Jonah
God calls Jonah to be a prophet to the wicked city Nineveh, but Jonah flees across the sea in the opposite direction. When God sends a storm to threaten the ship, the sailors and Jonah dialogue about Jonah’s identity and his purpose on the journey. They learn that he is fleeing from God. The sailors attempt to escape from the storm, but eventually the prophet is thrown overboard. God sends a large fish to rescue Jonah, and, in the fish’s belly, Jonah sings a song of thanks. The fish spits Jonah up on dry land, and God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh a second time. Jonah goes to Nineveh, preaches a short sermon, and the whole city repents. The king of Nineveh issues a decree that all people and animals turn from their evil ways. Jonah becomes angry at this outcome and admits to God that the reason he had fled in the first place was that he had known that God would be merciful to the city. Jonah had wanted the city destroyed. God then uses a plant to try to teach Jonah that God loves all creatures, but Jonah remains angry. The story ends with God’s question to Jonah about God’s concern for Nineveh. -Rolf A. Jacobson on Enter the Bible