As Jonah was an obstinate and disobedient prophet of YHWH, he refused the LORD’s instructions to travel to the city of Nineveh in Assyria and warn them of destruction. Due to the great evil in Nineveh, they were subject to what God would do to them if they would not repent or turn from their wickedness (rā’āh). The words of YHWH to Jonah were unambiguous: “Arise and go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2)” with no ambiguity whatsoever. Their evil was before God, their creator, and they were to have His judgment proclaimed against them. Along with Jonah, we are informed that they must repent of their evil, or else.
Incredibly, Jonah attempts to flee from YHWH’s presence, the omnipresent God of the world he occupies. With the narrative of Jonah’s story, interwoven with poetic Hebrew wordplay, it is revealed that his efforts did not turn out well. Numerous incidents provide lessons about circumstances in opposition to YHWH that point to His will and sovereignty. God will have His decree spoken before Nineveh one way or another. To warn the city and its occupants and make clear the differences between them and His people within Judah and Israel when Nineveh does repent. In fact, by carefully reading through the story, and by careful reflection on the general nature of prophets (Nevi’im), would Jonah have known the direct or inferred comparison between God’s people and Nineveh to the North in Assyria? That God’s people would not repent, but Nineveh, the people of Assyria, a foreign nation who worshiped false gods, would, in fact, repent only to anger Jonah. That he would resent the difference and that God would relent from the destruction of his enemy.
Jonah 4:2 informs us exactly why he quickly fled to Tarshish, in roughly the opposite direction of Nineveh. His words spoken in prayer to YHWH were as follows: “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” Jonah did not flee to another country away from the presence of YHWH because he was afraid of God, or the people of Nineveh. He was afraid that if his enemies repented, God would not destroy them. He knew the character of YHWH, and he did not want mercy and kindness to appear in the lives of those who were doing exceedingly great evil.
In the end, the story was largely about Jonah. Much to the prophet’s dismay, the people of Nineveh repented and were spared of imminent destruction. His enemies were shown mercy after Jonah did eventually and reluctantly declare to them, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” That by the circumstances orchestrated through the sovereignty of YHWH; a poignant lesson is revealed to Jonah and us through Scripture about obedience. Are we more for YHWH’s interests, or those of our own? Even if we are offended, fearful, or resistant to where God would want us, or have us do, what is our heart attitude? Just as God’s lovingkindness (ḥĕ’•sĕḏ) and mercy are present with us, how can we not delight in that of God even if present among our enemies?
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