Jonah is likely the best-known of all the minor prophets because of the amazing verse at the end of chapter one of his book. “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” (Jon. 1:17). Typically this book is looked at from an apologetics angle with questions like, “Was it a fish or a whale?” or “Could someone live in this sea creature for three days and survive?” Other times the book is used for big-picture applications like, “Do not run from God and think you will not suffer the consequences.” While these are valid and important points to make there is so much more you can gain from the book of Jonah.
Jonah wrote when the Assyrians were the major power in that part of the world, and certainly enemies of the Jews. We can understand why Jonah was not happy with his assignment to go to the Assyrians capital city (Jon. 1:3). As a prophet of God, however, his interests should have been more spiritual than patriotic.
In chapter one Jonah was told to preach to Nineveh about their wickedness. Instead, Jonah fled to Joppa and secured passage on a ship traveling to Tarshish. God brought a storm that even the professional sailors were terrified of to the point they tossed over their cargo and pleaded with everyone to call upon their god. When they cast lots the lot fell on Jonah revealing he was the cause of the storm. At Jonah’s request, they cast him overboard, which ends the storm and leads to the moment for which Jonah is most famous.
Certainly, this chapter teaches that there are consequences to disobeying God, but consider the signs that Jonah was depressed. He had allowed himself to get to the point that he would rather die than repent. We must be mindful of mental health challenges, particularly the danger that we might not make rational decisions in those times of darkness. Notice also the benefit of God’s judgment. Not for Jonah, which is illuminated in the second chapter, but for the sailors. These men offer sacrifices and vows to Jehovah (Jon. 1:16), though they are assumed pagans (Jon. 1:6, 9). The natural consequences of sin might bring outsiders to the church in search of respite and we need to be ready to receive them with the gospel (Rev. 22:17).
In chapter two Jonah prayed to God, showing his faith and repentance. He spoke with assurance in God’s ability to save, acceptance of the difficulty he brought on himself, understanding of the source of hope, and thanksgiving for the salvation of the Lord. Even if you cannot see a way out of sin, Heaven does (John 14:6; 1 Cor. 6:11).
In chapter three Jonah received the same command, but this time decided to fulfill his duty to the Lord. The preaching from the prophet convicted the hearts of the Assyrian people and even the king cried out in repentance and sat in sackcloth and ashes. God changed their sentence and saved the city. We learn from this chapter that salvation requires obedient faith and repentance (Jas. 2:17; Acts 3:19). Also, the preaching of God’s word reveals the power of God to salvation (Rom. 1:16). Even very wicked people can be saved by it. We should not limit the power God’s word has by imagining that someone is too far gone to help or thinking that the best days of the church of Christ are behind us.
In the final chapter, Jonah’s displeasure takes center stage. He was angry at God for saving the people of Nineveh. Jonah sat outside the city and pouted as God made efforts to get Jonah to see the folly of his attitude by providing shade from a gourd and then taking it away. Jonah clung to his supposed right to be angry about the people being spared and the gourd being removed. Jonah’s cry is shocking: “I do well to be angry, even unto death” (Jon. 4:9). Jonah’s prejudice had stolen his joy. A city full of converts should have elated him, instead, he watched to see what would happen, implying his thought that their repentance would not last long (Jon. 4:5). Jonah was happy when he received a small thing for himself in the gourd but could not bring himself to be pleased when God gave a great thing to Nineveh. He had not worked for the plant and only appreciated what it could do for him. Treating people that way leads to misery too. God’s salvation is available for all, not merely those we already love and appreciate.