Jonah: Jonah Defying The Order Of God

Although Jonah initially disobeys an action God commanded of him, his understanding of who God is and what God is like toward people drastically changes as he gains more of an understanding of God at the end of chapter four.

To begin, we must first analyze Jonah’s expectations and view of God at the start of the Book of Jonah. In Jonah 1:1-2 God commands Jonah to “go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” The word of God is being spoken directly to Jonah, but instead of doing what God has asked of him he chose to flee to Tarshish. Jonah is defying the order of God because he does not agree with God’s reasoning for the action He commanded. He is foolish and angered by the Lord’s
command, so much so that he immediately finds a ship sailing to Tarshish, pays his fee to come aboard, and flees the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3). At this point in the Book of Jonah, Jonah does not understand God’s reasoning for sending him to Nineveh, and believes he is capable of ignoring the Lord’s word. This says much about his view of God and his expectations regarding divine-human relationships. He does not view God as the all-knowing being that He is, but rather takes His word as more of an option than a demand. Due to this view, his expectations of his relationship with the Lord are tarnished as well. He does not see God as all mighty and believes it is possible to flee from the Lord. This demonstrates that Jonah thinks of his relationship with God as that of a citizen and his or her king. Jonah’s attempt to runaway came to a halt at the hand of God; “but the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up” (Jonah 1:4).
The sailors quickly discovered Jonah was the cause of the great storm, and as a result Jonah offered to be, and eventually was, thrown overboard. Shortly after Jonah was in the water God sent a large fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). While he was protected within the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God and submitted himself to the Lord (Jonah 2:1-9). After his release from the fish and his return to shore, God delivered the same command to Jonah that he had earlier disobeyed. Once Jonah received his order, he did not hesitate to accomplish what God asked of him. He walked to Nineveh and told its people “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). This part of the Book of Jonah marks the start of Jonah’s transition of how he views God and the divine-human relationship. It illustrates God’s divine power and his ability to help people do what He wants them to do. Jonah recognizes God’s power and does as He commands with a little extra help from the Lord. Jonah now understands God’s word will be carried out and the divine-human relationship is more complex than he had originally
thought. The Book of Jonah ends with God forgiving the people of Nineveh after they proclaimed a fast. Jonah was angered by God’s change of heart about the ransacking of the city, and prayed for his death. God questioned Jonah’s anger, and Jonah exited the city (Jonah 4:1-5). The Lord gave Jonah shelter in the form of a bush, which made Jonah very happy. The following morning, God removed the bush and allowed the sun to beat on Jonah’s head. The removal of the bush angered Jonah, and God once again questioned his anger. Jonah admitted his concern for the bush, and God then compared Jonah’s concern for the bush to His concern for Nineveh. Jonah 4:10-11 is God’s lesson to Jonah which ultimately alters Jonah’s view of God and his expectations regarding the divine-human relationship. God explains his reason for forgiving the people of Nineveh in terms Jonah could relate to. This impacts Jonah’s view of God in a positive way because he now understands and can relate to God. This deepens their relationship as Jonah becomes aware of the Lord’s love for all people and his forgiving nature. Not only did God forgive Jonah for trying to escape His presence, but He also forgives the people of Nineveh. Through this steadfast love, Jonah’s expectations of the divine-human relationship progresses from that of a king and his people, to one of equal love among all people and an expectation to carryout God’s word.