Jonah 1:1-17 Jonah Flees From the LORD
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the LORD, “O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
The conclusion of the Old Testament is completed by 12 short books identified as the Minor Prophets. Rather than works of greater length as are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, these 12 books are generally much shorter. Their names vary from the common such as Amos to Habakkuk or Haggai. Their designation as “minor” has to do with their length in contrast to their importance. These literary works are prophetic recordings commissioned and inspired by God and are within our Protestant Bible for purpose. The calling of these heralds of God’s word gave them relevance for their witness hundreds of years ago. The fact that they were called by the eternal God makes this witness equally valid and applicable to this day or any day. There are two important points to support such an understanding. The God who inspired these writings is immutable (unchanging in character) and therefore His instruction is not lessened or eroded by time.
We can take great comfort in relying upon the unchanging, dependable nature of God. The flip side of this issue is that man sadly has not changed in this period of time as well. Despite the passage of time and the application of education and knowledge, man desperately needs to hear the same message. Without the application of the mercy of God, we are all lost sinners. Our situation is as desperate now as it was when God called Jonah.
Jonah’s call and commission to go to Nineveh was issued in the 9th century B.C. Jonah has the distinction of being the first prophet to be called from Galilee. The second was Jesus Himself so Jonah is clearly in very select company. God’s declaration to him is that he is to go to non-Hebrews and call for repentance. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Not only was its empire large in contrast to that controlled by the Hebrews, the Assyrians were avowed enemies of the Hebrews. The barbaric crudeness of this people was common knowledge at that time. Jonah did not deem them worthy of a warning from God and wished for their destruction. Rather than responding favorably to God’s bidding, he chose a path that would take him as far away from Nineveh as was humanly possible. Simply, he ran from God. His failure to escape is borne out by the remainder of this short book.
The telephone has become an indispensable part of the world’s culture in the recent past. The immediate audience for this sermon has perhaps a cellular phone in their purse, pocket, or on their belt. Such allows for instant communication provided you are not in an area unsupported by communication relays. It is fascinating to think of all the electronic activity that is going on at this very minute of which we are unaware. If you have failed to mute this device, it may well embarrass you at this moment. Gone are the days of shared party lines with a local operator who responded with “number, please” when you lifted the receiver from its resting position. In small towns, telephone numbers were fairly simple. Our home phone number was 38, the department store was 258, and the Mayor’s home 32, the Garner’s 29, and Hollins’ 551. I knew the voice of one of the operators as well as I knew those of my family. Maggie’s “number please” was as distinctive as voices can become. Years later, after educational and military experiences, I called Fort Sanders Hospital and the voice of the switchboard operator caused me to utter a one-word greeting-question, “Maggie?” Her response confirmed that she was the unseen friend of my youth. Her voice and manner were unchanged, so she was readily recognizable.
Jonah recognized without a doubt that his call to go to Nineveh was from God. The first thing that he learned was that it was impossible to hide from God. He was as visible to God in the hold of an ancient ship as he was in Galilee. God is all-seeing and all-knowing. If such is applicable to Jonah, it is likewise applicable to us. We can not escape the knowledge and the eye of God.
Jonah 1:15 (Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.) confirms what the Bible has said multiple times. God is in control. He is sovereign over His creation. The inanimate winds obey Him. These observations confirm what we subconsciously know. We cannot escape the realm of our creator. But, just as with Jonah we lack the humility to submit to God’s will. We choose to pursue our own limited wisdom, ignoring the call and guiding hand of God. Our disasters equate with that of Jonah if we fail to understand and hear God’s voice. He calls us all to service, His service for His glorification. So approached, He has the power and desire to rescue us all from the enemies and storms that threaten us.
The first lesson to learn and accept from this minor prophet is that God is all seeing and knowing. We can neither escape His gaze or His authority. Thoughtful men and women seek His will in submission.
