We already told you the Biblical story of Jonah and the “whale†above, but there’s more to Jonah. After the “big fish†spits Jonah back up safely on land, and after Jonah wisely agrees to heed the original command of God to go to Assyria and preach, the prophet sets off for Nineveh to deliver God’s threat of destruction. In fact, Jonah almost can’t wait to be the bearer of bad news to the people of the ancient Near East whom he despises. “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!†[Jonah 3:4] He gleefully exclaims. What he’s not prepared for is that the Assyrians actually listen. They do exactly what God wants; they repent. Every last one of them. So God spares them, and Jonah has the audacity to be displeased with the Lord, accusing him in essence of being too merciful. Jonah sets up camp outside of the city waiting to see what will transpire with the Assyrians and probably to pout some more. God sends scorching heat to the area, but grows a plant high enough to provide shade for Jonah. The next day, God sends a worm to destroy the plant, leaving no more shade. Jonah whines and cries that he wants to die. God explains that Jonah cared about this plant even though he neither created nor planted it. But it was valuable to him nonetheless. In other words, how can God not care about the humans and animals He created. How can He not show them mercy when they are willing to right a wrong? So goes the short Book of Jonah in the Bible.
