The Call (Jonah 3:1-3)

After being spit back on dry land, the Call comes to Jonah again. It is nearly word-for-word the same as before. Structurally, this gives us an important clue as to what is important in Jonah. It is all about God’s call and our response.

The book of Jonah is split in two and mirrored. In chapters one and two we saw Jonah called. He runs. He encounters Gentiles who meet God and are changed. And finally, Jonah talks to God. In the next two chapters we will see a similar pattern. Jonah is called. This time he will follow the call. He will again encounter Gentiles who will meet God and be changed. And he will again talk to God.

But then God will answer, and we will all learn truths that color the whole of the Old Testament message.