message of hope to those who oppose us.