It's amazing that the book of Jonah survived as part of the Old Testament. Everyone comes off looking better, nobler, and more humane than Jonah, including the sailors, the people of Nineveh, and certainly God. By contrast Jonah is rebellious, disobedient, selfish, spiteful, ungrateful, and ungracious---hardly a sympathetic character. Yet here it is, a powerful message of God's grace.
Jonah, the prophet, receives a very unusual commission from God---to preach against the city of Nineveh, warning them that God is ready to destroy their city. Jonah understands that there is a possibility that the people might repent. He knows that the warning comes from God who is "gracious and compassionate . . . slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity" (4:2). Unwilling to warn Israel's deadly enemies, Jonah decides to run away instead of obeying God.
But of course you can't run away from God, as we learn from the dramatic story that follows. God sends a great storm that threatens to destroy the ship; in their terror the sailors pray (each to his own god). Ironically, the captain has to wake Jonah up and urge him to call on his own God to save them. Jonah evidently finds it impossible to do this even though the Lord is the only one who can truly save them. He knows that the storm has come because he is trying to run away from the Lord.
As the story continues, notice several remarkable things. The sailors are pictured as good and kind people trying their best to avoid throwing Jonah overboard. And when they finally do so, it is with the prayer that God will not punish them for "killing an innocent man" (1:14). In a powerful statement of faith, Jonah confesses to the sailors that he worships "the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (1:9). It's hard to understand how Jonah ever thought he could run away from such a God.
As soon as the sailors throw Jonah overboard, the sea becomes calm. In another dramatic sign of God's presence and power, the Lord provides a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah lives for three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish until, at the command of God, it vomits him out onto the dry land.
Through these dramatic circ*mstances Jonah gets another chance to take up the mission for which God had sent him in the first place. More important, God provides another opportunity for the Ninevites to repent and experience his grace.
This powerful image of Jonah in the belly of the fish became a sign that Jesus recalls to his own generation. When they demand a sign from Jesus, he replies that the only sign they need is the sign of Jonah. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:40).
FAQs
Jonah only found himself in the middle of that churning sea because he tried to hide from God and avoid the task that God had given him. He thought that by getting on a ship to go the other way, he could circumvent the job he was meant to do. The lesson here is that you can't hide from God.
What lessons can children learn from Jonah? ›
Jonah decided to run from God to a city far from Nineveh. After Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, he realized his mistakes and repented to God. In this Bible lesson, the children learn that you can't run from God. If you disobey, ask for forgiveness because God will give you a second chance.
What was the reason for Jonah's disobedience? ›
Unwilling to warn Israel's deadly enemies, Jonah decides to run away instead of obeying God. But of course you can't run away from God, as we learn from the dramatic story that follows. God sends a great storm that threatens to destroy the ship; in their terror the sailors pray (each to his own god).
What are the consequences of disobedience Jonah? ›
Because of Jonah's disobedience, his companions on the ship were at risk. God sent a storm their way and their ship was about to be broken into pieces. When we walk in disobedience, not only are our lives affected negatively, but also the lives of others around us.
What is the moral lesson of the Jonah story? ›
'Jonah And The Whale' is a Biblical story about God and the prophet Jonah. It has important moral lessons like faith, obedience, repentance, and having the courage to take the righteous path.
What was Jonah's main message? ›
In Jonah, we see the worst parts of ourselves magnified, which should generate humility and gratitude that God does love his enemies and puts up with the Jonah in all of us. This strange story becomes a message of good news about the wideness of God's love, which ought to challenge us to the core.
What is the central teaching of the book of Jonah? ›
The major theme of the book is God's mercy. Jonah is sent to preach to the wicked city Nineveh, but flees in the opposite direction because he knows that the Lord is “a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent in punishing” (4:2).
What is the main point of the book of Jonah? ›
Jonah is about a prophet who rebels against God and flees from God's command. But God redirects the fleeing prophet, who ends up preaching a message that brings the wicked city of Nineveh to repent. All people are sinful and God desires that all people repent of their sins.
What message is most important for us to learn from the book of Jonah? ›
Jonah teaches us that God's mercy is wider and God's grace is greater than all of our sins. The book of Jonah begins with these words: "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Ammittai, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
What was Jonah's main problem? ›
In part, Jonah's problem is that he knows who God is (a Lord merciful, full of loving kindness, ready to relent from punishing sin), but Jonah doesn't like this about God. Jonah wants a God who will punish evil. The question that the book asks the reader then is this: Can we accept and love God as God is?
When Jonah turned from his stubborn disobedience, God saved him and everyone around him. Obedience is better than sacrifice because God's ways are better than ours. He turns tragedy into resurrected life.
What was Jonah's sin in the Bible? ›
All of Jonah's actions show one motive: Selfishness. Jonah let his selfishness get in the way of doing God's work, and then he let his selfishness cloud his perceiving of God's gift to Nineveh.
What are the results of disobeying God? ›
The result of disobedience can be an inconvenience, or it can be life altering. For Saul, disobedience in not following God's instructions had severe consequences. In 1 Samuel 31 many fell dead, all the Israelites were forced to flee, and Saul's army along with his sons were killed.
What are the 10 consequences of disobedience? ›
When we REFUSE to listen to the Lord and are determined TO GO OUR OWN WAY, we can expect the following results:
- Confusion. We'll start to question our decision and wonder if we made a wrong choice. ...
- Conflict. ...
- Cost. ...
- Loss. ...
- Regret. ...
- Discipline.
How to Overcome Disobedience to God
- To Overcome a Spirit of Disobedience in Your Life, Focus on the Spiritual Health of Your New Heart in Christ. ...
- If You Want to Obey God, the Bible Says You Must Control Your Mind Rather than Letting It Control You. ...
- To Increase Your Obedience to God, You Must Submit Your Body to God.
When Jonah turned from his stubborn disobedience, God saved him and everyone around him. Obedience is better than sacrifice because God's ways are better than ours. He turns tragedy into resurrected life.
What is the lesson of disobedience? ›
Obedience brings God's presence and favor; disobedience leave us on our own to suffer the consequences of our actions. 2. Even one bad choice can bring long lasting consequences. Successive bad choices can bring catastrophic results.
What is the central teaching of the Book of Jonah? ›
The major theme of the book is God's mercy. Jonah is sent to preach to the wicked city Nineveh, but flees in the opposite direction because he knows that the Lord is “a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent in punishing” (4:2).
What are the leadership lessons from Jonah? ›
Embracing Responsibility: Jonah's initial refusal to embrace his mission mirrors the temptation leaders might face in shunning difficult but necessary decisions. The lesson is clear: true leadership requires embracing the full spectrum of responsibilities, even when they are daunting.
