SUMMARY
God calls Jonah to deliver a prophetic message to Nineveh, but JonahJonah son of Amittai was a rebellious prophet who fled from the Lord's command, only to be delivered by a big and fish and bring about the repentance of Nineveh. More flees in the opposite direction from Nineveh.
ANALYSIS
When God commands a prophet to deliver some message, the expectation is that the prophet will obey. Therefore, verse one anticipates this typical prophetic call and response. However, God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, which was the capital city of the Assyrian empire and therefore the source of great evil and suffering for Israel. Jonah does not accept, fleeing in the opposite direction of Nineveh. So, the question of the narrative becomes, “What will God do with a rebellious prophet?”
