Jonah Bible Study: Fleeing From God
After completing a Jonah Bible study, I realized the prophet didn’t have a lick of sense. The belly of a fish was his 3-day home when obeying God was the better option. The book of Jonah is more than a “whale of a fish story”.
The purpose of the Book of Jonah is to show how God uses people, animals and natural elements to offer repentance to a sinful nation and a rebellious messenger.
Jonah resembles someone whose behavior is funny, foolish, and dangerous. What a relief, right? Don’t you feel better that you aren’t the only one God corrects? In my book, God On the Back Pew, I share instances where people distanced themselves from God as Jonah did. It didn’t turn out well for them either.
Along Jonah’s journey, he misses what pleases God, especially when it comes to loving others. “And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19). Jonah fled because his perspective of Nineveh is different than God’s—God one, Jonah zero.
Jonah Bible Study: Background about the Book of Jonah
God commands the prophet to deliver a message of repentance to the immoral Nineveh nation, a foreign Assyrian enemy of Jonah’s native Israel. Jonah lived close to Nazareth (in Gath-Hepher according to 2 Kings 14:25) during King Jeroboam II’s reign. Jewish tradition believes Jonah wrote the short book sometime between 793 and 758 BC. Jesus refers to this historical event in Mathew 12:39-41.
Theologians consider Jonah as a type of Christ offering salvation for sinful and wayward actions. Many also acknowledge that the 3-day resurrection from the fish foreshadows the coming of Christ. Jonah’s response (running from God) exemplifies behavior when God’s challenges seem too daunting. God’s mercy and grace, extended to all mankind, are equally noticeable throughout the writing. Let’s take a glimpse at disobedience in this Bible study of Jonah.
Jonah Bible Study: Jonah 1
Both beginners and more seasoned Christians understand this scripture. Jonah knew exactly what God wanted from him. “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” (Jonah 1:1-2). Jonah didn’t say, “Lord, would you repeat that?”
He immediately (verse 3) does an about-face and hightails it to Tarshish. That city lies in Spain more than 2,000 miles from Israel, in the opposite direction from Nineveh. Once Jonah boards a ship, God sends a hurling wind toward the boat (the wind obeys God). The sailors toss cargo into the sea to lighten the load.
During all the commotion, what is Jonah doing? He’s fast asleep. Before long, the sailors are on to Jonah and ask him questions (verse 10). “Then the men became extremely frightened and said to him, “How could you do this?” The men knew he ran from the presence of the Lord because he told them. Not only is Jonah rebellious, but he also runs his mouth about fleeing from God—not smart! He actually believes he can distance himself from God.
Even the sailors have more sense than Jonah. They ask God what to do. Jonah and the sailors agree to throw him overboard. As soon as Jonah hits the water, the sea stops raging. After the mariners obey God, they offer a sacrifice to Him.
Jonah Bible Study: Jonah 2
The fish obeys God and swallows Jonah. Not the ideal classroom setting, but 3 days in the stomach of a whale might change your attitude. A whale’s gut would be a dark and lonely place to cry out to God, but Jonah does. He expresses how utterly far from God he feels (see Jonah 2:2-9).
When you and I face the unknown, we’re equally frightened and alone. Life ebbs when fear grips our hearts. Max Lucado expresses how we all feel.
We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke; we fear the mole on the back, the new kid on the block, the sound of the clock as it ticks us closer to the grave. You may not be down to your final heartbeat, but you may be down to your last paycheck, solution, or thimble of faith. Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.
While settled among fish fodder, Jonah realizes how much he needs God and offers praises and thanksgiving.
I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord!
Then, God speaks to the fish to release him (yep – the fish obeys). Jonah, now on dry land, is no longer aware of the pounding heart of a sea creature, just his disobedience.
It’s easy to look at Jonah’s life and say, “Why didn’t he do what God said?”
What big fish in life swallowed you whole because you didn’t obey God? If you had obeyed God, would your health be better and not worse? Would the lesser-paying job, God urged you to take, have brought you closer to His promises for you? What private, nagging thoughts reveal how you missed God?
Jonah Bible Study: Jonah 3
Does God seem distant because He stopped talking? There’s a good chance he’s waiting for you to obey His last command. Have you distinctly heard God’s voice, like Jonah, but chose your own path?
After a 3-day journey, the prophet uttered these eight words, “In forty days’ time, Nineveh will be overthrown!” Hardly a formidable speech, but the words reached his listeners’ hearts. Immediately, the Ninevites believed and fasted. Even the king proclaimed a decree to the nation to turn from its evil ways. They not only turned away from wickedness but repented from their behavior. God changes His mind and does not destroy Nineveh.
Nineveh was on God’s heart when He extended compassion to a nation outside of the Hebrew covenant. Because the people changed at the drop of a hat, God had already worked in their lives, probably for some time.
What does that mean to you and me in the 21st century? We should never doubt that God cares about the destiny of any nation.
Jonah saw things differently.
Jonah Bible Study: Jonah 4
You would think after everything Jonah experienced, he would be happy. Nope. He had an “I told you so” and “I despise mercy” attitude. Jonah preferred doom and destruction to people of another race. Jonah knows God does not set up barriers toward love.
He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I ran to Tarshish, because I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and great in loving kindness, and [when sinners turn to You] You revoke the [sentence of] disaster [against them] (Jonah 4:2).
Is that the real reason Jonah runs to Tarshish? Sounds a little fishy, don’t you think?
Jonah sulks, depressed he doesn’t get his way and states he’d rather die. He sits in the shade watching the city hoping it disappears. God tells a shade tree to grow overtop the booth where Jonah sits. The tree obeys. Jonah is happy. Then, God tells a worm to eat the plant. It obeys. Jonah is angry. When the sun rises, God tells a scorching wind to beat down on Jonah. The wind obeys.
In the end, God points out that Jonah doesn’t decide whether a plant grows or dies. That’s a nice way of saying, ” I don’t need your input regarding Nineveh’s destiny. I told you to deliver a message.”
Recap on the Book of Jonah
- Don’t resist God
- Learn to avoid the big fish in life
- Obey God the first time
- Don’t get angry at God
Jonah’s actions against God were futile because God offers His plan of redemption to everyone regardless of their color or nationality. Going against God’s will is never a good idea.