Follow, but whom? | Jonah

Bible: Jonah 1 to 4

What would you think if a soldier refused to join a peace mission in a country at war? What motives could such a soldier have, and are these justified?   

JONAH IS SUCH A REFUSER.

He lives and works in the land of Israel. His people serve God. Jonah is not a soldier, but he is called by God to teach the people of Israel in the laws of God. So that the people will actually live as God wants, which is to the glory of God. But one day, Jonah receives a command from God to leave the land of Israel and go to the city of Nineveh in Syria with a message. Destruction threatens, but peace is possible! 

Nineveh was a hostile stronghold. A city where, as a foreigner—especially from Israel—your life was not safe. A city where lies and corruption prevailed. A city where people lived according to their own will and insight. Injustice determined the laws of the land. God wants this to change. He wants the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh to live again according to His good will and wholesome commandments. That means: loving God above all and your neighbor as yourself. If they do that, there will be peace. That is the message Jonah must bring. The inhabitants of Nineveh are given forty days to stop doing evil and start doing good, otherwise the city will be overturned. 

What does Jonah do? Does he leave his country to bring this message to the city of Nineveh? Who is waiting for this message from God? How will the people react? Will they even believe this message—from an unknown God? But also: what will God do if the people listen?  

JONAH DOES NOT LISTEN.

He flees the other way, towards the sea. Away from God and away from God's command. In the harbor, a ship is ready to depart. Jonah asks if he can come along. He follows his own will. Once at sea, things go wrong. God sends a storm. For the wind and the sea obey Him. The ship threatens to break apart. The crew is in distress. As quickly as they can, they throw the cargo overboard so the ship will sit higher in the water. However, the situation does not change; the danger of shipwreck remains. And where is Jonah? 

JONAH SLEEPS.

As if nothing is wrong. Until the crew wakes him up and shouts above the roar of the storm: ‘Get up, call upon your God, maybe He will think of us so that we do not perish.’ They want to know who is the cause of this storm and decide to cast lots. That is the moment when Jonah is exposed. He is unmasked in his disobedience to God. Jonah thought he could go his own way and do his own will. But God is everywhere and God awakens human lives. He asks us for love and obedience. 

Jonah bows and says: ‘Throw me overboard, then the sea will become calm.’ The men shake their heads; they begin to call upon Jonah’s God. But the sea only becomes wilder. Then they grab Jonah. Jonah does not resist. Willingly, he surrenders himself. Do you know who else did that? Jesus, the Son of God. Centuries later, He says about Himself: ‘One greater than Jonah is here!’ (Matthew 12:41). He allowed Himself to be crucified voluntarily. Why? To grant forgiveness and peace with God to disobedient people (like Jonah). In doing so, He bore the punishment for sins. He always did the will of God.   

JONAH GOES OVERBOARD.

In an instant, the storm is over. The ship slaps onto the calm water. Jonah disappears into the waves… but God is faithful! Jonah is swallowed by a great fish. That is a miracle. In the belly of this fish, Jonah begins to pray. He says to God: ‘In my distress I call to the LORD. You have cast me into the depths of the sea. All Your waves have swept over me. But now I remember You. Salvation comes from You.’ That is prayer: expressing everything that lives in your heart before God, and meanwhile confessing that He never does anything wrong. The Bible says: ‘Pour out your whole heart before Me.’ In this crisis, Jonah could have shaken his fists at God and said: where is God now? But no, Jonah knows: I deserved this. And now? He cannot go anywhere. He is trapped. That is painful, but it does not happen without purpose. God wants the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh to be warned about their disobedience and to save them from punishment. After three days, Jonah is spat out by the great fish. God answers Jonah’s prayer. Once again, Jonah receives the command to go to the city of Nineveh. 

JONAH NOW LISTENS.

He goes to Nineveh. He walks through the streets and everywhere he goes he says: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’ What is the reaction of the people in this great city? It is quite something to hear and accept such a message! Do they imprison Jonah? Do they say to him: ‘Who do you think you are? Our city will never be destroyed. Who says God exists?’ No, the inhabitants of Nineveh do not ignore this warning, nor do they mock it. They listen attentively. It dawns on them: this message is from God. What will they do now? The king of Nineveh rises from his throne. He puts on sackcloth and commands the people: ‘Let no one eat or drink anything, let us submit to God. Let us repent and pray to God. Who knows, God may not punish us and we will be saved.’ 

God sees what is happening. And God does not overturn the city, for He Himself has said: Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord GOD; is it not that he should turn from his ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:23). The city is spared. And is Jonah happy now? No, not at all. 

JONAH KNEW WHO GOD IS.

Jonah is very sad. More than that, Jonah is extremely angry. He says to God: ‘I knew this would happen. For I know that You are a gracious and patient God, full of goodness and that You love to forgive. That is why I did not want to go to Nineveh.’ Jonah did not want his enemies to receive grace, no forgiveness. That was not right of Jonah. But God is different. He is indeed gracious and merciful and just (Psalms 12:4b). And He is still the same. Even now He comes to us with His message: 

Saying: The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel. (Mark 1:15) 

For: He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jesus). (John 3:18)