Therefore I fled

Jonah 4:2 “And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”

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In this chapter, Jonah reveals the reason he fled to Tarshish. He ran from God because God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and loving.

These are attributes Jonah is enjoying, having recently been delivered from a fish’s belly.

He’s not angry because the Lord is merciful and gracious to him. He’s angry God shows kindness to others. Specifically those in Nineveh.

He was willing to run from God to prevent Nineveh from receiving mercy.

This reveals a disdain for Nineveh and the Ninevites that we don’t fully understand.

We know this, he is so displeased that he would rather die than observe it any longer.

Let this be a lesson on how low hatred for others can take us.

Jonah 4:2 “And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”