Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish,Rather than travel east to Nineveh, Jonah chose a distant western destination, commonly associated with Spain and the far edge of the known Mediterranean world. His flight was a deliberate rejection of God’s command.
1Ki 19:3-4 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.…
2Sa 15:14 And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem,…
2Ch 20:37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah…
away from the presence of the LORD. Jonah sought to withdraw from the assignment God had given him, as though distance could free him from accountability.
Gen 4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD…
Psa 139:7-10 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?…
Jer 23:23-24 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, …
He went down to Joppa Joppa was an important Mediterranean port, providing access to ships traveling west. Jonah’s movement away from God’s will begins with a physical departure from the land.
2Ch 2:16 We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, …
Act 10:5-8 Now send men to Joppa to call for Simon, who is called Peter…
Act 9:36-43 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha…
and found a ship bound for Tarshish. The ship offered the means for Jonah to continue his chosen course, and he readily embraced the opportunity to escape his mission.
1Ki 22:48-49 Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir…
1Ki 10:22 For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea…
Isa 60:9 Surely the islands will wait for Me, with the ships of…
So he paid the fare and went aboard Jonah personally committed himself to the journey, accepting the cost of pursuing his own plan rather than obeying God.
Act 21:2 Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded it…
Act 27:6-7 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship…
Luk 8:22-23 One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross…”…
to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. The repeated purpose of his journey emphasizes the depth of his resistance. Though Jonah could leave Israel and board a ship, he could not leave the Lord’s rule or avoid His call.
Isa 2:16 against every ship of Tarshish,…
Isa 23:1-2 This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish,…
Amo 9:2-4 Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them…
Persons / Places / Events 1. JonahA prophet of God, called to deliver a message to Nineveh, but chooses to flee instead. 2. TarshishA distant location, often associated with the farthest reaches of the known world, symbolizing Jonah's attempt to escape God's call. 3. JoppaA port city where Jonah finds a ship to Tarshish, representing a point of decision and departure from God's directive. 4. The ShipRepresents Jonah's chosen means of escape, highlighting his determination to avoid God's command. 5. The Presence of the LORDIndicates God's omnipresence and the futility of trying to escape His will. Teaching Points The Futility of Running from GodJonah's attempt to flee illustrates the impossibility of escaping God's presence and plan. We must recognize that God's reach is infinite, and His purposes will prevail. The Cost of DisobedienceJonah's journey to Tarshish required him to pay a fare, symbolizing the personal cost of running from God's will. Disobedience often leads to unnecessary burdens and consequences. God's Sovereign CallDespite Jonah's reluctance, God's call remains steadfast. This teaches us that God's purposes are not thwarted by human resistance, and He often uses even our disobedience to fulfill His plans. The Importance of Immediate ObedienceJonah's account encourages us to respond promptly to God's directives. Delayed obedience can lead to complications and missed opportunities for blessing. Reflecting on Our Own TarshishWe should examine areas in our lives where we might be fleeing from God's call, seeking comfort or escape rather than fulfilling His will. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern-day "Tarshish" destinations that people might flee to in order to avoid God's call, and how can we recognize them in our own lives? 2. How does Jonah's account challenge us to consider the cost of disobedience in our personal walk with God? 3. In what ways can we ensure that we are sensitive and responsive to God's call, avoiding the pitfalls of delayed obedience? 4. How does the account of Jonah illustrate the concept of God's sovereignty, and how can this understanding impact our trust in His plans? 5. Reflect on a time when you tried to "flee" from a difficult task or calling. What did you learn from that experience, and how can Jonah's account inform your future decisions? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 139:7-10This passage speaks to the impossibility of fleeing from God's presence, reinforcing the futility of Jonah's attempt. Acts 10:5-6Peter's vision in Joppa, where he receives a divine message, contrasts with Jonah's disobedience, showing Joppa as a place of significant spiritual encounters. Matthew 12:39-41Jesus references Jonah, highlighting his account as a sign of repentance and foreshadowing Christ's own death and resurrection. | Faithless to a High Vocation | T. T. Carter. | Jonah 1:3 | | Fatal Success | James Simpson. | Jonah 1:3 | | Jonah the Fugitive | G.T. Coster | Jonah 1:3 | | Jonah's Failure | Matthew M. Preston, M. A. | Jonah 1:3 | | Jonah's Flight | T. Kelly. | Jonah 1:3 | | Jonah's Motive in His Flight | Thomas Harding. | Jonah 1:3 | | Jonah's Soft-Persuasions to Disobedience | A. Raleigh, D. D. | Jonah 1:3 | | Jonah's Soft-Will | A. Raleigh, D. D. | Jonah 1:3 | | Lifes Fare | Homiletic Review | Jonah 1:3 | | Neglect of Christian Duty | W. Rodwell. | Jonah 1:3 | | One Virtue Cannot Atone for a Wicked Course | Homiletic Magazine | Jonah 1:3 | | Paying the Fare | John A. Macfadyen. | Jonah 1:3 | | Sinful Pleasures Dear Bought | James Simpson. | Jonah 1:3 | | Sorrow Follows Disobedience | George Eliot. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Disobedient Act | J. O. Keen, D. D. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Fugitive from Duty | W. Holderness. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Natural Disposition of Jonah | James Simpson. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Prophet's Disobedience | Sermons by Monday Club | Jonah 1:3 | | The Prophet's Disobedience | A. Rowland | Jonah 1:3 | | The Refusal to Obey a God-Given Charge | A. Maclaren, D. D. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Runaway Prophet | James Menzies. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Story of Jonah | Henry C. M'Cook, D. D. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Unfaithful Prophet | R. A. Bedford, M. A. | Jonah 1:3 | | The Unwisdom of Disobedience | Christian Age | Jonah 1:3 | | A Despicable Deserter | J.E. Henry | Jonah 1:1-3 | | God Speaking to Man in Mercy, and Man Fleeing from God in Disobedience | D. Thomas | Jonah 1:1-3 | | Jonah | H. J. Foster. | Jonah 1:1-3 | | Jonah Regarded as a Type | James Simpson. | Jonah 1:1-3 | | Jonah, the Runaway Prophet | J. O. Keen, D. D. | Jonah 1:1-3 | | Jonah's Call and Flight | W.G. Blaikie | Jonah 1:1-3 | | The Behests of God | Joseph Parker, D. D. | Jonah 1:1-3 | | The Character of Jonah | R. A. Redford, M. A. | Jonah 1:1-3 |
People Amittai, Jonah, TarshishPlaces Joppa, Mount Esau, Nineveh, TarshishTopics Aboard, Board, Bound, Face, Fare, Findeth, Flee, Flight, Giveth, Got, Headed, Jonah, Joppa, Journey, Paid, Paying, Port, Presence, Price, Ran, Riseth, Rose, Sailed, Ship, Tarshish, ThereofDictionary of Bible Themes Jonah 1:3 5407 merchants
6109 alienation Jonah 1:1-3 1055 God, grace and mercy
4926 delay, human
5714 men
7758 preachers, call
8410 decision-making, examples Jonah 1:1-6 8616 prayerlessness Jonah 1:1-10 5178 running Jonah 1:3-5 5587 trade Jonah 1:3-15 5517 seafaring Library Guilty Silence and Its Reward
Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great, city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me. 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. 4. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureChristian Graces.
FAITH. FAITH! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more precious than gold that perisheth. If so, what is the worth or value that is in the grace itself? Faith is so great an artist in arguing and reasoning with the soul, that it will bring over the hardest heart that it hath to deal with. It will bring to my remembrance at once, both my vileness against God, and his goodness towards me; it will show me, that though I deserve not to breathe in the air, yet God will have me an heir …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan Whether Divination by Drawing Lots is Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that divination by drawing lots is not unlawful, because a gloss of Augustine on Ps. 30:16, "My lots are in Thy hands," says: "It is not wrong to cast lots, for it is a means of ascertaining the divine will when a man is in doubt." Objection 2: There is, seemingly, nothing unlawful in the observances which the Scriptures relate as being practiced by holy men. Now both in the Old and in the New Testament we find holy men practicing the casting of lots. For it is related …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The Careless Sinner Awakened.
1, 2. It is too supposable a case that this Treatise may come into such hands.--3, 4. Since many, not grossly vicious, fail under that character.--5, 6. A more particular illustration of this case, with an appeal to the reader, whether it be not his own.--7 to 9. Expostulation with such.--10 to 12. More particularly--From acknowledged principles relating to the Nature of Got, his universal presence, agency, and perfection.--13. From a view of personal obligations to him.--14. From the danger Of this …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Jonah
The book of Jonah is, in some ways, the greatest in the Old Testament: there is no other which so bravely claims the whole world for the love of God, or presents its noble lessons with so winning or subtle an art. Jonah, a Hebrew prophet, is divinely commanded to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian empire of his day. To escape the unwelcome task of preaching to a heathen people, he takes ship for the distant west, only to be overtaken by a storm, and thrown into the sea, when, by …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jonah 1:3 NIVJonah 1:3 NLTJonah 1:3 ESVJonah 1:3 NASBJonah 1:3 KJV
Jonah 1:3 Commentaries
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