There are some elements of genuine humor in the story of Jonah. Whatever
may be thought of the miraculous portions of the narrative, the character
of the shirking and whimpering prophet is faithfully drawn. He first tries
to escape the command of the Lord by fleeing to Tarshish, but finds that
he who runs away from duty runs into danger. Thoroughly alarmed by the
disastrous outcome of his attempt to get away from responsibility, he
finally goes to Nineveh, but is not reconciled to his task. He did not go
because he was anxious to serve the Ninevites, but because he wished to
avert further danger from himself. He is in just the mood to complain of
everything, to snatch at any straw of justification for his former
conduct. Contrary to his expectations, and even, it must be confessed, to
his secret wishes, the Ninevites were moved to repentance by his
half-hearted preaching, with its undertone of grumbling, and God forgave
them and turned away the threatened destruction of their city. But when
the forty days expire, and the city does not fall, Jonah is angry, and he
insists that he does well to be angry. He has been obliged to trudge
through the streets of the city day after day shouting his predictions of
doom, and now he is denied the poor satisfaction of seeing the bolts fall
from heaven in vengeance. He has even gone so far as to prepare for
himself a booth in a safe place, under whose shadow he might sit and enjoy
the spectacle,--"where he might see what would become of the city." And
now there is nothing to come of it all! "It displeased Jonah exceedingly
and he was very angry." Surely the Lord is not considerate of the feelings
of his prophet. Jonah's pent-up displeasure breaks forth: "I pray thee, O
Lord, was not this my saying while I was yet in mine own country?" Did I
not tell you so? Did I not say then and there how this whole affair would
turn out? "Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish." Why should I blister
under the sun of Nineveh, when I might take mine ease in Tarshish? "For I
knew that Thou art a gracious God, slow to anger and of great kindness
and repentest thee of the evil,"--too good-natured to do this thing! And
now that I have come, my prophecy has failed and my mission is a farce.
These wretches are spared and the prophet of God is a laughing-stock! "I
do well to be angry, even unto death!" He goes farther: "I beseech thee,
take away my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."
It is better to die than to be made ridiculous. Nothing could reconcile
Jonah, just then, to the thought of further existence. Like Mr. Mantilini,
he was determined to become a "body."