[1] Once upon a time, there was a man called Jonah Amittai. He knew about the big city of Nineveh, and how terrible the people were. He was thinking that something should be done about it, when into his head came a voice telling him to do something about it himself, and go and tell them to change their ways. He knew it was God speaking to him, and he wasn't too keen on the idea.
So Jonah set off in the opposite direction, thinking he could get away from God. Finding a ship to Spain, he paid his fare, went on board and the ship set sail. But a violent storm appeared that was so bad that the ship was in danger of sinking. Even the seasoned sailors were frightened and tried all their different superstitions to see if it helped. They even threw the cargo overboard (it must have been bad) in order to reduce the risk.
Meanwhile, Jonah was fast asleep in his cabin. The captain found him and said, "Wake up and pray like the rest of us. Maybe your God will feel sorry for us and save us." Meanwhile, the sailors looked for someone to blame, and Jonah was suggested. So they said to him: "You tell us who is to blame for this?" Jonah admitted that he was running away from God, and now the sailors were even more terrified and told him how stupid he had been! The storm was getting worse all the time, so the sailors asked, "Do you know what to do to stop the storm?" Jonah replied, "All you can do is throw me into the sea, because I know it's my fault that you're in danger."
Feeling sorry for him, the sailors tried even harder to row the ship to shore. But the storm was getting worse, and they were getting nowhere. So they cried out to God, "Please forgive us for what we are about to do, but we seem to have no choice." Then they picked up Jonah and threw him overboard - and the sea calmed down at once. This made the sailors even more afraid and they promised to serve the god of Jonah from then on.
Legend has it that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish, but all Jonah remembered was it was like going down a dark tunnel and then nothing for three days, [2] except he remembered praying to God: "In my distress, O Lord, I called to you, and you answered me. From deep in the world of the dead I cried for help, and you heard me. You threw me down into the depths, to the very bottom of the sea, where the waters were all round me, and all your mighty waves rolled over me. I thought I had been banished from your presence and would never see your holy Temple again. The water came over me and choked me; the sea covered me completely, and seaweed was wrapped round my head. I went down to the very roots of the mountains, into the land whose gates lock shut for ever. But you, O Lord my God, brought me back from the depths alive. When I felt my life slipping away, then, O Lord, I prayed to you, and in your holy Temple you heard me. Those who worship worthless things have abandoned their loyalty to you. But I will sing praises to you; I will make sacrifices for you and do what I have promised. Only God can save us all!"
Then Jonah woke up and found himself on the beach. He felt as if he had been spewed up by a giant fish. [3] Once again he heard the voice of God telling him to go to Nineveh to give them God's message. So this time, Jonah did as he was told and went to Nineveh, a city so big that it took three days to walk from one side to the other. Jonah started to walk across the city, and after a whole day, he began to shout, "In forty days time God will destroy Nineveh!"
Everybody was shocked at the message, from the King down to the most ordinary person in the street, and a period of mourning was declared. Everyone was to wear a sign that they were sorry, pray earnestly to God and give up their bad behaviour and evil actions. "Perhaps God will change his mind; perhaps he will stop being angry, and we will not all die!" they said. God saw how they had changed; he saw that they had given up their evil ways. So he changed his mind and forgave them.
[4] Now Jonah was furious about this and said, "Lord God, didn't I say before I left home that you would do just this? That's why I ran away to Spain! I knew you are a merciful and loving God, always patient, always kind, and always ready to forgive. I feel like I will die of embarrassment because you have made me look stupid." But God asked, "What right have you to be angry?" But Jonah just went outside and sat down in a fit of depression. He made a shelter and sat in its shade, wanting to see something bad happen to Nineveh. But he was in for a long wait.
Then God made a plant grow which gave Jonah some shade and comfort. Jonah was pleased about the plant. But at dawn the next day, the plant died, a hot wind sprang up, and the sun made Jonah nearly faint. He now became angry that the plant had died, and again felt depressed. God asked him, "Why are you angry about the plant?" Jonah replied, "I have every right to be angry - you killed the plant without reason and I am so angry I wish I were dead!"
Then God said, "Don't be so silly Jonah! The plant grew in one night and disappeared the next; you didn't do anything, you didn't make it grow - but you are sorry for it! Yet you don't like me feeling sorry for Nineveh, a huge city of people including over 120,000 innocent children, and lots of animals!"
Author: Geoff Tomlinson