The story of Jonah is well known, but the reasons behind his initial disobedience are complex. When God called Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, Jonah instead fled in the opposite direction to the city of Tarshish. This seems like a very strange response for a prophet of God, so examining the context helps explain Jonah’s motivations.
First, Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, one of Israel’s most hated and brutal enemies. The Assyrians were a constant threat to Israel, oppressing and attacking them for centuries. Jonah, as an Israelite, would have viewed the Assyrians as evil pagans and enemies of God’s people. Therefore, he likely did not want them to repent and receive God’s mercy, feeling they deserved punishment instead.
In addition, Nineveh was a vast and important Assyrian stronghold. It had a population of 120,000 people and was heavily fortified (Jonah 4:11). The idea of going alone into the heart of enemy territory to preach repentance would have seemed not just distasteful but extremely dangerous to Jonah. Fear and self-preservation may have motivated him to run away.
Jonah also probably doubted that the people of Nineveh would actually repent if he preached to them. They were renowned for their evil, violence, and idolatry (Nahum 3:1-4). Converting the entire city seemed hopeless. Rather than go on a seemingly futile mission, Jonah ran away.
Most importantly, Jonah rebelled because he knew God was “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity” (Jonah 4:2). He realized if the people of Nineveh – Israel’s enemies – actually repented, God would forgive them. This went against Jonah’s desires for justice and revenge.
Jonah describes his own motivation, saying he fled “for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity” (Jonah 4:2). He even asks God to take his life rather than see the Assyrians forgiven (Jonah 4:3).
Instead of obedience, Jonah chose hatred and unforgiveness. He viewed the Ninevites as irredeemable enemies, not potential recipients of God’s grace. By running away, he was essentially saying he knew better than God.
The book of Jonah highlights God’s compassion for all nations, not just Israel. Unlike the prophet, God desired even wicked Nineveh to hear His message and turn from destruction. Thankfully, the story ends with Jonah preaching and the entire city repenting in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:5-10).
Jonah’s initial disobedience reminds us that God’s love extends to all people. We must not allow prejudice or hatred to override compassion – even for our enemies. Like Jonah, we can become so entrenched in our own limited perspectives that we rebel against God’s much higher plans and purposes.
In summary, Jonah fled toward Tarshish instead of Nineveh for several key reasons:
- Hatred of Assyria as Israel’s enemy
- Fear of danger in the huge, fortified city
- Doubt that the people would repent
- Anger that God would forgive Israel’s enemies
- Unwillingness to show grace and compassion
Yet despite Jonah’s disobedience, God demonstrated his abundant mercy. The story powerfully illustrates that no one is beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness, even those we consider our enemies. As Christians, we must guard against prejudices that can limit our capacity to love others as God does.
1. The Assyrians were hated enemies of Israel
First and foremost, Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, a brutal enemy of Israel. The Assyrians regularly oppressed, attacked, and showed no mercy to the Israelites for centuries. An Israelite like Jonah would have harbored deep-seated hatred and resentment toward Assyrians.
The Assyrians were a constant threat to Israel’s security and sovereignty. Ever since King Shalmaneser III subjugated Israel and made them a vassal state, the Assyrians exploited and domineered them.
Assyrian kings like Tiglath-Pileser III continued a policy of expansionism and violence against Israel. They invaded and destroyed cities, deporting many inhabitants into exile (2 Kings 15:29). Such atrocities fueled anti-Assyrian sentiment in Israel.
Eventually in 722 BC the Assyrians completely conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. They scattered the 10 northern tribes into exile, where they assimilated and disappeared from history (2 Kings 17:6).
The southern kingdom of Judah barely maintained its independence by becoming a vassal state and paying heavy tributes to Assyria. But the constant threats continued, keeping anti-Assyrian attitudes strong in Judah.
Jonah lived during the reign of Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 14:25). So he lived in the shadow of Assyrian oppression and violence. As an Israelite, he would deeply resent the Assyrians and probably harbored hopes for their destruction.
Nineveh represented the center of power for the hated Assyrians. Rather than see them repent and escape judgment, Jonah preferred they face God’s wrath. His nationalistic prejudice clouded his prophetic calling.
2. Jonah feared danger in the vast, powerful city
In addition to general hatred of Assyria, the city of Nineveh itself would have intimidated Jonah. It was an immense and highly fortified metropolis for its time.
Nineveh was originally founded back in the 3rd millennium BC. But by Jonah’s time it had grown into a true imperial city. The scale of Nineveh was enormous by ancient standards.
The city formed an enormous square measuring about 3 miles long on each side. It covered an area of around 750 hectares (1,850 acres). Huge walls and gates surrounded the city.
The population of Nineveh was around 120,000 people when Jonah visited (Jonah 4:11). This made it one of the largest cities in the world. The sprawling size even took Jonah 3 full days to traverse while preaching (Jonah 3:3).
Nineveh’s architecture was grand and imposing, meant to intimidate foreign enemies. Great palaces with lush gardens and exotic plants adorned the city.
As an Israelite peasant the sheer scale of pagan Nineveh – the enemy’s capital – would have shocked and overwhelmed Jonah. The idea of venturing alone into this stronghold would have seemed not just distasteful but dangerous.
Fear for his own safety prompted Jonah to run away rather than face the risks of this vast, imposing city and powerful empire. While fear often paralyzes believers from obeying God, we must follow in faith in spite of our trepidations.
3. Doubts about the Ninevites repenting
In addition to harboring hatred and fear, Jonah also probably doubted whether his preaching would have any effect on the Ninevites. The Assyrian reputation for evil and violence made the chances of nationwide repentance seem very remote.
Nineveh had a long history of depravity, cruelty, and idol worship even by ancient standards. The Assyrians were notorious for brutality, torture, and inhumane practices.
The prophet Nahum vividly describes Nineveh’s wickedness:
Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and pillage – no end to the plunder! The crack of whip, and rumble of wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without end – they stumble over the bodies! Because of the countless harlotries of the harlot, gracefully alluring, mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft (Nahum 3:1-4).
They ruthlessly conquered other nations and gleefully recorded gruesome tortures and mass executions. The Annals of Ashurnasirpal II bragged about flaying captives alive, burning adolescents, and impaling thousands on stakes.
The people of Nineveh worshiped bloodthirsty gods like Ishtar and Ashur. Human sacrifice was part of their pagan rituals. They practiced witchcraft, divination, and every kind of spiritual evil.
In the face of such entrenched violence and cruelty, the idea of the Ninevites abandoning their evil ways seemed far fetched. With a reputation for utter depravity, the Ninevites converting en masse to worship Yahweh appeared almost laughable.
Jonah assumed his preaching would be in vain. Rather than embark on a futile mission doomed to failure, he fled. But thankfully God knew the Ninevites’ hearts could still turn back to him (Jonah 3:10).
4. Anger that God would forgive Israel’s enemies
However, the biggest reason for Jonah’s disobedience is revealed in his prayer of chapter 4. Jonah confesses that he actually hoped for the destruction of Israel’s enemies:
“Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” Then the Lord said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. So the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his life that he might die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”
Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” (Jonah 4:3-11)
Jonah’s prayer reveals his true motives. Rather than wanting to see Israel’s enemies receive mercy and forgiveness, he actually hoped God would destroy them. He only obeyed God reluctantly.
Jonah says it is actually better for him to die than see the Assyrians forgiven. He sits waiting hopefully for their judgment. When God spares them, Jonah even laments the death of a plant more than the lives of 120,000 people.
At heart, Jonah lacked compassion. He nursed bitterness and unforgiveness against Assyria rather than wanting God’s best for them. His deep-seated prejudice blocked him from rejoicing at their salvation.
Instead of preaching repentance, Jonah actually wanted to see Israel’s enemies judged and condemned. So he fled from co-operating with a plan of mercy and forgiveness.
5. Unwillingness to show grace and compassion
Jonah’s prayer at the end of the book highlights how his own heart was not aligned with God’s. He still nursed anger, judgment, and lack of compassion even after seeing the Ninevites’ dramatic repentance.
God, on the other hand, is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Ps 103:8). Even toward historically wicked Nineveh, He demonstrated remarkable mercy and patience.
Yet Jonah continued to resist God’s purpose. His heart harbored unforgiveness and desires for revenge. He lacked God’s heart of compassion for lost people.
Jonah apparently feared that extending grace to Israel’s enemies would excuse or minimize their atrocities. Showing them compassion could imply approval of their sins.
But God’s mercy does not minimize sin – it triumphs over it. Forgiveness acknowledges moral failures in order to redeem and restore. God was willing to pardon even Nineveh’s many evils because of his great love.
Sadly, Jonah nursed resentment that blocked compassion. His prejudice against Assyria warped his sense of justice. He reacted angrily rather than rejoicing over forgiven sinners (Luke 15:7).
As Christians we must guard against these same tendencies. Harboring unforgiveness and judgment toward others limits our capacity to show God’s grace. Our hearts should align with his mercy and compassion for all people.
Conclusion
The minor prophet Jonah rebelled against God’s call for several key reasons rooted in his historical and national context as an Israelite.
Jonah understandably harbored deep hatred of Assyria because of their violence and cruelty toward Israel. Nineveh’s reputation for utter wickedness also made their repentance seem unlikely.
Fear of danger in the vast, powerful city also motivated him to flee. But most of all, Jonah resisted because he actually hoped for God’s judgment rather than mercy on Israel’s enemies.
Thankfully, Jonah’s story highlights that no one lies outside the reach of God’s grace – even those we consider irredeemable. It reminds us of the need to align our hearts with God’s perfect love and compassion.
Through Jonah’s experience, God calls us to root out unforgiveness and prejudice. As Christians we are commissioned to share the good news of redemption and forgiveness with all people, even our enemies. God loves the entire world – not just a particular nation (John 3:16).
Jonah’s life illustrates human tendencies to resist God’s higher ways, especially when it comes to showing mercy. But it remains a powerful example of how God can use even the most resistant servants to accomplish his sovereign plans. Despite Jonah’s disobedience, the entire city of Nineveh repented.
This remarkable story promises that God can bring good even from our own defiance and prejudice. When we align our hearts with his perfect compassion, there are no limits to whom God can reach through us.