When Jonah begins to berate God, he quotes God’s own words to him. They are from Exodus 34:6–7, where God reveals himself to Moses and says he is “compassionate and gracious” and that he “forgives wickedness.” “Jonah sets God against God . . . all to justify himself.”2 He reads the Bible selectively, ignoring the latter part of Exodus 34:7 that speaks of God not leaving “the guilty unpunished.” He creates a simplistic picture of a God who simply loves everyone without judgment on evil. He uses the sacred text to justify his inordinate indignation, anger, and bitterness.
