BIG IDEA:
RUNNING AWAY FROM GOD NEVER WORKS –
IT ONLY EXPOSES A HEART THAT IS OPPOSED TO GOD’S SOVEREIGN AGENDA
INTRODUCTION:
People try to run away from God for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways:
1) Run away from His Presence – Desire to Hide from God
2) Run away from His Calling or His Mission – Desire to Do Your Own Thing
3) Run away from His Accountability over you – Desire to Escape Judgment
But there is no escaping God. That doesn’t change the reality that in their desperation and panic, people’s first impulse is to try to flee and escape.
I. (:1-3) A JUDGMENTAL SPIRIT AVOIDS MISSIONS OF COMPASSION AND MERCY
Why?
-
- thinking people don’t deserve to be helped
- thinking it’s not my job or responsibility to get involved
A. (:1-2) Jonah’s Calling – The Compassion of God for a Lost World Cannot be Reconciled with a Judgmental Spirit
(4:1-3 provide the commentary here)
- The Prophet of God Should Always Welcome the Word of God
“The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying”
James Nogalski: The opening word of Jonah contains a vav-consecutive, which normally presumes a prior action. In this case, however, the word, wayyəhî, means “and it happened,” and represents a typical way to begin a story. Seven biblical books begin with this form: Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, Ruth, Esther, and Nehemiah. It also conveys a sense of the past. In this sense, it signals a story is about to follow in much the same way as the phrase “once upon a time” functions in English, except the story is not deemed to be a fairy tale.
Should always be an exciting experience to receive new revelation from God.
Cyril Barber: The usage of His name, Yahweh (LORD), is designed to give “parental” reassurance to Jonah. It is as if God, recognizing Jonah’s possible anxiety over his coming assignment, is saying to him: ‘You are My son. You have a special place in My heart. I want you to on an important mission to Nineveh and bring them the message of My love.” This term refers to God as the self-existent One, and is used of Him in relation to His people as their covenant-keeping God.
- Jonah’s Commission Was Clear But Distasteful
“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their
wickedness has come up before Me.”
Daniel Timmer: The author of Jonah uses the terms ‘large/great’ and ‘evil’ with precision, as our exploration of the book will show, but only here and in 4:1 (with a different form of the same root) are they used together. This, along with the fact that God himself utters this very negative evaluation of one of Assyria’s key cities, highlights its religious and moral degradation and the consequent danger of divine judgment.
James Nogalski: These two elements (the commission and the rationale) frequently appear in prophetic judgment oracles (e.g., 2 Kgs 1:3–4). . . Yahweh expects the prophet to warn Nineveh that they have done something wrong.
- Apparently he had no problem traveling quickly to hop a boat headed the opposite direction
- Reputation of wicked Nineveh well-known
Cyril Barber: The atrocities of the ancient Assyrians are well known, for they boasted of them in their histories and on their monuments. Ashurbanipal, the grandson of Sennacherib, was accustomed to tearing off the lips and hands of his victims. Tiglath-pilesar flayed his captives alive. Women were abused by the brutal soldiers, babies and young children were buried or burned alive, and great pyramids of human heads were made of the vanquished.
- Proclamation was one of Judgment
- But Heart of God is one of Compassion and Mercy
- Heart of Jonah was one of Bitterness and Condemnation
B. (:3) Jonah’s Rebellion – Substituting His Judgmental Agenda for the Lord’s Mission of Mercy
“But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he
went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare,
and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
Called the reluctant prophet … but we could use much stronger terminology … direct rebellion here
Daniel Timmer: The author repeats the prophet’s intention to escape yhwh’s presence, certainly a means of ridiculing Jonah’s benighted scheme. This is the first, but certainly not the last, humorous element in the book.
II. (:4-9) OPEN REBELLION FLIES IN THE FACE OF OUR PROFESSED FEAR OF GOD
A. (:4) Terrifying Situation – The Perfect Storm
“And the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on
the sea so that the ship was about to break up.”
Eric Redmond: God responds so fiercely because rebellion is serious. Sin, in any form, is something our God hates. When someone brushes off the Holy Spirit’s urging to tell a person about Jesus, eventually that person could clear his conscience by going on with routine business. But the Lord does not brush off sin. Sin is an affront to God’s absolute holiness. Our “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him” (1 John 1:5). James says that God cannot be tempted by evil (Jas 1:14). God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil (Hab 1:13)! If He were to permit Jonah’s sin (or ours) and sin were to go without reckoning, then He would not be holy, and we could rebel against anything and everything He says without concern for consequences. Commands would become some good advice from a well-meaning and nice deity rather than absolute directives from a righteous and all-powerful Creator whom one disobeys at one’s own peril.
B. (:5a) Appropriate Fear Motivates Pagans to Take Desperate Measures
- Reality of Their Fear
“Then the sailors became afraid”
These were hard core sailors, in their element, but recognizing they were
up against unusually powerful forces of nature
- Renewal of Their Religious Commitments
“and every man cried to his god”
There are no atheists in the foxhole of battle
- Resourcefulness of Their Desperate Tactics – did everything humanly possible
“and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.”
A lot of hurling in this book: God hurls the great storm; the sailors hurl their cargo overboard; and then Jonan overboard; the great fish ends up hurling Jonah onto the shore
C. (:5b-6) Denial of Rebellion Associated with Exhaustion and Prayerlessness
“But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down, and fallen
sound asleep. So the captain approached him and said, ‘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.’”
Leslie Allen: Where was Jonah all this time? The narrator has a surprise for us. Jonah is sound asleep, lying in a corner of the hold below the busy deck. The storm that so alarmed the crew served only to rock Jonah into deeper slumber, blissfully unaware of all the trouble he is causing. The shock of being called to Nineveh and the journey to the coast have taken toll of his nerves and physique, and he is glad to relax, safe on the ship that would carry him far away, as he thinks, from that appalling experience. Little does he know what has just been told to the listening circle. He is due for a rude awakening.
Jonah recognized as a religious personage; if he didn’t care about his own safety, at least he should be praying for the safety of the others
Daniel Timmer: Although arguments from silence must be handled with care, the fact that Jonah never prays during this sequence of events seems to confirm that he has no intention of dealing with yhwh, from whose gaze he hopes to escape. It also reveals a shocking lack of concern for the lives of those on board with him, a hint that his response to Nineveh’s deliverance will amplify enormously.
D. (:7-8) Exposure of Jonah as the Cause of the Calamity
- (:7) The Inquiry – Who is to Blame?
“And each man said to his mate, ‘Come, let us cast lots so we may learn
on whose account this calamity has struck us.” So they cast lots and the
lot fell on Jonah.”
- (:8) The Inquisition – Who are You really and What did you do?
“Then they said to him, ‘Tell us now!
– 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?’”
E. (:9) Empty Profession of Faith – not practicing the fear of the Lord
“And he said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who
made the sea and the dry land.’”
I don’t just serve some localized deity.
Reminds us how important it is to maintain our belief in Creationism. Much practical application flows out of the truth that God created the heavens and the earth.
Leslie Allen: As Jonah answers their questions and tells them the sorry tale of his flight from this very God, they become more and more horrified. No wonder Yahweh has sent such a father and mother of a storm, for so grave a sin deserves no less a show of wrath. “How could you do such a thing!” they exclaim, aghast at Jonah’s insolent temerity. They go on to make another vocal contribution, so that their pair of speeches in vv. 7, 8 correspond with a further pair. Since it is Jonah’s God who is behind the worsening storm, he ought to know how best the tempestuous sea can be calmed.39 So they ask him what should be done with him, for Jonah is the key not only to the storm but to its stilling, and they cannot withstand the sea’s attack much longer. Jonah’s reply is the counterpart to the captain’s outburst in v. 6 and is a crucial step forward in the development of the plot. The captain had posed the stark alternatives: “Pray or we perish,” but Jonah knows that the upshot must be that he should perish. He is the target of Yahweh’s weapon and sooner or later it will catch him. He accepts his fate and is prepared to face it at once. He replies at last to a question put to him by the sailors earlier. Yes, he admits his responsibility for the storm. The piety of the seamen has evidently banished his nonchalant indifference and touched his conscience. By now he has realized how terrible is the sin that has provoked this terrible storm. The only way to appease the tempest of Yahweh’s wrath is to abandon himself to it as just deserts for his sin. His willingness to die is an indication that he realizes his guilt before God.
III. (:10-16) PACIFYING THE LORD REQUIRES THE PAYING OF THE APPROPRIATE PRICE
In this instance, Jonah had to be tossed into the sea to quiet the storm
A. (:10-12) Figuring Out the Price that Needs to be Paid –
Only One Price Will Satisfy
- (:10) Indignation at Jonah’s Foolishness to Put Them All in Jeopardy
“Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How
could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the
presence of the Lord, because he had told them.”
Even the pagans understood that you cannot flee from an all-present Sovereign
Daniel Timmer: While Jonah remains existentially detached from the theological truth that he conveys to the sailors, their response is radically different. Upon hearing it (plus his confession of having attempted to flee from yhwh) they feared with great fear (yirʾāh gĕdôlâ) and express disbelief at his actions. In context, both reactions are to be understood as the result of their new-found knowledge of yhwh, against whom Jonah has sinned. This is the first of several indications that, against all odds, the sailors’ knowledge of God is increasing.
- (:11) Pursuit of Justice
“So they said to him, ‘What should we do to you that the sea may
become calm for us?’ – for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.”
- How to punish the transgressor in appropriate fashion
- How to spare the victims further damage
- (:12) Only One Solution
“And he said to them, ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the
sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great
storm has come upon you.’”
Cf. how salvation attacked as exclusivistic – there is only one price God will accept
James Nogalski: Jonah essentially commands the sailors to kill him in order to silence the storm. Here we see for the first time Jonah’s proclivity to prefer death over fulfilling Yahweh’s commission. Jonah has no reason at this point to think that Yahweh will deliver him once he is hurled into the sea. At best, Jonah concedes the futility of escape from Yahweh. He does not intercede on behalf of the sailors or on his own behalf. Interestingly, Jonah does not run away from the assignment to go to Nineveh for fear of dying. Here, one can only assume that Jonah thought he would perish in the raging waters, and in chapter 4, Jonah wishes someone would take his life so he would not have to watch what happens (4:3–4).
B. (:13-14) Last Ditch Effort at Mercy
(Jonah unwilling for people of Nineveh to be shown mercy; but here the pagans are willing to extend mercy to Jonah if at all possible)
- (:13) Self Effort can seem Magnanimous, but actually is Counter Productive
“However, the men rowed desperately to return to land but they could
not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them.”
They want a solution without submitting to the Lord.
Daniel Timmer: Interestingly, even though the crew takes with utmost seriousness what Jonah says about yhwh, they are very sceptical that his self-imposed death penalty is just. Instead of implementing it (a very easy task), they do their utmost to bring the ship to safety, hoping to save themselves and Jonah (hardly an easy task). Despite the correctness of their moral instinct and their admirable reticence to end Jonah’s life themselves (cf. 1:15), yhwh’s sovereign decision to make the storm grow still worse prevents them from reaching land.
- (:14) Plea for Absolution / Accepting the Inevitable
“then they called on the Lord and said, ‘We earnestly pray, O Lord, do
not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent
blood on us; for Thou, O Lord, hast done as Thou hast pleased.”
C. (:15) Paying the Price Demanded
“So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.”
Eric Redmond: What God wants them to do is stop calling on false gods, stop looking for a solution with lots, stop rowing, and throw Jonah into the sea. When they do this, the storm stops in an instant! In an instant the Lord’s wrath is gone from being over them—the moment they stop putting forth effort and instead rely on God’s solution. This is the difference between works and faith. These men experience real conversion. Their testimony is the same as that of the Thessalonians: “You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess 1:9-10).
Instead of a pluralistic option for salvation, the sailors receive revelation that the Lord is the absolute ruler, and that His wrath is on the ship in the storm. They hear that they need a substitute to die—in their case, Jonah—so that they don’t have to die for their idolatry of self-effort. They trust the word of the prophet and cry out to the Lord for mercy on their guilt for killing the prophet. They place their faith in the death of the prophet to stop God’s wrath, and their faith produces corresponding actions of fear. This is real conversion. If the Lord did not smash the idols of their self-efforts, they would not have seen the only true solution and they would not have experienced conversion.
D. (:16) Genuine Conversion Results in Genuine Fear of the Lord and Obedient Commitment
“Then the men feared the Lord greatly,
and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord
and made vows.”
Daniel Timmer: The sailors’ response to their deliverance is the last step in their transformation from polytheists who know nothing of yhwh (1:5) into men who know of his sovereignty and worldwide rule (1:9–10) and who now are his authentic, fully committed worshippers. This verse makes the last step of this radical change clear by applying to the sailors two descriptions that are fundamental and defining for Israelites who genuinely know and live in a healthy relationship with yhwh.
The first description, ‘to revere yhwh’, is a concise description of someone who truly knows God, is reconciled to him through repentance, and lives in accord with his will. The concept expresses ‘both the inward orientation and its practical outcome in behavior’ (Sheriffs 1996: 164), and so excludes superficial orthodoxy, that is, holding beliefs that do not affect one’s behaviour. This description of the sailors, which comes from the narrator and therefore is entirely reliable, contrasts with Jonah’s claim to revere yhwh (1:9), which fails to convince because of his entrenched opposition to yhwh’s will. The contrast is sharpened still further by the narrator’s addition that these non-Israelites revered yhwh with great reverence, a phrase without parallel in the Old Testament. It is all the more striking in the light of the very limited religious knowledge these men had and the rapidity with which it bore fruit in their lives.
The second element of the narrator’s description of the sailors that shows them to be genuine worshippers of yhwh is the affirmation that (presumably after reaching land) they offered a sacrifice to yhwh and made vows. These actions express a healthy, integral relationship with God in narrative contexts (1 Sam. 1:21) and prophecy (Isa. 19:21), and are frequently part of the vows to praise that appear in psalms and prayers throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Pss 50:14; 65:1–2; 66:13–15; 107:22; 116:12–14, 17–19). These two descriptions of the sailors establish beyond doubt their new religious identity as a result of abandoning their gods and entering into an exclusive relationship with yhwh. This transformation is ironically the result of a rebellious prophet’s refusal to bring a message of judgment against a foreign city out of fear that they would respond in repentance. In God’s (sometimes humorous) providence, Jonah’s feckless attempt at escape brings about the very thing he is committed to avoiding or impeding even at the cost of his life: the extension of yhwh’s grace to non-Israelites. The fact that he remains ignorant of it (the sailors are presumably the referent of 2:8) only adds to the reader’s delight.
(:17) CONCLUSION: SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR THE REBELLIOUS RUNAWAY
A. Divine Appointment
“And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah”
Of course it is not possible – that is why it is a miracle! Something outside the normal course of nature.
Lloyd Ogilvie: The subject of the first sentence is not the great fish, but the Lord. The point the author wants to make is that God provide a way of delivering Jonah. The salient thing is God’s intervention to save Jonah and reconscript him with the original call to go to Nineveh. This point is often lost in the volumes of scholarship on the Book of Jonah.
B. Death and Resurrection Experience
“and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.”