God's Patience with the city

The city of Nineveh plays an small but interesting role in the Bible.  Before we talk about Nineveh in the Bible, it is important to understand the role of Nineveh in history.  Part of its importance came from its location.  It was built at the juncture of two rivers, the Tigris and the Khosr.  It was on the trade route that connected the East to the West, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.  Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrians. 
This is where the city of Nineveh connects with the Bible.  Two books of the Bible are highly dedicated to ministry and prophecy towards Nineveh.  The Assyrians were the superpower at the time of the fall of the Northern Kingdom.  In fact, the Assyrians were the cause of the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  They even made a charge on Jerusalem and it nearly fell to the Assyrians.
In spite of the role that Nineveh played in Israel's history, it is referred to as "the great city" in both Genesis 10:12 and Jonah 1:2.  What made it great?  In its day, Nineveh was one of the largest cities with some of the most impressive architecture.  But I believe that what really made it great was how God was going to show His mercy towards Nineveh.
God's mercy towards Nineveh demonstrates an Old Testament reality that is often overlooked.  Since the beginning of time, God wanted to show his mercy towards all people.  Nineveh was the epitome of evil as far as the Israelites were concerned.  But God was patient with Nineveh and reached out to it.  That patience began in Genesis and continued until the time of Jonah.
In the city today, there is much evil.  But God is patient.  God still wants to show his mercy towards all people.  God has placed us in the city to share his love and mercy towards the people for whom Jesus Christ died.