Jonah 1:3
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah was commanded to carry God's message of warning to great, populous and proud Nineveh, but instead he fled in the opposite direction toward Tarshish, going down to Joppa, finding a ship, paying his fare and boarding to escape from the Lord's presence. He fled from fear, discouragement and dread at a seemingly impossible commission, doubting any good could come from the proud city and forgetting God's all-wise power, and also because he knew God is gracious, merciful and ready to spare a repentant people, so overwhelmed by the stern message and valuing his own reputation above perishing souls he feared he would seem a false prophet if Nineveh was spared. His flight did not prosper but brought peril at sea and severe affliction by which God obstructed his course, and through repentance and learning that salvation is of the Lord he was delivered, so that when commanded again he obeyed without hesitation and fulfilled God's purpose. The record stands as a faithful warning that even those favored and entrusted by God can waver, fall into unbelief and disobedience, and learn that the wages of sin is death and retributive justice never fails, kept for the instruction of later generations that they may avoid the evil and imitate only righteousness, yet also to encourage desponding sinners that by pardoning mercy they can rise, recover ground and overcome. It is the pattern of fleeing present duty by resisting God's appointed place and task and turning energy and resources to another place or selfish work, which does not prosper but hinders the work and dishonors God until providence brings submission and repentance, teaching that when God directs to a particular duty and message it means something and must be declared without reservation and carried where help is needed despite forbidding obstacles.
Jonah's Flight to Tarshish
Jonah was commanded to go to Nineveh, that great, ancient, populous and proud city, to cry against it and preach God's message to it, but he rose up to flee from the presence of the Lord unto Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish, and he paid the fare thereof and went down into it to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Though bidden to bear that message he was averse to bearing it and disobeyed, refusing for a time to speak the words given him.
His flight was driven by fear, discouragement and dread when the difficult commission to warn Nineveh seemed impossible. Doubting that anything could be gained by proclaiming the message in that proud city, he questioned its wisdom and doubted whether to obey. He forgot that God is all-wise and all-powerful, and as he hesitated he was overcome.
He also fled before he preached because he knew God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, of great kindness, and ready to turn from threatened evil if Nineveh repented. Fainting with fear and overwhelmed by the awful message committed to him, he hurried away from the place where he was sent. He feared he would be regarded as a false prophet if the city was spared, and in valuing his own reputation above the souls in that wretched city he lost sight of the greater value of their lives.
His journey by sea from the duty God had given him was not prosperous but brought peril at sea and severe affliction. God in providence obstructed his course and taught him through that affliction the lesson of obedience that enabled him to fulfill God's purpose for the inhabitants of Nineveh. Jonah repented, recognized that salvation comes from the Lord, and was delivered, so that when commissioned again he obeyed without hesitation. Turning from appointed work to direct devotion, energy and resources elsewhere in selfish projects does not succeed but hinders the work, dishonors God and frustrates plans directed elsewhere.
Warning and Present Duty
Jonah's flight to Tarshish stands as a faithful record of sin by a man favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility. It shows that even such men, even believers, are overcome by temptation and strive, waver, and fall into error as people do today. The record is kept for the benefit, warning, and instruction of all later generations who read it. It is kept that they may avoid unbelief and disobedience, know that the wages of sin is death and that God's retributive justice never fails, avoid the evil recorded, and imitate only righteousness. The same record is given to encourage desponding hearts by showing where Jonah struggled and fell. It teaches sinners their need of pardoning mercy, and that through God's grace they can gain fresh vigor to rise above their evil nature, recover their ground, renew the conflict, and be blessed and overcome in the name of Jesus.
The verse is a pattern for fleeing present duty and resisting the place and task God appoints. Instead of going to Nineveh with God's message, Jonah went to Joppa and boarded a ship for Tarshish, seeking a change of place or work and choosing another place instead, which is not pleasing to Him. Turning from appointed work to direct devotion, energy, and resources elsewhere does not prosper but hinders the work, dishonors God, and frustrates plans directed elsewhere. Selfish projects do not succeed when they take the place of the duty God has given. God in providence may obstruct that course and bring the fugitive to submit and repent.
When God directs a person to a particular place and duty and speaks commanding him to bear His message, it means something. Those commanded must declare without reservation the words given them of God. They must move out to where others need their help, although obstacles of a forbidding character are in the way. In its setting in the history of Nineveh, the verse calls readers to recognize that people who are ignorant and spiritually defiled need help and to fulfill their duty toward them, including those in the Southern States. It also describes the course of those who had been very confident that Jesus would come and then suffered bitter disappointment when the time passed with mortality still clinging to them and the curse still around them, who in wounded pride complain against God, flee from the world, choose death rather than life, and renounce faith rather than take up again the vexing cares of life.