Jonah's Journey

Phew! I am exhausted. I’m glad there’s a tree here so I can rest in the shade. I’m east of Ninevah having just come from there telling them they need to repent or God is going to destroy their city. I’m waiting to see if He’s going to do it!

It’s so hot here that I’ve built a little shelter as there are no houses around and nobody to bug me. When I was in Ninevah it was so crowded that I could hardly move. I wanted to go to Tarshish but the Lord had other plans. 

Tarshish sounded like a cruisy place. I could hang out and relax.  So I bought a passage there on a ship. I was on the side of the deck having a snooze when the wind started kicking up. The sailors panicked and thought the ship would be broken up and that they were going to sink. I knew it was just the Lord trying to get me to turn back. I had told the sailors I was on this ship to get away from Him, as He kept bugging me to go to Ninevah. I didn’t want to go THERE. Awful place.  

The wind got worse. God was really angry with me. So I told the sailors they should just cast me into the sea and God would stop the storm. He did, and thankfully I was swallowed up by a huge whale who spat me out on dry land. But God wouldn’t let me go. He told me again to go to Ninevah and preach to them.  He said He would  give me the words to say. It took me three days to get there.  So when I got there I told the Ninevites God was angry at their wickedness and in 40 days their city is going to be destroyed. That felt real good. I don’t care for the Ninevites, it’s a horrible city.

 But wouldn’t you know it... their King is getting all his subjects to fast and cover themselves with sackcloth, and turn from evil. So it looks like God isn’t going to destroy them after all. Wasn't He was merciful to me when I repented about not going to Ninevah? But oh what a waste of time going there! Why couldn’t He just let me go to Tarshish?