Book of Jonah Summary: The Reluctant Prophet and the Boundless Mercy of God. Jonah is one of the Bible’s best-known stories — the runaway prophet swallowed by a great fish. But beyond the children’s tale lies a book of stunning depth. Jonah shows us a God whose mercy stretches further than human prejudice, a prophet whose heart struggles against God’s compassion, and a message that points directly to Christ’s death and resurrection.