The extent of God’s dealings with Jonah is recorded in chapter two of his book. It contains a solemn reminder to any of God’s people who decide to disobey God’s word. His journey into the belly of the fish was one that he would never forget. The words used to describe his plight are those which convey an extremity of human experience. He was afflicted and brought to the point of death, 2. 2, brought into the deep, 2. 3, to an unfathomable depth of despair with floods encompassing, and winds and waves passing over him. The weeds were wrapped around his head, 2. 5, and all hope of being delivered seemed lost.
At the point when all hope seemed lost, Jonah remembered the Lord. The attributes of the Lord which seemed to have escaped Jonah’s appreciation were those of His mercy and forgiveness. Jonah had slowly learned that they who observe lying vanities, i.e. human and proud ways, forsake the only source of true mercy.
The resource of mercy which had given Nineveh the opportunity to repent was now to be made evident in Jonah’s experience, and having been brought to the point of extremity he confessed, ‘Salvation is of the Lord’, 2. 9. The lesson was learned; salvation is God’s unique and peculiar prerogative, and Jonah’s responsibility was to present this to Nineveh.
When God arranged Jonah’s deliverance, His power over creation was once again evident in directing the fish to a point of dry land.
Jonah learned that he served the God of recovery and the saint who has been recovered can be used mightily again. Earlier, Jonah was commanded to 'cry’ against Nineveh, whereas the command later was to 'preach’ unto it, 1. 2; 3. 2. This changed man with a new message comes with the stamp of divine authority, and witnesses the repentance of Nineveh’s evil people.
As far as Jonah’s character is concerned it seems from chapter four that, whilst recovery had taken place and he had been used by God, his attitude towards Nineveh reverted to its earlier state. It is possible, sometimes, to grudge to others the mercy for which we ourselves have been indebted.
