Our Vengeful, Angry, Jealous God

People tend to characterize the God of the Old Testament as a vengeful, angry, jealous God who seeks the destruction of anyone who doesn't follow him to the letter. But when I look at the Old Testament, that isn't the God I see. 

Let's look at the story of Jonah. God says "Arise, Go to Nineveh." Instead, Jonah Arises and goes to Tarshish, fleeing God. An Angry God would smite Jonah right then. END OF STORY. Instead, Jonah deliberately, directly, and intentionally defied God and is allowed to flee! That is... until the storm surges. 

Apparently this was a pretty bad storm, and the people were frightened. The Canaanites believed that Yam (Yahm) was the god of the sea and was the enemy of their protector, Ba'al, so it is interesting that the word "yam" is the word translated as "sea" all through Jonah. They all start praying to their gods. That is, everyone but Jonah. God still has mercy. 

So, the captain finds Jonah and says "Arise and pray to your God!" They find out that Jonah is the cause, and Jonah makes a bold claim. My God, YHWH, is the creator of the land AND the sea. They all feared God and eventually prayed to him! That is, everyone but Jonah. So, God smote Jonah. No not really, but he did get thrown into the sea. 

FINALLY Jonah asks for mercy, and God sends it to him in an unusual way. The idea of a sea monster being the mechanism of mercy is farfetched even for a pre-captivity Jew. Other stories of things being "swallowed up" don't end well for the one getting swallowed. Even in the belly of the fish, Jonah did not confess wrong-doing or say I'm sorry, but God has mercy on him. He is "vomited" up on dry ground. So, he immediately went to Nineveh and everything was alright. NOPE! God had to ask again. "Arise, Go to Nineveh."

Jonah goes... reluctantly. The people of Nineveh are shown the mercy that God had shown Israel and Jonah, and Jonah couldn't be more upset about it. He knew that Assyria would overthrow Israel. Does God smite him for having a bad attitude? No. 

Jonah repeatedly defied God. Even when he eventually obeyed, he was angry about it. He makes this statement. "That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." (Jonah 4:2) Even after God shows him mercy, Jonah shows no mercy to the people of Nineveh. 

Jonah is right. YHWH is the God of second (third, fourth) chances. In this story he was merciful to Jonah, the sailors, and the people of Nineveh. God is also merciful toward us when we sin, or when we have a terrible attitude towards people who we don't think deserve God's mercy.