Jonah was a miserable prophet. Or more to the point, he carried a bad attitude during his prophetic cruise to Nineveh. Jonah felt the Ninevites deserved some wrath of God in their lives so he bitched and moaned all the way to Nineveh and then into the prophet’s hall of fame.

Three days in the belly of a giant fish set Jonah straight. He fulfilled his mission and the people in Nineveh responded overwhelmingly, fasting and praying and hoping for the Lord’s compassion.

The Lord noticed: When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.

Jonah never wrapped his mind around the graciousness and compassion of the Lord. He fixated on the evil acts of the Ninevites, but overlooked their lost souls—a position I find myself in at times.

I pause at the story of Jonah because I notice how God sent a reluctant messenger through the belly of a fish to reach clueless, idol-worshipping people. God wants all to come to repentance, and God uses even lousy prophets to carry his message.

Hopeful for all of us, as we’re all either straying from God, or lousy prophets attempting the work of the Lord.

Jonah in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Mitchell Orr