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Well, I am done again with one of the many missions God has sent me on. This one didn’t turn out as good though. God came to me and told me to go to Nineveh, that wicked city. I knew what they did, and decided that I didn’t want to go there.
Instead I caught a ship bound for Tarshish, to get away from God. While I was sleeping a big storm came about and the crew got frightened. After they tried throwing cargo overboard, the Captain woke me up and told me to pray. The sailors then decided to cast lots to find out who was responsible for the storm. The lot fell on the guilty one, me. So I had to confess that I was running away from God. They asked me a bunch of questions, such as where I was from, so I told them I was a Hebrew.
Meanwhile, the sea was getting a lot rougher and they got even more afraid. So they asked me, “What shall we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?†So I told them that the thing they should do is throw me into the sea. They however didn’t listen and tried instead to row back to shore. After they saw that this was hopeless, they prayed to God that they wouldn’t be responsible for my death and tossed me into the sea.
Immediately the sea grew calmer! I didn’t notice much because I was on my way down. Then, horrors of horrors, a huge fish swallowed me whole! It was disgusting in his belly! But for three days and three nights, that was my home. While I was there I prayed to the Lord and he caused the fish to vomit me onto dry land.
Then the Lord spoke to me again and told me to go to Ninevah. This time I obeyed.
I told them that they were doomed and that in forty days their city would be destroyed. You won’t believe what happend next! That wicked, wicked, city repented! The king even proclaimed a fast to God. God saw what they did, had compassion on them and did not destroy them!
I was very disappointed because I wanted them to get what they deserved. So I decided to watch the city and see what happened. I went outside of the city where I made myself a shelter. It didn’t work too well with the sun, but God made a vine to grow over me and I was very comfortable. My pleasure was short lived however because at dawn an annoying little worm chewed on the vine and it died. Worse then that, there was a scorching wind and the sun was hotter then ever. I almost fainted! I grew very angry at God and said that I would rather die then live.
Then, God spoke to me and told me that I had no right to be angry about the vine because I had not made it grow. He told me that just as I had been concerned about the vine He was concerned about the city of Ninevah with it’s 120,000 people!
While, I hope to see you soon!
Jonah