I think it’s natural to see ourselves as the heroes in the stories we read. We like to think of ourselves in the best light possible.
So when we read the story of Jonah in the Bible, we naturally see ourselves as Jonah, struggling to obey God. We also see God as the “God of second chances,” willing to be patient with Jonah as Jonah tries to figure out how to follow God’s will.
But Jonah isn’t about the “God of second chances.” It’s about a stubborn follower of Yahweh who refuses to believe that Yahweh might show grace and mercy to anyone outside of Israel. The word “Jonah” means “dove,” the national symbol for the nation of Israel in ancient times. Jonah is a stand-in for Israel, adamantly refusing to see God at work outside of the chosen few.
After four short chapters, the book of Jonah ends with Jonah as the villain and Nineveh as the hero. If I read myself as Jonah, the story doesn’t have a happy ending, because the story ends with Jonah angry at God.
Jonah is not really about God being patient with his people. It’s about his people limiting him and the scope of his compassion.