The Heart of the Book of Jonah
Jonah is a
book about obedience, illustrating how foolish it is to refuse to obey God or
to try to flee from God and his calling. Jonah is also a book about compassion
and concern for one’s enemies or for those who are merely different.
God had
compassion on the Assyrians in Nineveh, and he rebukes Jonah for his lack of
concern over their salvation. Jonah is also a book that underscores how serious
and unthinkable it was for the Israelites back in Jerusalem to ignore the
prophetic call to repent and return to God.
The
repentant actions of the Assyrians in Nineveh, from the king down to the lowest
peasant (and even the cows!), lead to their deliverance, in contrast to the
obstinate, hostile, and unrepentant attitude of the kings and people back in
Israel and Judah, which results in foreign invasion
REF: The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook - Old Testament

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