۳ نکته‌ای که باید در مورد یونس بدانید

The story of Jonah is one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. Ask any child in church about it and you’ll get a clear answer. But ask the same question about other minor prophets, such as Habakkuk, and you’ll be less likely to get an answer. Yet, while the book of Jonah is memorable, it’s not necessarily well understood. The disobedient prophet and the great fish are not the main focus of the story. Rather, the book—which ends with a question—invites us to reflect on the meaning of our lives in light of God’s glory and grace.

1. The story of Jonah is a lesson in obediently following God.

Jonah is an example of how to disobey a God who is to be obeyed. The book presents God as the absolute ruler. He does not suggest, but commands. Even the non-Israelite sailors acknowledged God’s omnipotence, saying, “For you, O Lord, do whatever pleases you” (Jonah 1:14). God acts decisively; “the Lord sent a great wind upon the sea” (Jonah 1:4), “and the Lord brought forth a great fish” (Jonah 1:17). The story is completely under God’s control.

God’s commands are clear. He tells Jonah with a simple command: “Get up,” “Go,” “Call out.” Jonah did not disobey because he was ill-informed, in a hurry, or under external pressure; he simply did not want to obey, and his disobedience brought disaster. By our disobedience, we too reject God’s blessing and invite His punishment upon ourselves.

But while obedience is a sign of true faith, submission must come from a heart filled with love for God. Jonah boasted about his religious credentials and spoke theologically sound words, but his fear of God was not sincere (Jonah 1:9). In his heart and in his actions, he was fleeing from the presence of God (Jonah 1:3-10). Jonah was spiritually sick. From his seemingly righteous but self-righteous prayer in the belly of the fish to his childish rage at the end of the book, Jonah needed the same change of heart that brought about the revival of Nineveh.

The obedience of the winds, waves, plants, animals, and even unbelievers is in stark contrast to the disobedience of this prophet. This story is a warning to us.

2. Jonah is a service guide.

This is both obvious and surprising. The story of Jonah is about serving God. God’s compassion for the lost was the reason he sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them of His coming wrath (Jonah 4:2, 11). But it seems that God had chosen the wrong messenger! There is almost nothing about Jonah that is typical of a servant of God—and yet this seems to be the point of the story. Jonah’s reluctance to fulfill his mission should make his readers realize that “the light of the Gentiles” was hard to see (Isaiah 49:6). Those of us who have experienced God’s mercy should be eager to share this message with others.

Most importantly, Jonah’s failure proves that he is not a hero of the ministry; he is God. Jonah’s reluctance to preach prepared Israel to expect a greater prophet who would be willing to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Only Christ could fulfill God’s promise to bless “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). The revival of Nineveh was a prelude to Pentecost and the deliverance of the nations from the clutches of Satan.

Because of God’s indescribable gift in Christ, “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” of the saved will one day sing praises to the incomparable value of the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:11-12). Truly, “salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:9).

Jonah reveals God’s loving heart for the lost. But he does this not because of his own virtue, but as a type of Christ. Consider Jonah, not because he is a model of godliness, but because we, like him, need a Christian who portrays him.

3. Jonah is a picture of Christ.

When Jesus’ opponents asked for a sign to prove his identity, he referred to his generation as Jonah (Matthew 12:39). Jesus interpreted the pivotal point of Jonah’s story as a picture of his own death and resurrection.

Jonah died symbolically because the sailors believed that they were sacrificing him by throwing him overboard (Jonah 1:14). He would not survive the “great storm” that threatened to wreck the ship or his three-day stay in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:4). The fish was Jonah’s watery grave. His emergence from the fish’s belly became a symbol of his new birth.

The old Jonah—who hated the Gentiles and sought selfish comfort—is a symbol of the “old man” (Ephesians 4:22). The new Jonah—who was still imperfect—is a symbol of the “new man” (Ephesians 4:23-24). Jesus will also die and rise again. Union with him is the only way that makes us new creatures and brings us into God’s reward (Romans 6:8).

Jonah’s symbolic death and resurrection also validated his message of repentance to Nineveh. We have even less excuse than the Ninevites for not responding to the gospel of Jesus:

"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here" (Luke 11:32).

Jonah is about Jesus (Luke 24:44-47). It is only in Christ that we find the obedience necessary to stand in God’s presence, and it is in Him that we find help to begin our godly path. In Him, we experience the love of God that alone can motivate us to love others.

This article is part of the series " Every Book of the Bible: 3 Things You Need to Know ."

This article was published on the Ligonier website.