Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet

Jonah was a unique man - a Hebrew prophet of God, a chosen vessel to bring salvation to the Gentiles and the only O.T. prophet that attempted to run from God. But the key figure in the book of Jonah is God Himself. Israel existed as a tool of God to be a blessing all other nations, so the message of Jonah is a rebuke to the prophet and to the nation of Israel. God's love, mercy and faithfulness are clearly revealed in His command to Jonah, but Jonah, like Israel, was living in rebellion, hardness and disobedience. Israel needed God's rebuke as much as the Ninevites did, and Jonah's book would bring it to them..