JONAH 1

1. Jonah's disobedience (1:3)

2. Narrative: Raging sea and response of fear (1:4-5a)

3. Sailors pray to their gods (1:5b)

4. Narrative: Sailors act to save themselves (1:5c-6a)

5. Jonah's speech (1:6b)

6. Sailors' speech (1:7a)

7. Narrative: Jonah's guilt revealed (1:7b)

8. Sailors' questions (1:8)

                                                                                                            9. Jonah's statement (1:9)

                                                                                                            9'. Sailors' response (1:10a)

8'. Sailors' question (1:10b)

7'. Narrative: Jonah's guilt revealed (1:10c)

6'. Sailors' speech (1:11)

5'. Jonah's speech (1:12)

4'. Narrative: Sailors act to save themselves (1:13)

3'. Sailors pray to the LORD (1:14)

2'. Narrative: Raging ceases and response of fear (1:15-16a)

            1. Sailors' obedience (1:16b-c)

Sub-sections 9 and 9' can be taken together as one unit and form a suitable center of emphasis for the whole section. Look at translations for fear/worship in verse 9. It highlights the contrast in the story between godly fear and mere dread, two meanings of same Hebrew word. The arrangement of the four appearances of "fear/fearful" in this section helps to contrast Jonah's suspect profession of faith in 1:9 and the sailors' sincere conversion by 1:16.

Sailors are afraid (1:5a)

Jonah fears the LORD (1:9)

Sailors are afraid (1:10a)

Sailors fear the LORD (1:16a)

Jonah 1:1-3

1:1 The book starts with the word of God, and ends with God speaking also.

The only other reference to Jonah is in 2 Kings 14:25-27. He was a prophet active in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of Jereboam II. His home town in Galilee is only a few miles from Nazareth. This is the first of many parallels we will see between Jonah and Jesus.

1:2 Two times God tells Elijah to “rise up and go.” Nothing happens until God speaks.

Jonah was prophesying around 750 BC when the Assyrian Empire had yet to start being an active threat to Israel. However, by 721 BC it had conquered Israel and a few years later Nineveh became its capital. “The great city” appears several times in the book. This is similar to Revelation 18:2,16 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great...Alas for the great city!” In God's eyes no city or nation is too big to fail.

It is interesting that God wants Jonah to call out against Nineveh. At this point there is no hint of a possibility that Nineveh is to be saved.

1:3 Jonah's first step is correct — he arises. But from that point on, he does everything wrong. We sometimes only hear the part of God's word we want to hear. So why does Jonah flee? Not because of his later stated reason. Probably out of fear. Put yourselves in his shoes.

Note the futility of fleeing from God as if God were only located in Israel. Jump to verse 9 to dispel this notion. It has been suggested that Jonah received his call in the temple, which represented the presence, or face, of God.

We are not quite sure where Tarshish is located, but perhaps Spain. If so, then Jonah is getting as far away from Nineveh as he can. One way of avoiding responsibility is to get so far away that you couldn't do it if you wanted to. “His flight is not an attempt to escape divine omnipresence so much as an effort not to heed this word.”

Some connect Tarshish with Tarsus, the home of Paul, who was also an apostle to the

Gentiles. Joppa is where Simon bar-Jonah got the vision to preach to the Gentiles.

Jonah 1:4-6

1:5 Read Psalm 107:23-28 as a sort of commentary on this event.

“Each cried to their gods.” A prime example of religious pluralism.

Re-cap Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The sailors go from being concerned with how much money they will get from the trip to concern with mere survival.

Jonah had “gone down” into the hold of the ship. Somewhat like Jesus sleeping in the boat during a storm at sea.

1:6 The captain repeats the same command that God had given Jonah earlier: arise.

Jonah 1:7-10

1:7 This is the second time “evil” appears in the book: the first directed toward Nineveh (1:2) and the second toward Jonah himself.

This is parallel to the casting of lots on the Day of Atonement to see which goat (the scapegoat) would take on the sins of the people and be led away into the wilderness.

1:9 Jonah now only reveals the name of the true God: YAHWEH.

Jonah 1:11-16

1:11 Similar to response of crowd to Peter's speech on Day of Pentacost: “Brothers, what shall we do (to be saved)?” (Acts 2:37)

1:12 Jonah may have been acting out of mere despair or actually sacrificing himself purposely so that the others could live.

Jonah takes another step downward (into the sea).

1:13 The sailors try to “turn back” to dry land. The same verb is later used for the Ninevites repenting in chapter 3.

1:14 Note that they now use God's proper name in their prayers.

This is an echo of Pilate washing his hands of Jesus' innocent blood, but they appear to be much more sincere.

1:15 Like Christ asleep in the boat and then stilling the sea.