Jonah the Inside Story

Yet forty days and Nineveh
shall be overthrown' (Jonah 3:4).

They burned their enemies or skinned them alive. Now they are doomed to destruction by a God who keeps His promises. 'Woe to the bloody city' (Nahum 3:1). But when man repents God relents. The God of second chances saved disobedient Jonah from the sea. But how dare He spare wicked Nineveh?

In the biblical mosaic of God Jonah provides a major piece of the puzzle. After wrestling with some of the big questions ('Did the events of Jonah really happen?') Jo Ann Davidson guides us through the four chapters of this carefully crafted book often verse by verse. She analyzes the text as literature (scholars call this 'narrative theology') exposing the hidden literary patterns such as 'mirror writing' and 'panel writing ' that provide clues to the meaning of the text.

More than just a 'big fish' story the book is full of contemporary themes that teach us about our own human nature and about a God who if He loves disobedient prophets and even wicked cities must surely care for us.