Jonah is a prophet who is called to deliver a warning of judgment to a rebellious nation. He runs from his calling at every turn, showing little faith in Yahweh. But eventually he goes to the nation of Nineveh to deliver God’s message. This is where things start to get confusing.

Despite Jonah’s warning having the intended effect—Nineveh turning in repentance to Yahweh—Jonah is furious with God for sparing the Ninevites. What is going on in this story? There’s a lot to unpack, and it’s probably a lot different than what you learned in Sunday school.

What can we learn from Jonah?

The story of Joanh recounts remarkable experiences with storms at sea, being eaten by a fish, and plants that miraculously grow and die in a day, and the lessons behind these images go much deeper than what is on the surface.