Introduction
The book of Jonah is unique among the prophetic books of the Bible. While most prophets delivered messages from God to the people, the book of Jonah focuses on the prophet Jonah himself and his mission to the people of Nineveh.
In chapter 1, we read about God’s call on Jonah’s life and his initial unwillingness to obey. This opening chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book and contains several important themes and lessons relevant for Christians today.
Key Takeaways from Jonah Chapter 1
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- God’s sovereignty in calling and directing His servants
- The futility of trying to run from God
- God’s mercy in pursuing the disobedient
- Repentance and redemption – the sailors turn to Yahweh
- God’s control over nature and the elements
- Jonah’s resentment against God’s plans
In this commentary, we will explore Jonah chapter 1 verse by verse, looking at the background, key phrases, and applications for today. My goal is to help us better understand this important story and learn how we can apply the lessons to our own walks with God.
Commentary on Jonah 1
1. God’s Call to Jonah (v.1-2)
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” (Jonah 1:1-2 NKJV)
The opening verse immediately establishes that God is the driving force behind this story. The word of the Lord “came” to Jonah, indicating that this mission originated with God. Jonah did not choose this assignment for himself – it was sovereignly given to him by God.
We see a similar pattern throughout Scripture. God chooses ordinary or even unwilling people and directs them according to His divine plan. Examples include Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, and Paul.
The call itself is quite specific. Jonah is to go to the great city of Nineveh, a journey of around 500 miles from his hometown, and preach against their wickedness. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a cruel and evil empire that had committed terrible atrocities. God was well aware of their sins and planned to send a warning through His prophet.
This opening scene reminds us that God still calls and directs His servants today. We need to see ourselves as chosen instruments of God, ready to obey whenever and wherever He leads. Our lives are not our own – we belong to God and are accountable to Him (Romans 14:7-8).
2. Jonah’s Disobedience (v.3)
But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3 NKJV)
Jonah’s response seems unbelievable – instead of obeying God’s clear command, he immediately heads in the opposite direction, attempting to flee as far away as possible. Rather than traveling 500 miles east to Nineveh, he boards a ship sailing 2,500 miles west to Tarshish (modern Spain).
Jonah’s actions reveal a heart of willful disobedience. He directly rebels against God’s call on his life. Even more shocking is his stated motivation – to flee “from the presence of the Lord.” In essence, Jonah was trying to escape from God Himself, thinking he could outrun the omnipresent, omniscient Creator.
As Christians, we must guard against any hint of running from God’s will. Sometimes we may try to avoid His commands by physical escape, like Jonah. Other times we disobey through compliant inaction. We can rationalize and make excuses, but ultimately, God calls us to total surrender and obedience.
3. A Supernatural Storm (v.4-5)
But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. (Jonah 1:4-5 NKJV)
In an astounding display of God’s sovereignty, He sends a powerful storm that threatens to destroy the ship. This is no ordinary storm, but a “great” and “mighty” tempest. The experienced sailors are terrified, desperately throwing cargo overboard to lighten the ship.
Meanwhile, Jonah is fast asleep below deck, seemingly unconcerned about the raging storm. His apathy highlights his wayward spiritual state. Physical escape will not prevent God from accomplishing His purposes.
This scene reminds us of God’s complete authority over nature and the elements (see also Mark 4:39, Psalm 107:25). He can whip up a storm or calm the waves according to His perfect will. Sometimes God uses meteorological events to get our attention or correct our course, just as He did with Jonah.
4. The Sailors’ Plea (v.6-7)
So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:6-7 NKJV)
The desperate captain pleads with Jonah to pray to his God for deliverance. This plea contains a profound truth – our God has the power to “consider us” and bring salvation from dire situations.
Even these pagan sailors recognize a universal hope in the divine. When all human efforts fail, we can do nothing except call upon the mercy of God. This should be our reflexive response whenever storms arise (literal or figurative).
The sailors, assuming someone on board has angered the gods, cast lots to determine who is responsible. Though a primitive practice, God supernaturally guides the outcome – the lot falls on Jonah. The stage is now set for his confession.
5. Jonah’s Confession (v.8-10)
Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. (Jonah 1:8-10 NKJV)
Interrogated by the crew, Jonah finally confesses the shocking truth – he is a Hebrew who disobeyed the God who “made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah casts himself as the sole troublemaker.
Significantly, Jonah declares he is one who “fears the Lord.” This makes his disobedience even more grievous. Those who truly revere God will obey Him. Jonah knew the One he fled from, yet he rebelled anyway, bringing calamity upon the ship.
The terrified sailors have a brief moment of spiritual awakening. They display more righteousness than Jonah, recognizing the gravity of fleeing God’s presence.
This scene reminds us that our sin affects others, often innocently. When we disobey God, there are always consequences, sometimes endangering lives beyond our own. Like Jonah, we must confess our sins openly and turn from rebellion.
6. A Pagan Prayer (v.11-14)
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous. 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 this great tempest is because of me.” Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” (Jonah 1:11-14 NKJV)
In a profound moment, the pagan sailors show more concern for one life than Jonah did for 120,000 Ninevites. They desperately fight against Jonah’s sacrifice suggestion, straining at the oars to save the ship. These men have more regard for Jonah than he does for the Ninevites.
Exhausted and overwhelmed, the sailors finally cry out directly to Jonah’s God for mercy, pleading for their lives and for exoneration from guilt.
This cry to God from non-believers shows that all people have a sense of the divine, a moral law, and a desire for mercy in desperation (Romans 1:19-20). It foreshadows the later repentance of Nineveh. We should pray to see many such prayers for salvation in our own generation.
7. Jonah’s Punishment (v.15-16)
So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. (Jonah 1:15-16 NKJV)
At last, the sailors reluctantly hurl Jonah overboard, and the storm immediately calms. This miraculous timing confirms that Jonah’s rebellion was the cause. Justice is served as the guilty prophet experiences poetic punishment, abandonment in the very sea he tried to cross while fleeing God’s command.
Most importantly, this spectacle leads the sailors themselves to repentance. They “feared the Lord exceedingly” – suddenly, Jonah’s God became very real and terrifying to them. So much so that they offered sacrifices and took vows, indicating sincere devotion.
Jonah’s disobedience, ironically, led these foreign sailors to true faith in the One he was running from. God can use the most hopeless circumstances to open hearts and bring redemption.
8. God’s Deliverance (v.17)
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17 NKJV)
In a surprising twist, God does not let Jonah die in the sea, but appoints a great fish to swallow him whole. God is extending mercy to Jonah by preserving his life, while also giving him a “time out” to reflect on his rebellion.
Let us recognize two crucial truths: First, no one can run from the presence of God. He is everywhere, ready to intervene according to His wise plan. Second, God desires to show mercy, patience and restoration, even to a blatantly disobedient servant.
As we will see in chapter 2, God provides a path to repentance and second chances. What a comfort to know God seeks to redeem, not condemn, those who are His.
Conclusion
Jonah chapter 1 depicts profound themes with important applications for our lives today:
- When God gives an assignment, there is no room for negotiation or disobedience. His sovereignty and wisdom demand our trust and submission.
- It is foolish to imagine we can escape the presence of the omnipresent, omniscient God. He will intervene to accomplish His plans.
- Our sin has consequences that often impact others around us, even innocents. We must own up to our wrongdoing.
- God responds to sincere repentance with mercy, patience and redemption. He provides paths to restoration, even from depths of rebellion.
My prayer is that through studying this dramatic chapter, we would come to revere God’s sovereignty, run diligently to obey Him, own and confess our sins, and cry out for mercy in every storm. May the themes of Jonah chapter 1 transform our hearts and lives.
