Right at the beginning of the Book of Jonah, the reluctant prophet is instructed by God to go and preach to the pagan inhabitants of Nineveh to abandon their evil ways. But by verse 3 of Chapter 1 he is headed in the opposite direction as fast as a ship will carry him, to the other end of the world. He has absolutely no intention of obeying.
One of the Bible’s shorter books, the Book of Jonah is characterised by high drama and comedy. But it is fundamentally a parable about the abounding love of God. Written probably in the 4th century BC, it should not be read as history but as a fable that is intended to instruct and amuse, providing insight into the nature of God and that of human beings.
