The Book of Jonah, while considered one of the prophetic books, is actually a novella or short story. There are no oracles or pronouncements as in the other prophetic books. Even Jonah’s message is part of the narrative plot. While it is set in the 8th century BC the book was probably written five hundred years after the events described. The narrative begins with Jonah trying to run away from God. “How could you do such a thing!– They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD. While we might not do something as dramatic as hopping a ship, the human tendency to avoid the challenging message from God — love your enemies, turn the other cheek, forgive seventy times seven times — is universal.
