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Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “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.”
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
(ESV)
Jonah 1 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Nineveh was both a great and wicked city. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire and the Assyrians had a reputation for being extremely cruel. It was quite possibly the largest city in the ancient world. The book of Jonah tells us it was a 3-day journey (Jon 3:3) just to get from one side of the city to the other. Historians believe it may have been up to 60 miles in diameter when factoring in the greater metropolitan area. This fact alone is astonishing.
A comparable modern-day city might be Las Vegas, Nevada. It is, of course, nicknamed “Sin City” but it is also considered to be “great” with its amazing man-made structures and its buzzing, energetic nightlife. Imagine being called to a city like Vegas in order to proclaim a message of God’s judgment. Imagine going through the city, casino after casino, pleading with the people to repent of their sin.
This was Jonah’s task. It would not be a cakewalk. Nineveh was an absolute reflection of the people who lived there.
“…they would desecrate the bodies of the victims of war, impelling them, maiming them, cutting off the ears of their prisoners, or cutting off the noses of the prisoners, or pulling out the tongues of the prisoners. They were horribly cruel inflicting grotesque type of maiming processes upon the prisoners of war that they would take. History tells us that there were cities that when surrounded by the Assyrian army and doomed to fall that the inhabitants of the cities would all commit suicide.”
Chuck Smith
After knowing this, you can begin to understand Jonah’s reluctance to go. It’s likely that he also didn’t want the Assyrians to receive God’s forgiveness.
“It is easy to discuss Jonah’s reasons for not doing what God told him to do, but what is our reason? God told Jonah to go and to preach; every Christian has the same command in Mat 28:19-20. With Jonah’s example before us, we have even less reason than Jonah for our disobedience.”
David Guzik
This is a sobering reminder. It’s easy for us to question why Jonah didn’t obey because we know the outcome in the end.
The fear that stops Christians from accomplishing great works through faith is often rooted in a “what-if” scenario.
There is no doubt that whatever reason drove Jonah to flee from his responsibility to preach was birthed out of a “what-if” thought. What if I look like a fool? What if they mock me or torture me? What if I am killed? We entertain the same thoughts today because they are inevitable. Throughout history, every Christian who has followed after Jesus has unquestionably suffered the same fearful attitude at one point or another in their lifetime.
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 HCSB
Sometimes we read verses like this and think we will never be able to achieve such a standard. But the truth of the Scripture does not call us to perfection. It calls us to grow. So today, instead of complaining or fearing, remember these words. Remember Jonah and his story. As the Holy Spirit to strengthen you. Actively meditate on the Scripture and see how it changes your perspective on your life this day.