Unfortunately for Jonah he was sent by the Lord God, the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. Not much hope of escape from him. Not be sea, or land, or air. The Lord was a much greater threat to Jonah that the Ninevites.
So eventually the Lord persuades Jonah to go to Nineveh – which he does. But not happily. Even though they respond to his preaching and repent. In fact he is very angry. He admits the reason he fled in the first place – it was because he knew that the Lord was “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”.
That’s what made him angry. God wasn’t going to punish the Ninevites as Jonah said he would. God changed his mind – because they changed theirs and turned from their wickedness.
Then God plays out a little parable to Jonah. Provides a shady tree and then lets it die. Jonah is happy when the tree shades him and is angry when the tree is eaten by a worm. And it wasn’t even his tree. He didn’t plant it, or water it, or tend it.
But Nineveh. God was concerned for it: for the 120,000 people who lived there – and their animals. God had made them, and was watching over them. He was giving them an opportunity to change their ways and escape his judgment.
Because he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. As he still is. And if he cared for bad Nineveh, does he not care also for bad Perth and does he not still send his messengers to turn them from their wicked ways?
Dale