Swallowed up, spit out, and fed up: Jonah’s Story

Introduction

Third in series Greatest OT Bible Stories: Through Adult Eyes

You can't hide from God

“He can run, but he can’t hide.” — Joe Louis, boxer, of John Johnson (1908)

Running from God is optional; hiding from God is impossible

Jonah 1:1–3 “1 Now 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.” 3 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.”

God is sovereign

sovereign — a supreme ruler; possessing supreme or ultimate power

As the creator of the universe, God is sovereign, meaning that he has all power, all authority, and can intervene and interact as he chooses

Jonah 1:4–16 “4 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. 5 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. 6 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.” 7 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. 8 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?” 9 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…”

Everyone deserves compassion

Jonah’s whole account revolves around the fact that he wanted Nineveh to be judged. He didn’t care for the fact that God wanted to extend mercy and grace to them.

He really hated the idea that God wanted to use him to send that message

Jonah 1:2 ESV

2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”

Jonah 3:1–4 ESV

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Jonah 4:11 “11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?””

God's love changes people

When the call to repentance, issued out of God’s love, was proclaimed, they repented

Jonah 3:5–10 “5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. 6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

Guard against self-righteousness

Jonah’s was not a hero or a martyr. Jonah’s story is a sad one and doesn’t really fit into typical story patterns.

In fact, if you are looking for a name to place upon Jonah’s story it would be a good example of what not to do.

Jonah 4:1–3 ESV

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Conclusion

As with many stories that we herald as children, our adult eyes are attuned to pick up the nuances.

Jonah is not a good example of how to serve God. He ignored, ran, complied (not obeyed) then was mad at God all because God wanted to show love.

In contrast to Jonah’s darkened attitude we find the power and love of God toward those who did not know him