When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles, no man or beast, no cattle or sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast alike must be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; they all must turn from their evil way and from the violence of their hands. Who knows? God may again repent and turn from his blazing wrath, so that we will not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
Jonah 3:6-10

To a certain extent, the book of Jonah is also a very funny text, almost a work of parody or satire, caricaturizing prophets who take themselves too seriously. The king of Nineveh's instant repentance parodies the rulers throughout the other writings of the Old Testament who disregarded prophetic warnings, and the image of the livestock fasting alongside their owners is a little ridiculous.

Jonah's name means “dove,” but his statements throughout the book are characterized by their militancy. His rejection of God’s commands is a parody of the obedience of the prophets described in other Old Testament writings. While they are also reluctant in following God’s order, they are so because they do not feel worthy enough; Jonah simply does not want to do God’s will.

Think today of times in your life when everyone turned out to be doing the right thing, while you were being stubborn, or your heart was hardened. Pray for the strength to overcome your pride in what could be defining moments.