Jonah was a prophet of God who lived during the time of the divided kingdom, not long before Israel was defeated by Assyria. The book of Jonah opens with God commanding Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians, and tell them to repent or they would be destroyed. The Assyrians were not part of God’s people, in fact they were great enemies, but God wanted them to turn from evil. God gave Nineveh a final chance to repent or be destroyed.
Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah went the opposite direction! He tried to flee from the presence of God, but no one can flee from Him. He tried to run because he knew that God would forgive Nineveh if they repented and he did not want to see God’s enemies repent. While Jonah was on a ship, God caused a great storm to put the ship in danger. Jonah told his shipmates that he was the cause of their trouble and that they should throw him into the sea. They did not want to do it at first but, after he convinced them, they threw him overboard. The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and he spent three days and nights in the fish. In the belly of the fish Jonah prayed to God for deliverance. God spoke to the fish and it spit up Jonah on land close to Nineveh.Jonah entered Nineveh on his first day of walking. As he walked through the city he proclaimed, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” The people of the city believed God and went without food, put on sackcloth, (to show sorrow) and repented of their sins. God had mercy on them and decided not to destroy them.
Jonah, instead of being happy that the people obeyed God, sulked. Jonah went on a hill to see what would happen to the city. It was hot so God prepared a plant that grew up quickly and provided shade for Jonah. God then destroyed the plant the next day. Again, Jonah was angry. God rebuked Jonah for being angry that the plant died and not rejoicing in the repentance of the Assyrians. God told Jonah the souls of the people were more important than the life of the plant.
