By definition, a prophet is God's appointed messenger sent to a specific group of people to deliver a specific message. There is no room for bargain nor bias against the intended recipients, whether they deserve a hearing and second chance, or to act on God's behalf to decide their fate. The prophet is only a medium and mouthpiece; his role and responsibility are to do the job well and do it faithfully.
There are those who defended Jonah's decision to disobey and run away, citing national interests and his love for his own people as the basis behind his actions. There are also those who derided Jonah's motive as selfish and self-righteous, since he considered the godless nation of Assyria to be unworthy of God's mercy and compassion.
The focal point, however, seems more on God's dealing with the wayward prophet rather than the wicked city. Perhaps God wants us to learn from Jonah the important lesson of looking at people that we dislike or are different from us, that there is no ground to judge or discount them from God's salvation plan, and that God loves them just as much as He loved us, when He sent His only begotten Son to save a fallen mankind. Indeed, the heartbeat of God is best summarized by the fisherman turned apostle:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise… but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
1. Jonah's First Commissioning (1:1-2:10)
Man's Heart
a. Disobeyed (1:1-3)
Mission | Missing in Action | Man Overboard
b. Disciplined (1:4-2:10)
Swallowed | Supplication | Survived
2. Jonah's Second Chance (3:1-4:11)
God's Heart
a. Recommissioned (3:1-10)
Jonah Repented | Sent
Nineveh Repented | Spared
b. Rebuked (4:1-11)
Jonah's Anger | The Heat | The Gourd | The Worm
God's Angle | His Patience | His Compassion
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