Jonah 1:1-17 The UnCompassionate Prophet.

1:1-2 Jonah’s Calling and Cause.

We don’t know to much about Jonah. But, here is what we do know. His name means “Dove”. Scripture tells us that he was a servant if God and the son of Amittai which means “Truth/Faithful”.

Scripture also tells that Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II - king of Israel.

2 Kings 14:23-29

2 Kings 14:23–29 NASB95

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher. For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, which was very bitter; for there was neither bond nor free, nor was there any helper for Israel. The Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel, Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son became king in his place.

Jonah is a Jew who prophesied about 38 years before Assyria overtook the northern kingdom - Israel. Assyria was rather weak around Jonah’s time due to conflicts with other nations, famine, and numerous revolts.

And although the recipients of his book is unclear - I would suggest that he wrote to his fellow Jews as a reminder of God’s compassion and God’s plan for salvation.

So the word of the Lord came to Jonah who we just learned was the son of Amittai. It is important to note that the Hebrew word for Lord being used here is Yahweh. It is an important name because it is the personal name of Israel’s covenant God - I AM.

Exodus 3:14

Exodus 3:14 NASB95

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

There are so many implications that are apart of the name Yahweh. The name highlights Love and Compassion - and should remind Jews of God’s freedom from the slavery of Pharoah, along God’s providence and provision for them throughout the Wilderness.

Alright, the words in this verse don’t tell us how the word of the Lord came upon Jonah we just know that the word came [past tense] directly from God to Jonah - We can be sure that they are God’s words that had been placed in Jonah’s mind.

Here God gives Jonah three commands. What are they? By calling him to Arise, go and cry against Nineveh the great city. What does “cry against” mean? The cross reference for “cry against” is Isaiah 58:1 which gives us a clearer meaning of what God is telling Jonah to do, which is to “Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.”

The difference between Isaiah and Jonah is that Jonah is to declare a judgement and warning to Nineveh not Israel. Nineveh was a great city situated in the Assyrian empire. In fact it was a large city that was located near two major trade routes, which implies business, and wealth. However, the people of Nineveh were into worshipping false gods, and were an enemy of Israel. They were godless.

Their wickedness was the cause as to why God sent Jonah to cry against them. The passage tells us that their evil deeds had come up before God. Nineveh’s heathen reputation and bad actions up to this point were unrighteous and word and perhaps the sight of it had reached God. But, God takes compassion on Nineveh and wants to give them the opportunity to repent.

Stop and think about this for a minute. Doesn’t this sound out of character for God? In Habakkuk’s Book God declared judgement on the Babylonians for their evil actions. He didn’t warn them like He is doing here. What can possibly be going on! Why do you think God wanted to give Nineveh a chance to repent?

Exodus 19:5-6

Exodus 19:5–6 NASB95

‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

I guess we will see how the narrative progresses.

1:3 Jonah’s Disobedience.

What does Jonah do? Instead of arising to go to Nineveh Jonah shows deliberate disobedience. He rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord/Yahweh. Jonah attempts to get as far away as possible. Tarshish was thousands of miles away and the exact opposite direction of Nineveh. Almost the furthest point away Nineveh.

Not only does Jonah flee but he thinks he can run from God’s presence.

What does the phrase“The presence of the Lord” imply? It simply means that God’s presence typically/historically dwelled in the land where His people dwelled. The passage explains that Jonah went down to Joppa. Which means he came from the land that he lived in which was on the outskirts of Galilee a city named Gath Hepher. It was there that Jonah lived and there that God’s presence was.

The cross reference verse in Genesis 4:16 confirms the use of phrase. Cain left Edom where God’s presence was at. Similar to Cain, Jonah doesn’t want to be apart of God’s Call. So he finds a ship which was going to Tarshish, pays for his ticket and went down into the ship with the goal of getting away from the presence of the Lord/Yahweh. Jonah is a man with a poor attitude! He really does not want to be near Yahweh. It is clear because he uses that phrase twice. But, Jonah the servant of God should know you can’t run from God. He is omnipresent. Psalm 139:7-10 tells us that too!

Can anyone guess why Jonah doesn’t want to go to Nineveh?

There are some observations that give us clues as to why Jonah does not want to go. Jonah is an Israelite which means he despised the nations who did not worship Yahweh. I want to make this clear - the passage up to this point doesn’t imply Jonah is racist - nor does it imply he is one.- we can rest assure that he despised them because or their religious practices. If we can remember - God wanted Israel to be a holy people set apart for His purposes. He did not want Israel to follow non-Hebrew nations because that would risk them getting into their pagan religious way of life.

1 Kings 11:2

1 Kings 11:2 NASB95

from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love.

King Solomon was warned because God saw the potential for Solomon to turn from Him and worship other gods. This potential negative consequence is easily seen with Israel and there involvement with other nations.

Nineveh was indeed a heathen city, filled with idol worshipping and going there would have in essence been a sin in Jonah’s eyes. However, God’s intention for Israel back then was for them to be a light to the nations - with certain protective restrictions of course - showing the nations/world who God is, for His Glory and for their salvation and as a result highlighting God’s characteristics including His compassion.

Isaiah 49:6

Isaiah 49:6 NASB95

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Ultimately, Jonah [Israel] had appeared to have forgotten that God is a God of compassion because He wanted the faithful remnant of Israel to be a light to all the nations. Which implies Gentile inclusion of salvation and is seen through out Scripture.

1:4-6 God’s Disapproval of Jonah’s Response.

God’s response to Jonah’s disobedience is interesting. He hurled a great wind on the sea. What do you think God was trying to do? The passage indicates so that the ship was about to break up. Do you see the irony in this. Jonah disobeyed God’s command, and the wind and sea listened to God’s command! God is furious, and I would have been scared. I can’t help but wonder if while Jonah was stepping into the ship was he thinking to himself “What I am doing here is wrong” and then as he was thinking it the storm rolled in as the answer to his question.

Psalm 146:6

Psalm 146:6 NASB95

Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;

Regardless of how soon the storm rolled in after Jonah got in the ship the sailors became afraid and and every man cried out to his god. The sailors realized that this storm wasn’t the average storm but one that was divine - to them one of “the gods” had caused it, and they turned to them for help. But, it doesn’t seem to have worked so they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it. Where was Jonah while all this was going on? He had gone below in the ship and had lain down and fallen sound asleep. Some scholars say that Jonah was depressed about the whole situation or that he was exhausted due the fleeing, while trying to understand why God had called him to such a mission. One thing I can say is that Jonah’s sleep was not normal. Even the captain is bothered by it and asks How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

The pagan captain commands Jonah to call on his god. He is trying to encourage Jonah “Call on your god for the good of the sailors”.

1:7-10 Jonah’s Confession.

Meanwhile, the sailors are saying Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us. Casting Lots is the practice of discerning answers from deities/gods by the use of small objects and a jar. The order that the pieces fall out of the jar determine what the will of the deity/god is. The casting of lots may also reveal who is the cause of the storm, or who was the one that angered the gods. In this case - the lot fell on Jonah. Let me be clear - God is the one who revealed through the lot that Jonah is to blame. Nothing is by chance.

Proverbs 16:33

Proverbs 16:33 NASB95

The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

Can you imagine how angry the sailors must have been, especially if they knew that Jonah was fast asleep? After the lot landed on Jonah the sailor’s demand more from him. They want a confession out of him. They ask him 5 questions. On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you? Jonah’s response doesn’t seem to have made them feel any better. He tells them his ethnicity; I am a Hebrew, and who he worships (allegedly) he confesses I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.

The response of the sailors it note worthy. They became extremely frightened (unlike Jonah) and said How could you do this? They knew Jonah was not only the cause but that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. The sailors give of the impression that they understand Yahweh the I AM of the Hebrews was the sovereign God of world - better than Jonah does.

1:11-17 Jonah’s Punishment.

Unaware of what to do the sailors ask Jonah What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us? The sailors are asking Jonah what they should do to him since he is the cause of the problem. They do not understand that repentance is needed nor does the passage indicate that they understand that God’s punishment against Jonah is out of love. They just want to please God so that the storms may calm down. What will happen if Jonah doesn't do something? Guilt for the potential death of the sailors encourages Jonah to repent and accept his punishment for his actions. He commands the sailors to Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you.

Instead of tossing Jonah into the sea and potentially sinning against God by harming a Hebrew the men row desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them. What did the sailors do in verse 14? Remember that they prayed to their gods first and nothing happened. Now out of fear of God’s wrath they pray, and make it known to Yahweh do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased. Then they picked Jonah up and hurled him into the sea. What happened once Jonah was thrown into the sea? The wind and sea obeyed God. And the pagan sailors ended up revering God and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows; the exact opposite of Jonah.

What does verse 17 say about what happened to Jonah?

God is the star in this chapter and will be throughout the rest of the book. Although Jonah sacrificed himself similar to Christ - he is not Christ. Jonah’s repenting was sincere, but guilt played a part of it. The chapter highlights God’s compassion for Nineveh, and the chapter ends with God punishing Jonah, but also showing compassion towards Jonah by saving from drowning in the stormy sea - by way of a fish. Similar to Christ’s death - Jonah will stay three days and three nights in the stomach of the fish.

Matthew 12:20

Matthew 12:20 NASB95

“A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory.

Application.

What can we learn from Jonah. Similar to Jonah - God has called all believers to a mission of sharing the Gospel. What that means is that you and I have the responsibility to witness to others- actually we have been commanded to do so.

Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When we are disobedient to God’s call to make disciples we are not helping in the building up of God’s kingdom of other believers. When Jonah fled from God he not only put himself in a bad way spiritually, he also endangered the lives of the sailors in the boat, and was a horrible witness for God. Now I am not saying that if you do not go and witness to everyone you see God is going to throw you in the path of a storm. What I am saying is that God places us in many different situations where we have the opportunity to share with someone our faith and we need to be obedient and take advantage of that opportunity.

Mark 16:15

Mark 16:15 NASB95

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

We are all gifted in different ways especially when it comes to witnessing the Gospel to people. Some of the reasons we don’t do it is because we do not understand the Gospel fully; Apathy (we don’t care about lost people); fear and lack of compassion for lost people.

Jonah manifested a few of these reasons; which implied that he needed a change of perspective. He needed to understand the truth - that God is a God of compassion. God loves lost souls. If there is anything that this chapter clearly showed us is that God rained down compassion for Nineveh, the sailors and even Jonah at the end - although this isn’t the end of the book.

Psalm 86:15

Psalm 86:15 NASB95

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

What I like about Old Testament books of the Bible is that they all point to Jesus. Jonah, although it is clear he is no where near like Jesus - he did do somethings that reminded me of Jesus. In the end Jonah (through guilt by the will of God) he sacrificed himself by telling the sailors to throw him to his death, where he ended up in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights. In the end in a strange way Jonah showed no compassion for Nineveh only for the sailors.

Lucky for us Jonah is a great bad example, and God is the best example because out of compassion He was born in sinful flesh for our benefit, and died for the sins of those who believe in Him. Do you have compassion like our God that is enough to care about lost souls? Here are some examples of Christ compassion for others.

Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 9:36

Matthew 9:36 NASB95

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Gratitude for God’s Compassion is the catalyst for Christ followers to be a witness and witness to others. Compassion, or having a heart for the unsaved should drive and encourage us to step out in faith and share Jesus with someone. I am not sure if anyone struggles with this, but I do. It is hard for me to have compassion for those that are lost. It isn’t as if I dislike people it is something that rarely crosses my mind - I am dependent on reflecting Christ through my actions, and words. Compassion is something that I have prayed about - and I can see that my perspective has changed because of it. The Holy Spirit, and God are changing my thoughts, and convicting me more.

Something that is also important, that was noted in Jonah is confession. When we sin we need to confess it. This goes for intentionally missing opportunities to be a witness for God. Jonah confessed to the sailors that he was indeed the cause of the storm and that he was fleeing from God, and he showed signs of repentance. Confession and repentance are very important because it tells or shows God that we agree with what His standard is, or we agree with what sin is, and are deeply sorry for committing it. All of our action including our sinful ones have real consequences that God has permitted. He may not throw down a huge storm because you passed up on an opportunity to share your faith with someone, but I can guarantee you that the Holy Spirit will convict you of that missed moment, and as a reminder we will be judged by the good that we have done for Gods kingdom.

Romans 2:2-8

Romans 2:2–8 NASB95

And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Application Questions.

Since we are all called to share our faith with the lost, what is one way you can do that?

Why is Compassion so important to our Christian walk?

How would you handle someone that is vocal and not interested in you sharing your faith with them?

What do you find interesting about this passage?

Is Confession and Repentance necessary for the Christ follower?