Tag: compassion

The story is quite simple.

Jonah Tries to Run Away from God

Chapter 1:  God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach coming judgment. Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites and didn’t want God to spare them from judgment, so he fled in the opposite direction by boarding a ship heading to Tarshish. A storm arose and Jonah slept.  The sailors cast lots and determined Jonah was the cause of the storm. Jonah told them to throw him overboard and they did so.  Then they called out to the LORD.  God prepared a great fish (whale?) and it swallowed Jonah.  Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish (1:17).

Chapter 2-3:  God caused the fish to vomit up Jonah and three days later Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh.  He preached coming judgment and the whole city repented (3:5).

Chapter 4: God not only cared about saving Ninevah, He also cared about changing Jonah’s angry heart.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.  And he prayed to the Lord and said, “I pray thee, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil.  Therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me, I beseech thee, for it is better for me to die than to live.”  And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”  Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

Jonah 4:2-5