We read how Jonah is so upset that God had mercy upon the enemies of the Jewish people, as he complains that people are never sincere. They repent one day, and then the next they return to their old ways! God send Jonah a message through the Kikayon plant. You are happy with it today, even though tomorrow it will dry up! I, says God, am happy with my children when they deserve it, because they are innocent now and deserve a chance, even if tomorrow they may choose the wrong path again.