Lots of the prophets, like Amos and Ezekiel, were good and godly men. They were humble, obedient, and merciful. The prophet Jonah was different. God spoke to him (like the other prophets) and said, “Get up and go to Nineveh.” Nineveh was a big city, but it was also a bad city. It was the home of the evil Assyrians. God told Jonah to go there and tell them that God had seen their evil deeds and was about to judge them for the terrible things they had done.

But Jonah did the opposite. He ran “from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). You might think Jonah fled because he was afraid to go. Nineveh was awfully wicked. But that’s not why he fled. He tells us in 4:2 why he fled. He knew God was merciful, forgiving people when they repent. But Jonah wanted Nineveh to get what was coming to them. So instead of bringing God’s message to them, he boarded a boat for a city that was far, far away. Jonah was trying to get as far away from Nineveh, and as far away from the Lord, as possible. How do you think that will turn out? What will a merciful God do with disobedient Nineveh? What will a merciful God do with his disobedient prophet?