The prophet who ran from God only to find out that you cannot run from Him. He was told to prophesy to the town of Nineveh, who was a small yet prosperous city and they defied God. Jonah knew that the Lord was sovereign and he knew that if he went to do as the Lord commanded that upon preaching repentance the town would turn from its ways and he wanted God to destroy it. He worried too much about small matters that didnt concern him all that much but what was required of him. Upon running from God he boarded a ship and just b/c he was there(and this happens with people everyday in a good and bad way) he caused great distress with a storm that rocked the boat and threatened the very lives of the shipmates. They knew eventually that Jonah had done something to cause it as they all prayed to their "gods" but found no solution until Jonah confessed his misfortune. He was thrown overboard and the storm stopped. He ended up in the belly of a fish for 3 days/nites, all b/c he was disobedient.
Jonah was the prophet that ran from God but one can also learn from this example of Jonah just imagine for a min being swallowed by a whale but being in the belly for three days the events that happened you no the dish ate swallowed water tossed jonah around but thru it all God kept him just like us today How many of us are running pulling a Jonah and what does God have to do to get our attention
Once again--- I meant no offense, but the majority of the answers related to Bible questions are rather personal opinions or vague recollections and not based on Biblical text or historical facts. I don't find anything tangible or creditable core substance in most of the answers. I urge and exhort everyone to spend time in studying the Word of God.
The story in brief: Jonah became a prophet in 793 BC and ministered in Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II. God commanded Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and warn the Assyrians of imminent judgment because of their wickedness. But Jonah, reluctant to see Nineveh spared, makes his way to Joppa (meaning beautiful), a seaport, and took a ship bound for Tarshish.
But on the way came a big storm. Jonah was cast into the sea because the storm was his fault. A great fish which the Lord had prepared came and swallowed Jonah. It is wrongly said that a whale swallowed Jonah. It was not a whale but a big fish sent my God. The event is portrayed as a miracle and should be understood that way. In fact, the whale is not a fish, it is a mammal. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights before it disgorged him on the sea shore.
God re-commissioned Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah went, reluctantly. From Jonah's or human point of view, there are reasons why Jonah thought Nineveh deserves to be punished.
Nineveh was the capital city of the vast Assyria Empire. It is located about 500 miles northeast of Israel. For a period of 300 years (911-609 BC) Assyria was the greatest political power in the Near East. Warfare was an essential aspect of the Assyrian way of life. They worshipped many gods and goddesses but their king was their favorite god. Drunkenness was a severe social problem and prostitution flourished.
Jonah hated the Ninevites, but God loved them and want them to change their evil ways of life. Jonah finally reached Nineveh and delivered the message of imminent destruction. The city repented, from the king to the last person, and the judgment of God was stayed.
Don't assume that Jonah had a primitive idea of God and that if Jonah could get out of the land, he would get away from God. Jonah knew God too well and that is why he tried to flee.
Jonah 4: 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Note: The repentance of Nineveh saved it from destruction for nearly 100 years. But apparently they returned to their evil ways. Nineveh was completely sacked by the combined forces of the Babylonians and the Medes in 612 BC, and has lain in ruins to this day.
