
Jonah 1
Jonah 1 opens with God’s command to Jonah, a prophet, to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. Instead, Jonah attempts to flee in the opposite direction, boarding a ship headed to Tarshish. God sends a severe storm, endangering the ship and causing the sailors to question Jonah. Ultimately, Jonah acknowledges his disobedience, and, at his suggestion, the sailors reluctantly throw him overboard, where he is swallowed by a great fish. This chapter reveals Jonah’s initial rebellion and God’s intervention to redirect him.
Jonah 1:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
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 is instructed by God to go to Nineveh, a major city known for its wickedness, and call them to repentance. Instead, Jonah chooses to flee, attempting to escape God’s presence by heading to Tarshish, likely in the opposite direction. This choice to avoid his divine mission reflects Jonah’s reluctance to deliver a message to Israel’s enemies, as well as his misunderstanding of God’s reach and sovereignty.
Jonah 1:4-6 (NKJV)
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.”
God sends a violent storm as a direct response to Jonah’s flight. The sailors, in desperation, call upon their gods and try to save the ship by discarding cargo. Jonah’s deep sleep below deck contrasts with the chaos above, emphasizing his detachment from the immediate consequences of his disobedience. The captain’s plea to Jonah reveals their hope that he might call upon a powerful god to save them.
Jonah 1:7-10 (NKJV)
7 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.
8 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?”
9 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.”
10 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.
The sailors, casting lots to determine the cause of the storm, identify Jonah as the culprit. Their interrogation reveals their desperation to understand his background and why this calamity has come upon them. Jonah’s response that he serves the Creator God, responsible for both sea and land, terrifies them. His confession that he is fleeing from this God highlights the gravity of his disobedience and further intensifies the sailors' fear.
Jonah 1:11-13 (NKJV)
11 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.
12 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.”
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
Jonah suggests that the sailors throw him overboard to calm the storm, accepting responsibility for the danger they face. However, the sailors hesitate, showing compassion and preferring to row to safety rather than harm him. Their efforts are futile, as the storm intensifies, illustrating the inevitability of God’s will and the futility of resisting His command.
Jonah 1:14-16 (NKJV)
14 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.”
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
The sailors, now recognizing the power of Jonah’s God, pray for mercy before throwing him into the sea. Their plea for forgiveness shows their respect for the divine, and upon Jonah’s sacrifice, the storm ceases, confirming God’s hand in the event. This dramatic turn leads the sailors to worship and vow to the Lord, marking a transformation in their understanding of His sovereignty.
Jonah 1:17 (NKJV)
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.
After being cast into the sea, Jonah is swallowed by a great fish prepared by God. This act of divine intervention serves both as a means of judgment and a form of preservation, giving Jonah an opportunity to reflect and ultimately repent. The three days and three nights in the belly of the fish foreshadow a period of transformation and renewal, pointing to the mercy that underpins God’s discipline.