JONAH 1 - YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE
Jonah 1
God called Jonah to be a prophet to Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want to do it, so he ran away from the plan and presence of God. The book of Jonah is the story of a called man fleeing his calling, and what God does to correct his course. When God called Jonah to Nineveh he told him to speak out against them because their evil was seen by God (v. 1) Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The people were notorious for their wickedness and Jonah was to go preach that they should repent (v. 2). These people were not even Jewish, and were steeped in paganism, so who knew whether or not they would even listen?
God knew what he wanted to do, and Jonah knew that he didn’t want to have any part of it. In opposition to God’s desire and calling, Jonah arose and fled to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord (v. 3). Jonah is like a case study of Psalm 139. In our disobedience we try to flee from the presence of God, but how shall we escape God?
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.(Ps. 139:7-10)
After rising to flee from God’s presence, the only way for Jonah was down: down to Joppa to pay his ship fare, down into the vessel of the ship, down fast asleep, down into the depth of the sea, and down into the belly of a fish. You could say that Jonah was down on his luck, but really it was the Most High God disciplining the one that he loved.
God was bringing Jonah down, to bring him back up to his calling.
God providentially brought a fierce storm to break up the ship that Jonah travelled on (v. 4). The mariners on board the ship were suffering the consequences of one man’s disobedience. Sin is not committed in vacuum; it will have its effects on you and those around you. Desperately, the mariners tried to figure out why all this was happening. They prayed to whatever god they had learned about and nothing was happening (v. 5). The one who’s God could calm the tempestuous winds and waves by a single word was asleep down in the vessel.
The waking command of the captain of the ship was an indictment of Jonah. “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” (v. 6) It greatly stings the soul of a follower of God when an unbeliever unknowingly charges you with disobedience or unbelief, and they’re right. After going down, down, and further down, Jonah made his first move back up, by arising from his sleep. The mariners used whatever superstitions methods they had left to help their situation. That is when the cast lot fell on Jonah and he began to confess his disobedience (v. 7-10).
When the pagan mariners determined that Jonah was the cause of their troubles, they did everything they could to help Jonah. This was another indictment of Jonah – that the pagans were doing a better job at loving their enemies. The men rowed hard to make it to dry land, but they could not. The sea grew fiercer, until finally they threw Jonah overboard, upon which God calmed the storm (v. 11-13) The fearful prayer of the mariners was more faith filled than anything Jonah had done up to this point (v. 14-15). The mariners sacrificed to the Lord and made a vow to him (v. 16).
God is faithful to draw men to himself, even when his representatives are misrepresenting him.
God was not finished with Jonah. The man that God had called needed time to reflect on this chastisement. God appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah (v. 17). It was the mercy of God that placed Jonah inside the stomach of a fish. Jonah would spend three days and three nights in that dark belly, and God would do a great work inside him, leading him back to repentance and faith.
As we remember Jonah, a man who was disobedient and resisted God’s calling, we also remember another man, God’s only Son, who when called by God did not flee. He was sent to a world full of sinful people; enemies of God. God loved the world, and Jesus was obedient to God’s message and plan, even to the point of death. Jesus fulfilled the sign of Jonah by being laid in a tomb for three days, and then rising from the dead. Jesus went down, down, and lower down, but it was in perfect obedience and servitude. Therefore, God has highly exalted him. Jesus perfectly represented a holy God to sinful man, and thus draws many people, both Jews and Gentiles, to repentance and faith in God.