“The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Ninevah. Announce my judgement against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” (Jonah 1:1-2) This seems pretty clear, right? God is speaking to his prophet and giving him a directive. God has a reason for what he is directing Jonah to do. This is not a case of assigning “busy work,” but rather an urgent assignment. God is holy. Ninevah and its people are wicked. Very wicked. Something needed to be done. Either a change from the people of Ninevah or they would suffer judgement.
Jonah obviously knew God. He recognized that God was speaking to him and understood what God was telling him to go and do. “But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.” (Jonah 1:3) Isn’t it fascinating that Jonah knew God. He knew God’s power. And yet he thought if he only went the opposite way of Ninevah that God would neither see him nor stop him? He thought he could escape from the God who not only created the world but rules it?
So Jonah attempts to outrun or hide from God. Isn’t this interesting: Isn’t this a pattern of behavior from mankind? When we sin against God – when we are disobedient to him – we act so stupidly. We try to hide from him. We believe somehow that we will not be found out if we run away from him.
You know God cannot be fooled. God is not blind. God saw Jonah and his sinful disobedience, just as he sees ours. Yet even thought Jonah was acting sinfully and selfishly, God still chose this flawed man to bring his message to the wicked people of Ninevah. So God allows some crazy and nothing short of miraculous things to happen to Jonah to change his mind. “But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.” (Jonah 1:4) The sailors are freaking out. They know that they will likely die in this storm. They are throwing over cargo and crying out to their gods when they discover Jonah sound asleep.
“Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?” (Jonah 1:8) Can you sense their fear? “Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven who made the sea and the land.” The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the LORD. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned.” (Jonah 1:9-10) Clearly these men are not Hebrew. They don’t worship God, but worship other gods – whom they have already cried out to for help that will never arrive. (False gods aren’t capable of interceding for their worshippers.)
God is about to take his amazing display of power up a notch. Not only will God get Jonah’s attention, but God is also doing a work in the heart of these idol-worshiping sailors. “Then they cried out to the LORD, Jonah’s God. “O LORD,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O LORD, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons. Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the LORD’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.” (Jonah 1:14-16) Of course they were awestruck! In their first time speaking to the LORD they witnessed the impossible! They went from certain death to the immediate calming of the sea. Their gods could demonstrate no power. Idols cannot interact with people. But no doubt these sailors had heard of the God of the Hebrews, and now they had encountered him. We are talking a game-changer here.
But what of Jonah and his hard heart? As Jonah is in the process of drowning, God intervenes. He is not willing to discard Jonah – even though he was disobedient and sinful. God had identified Jonah as the one to bring his message to the people. So God sends a fish to swallow this man. Eventually, Jonah makes a turn back toward God and prays. (Something that he hadn’t been willing to do on the ship in the middle of the storm – by the way!) “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. He said, “I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble and he answered me.” (Jonah 2:1-2)
When Jonah looked to God in humility, when he turned back to his God, he was delivered. “Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.” (Jonah 2:10)
God’s plan for Jonah and the people of Ninevah had not changed, however. Chapter 3 begins with the LORD speaking to Jonah a second time telling him to go to Ninevah and deliver the message God had commanded him to give. Jonah was now understanding that he was God’s choice of a messenger, but beyond that – he was not going to be able to shy away from his duties. He had no choice but to go.
Now we know that the people of Ninevah are incredibly wicked. We know that the message Jonah was speak was one of impending destruction. And yet, “The people of Ninevah believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.” (Jonah 3:5) They were directed by their king that “… everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.” Why? This king was wise enough to know some of God’s character. “Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” (Jonah 3:8-9)
And things changed. “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3:10) Isn’t it interesting and yet completely consistent with God’s character to do this? Isn’t this the same promise he continually made with Israel? If you will serve me and turn from your wicked ways, I will make you into a great nation. If you don’t, I will remove my protection and destruction will come. (I’m paraphrasing here, but you should recognize this theme.) Even though these are not God’s special people of Israel, God’s character and offer extended to them, too, it appears.
Good news, right? The people repented and turned to God. Isn’t that awesome? Yes! Thousands were saved. Instead of rejoicing over the success of lives saved and God honored, Jonah gets angry. “This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about it; “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” (Jonah 4:1-4)
Um… Is Jonah saying that he doesn’t want God to be merciful and compassionate – slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love? It certainly sounds that way! Jonah seems to be so wrapped up in self again that he is missing the fact that it is these very attributes of God that likely preserved his own life just days before! If God was not eager to turn back from destroying people who sin against him, Jonah himself would be dead! Whether it is hatred or disgust that Jonah feels for the Ninevites, is is hard to know, but he actually would find death preferable to seeing them made right with God. Or is it that his pride had been wounded so deeply by things which were out of his control and ordained by God that he would prefer death? How kind God’s response is to Jonah after such a statement: “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
The story of Jonah baffles me, because I feel like Jonah should be acting differently. He grew up knowing God. He was in a relationship with him. Why is he acting so poorly? Why is he so entangled with pride? Why the attempts at hiding from God? Why the deep desire to see others suffer or receive punishment from God? Isn’t this somewhat our story? Can’t we somewhat relate? While it is doubtful we have had to spend time in the belly of a fish, we have found ourselves deep into trouble before we have looked to the One who can help us out. And when God saves us, we too are still less than perfect. We too, still wrestle with sins of selfishness and pride. We too, at times believe we somehow know better than God. Don’t we?
Friend, let’s learn from Jonah, not emulate him. Let’s celebrate and bask in the fact that our God – THE GOD – is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love for us. He sees us. He knows us. He forgives us. He desires better for us than we could ever achieve unless we remain obedient and close to him. The gift we have been given is absolutely amazing.
Blessings.