Have you heard the story of Jonah? God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the Assyrian capital and prophesy their destruction. [Spirituality & Religion]
Jonah didn't want to because he thought the Assyrians would kill him. The Assyrians tortured people who had a religion other than theirs, or another opinion. They would put hooks in their tongs and stake them to the ground, skin them alive, gouge out their eyes etc.
So Jonah ran from God. He jumped on a ship. God was angry with him and made a storm. Jonah realized that God was angry with him and he said "throw me overboard because its my fault that there is a storm." The men on the ship realized that God made the storm because He was angry, and that Jonahs God controlled the storm. They threw Jonah overboard and a big fish swallowed him. And then the storm quieted down. Jonah repented and told God that he would go to the Assyrians, even though he probably would get killed by them. He went and they repented.
God saved the city!