The fifth book of the Twelve Prophets, Yonah, is one of the most famous books of the Bible and one of the least understood. The excitement of the giant fish that swallows the runaway prophet, the anticipation of whether or not the people of Nineveh will repent, and the question of will God carry out his threat to overturn the city, all tend to overshadow the great resounding moral message contained in the book: God is merciful, patient, and forgiving, even to the worst scoundrels and enemies that humanity knows, as long as they take steps towards justice, righteousness, and repentance.
Yonah, son of Amittai, is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 as a prophet who lived during the reign of Jereboam II in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His reign at the beginning of the eighth century BCE was one of relative peace and quiet. However, the shadow of Assyrian domination and conquest, which had been so long dormant, was beginning to raise its terrible head. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and one can only imagine the feelings of the prophet when asked to prophesy to save the city of Nineveh, Israel’s most bitter enemy who would become the instrument of Israel’s annihilation. In Yonah’s mind, saving the city of Nineveh would make him complicit in the destruction of his people. Is this something he is able to do?
The book can be divided into two sections of two chapters each. Each section contains a request by God that Yonah prophesy to the people of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, and Yonah’s response. The first time, Yonah refuses to deliver the message and attempts to flee, only to be stopped by God. The second time God calls him, Yonah acquiesces, and tells the people of Nineveh that their end is near. They repent, and God chooses to forgive them. When the prophet complains, God demonstrates that His mercy extends to all the world’s inhabitants and creatures.
Read more at http://theisraelbible.com/bible/the-twelve-prophets#AAgPqTOkjvErXO10.99
Reprinted with permission from The Israel Bible