How could Jonah, a servant of God, be so displeased and angry

to the point of wishing to die over God's decision to relent

from bringing disaster upon the repentant people of Nineveh?

God saw that the people of Nineveh turned from their evil ways,

and He relented from the disaster He had said He would bring upon them

(Jonah 3:10).

However, Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry (4:1).

He was so upset that he prayed to God, saying,

'I would rather die than live' (v. 3).  What was the reason for this?

Could it be that Jonah wanted the Assyrians,

who were enemies of the people of Israel

(since Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the Ninevites were Assyrians),

to truly be destroyed? (See 3:4, Contemporary Bible).

If this is the case, the Bible clearly states,

'God wants all people to be saved

and to come to a knowledge of the truth'

(1 Timothy 2:4).

How could Jonah, as a prophet of God,

wish for the people of Nineveh to be destroyed rather than saved?

God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son,

so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life

(John 3:16).

How could Jonah, a servant of God, be so displeased and angry

to the point of wishing to die over God's decision

to relent from bringing disaster upon the repentant people of Nineveh?