Day 276b: Jonah 1, 2, 3 and 4

That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O Lord, take my life... (Jonah 4:2,3).

Jonah is one of my favorites, more a parable than a prophecy. First he is told by God to preach in Nineveh, capital city of Israel’s arch enemy Assyria. Jonah doesn’t want to go so he hops a ship heading in the other direction. When a horrendous storm springs up, his natural response should have been: Okay, I’ll go to Nineveh. But instead? Throw me into the sea. Jonah hated the Assyrians so much, he would rather drown than take a chance they could be converted. That’s a lot of hate!

You know the story. His shipmates hurled him into the sea, and three days later a great fish hurled him back onto dry land. And he reluctantly set course for Nineveh.

Jonah’s worst fears are realized when the Ninevites respond to his 8-word sermon with repentance. He launches a tantrum: Let me die! God reminds Jonah that he created the people of Nineveh too, and is of course concerned for their welfare.

It’s a message to Israel that God is not just God of the people we like, but the God of everyone. For God so loved the world… (John 3:16).

Is there someone you don’t like very much? Don’t they deserve to know him too?