A Study on the Book of Jonah - "Are We Ready?"

This is a book about mission and engagement. God asks us to partner with him in reaching out to the community around us with the good news of Jesus. This is our mission. The book of Jonah explores whether we are we prepared to embrace this mission? It asks, ‘Are we ready’?

Jonah himself was given a mission. Read Jonah 1:1-3.

Jonah’s mission was to go to a place called Nineveh and convince them of the error of their ways (1:2). We know that Jonah, rather than going to Nineveh, fled in the other direction, even seeking to escape the presence of the Lord (1:3). Nineveh is due east – Jonah heads due west … as far as he could possibly go … to Tarshish. Jonah couldn’t deny God’s call – so he had to try to lose God’s voice from his head. Jonah was trying to offer his resignation!

We are given possible reasons for Jonah’s reluctance (1:2). These reasons for reluctance to obey God could resonate with us. These are worth considering, even though the biggest reason behind Jonah’s reluctance is revealed later.

Nineveh was a big city – the capital of Assyria – so seemingly this was a big task. Also, this was a nation not known for its friendliness to Jews, in fact was a traditional enemy of God’s people in Israel. And Jonah was asked to face off against “wickedness” and call people to account. The Assyrians could be brutal, and tolerated commercial exploitation. Nineveh was known as the ‘robber city’, looting neighbouring places. One could only imagine the variety of transgressions that Jonah would encounter, and the opposition that he would imagine coming up against. If he was to tackle injustice, violence and abuse in that place, he would be likely to become a victim himself … or so he must have thought. Reluctance or resistance usually comes down to fear. Perhaps Jonah was stuck in pre-conceived notions as to how he would be received, and couldn’t move past these. Thus there was a tension between Jonah’s level of faith and God’s call on his life. As we shall come to see, there was something else in the back of Jonah’s mind as well!

What Jonah failed to realise was that if God calls someone to a task, God will also equip them for that task. Not only this, but as this is God’s mission, not just a human endeavour, God would be present personally in this effort. This would still be the case … for individuals, and certainly for churches on mission together. So Jonah, it seems, lacked faith in what God could do. And, as we come to see, these pre-conceived notions about failure were completely unfounded. Change may have seemed improbable, but that’s just a way a human would think!

Now, this escape attempt doesn’t work out too well! Running from God and his purpose for your life is very unlikely to lead to better places or safer pastures. As we know from Psalm 23, ‘green pastures’ are found inside of God’s will. There was a “mighty storm” that threatened to break up the ship that Jonah was travelling on. While Jonah slept, perhaps in some state of apathy or denial, there was general panic on board. The sailors all cried out to their gods and took practical steps to lighten the load. Ironically, it was the ship’s captain, hoping for a miracle, who had to wake Jonah up and suggest prayer to him. And when the crew came to the opinion that it was Jonah’s fault that they were in this threatening position, they sought answers from Jonah. To discover that Jonah was trying to flee his God made them even more scared for their lives.

At this moment Jonah had the self-realisation that this storm was all his fault. One couldn’t ignore God without repercussions … and these repercussions are not confined to the disobedient party. Larry Richards writes, “Our lives and the lives of others are woven together; we cannot disobey God without in some way affecting others for ill”. The only way that these other sailors could be safe, was if Jonah was thrown overboard. In 1:12 we read … [Jonah] said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you”. A statement made with new understanding and the beginnings of repentance.

Yet this directive to throw Jonah overboard was seen as extreme by the sailors, even in this situation, because of the guilt and responsibility they would feel for Jonah’s probable demise. So they kept trying to save the ship. But, reluctantly, when they seemed to be left with no alternative, for reasons of self-preservation, they chucked Jonah over the side. Jonah, it would seem, would be doomed.

However, in a spiritual sense, Jonah was already on the way back to God. He had admitted taking the wrong path. Instead of drowning, Jonah was scooped up by a great big fish, and found some temporary accommodation in this fish’s belly. Now for a re-think! Over the next three days and three nights in the fish’s belly, Jonah got to engage in some serious reflection and prayer.

Read Jonah 2:2 … I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Remember that fear, that lack of faith, exhibited by his attempted flight – what was that!?! And where did it leave Jonah. Jonah recalls his recent experience, a near-death experience, and comes to this conclusion –

Read Jonah 2:7-9 …

As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord (2:7-9).

What was the “vain idol” Jonah struggled with? A reliance on self perhaps – a preference for seeing things his own way! Jonah had not fully committed to God, and thus experienced a blip on the radar. He had gone missing for a while. But, here’s some good news! God had never lost sight of Jonah, and now he was back! The anxiety-ridden incident on the ship had taught him something. The place to be is where God wants you to be! And for Jonah that was to be Nineveh. Jonah had broken his covenant with God, but now that had been restored. So the fish now spewed Jonah out on to dry land.

Take two! Read Jonah 3:1-5.

We would note how quickly the people of Nineveh responded, and on mass (including the king – 3:6-9). Any pre-conceived notions of failure were indeed misplaced! God had gone before Jonah, and prepared the people in advance to receive the prophet’s message (once he was prepared to step up)! It was an extreme message, related in very few words (3:2b). But it obviously, in that time and place, connected with the hearers in a big way. Jonah did not need to spell out what the required response was. It was understood naturally and acted upon spontaneously. There was clearly a dissatisfaction … that was looking for a solution.

The evil and violence being committed in that city was occurring through habit … it’s just how they lived, it’s just what they did; and they lacked any alternative course. No one was happy about that state of affairs … but what could be done about it? When the message of the prophet of God came, the people were ready for something new (more positive and life-giving).

In 3:10 we are reminded about the God of second chances, even in the most dark of circumstances. God sends prophets NOT TO CONDEMN, but to seek repentance, change and transformation. This is all consistent with Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the prodigal son. Just one step back in the right direction, and God is there with open arms. This threat then resolution dynamic … reminds us how deeply God is seeking right living. God is passionate about our lives bearing fruit, and not being wasted (with idols or evil). We note that God positively responded to the people practically turning from their evil ways (not just the outward fasting and mourning).

NOW, YOU WOULD THINK WITH RESULTS LIKE THIS, THAT JONAH WOULD BE DOING HANDSTANDS, CARTWHEELS & HIGH-FIVES ALL OVER THE PLACE!!

But, Read Jonah 4:1-5.

We see here that other reason, maybe the main reason, why Jonah was reluctant to go to Nineveh. Not just fearing the possibility of failure, Jonah also feared the possibility of success. What’s going on there?!? Sometimes we may prefer certain people to get their just desserts … rather than changing and receiving the same grace we have received. Jonah was actually happy with the dire judgment he envisaged over Nineveh (they were such a violent threatening people)! It would be good, in Jonah’s mind, if another nation came and did to them what they had done to others!

It’s NOT that Jonah was ignorant about God’s character. Jonah knew what God was about … “gracious, merciful, slow to anger/patient, abounding in steadfast love” … Jonah knew that God’s intentions are always towards transformation; HE JUST DIDN’T LIKE IT!

Sometimes we might be involved in the mission, but have a negative view of the outcome. Worse, we may not be ready for the turnaround – not ready to receive people who have freshly experienced God’s grace. They may still be pretty rough, and just at the beginning of God’s work within their lives. We are actually all still a little rough around the edges (in the process of change). We sometimes deny this with a bit of ‘appearance management’. Who are we to deny others grace – who was Jonah to deny Nineveh grace!!

Jonah went off to sook. Worse than that, he wanted to reverse God’s lifesaving work in his life, and die! This was like the character of Javert (the town policeman) in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, who would rather die than accept that Jean Vanjean could change (from sinner to hero).

But of course God wasn’t finished with Jonah. God took Jonah on a process of understanding (as described in 4:6-11), which we hope Jonah came to fully appreciate.

Read Jonah 4:6-11.

Jonah was worried about the loss of shade that was gifted to him without any effort on his part. This surely pales into insignificance when faced with the big picture of ‘lostness’ in Nineveh and ‘despair’ in the world generally. And this also pales into insignificance when compared to the creative crafting of the world and all its inhabitants and features that God has invested in. Jonah, it seems, was too focussed on his own sense of righteousness, thus ignoring the needs of others. Sometimes we would prefer vindication – an acceptance that we are right – above all else. However, this neglects God’s mission to the outermost. The grace Jonah felt personally (expressed in his earlier prayer – chapter 2), has not transferred into his feelings toward others. Jonah has been exposed as being ‘small-minded’.

Maybe Jonah has had a bad personal experience with Nineveh we have heard nothing about. Can we accept that God may want to forgive someone who has hurt our community or offended us personally, even using us to express this grace? Do we really believe that God is full of mercy, such that we actively offer it to others?? Might we sing about God’s love in church, but restrain it outside these walls!

The reality is that God deeply cares for what he has laboured over – a great city – over 120,000 people – and lest we forget our responsibility over the wider creation, animals are mentioned as well (4:11). In the magnificent last verse, God has an emotional investment in all that he has created. What God has created and deemed “very good”, God will want to redeem and restore relationship with. Are we ready to partner with God in bringing transformation to people’s lives and the community around us? Are we ready to receive, welcome and offer hospitality and care to those who start to appreciate the light?

This involves engaging. We should never be content with occupying a seat on Sundays or going through the religious motions. Yes, God brings the growth, but God chooses us to make the connections. Usually we don’t even have to ask how – we already have neighbours and opportunities to serve in various community groups. We are God’s hands and feet, channels of God’s blessing!

Jonah first ran, and then didn’t align easily with God’s compassion and love. We leave Jonah with the sun beating down on his head, wondering (refer 4:8). We should wonder what happened next in Jonah’s life. Did he get it? Did he grow? The book carrying Jonah’s name challenges us to get on board with God.