Book Introduction

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

Jean de La Fontaine

It was the plan of our Great God to send a prophet to Nineveh.  His plans aren’t so easily swayed by a stubborn prophet.  It was a ‘great’ plan of our great God who had to bring a great storm and great tempest to cause great fear.  It was then that Jonah was swallowed by a ‘great’ fish to go preach to that ‘great’ city, Nineveh.

We sometimes go to great lengths to run from the call of God, and we justify it in a great many ways.  We often create our own understanding of God.  In Jonah’s case, a God that wouldn’t care about Nineveh.  Yet, in these times, God is gracious and patient.  We run away in arrogance and pride, often appearing as a petulant child.  Yet, we return, humbled and blessed, loved and accepted by our Great God.  We end up experiencing great mercies from Him. 

Watch for the repeating and contrasting use of words in the book of Jonah. 

• We see a ‘great’ city, tempest, storm, and fish. 
• Jonah went ‘down,’ and then there are several more uses of ‘down’. 
• We see God calls Jonah to arise twice.  Twice he arose, once in the wrong direction.   The ship’s captain called Jonah to ‘arise,’ and there is no indication he did.  The king of Nineveh arose in the right way. 
• Jonah was called to Nineveh to “cry out” against the wickedness.  The captain of the ship told Jonah to cry out.  The men of the ship cried out to God while the man of God refused.  Jonah finally cried out from the deep.  He was called a second time to ‘cry out,’ and he did so.  The people of Nineveh cried out in repentance (same word translated ‘proclaimed’ a fast and ‘cry’ mightily to God).