Our information about Jonah is limited but incontestable.
From 2 Kings 14:23-25 we know that Jonah, the son of Amittai, was a prophet from Gath Hepher. He foretold that Jeroboam II would recapture the territory of Israel. Jeroboam reigned from about 782 to 753 BC. Thus, Jonah lived either during or prior to that period.
Jesus says the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah (Mathew 12:41; Luke 11:32) and that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights (Mathew 12:40).
Jonah had a peculiar mixture of strengths and weaknesses. He illustrates Paul’s statement that “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:32).
In spite of Jonah’s flaws, God accomplished His purposes by sending him. This does not excuse Jonah. It simply demonstrates God’s power to accomplish His will in spite of man’s sinfulness.
God would not have commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh if he did not have strengths that would enable him to do the job.
But Jonah disobeyed God and refused to go. He even thought he could escape from God’s presence by fleeing to Tarshish, 3500 km away, at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea!
How could a prophet think he could escape from God? A serious weakness! Had he never read Psalm 139:7-10 where David says: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
Jonah paid the fare (which must have been a significant sum) and went on board (Jonah 1:3). He did not get far, however.
It is commendable that Jonah accepted responsibility for his actions. When confronted by the seamen, he said: “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me” (Jonah 1:12).
After failing in their attempt to row to land, the seamen finally threw Jonah overboard as he suggested, asking God not to hold it against them.
When the sea stopped raging immediately, the seamen “feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows” (Jonah 1:16). Thus, because of Jonah, the entire crew believed in the LORD who, as Jonah had told them, was “the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9).
Jonah also told them that he feared God. Yet he obviously did not fear Him enough, or he would have obeyed Him!
At the end of the book, Jonah explains why he did not want to go to Nineveh, which exposes his greatest weakness: “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4:2–3).
There is no indication that Jonah had any love whatever for the Ninevites. He wanted them to be destroyed, and was angry when God did not do so, even when they had repented.
Jonah’s powerful preaching brought about what may be the greatest example of repentance in the history of the world. Yet Jonah was so out of tune with the mercy of God, that he preferred to die rather than to have a part in it.
God was patient with Jonah. By asking him leading questions He tried to help him understand that his attitude was wrong. We do not know if Jonah repented or not. Such is not stated. The book ends with God’s question: “And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?” (Jonah 4:11).
The Book of Jonah condemns those who preach God’s judgment without His mercy. God is willing to forgive any who repent. As Isaiah proclaims: “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).
Westerlo, Belgium.
RoyDavison@oldpaths.net