Of all the Minor Prophets, Jonah is likely to be the most popular. The events of Jonah have gone down in history as absolutely astounding. Jonah, the runaway prophet, gets swallowed by a great fish and is later vomited out on the land. Then, he makes his way to Assyria. Finally, Jonah responds with anger and frustration rather than joy at their repentance.
Anyone willing to examine themselves would surely see within themselves at least a little bit of Jonah. Jonah is not meant to be set apart from the Christian’s experience. On the contrary, Jonah is meant to convict, warn, and remind the Christian of God’s grace.
As a result, it is essential that the Christian spend an adequate amount of time in the book of Jonah. The message of Jonah is clear when someone quickly reads through the text. However, the message of Jonah is deep for those who would desire to excavate the terrain.
Let us look at Jonah 1:1-5 and see what God seeking to reveal.
Jonah’s dilemma
Bible study will be made all the richer when someone begins to learn the place of conjunctions. This is not the only article discussing conjunctions, and it will not be the last. Conjunctions play a vital role in understanding the English language and, therefore, the Bible.
As we zero in on Jonah 1:1-5, understanding the role of conjunctions will help us dig a little deeper into the text. The book of Jonah starts by telling us that the Word of the Lord came to the prophet Jonah and that God told Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh to declare repentance to the people of Nineveh.
The Bible goes on to tell us, “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…” (KJV, Jonah 1:2). Here we see the conjunction “but.” What this tells us is that two statements are being contrasted. The first statement is God’s command to go to Nineveh. The second statement is Jonah’s response. Between the two statements is the word “but.” “But” is the conjunction and we can see a remarkable contrast between God’s command and Jonah’s response.
In verse 3, we are told that Jonah boards a ship to flee to Tarshish. However, verse 4 tells us, “But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea…” (Jonah 1:4). The war between God and Jonah is intense. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah refused. So Jonah boarded a ship to flee from God, but God sent a great wind. Here we see Jonah’s dilemma. God’s desires and Jonah’s desires were not in line.
Jonah’s departure
Jonah chose to run from God as many have done in times past. However, running from God is surely a foolish enterprise. But why did Jonah want to flee from God, and where did Jonah seek to go?
When God called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, God was essentially calling Jonah to preach to his enemies so that they would repent and be forgiven for their sin. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The Assyrian army was known for cruelty in war and their defeat of nations and armies during their reign.
Jonah was not keen on preaching to the Assyrians. Instead, Jonah would have desired for God to smite them and overthrow their nation. When God told Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh, Jonah knew that God would relent of the coming disaster that would be brought upon the Assyrians if the people of Nineveh would turn from their sin. Jonah also knew that his own people would hate him for going to the Assyrians and preaching repentance and mercy.
The calling of Jonah was not an easy one. He was not simply a runaway prophet without reasons for his running. Jonah’s decision to run was not essentially rooted in laziness. Jonah knew what could happen if the people of Nineveh repented, and his own people heard that Jonah had warned the Assyrians. Sometime later, the Assyrian army would be responsible for coming against the Northern and Southern kingdoms and defeating the northern kingdom, the same kingdom to which belonged.
Therefore, Jonah sought to flee to Tarshish when he heard the news. Tarshish would have been the furthest west that Jonah could have traveled on a boat before exiting the Mediterranean Sea. It would have also been in the opposite direction of Nineveh. When the Bible tells us that Jonah sought to flee to Tarshish to get away from the presence of the Lord, it is as though the Bible is telling us that Jonah ran as far as he possibly could away from God’s calling.
Jonah’s dime
Not only can we see Jonah’s dilemma, but we can also see the price Jonah paid to run from God. When someone chooses to run from the Lord’s will, he will find that it will cost him. Scripture says, “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof…” (Jonah 1:3). Running from God is never a good thing. Jonah ran from God, and as a result, he paid the price. The money he had to pay for entrance onto the ship must not be seen as a moot point. There is value in recognizing the words of Scripture as intentionally chosen, as we can see in the price Jonah paid for his running and what we will see next.
Jonah’s descent
Jonah was met with a dilemma, and when he chose to follow His own path, it cost him. However, we can also see that Jonah’s choice brought him low. Some of the events reported in the first chapter of Jonah can be seen as Jonah’s descent. Look for a moment in verse 3 again. Scripture says, “But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it…” (Jonah 1:3). Did you catch the wording?
Jonah is said to have gone down to Joppa. Shortly after, we read that Jonah went down into the ship. Then we read that “…Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship…” (Jonah 1:5). Later in the chapter, we read that Jonah was thrown into the water. Thus, Jonah went down into the water.
In the next chapter, we read, “For thou hadst cast me into the deep… I went down to the bottoms of the mountains…” (Jonah 1:3,6). The wording in Jonah is not coincidental but rather intentional. Jonah’s decision to run from God brought about a string of events that led to Jonah’s descent and downfall.
Jonah could not continue to run from God without suffering the discipline of the Lord.
Jonah’s drumming
Even though Jonah sought to run from God, the Word of God never left him. When Jonah was called, God said, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose to flee unto Tarshish…” (Jonah 1:2-3). God told Jonah to arise, but the Bible tells us that when Jonah arose, he went to Tarshish. The first words spoken to Jonah started with the word “arise.”
As we move forward in the story, Jonah boards a boat and seeks to flee from God. However, there is a point at which the prophet is confronted with his sin. The Bible tells us that a storm comes upon him and the crew of the ship that he has boarded. The shipmaster goes to Jonah and says, “…What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God…” (Jonah 1:5). Jonah could not escape the drumming. He could not escape the echo of God’s voice. God used the shipmaster to remind Jonah of the first command that Jonah was given. Later we are told after Jonah was spewed out of the fish that God repeats the command to arise and go to Tarshish yet again. So will the Christian be reminded by the Spirit when he seeks to run from the Lord.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the story of Jonah. It is a blessing to see where Your prophet went wrong and how I must guard against the same tendencies in my life. Help me to walk close to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.