Bitesize Jonah (5)

Learning to tell the story
1:1-3
700 years before Christ's incarnation God looked down on the earth. He looked at Israel and at Assyria. Privilege and knowledge in one; paganism and ignorance in the other. But in both nations he saw sin - great, deep and wide. Men and women using the time and wealth and health he had given them to please themselves, with no thought or thanks to him. But being slow to anger, abounding in love, rather than send fire or brimstone - he sends a prophet to Nineveh.
Who should I send?
Jonah - the dove man - a peace man, a lamenting at sin man, a groaning for deliverance man. An Israelite.
Jonah - the son of faithfulness - he'll need to be faithful for a job like this.
Jonah son of Amittai. Dove man the son of faithfulness. The man for the job.
Jonah might have thought he was, though in a different way to the all wise God. So far his only prophetable commission had been a bit of a small job, just two verses in 2 Kings 14. Not that he was complaining- he had enjoyed announcing God's grace to Israel - the blessing of growth they didn't deserve. But perhaps now here was the chance for Jonah, son of Amittai to show his quality.
But as God speaks to him Jonah realises he has a problem - God is not intent on destroying Nineveh with some great calamity. No, rather he intends to overthrow their sin and pride, to overturn them in repentance that they might be forgiven and exalted by him.
But these Ninevites were bad neighbours and Jonah didn't like them. Since they had moved in and infecting the neighbourhood. If their sons weren't flirting with his daughter then they were beating up his son and his sons friends. He hated to say it, but the dad was a thug and the mum looked like she didn't come from round here. They were the kind who had no job but ran two cars and had the latest flat screen TV. They certainly weren't the religious type. Worse still, it was rumoured they were buying up the two houses that had come up for sale in the street and word was that their cousins from Nottingham were going to move in. What would the neighbourhood come to?
And now God wanted to be kind to them? And wanted Jonah to be the means of effecting that kindness!
Jonah was in flap now and moaning like the proverbial! Would that mean the Ninevites would come to church on Sundays too? Would Nevin Ninevite be in Sunday School with his Amaziah? Over his dead body!
And so he flew the coop. Fled the nest.
George the Gentile was surprised to see an Israelite at the Joppa dock seeking passage - these Israelites were are a bunch of poncy landlubbers! But he gladly relieved the man of a tidy fare for the long journey to Tarshish, blowing three times for luck on the silver coins as the man descended down into the ship. One last kiss of his sun bleached dolphin bone necklace before the ship cast off and then they were off - may the gods be kind!