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1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
3But 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.
4But 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.
5Then 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.
6So 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.”
7And 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.
8Then 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?”
9And 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.”
10Then 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.
11Then 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.
12He 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.”
13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
14Therefore 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.”
15So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
17And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1 ESV)
Believers and non-believers alike read the Bible but they understand it differently. Apparently, some people have proper understanding and some don’t.
Liberal Theology greatly influences the European and American churches in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Its impacts are so great that it splits churches. Liberal theologians deny the miraculous element of the Scriptures, stressing the importance of reason. In a simple sentence, whatever disagree with reason and science is rejected. They simply understand the Bible as a moral and ethical book. Let me give you a few examples. Liberal theologians don’t believe the incarnation of Christ, the miracles and the bodily resurrection of Christ. In conclusive terms, they aren’t Christians at all!
In our days and age, there are some “hot potatoes” that we find difficult to handle. For example, social justice, sexual orientation and civil disobedience, etc. Sadly, many people in the Christian circle have misunderstood the Bible and wrongly responded to these issues.
If we want to interpret the Book of Jonah correctly, we must understand its nature. First of all, let me make it clear to you that is not a fable or allegory, but a piece of history.
Jonah has some proper understandings about God but at the same time, he misunderstands God’s character and plan. So,what causes his misunderstandings?
1) God’s Initial Plan (Jonah 1:1-2)
God’s Servant (Jonah 1:1)
According to Jonah 1:1, Jonah is the son of Amittai. If he were the prophet mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, he would be active as a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam II, who was king of the northern kingdom of Israel from 782/81 to 753 bc. Therefore, Jonah was a contemporary of the prophets Amos and Hosea. Also, he would have been a Galilean prophet. In simple terms, Jonah is seen as God’s servant. God speaks to Jonah, revealing His plan to His servant. God commands Jonah to go to preach His message to the Ninevites that demands immediate obedience (Jonah 1:2). However, Jonah responds with immediate disobedience instead.
His Servant Is Full of flaws
Many Bible commentators state that Jonah is a self-centered person. Well, Jonah might be egocentric, but in fact, every individual is pretty self-centered too.
We Are full of Flaws
To a certain extent, we are like Jonah – very egocentric. As human beings aren’t flawless, it’s understandable that even God’s prophets cannot completely understand God. Although I’ve been a pastor for quite a while, I honestly tell you that I simply cannot totally understand God’s plan for me.
God’s Plan for Nineveh
Nineveh was considered as a great city because of its size. Nineveh was situated on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, opposite the modern city of Mosul. It was an old city, which was founded around 4500 b.c., and it was one of the principal cities of ancient Assyria. According to Gen 10:11, Nineveh was built by the “great hunter” Nimrod. It was an extremely important city and was once named as the capital. The ancient Assyrians were famous for brutality and cruelty. It is so graphic that I don’t want to mention it. God is bothered by the evil acts of the Assyrians, therefore He asked Jonah to pronounce the forthcoming judgment on the Ninevites. However, God has a redemptive plan for Nineveh. If you read through the book of Jonah and understand the Bible as a whole, you would easily understand that God’s intent is not to punish sinners but lead them to salvation.
Misunderstanding God’s Justice and Mercy
Many people have so many misconceptions of God. They always picture God as the faultfinding deity who likes to find opportunities to punish people. Over the years, I have heard many funny stories that people thought God was punishing them for their minor mistakes. For instance, an absentminded person has lost his key but he thought God used that to punish him because he didn’t do devotion that morning.
God’s Justice is Met in Christ
God doesn’t like to punish human beings. Instead of punishing sinners, God punishes His only begotten Son on the cross. God’s justice is satisfied by the redemption of Jesus Christ.
God’s Word (Jonah 1:1-2)
In the Bible, God communicated to human beings by various means. He could have spoken to Jonah by means of a dream or a direct conversation. The word of the LORD came to Jonah (Jonah 1:1). God told him to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2). “Arise, go” is a set of two imperatives. The word “Arise” is a command that God expects Jonah to respond immediately.In a simple sentence, God wants Jonah to go to Nineveh at once. Jonah knows God’s intent very well and there isn’t any misunderstanding. The truth is that knowing doesn’t equate to doing. Jonah knows God’s plan for him but he simply doesn’t want to obey.
Being Missional
As Christians, we know very well that they should lead a missional lifestyle. In other words, evangelism is as natural as breathing, but due to human flaws, believers simply cannot live out evangelism as a lifestyle.
Procrastination
Due to human flaws, Christians procrastinate in spreading the Gospel.
God’s Will and Free will
God has a plan for the Ninevites but Jonah doesn’t want to do God’s will. As you can see, God has given free will to human beings and people have the freedom to choose whatever they want. Humans aren’t God’s robots.
Human Choices. Human beings can choose whatever they desire but they are responsible for the decisions they make. Let me recap the first point: Jonah misunderstands God because he is imperfect.
2) Jonah’s Extreme Disobedience (Jonah 1:1-3)
Immediate Response
Pay attention to the conjunction that the author used. The word is “But” (ESV, NIV, NLT). God demands Jonah to respond with immediate obedience, but the prophet chooses to react completely different. “Instead” (NET) of heading to Nineveh, Jonah heads off to Tarshish.
But
There are so many “buts” in our Christian walk. We know what we should respond to the situation in such a way, “but”we react differently. A person says it well, “Some denounce the devil openly but agree with him secretly.”
Instead
Similarly, there are many “insteads” in our walk with Christ as well. The Apostle Paul struggled as a Christian too, he said, 19 Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. (Romans 7:19 CEV) Due to misunderstanding of God’s heart and plan, Jonah chose a different path instead.
Reasons of Being Disobedient
Why did Jonah disobey God? Here is a possible reason:
Out of Fear, Rebellion or Moral Opposition
Out of fear, rebellion or moral opposition, Jonah disobeyed God because the Assyrians were known for their ruthless and gruesome treatment of their enemies. They were seen as the worst enemy of Israel. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. If you like, it is the center of depravity. As Jonah knew God was gracious and compassionate, he wouldn’t like to see the repentance of the Assyrians. If you like, ancient Assyria was like Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany in the Second World War. According to estimation, the Imperial Japanese Army slaughtered from about 40,000 to 300,000 Chinese in Nanking. Historians called it the Nanking Massacre. If God asked a Chinese Christian to spread the Gospel to the Japanese back then, the command would be hard for him or her to swallow. During the Second World War, Nazis treated Jews inhumanely. There are allegations that Nazi Germans made lampshades from murdered concentration camp inmates. As human beings, how could we do such a thing! Similarly, if God asked a Jewish Christian to spread the Gospel to the Nazis, of course he would be afraid, rebellious or would even oppose to His calling.
The Most Reasonable Explanation
What is the most possible explanation of Jonah’s disobedience. Running away from God is an act of protest. Jonah wants God to be consistent with His judgment. The prophet believes God should destroy those who are violently wicked and should not offer forgiveness to the Ninevites (Jonah 4:2). It’s easy to condemn Jonah for his blunder, but as imperfect human beings, we often dislike or disagree God’s decisions too!
Fleeing from God’s Presence (Jonah 1:3)
Obviously, Jonah the prophet would have believed in God’s omnipresence, that is to say, he would not be so naïve that he could flee from His presence. According to an interpretation, “stand before the Lord” is an idiom to express in the Lord’s service (cf. 1 Kgs 17:1; 18:15; Jer 15:19). By fleeing from the Lord’s presence is the indication that Jonah was unwilling to serve God. Instead of exercising immediate obedience to God’s calling, Jonah responded with immediate disobedience.
Children Running Away from Homes
After a serous row with their parents, some children chose to run away from their homes immediately. They chose not to reconcile with their parents. Their immediate response was to turn their backs on their parents forever.
Backsliders
At times we could be angry with God. If we lose our job, we might be angry with God. If young men or young women break up with their girlfriend or boyfriend, they might turn their anger toward God. If marriages don’t work out, some people choose to blame God. If our loved ones suddenly die, we might be angry with God. Due to misunderstanding, some Christians even chose to leave the church altogether. As Christians misunderstand God’s will or plan for us in life, some have turned their backs on God.
Runaway Prophet
Jonah is running away from God. Misunderstanding of God’s will or plan has made Jonah a runaway prophet.
Throwing Tantrums
Do you like kids? Kids can be the cutest living creatures on earth and they can be horrifying too! When children throw tantrums in public, most parents find it hard to deal with. All Christians have their moments of immaturity. Believers in Christ throw tantrums as well. Christians can be immature at times. If we fail in exam, we blame God. If we failed in a job interview, we think God is the culprit. If married couples fail to have babies, they blame the Creator.
Taking Extreme Measures
According to my study, Jonah had taken extreme measures to disobey God.
Choosing a Different Destination (Jonah 1:3)
Instead of heading off to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship at Joppa. Joppa could be the modern seaport Jaffa. For your information, Jaffa is famous of its oranges. Jonah chose to go to Tarshish. Although we cannot know the exact location of Tarshish, most Bible commentators believe it is located in southern Spain. If Jonah plans for a vacation, southern Spain is not a bad choice!
Hiring the Whole Ship (Jonah 1:3)
According to many Bible scholars, from the language used they concluded that the fare Jonah paid hired the whole ship for his use. No matter what, the fare would have been substantial. If that were the case, Jonah would have sold his home and left everything behind for the sake of disobeying God. As human beings, we can do extreme things. As for believers in Christ, we can do things that are contrary to God’s will.
3) Non-believers’ Misunderstandings of God (Jonah 1:5-7)
Pagans’ Immediate Reactions
5Then 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.
Pagan Prayer Meeting
The storm was so fierce that might break the ship apart. Out of fear, individual prayer meetings were held in the ship. The mariners began to pray on their own. They cried to their patron gods or family gods, hoping their own deities would appease the god who sent the storm.
Polytheistic View of God
Throughout human history, human beings believe in many finite gods. These gods aren’t omnipotent and omniscient. Each god has a personal domain.
Modern People’s View of God
After the fall of Adam and Eve, human beings are alienated from God, therefore no one can understand the Creator by our own wisdom. Moreover, as most modern people don’t believe in absolute standards and authority, their view of God is very diverse. In a nutshell, human beings have greatly misunderstood God.
Asking Jonah to Pray
6So 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.” (“Character”) (“Action”) The captain was astonished to find Jonah sound asleep, he told the Hebrew prophet to pray to his patron god. Isn’t it an irony that a pagan sea captain made such a plead? Apparently, Jonah didn’t respond to his request.
Casting Lots
7And 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. The sailors wanted to find out the troublemaker, the culprit who had offended his deity, so they decided to cast lots. Pagans often use the casting of lots to ask the deities to communicate, and Hebrews employ the similar method as well. Although the Bible doesn’t endorse pagan rituals, God interferes in the outcome of the casting of lots, revealing Jonah is the culprit.
Natural Disasters
We are the stewards and stewardesses of the earth and we should take good care of the nature. In short, we are all responsible for global warming. I believe many natural disasters are human-induced but the storm in Jonah 1 is God-induced.
Human Efforts
In the midst of the terrifying storm, the sailors tried to stop it by all means. Throughout human history, humans have tried to tackle natural catastrophes by their efforts.
Pagan Understanding of gods
In the ancient world, pagans believe their gods are whimsical, their acts of punishment could be arbitrary or childish. They don’t know much about turning to their gods for repentance. The sailors consulted Jonah, hoping he would appease Yahweh.
Appeasing gods
According to Chinese folk religion, the Kitchen God has to submit an annual report to the Jade Emperor. As the Kitchen God watches over the domestic affairs of families, people want to bribe him or prevent him saying bad things about them in heaven. They offer the Kitchen God sticky cake or smear honey on his image, hoping to seal his lips or bribing him.
Unable to Appease God
Out of misunderstandings, out of superstition, people think they can appease God, but no one can appease the Creator.
4) Jonah’s Extreme Responses (Jonah 1:9, 12)
Jonah’s Disobedience Caused Others Pain
As human beings, we are interconnected together. Our wrong decisions would have caused others pain. For instance, you can drink as much as you like, but you shouldn’t drive if you were drunk. Drunk driving would have caused others pain. Christians can do whatever they see fit, but we should bear one thing in mind – bad Christian testimony would bring God shame and a bad name to the church.
Jonah Chose to Die Instead of Turning to God for Repentance
9And 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.” 10Then 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. 11Then 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. 12He 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.” Jonah testified to the sailors that he is a follower of Yahweh. Also, he knows the way of calming the storm. Jonah could have prayed for the safety of the pagan sailors. He could ask God for forgiveness and calm the storm. Instead of turning to God for repentance, he chose to die instead.
Sunday School Answers
Jonah could provide Sunday School answers but his action doesn’t match with his belief. Jonah told the sailors that he fears the Lord, but his disobedience has failed him otherwise. There is a disharmony between his thought and action. If you like, Jonah’s head and heart knowledge don’t match up. If Jonah really fears God, he wouldn’t disobey him by running away.
Indication of Hypocrisy
Jonah’s testimony has revealed his hypocrisy. Jonah knows how to calm the storm. He knows he is the problem or culprit but he simply doesn’t want to obey God from the outset.
Human Willfulness
Human beings are very willful. Although GPS gadgets aren’t that trustworthy at times, some willful people often challenge the given instructions. The Bible is like a roadmap, providing us the directions in life. Sadly, many believers in Christ have the head knowledge of being good but choose to do contrary.
Willful Toddlers
People often speak of “terrible two” or “terrible three”. Look at toddlers, they can be very lovely, but they can be very unlovable as well. When toddlers willfully choose to disobey their parents, there is no one to dissuade them. Jonah knows the truths but he doesn’t act on it. On many occasions we are like that as well.
5) God’s Interference (1:4, 13, 17)
4But 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.
11Then 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.
12He 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.”
13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
14Therefore 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.”
15So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. (“Character”) (“Action”)
17And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
God Sent a Great Wind (Jonah 1:4)
Would God interfere weather all the time? In this case, God stepped in the nature, sending a great wind on the sea.
Pagans Did Not Want Jonah Die (Jonah 1:13-14)
Although Jonah told the sailors the way to calm the stormy sea, the pagans were reluctant of throwing him overboard. The heathens believe that deities were the guardians of the lives of their worshipers. The sailors are scared of the retributive vengeance of Jonah’s God. Ironically, the heathen sailors showed more compassion for Jonah than the Hebrew prophet showed for the Ninevites.
God Sent the Great Fish (Jonah 1:17)
Reluctantly the heathen sailors threw Jonah into the sea. The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. God’s interference in Jonah’s life seems to be irrational to most of us. The fish was right at the spot when Jonah was hurled into the sea at that very special moment. I like to term it as divine moment.
Jonah’s Self-induced Pain (Jonah 1:17)
Being in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights is a nasty experience. If you refer to chapter two, you would know what I mean. The noteworthy point is that Jonah’s pain is self-induced. There are sufferings in this world, but there are sufferings inflicted on us by our own mistakes. I will talk about it in the second message.
Kenneth Thumb Ministry 譚約珥事工 