1. Jonah is called to preach to Nineveh, but he runs away.

‘The books of Jonah and Micah radiate the same eternal message: the infinite mercy of the Lord will triumph in the end. The unnamed writer of the book of Jonah uses the experiences of the prophet to confirm the Lord’s universal love for His children of all nationalities and origins – like the populace of Nineveh, the great Assyrian capital city. just as Jonah had to grasp the all-embracing reach of the Lord’s grace and loving kindness, so are we directed to practice obedience, tolerance, and brotherly kindness in sharing the gospel with everyone.’ (Richard J Allen, Study Commentary of the Old Testament)

Jonah 1:3 Rose up to flee unto Tarshish

‘Jonah is portrayed as a man who had to learn how to be a prophet. Though called to Nineveh both times, Jonah went on two missions. The first mission is found in chapters 1-2 and the second in chapters 2-3. The Lord called Jonah to ‘arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me’ (Jonah 1:2.). Jonah promptly disobeyed the Lord and rather than going to preach to the much hated and feared Assyrians he ‘rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord’ (Jonah 1:3). Jonah boarded a boat in Joppa (just south of modern Tel Aviv) to flee across the Mediterranean Sea to Tarshish – which is symbolically at the opposite end of the world from Nineveh’. (Dana M Pike, Richard N Holzapfel, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament).

Jonah 1:1-17

‘Sometimes we don’t want to hear messages from God. For example, the word of the Lord called Jonah to go to Nineveh and declare repentance. But Jonah ignored the message and ran away to Joppa, where he boarded a ship to Tarshish to get away from the presence of the Lord. However, the Lord caused a mighty tempest to come upon the sea. The mariners were frightened, and in an effort to appease the Lord, they threw Jonah into the sea. A great fish swallowed Jonah, and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Jonah prayed for forgiveness and deliverance, and the fish vomited him onto dry land. The second time the word of the Lord came to Jonah, he listened and went to call the people of Nineveh to repentance.‘  (James E Faust, General Conference, April 2004)

2. The people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s message and repent.

Jonah 3:1-9 The people of Nineveh believed God

‘Jonah got a second chance. The whole plan of God is one of second chances for all people, as Jonah was to find out. With his mission call extended anew, Jonah went immediately into the city. ‘Three days journey’ could be idiomatic, suggesting a very large city. The size may have reference to ‘greater Nineveh’, or the district of Nineveh.

This little book’s terse record reports only one essential warning given by Jonah, along with the miraculous response to his message. Jonah’s prophetic message is eight words in English and only five words in Hebrew.

Perhaps the greatest miracle of all was the Ninevites’ repentance. If not all of the people, at least enough of the people, including the king, listened to the warning voice and repented to spare the city for the time being. dressing in sackcloth and sitting in the dust are customary signs of repentance.’ (Andrew C Skinner, D Kelly Ogden, Verse by Verse, The Old Testament)

Jonah 3:10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way

“Prophets regularly announced judgment against Assyria, but the book of Jonah shows the nation in a very different light, as repenting and turning to the Lord. It is most unlike Nahum, which glories in the imminent demise of Assyria. Jonah presents a critique of the nationalism that was rampant in much of Judah, a nationalism that said God loved only the chosen people and not ‘the other.’ The book of Jonah challenges the exclusivity and intolerance toward foreign peoples that is found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. God can and does extend his mercy to all peoples. Sometimes this mercy seems to contradict God’s justice: the Assyrians had brutalized Judah, so where was the justice in God showing mercy to those who deserved death and destruction? But that is the point: sinners don’t always get what they deserve. If they repent and turn to God, then God’s love and mercy is available to them.” (Barry J. Beitzel, ed., Biblica: The Bible Atlas, [Australia: Global Book Publishing, 2006], 308-309)

Jonah 4:1–11. Jonah Was Displeased with the Lord

‘Here Jonah demonstrated a second weakness:he pouted because the people did repent and God turned His wrath away. Jonah was so upset that he wished he were dead. Though he had repented of his desire to escape the call of the Lord and went to Nineveh, Jonah had not substantially changed his attitude toward the Gentiles.

The Lord taught Jonah in a way that he could understand that all things are in His hand—the gourd, the worm, even life itself. First, the Lord sent the dreaded east wind, which was very destructive, for it blew off the hot, dry Arabian Desert. Then the Lord caused the sun to beat upon Jonah, making him so uncomfortable that he wished for death. Once Jonah was in that position, the Lord was able to teach him the worth of souls in Nineveh. Because the thousands who lived in Nineveh were ignorant of the saving gospel principles, they could not fully “discern between their right hand and their left hand” (Jonah 4:11). Surely the Lord felt more pity for them than Jonah felt for the gourd (see Alma 26:27, 37). By means of this simple plant, the Lord taught Jonah about the way in which God loves all of His children.’ (Old Testament Institute Manual)