Jonah: Jonah Defying The Order Of God

Although Jonah initially disobeys an action God commanded of him, his understanding of who God is and what God is like toward people drastically changes as he gains more of an understanding of God at the end of chapter four.

To begin, we must first analyze Jonah’s expectations and view of God at the start of the Book of Jonah. In Jonah 1:1-2 God commands Jonah to “go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” The word of God is being spoken directly to Jonah, but instead of doing what God has asked of him he chose to flee to Tarshish. Jonah is defying the order of God because he does not agree with God’s reasoning for the action He commanded. He is foolish and angered by the Lord’s
The sailors quickly discovered Jonah was the cause of the great storm, and as a result Jonah offered to be, and eventually was, thrown overboard. Shortly after Jonah was in the water God sent a large fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). While he was protected within the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God and submitted himself to the Lord (Jonah 2:1-9). After his release from the fish and his return to shore, God delivered the same command to Jonah that he had earlier disobeyed. Once Jonah received his order, he did not hesitate to accomplish what God asked of him. He walked to Nineveh and told its people “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). This part of the Book of Jonah marks the start of Jonah’s transition of how he views God and the divine-human relationship. It illustrates God’s divine power and his ability to help people do what He wants them to do. Jonah recognizes God’s power and does as He commands with a little extra help from the Lord. Jonah now understands God’s word will be carried out and the divine-human relationship is more complex than he had originally