Running from God
Jonah Runs, 27 July 2025
Jonah Runs
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
July 27, 2025
Jonah 1:1-17
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:1-3
The Bible is not a book. It’s a library. There are letters, instructions, poems, prophecies, and stories—incredible stories! We’re going to spend the next four weeks looking at one of the most fascinating of them all. It is controversial. It is referenced by Jesus. It has drama and action and God speaking and…a very abrupt ending!
Many of you know the story of Jonah. Or do you? Jonah is certainly one of the most well-known characters in the Bible. Before we dive in, let’s begin with some background. Jonah was a prophet from Gath Hepher near the Sea of Galilee while Jeroboam II reigned over the ten northern tribes from 786-746 B.C.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Jonah is considered a minor prophet, not because he is less important than a major prophet, but rather because this book is much shorter than books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel. God speaks to Jonah and tells him to go…to Nineveh…to preach against it and its wickedness.
Prophets are not necessarily future-tellers but forth-tellers. They are called by God to speak, announce, proclaim…and generally, it’s not good news. The one-word message of many prophets is…repent! Turn! Change! Return to God!
The life of a prophet is not enviable. They disrupt. They annoy. Much of the time, they are rejected. People-pleasers need not apply! This was not an easy assignment. Rarely did God offer cushy jobs to prophets!
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. (Jonah 1:3)
Someone has said if you want to run from God, satan will always give you a ride!
I don’t want to give too much away, but it was not fear of rejection that caused Jonah to head in the opposite direction of God’s instructions. Note to the wise: do not try to run away from the LORD. It never goes well.
I thought of Jonah on more than one occasion when God called Heather and me to make a major life decision, particularly two relocations. Moving to Findlay last year was one of them. I wanted to be sure we were moving at God’s calling and not simply the urging of friends. As many of you know, I was not particularly excited about moving to Findlay, but I didn’t want to follow Jonah into disobedience…and I certainly didn’t want to experience the detour he took!
I must add, Heather and I are thrilled God led us to Findlay…and grateful we said yes!
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. This applies to everything from career choices and spousal selection to everyday temptations to sin.
Jonah chose to flee. Perhaps he thought God wouldn’t notice him “running” away from Him! He was told to go to modern-day Iraq and instead headed toward Spain! He even paid for the trip! This is no accident. It was pre-meditated disobedience and rebellion against God. You can run, but you can never hide!
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (Jonah 1:4)
Most of us have never been on a dangerous sea, but countless people have lost their lives in nautical storms. Imagine the construction of the ships…before fiberglass, steel, and modern plastics. Wood and hand tools were likely the only materials available.
All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. (Jonah 1:5a)
They were all afraid, which tells you this was a serious storm. Then these experienced sailors each cried out to his own god. What an interesting statement! They believed in god…or gods! Then these sailors were so desperate they threw their stuff into the sea. Can you picture the scene? It was a nightmare. These people were fearing for their lives!
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. (Jonah 1:5b)
The same Hebrew word, yarad, is used to describe Jonah going down to Joppa, going aboard the ship, going below deck, and falling into a deep sleep.
[Can you think of anyone who slept in a boat during a huge storm? Jesus in Mark 4:38.]
The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 1:6)
The sailors call out to their gods. Now the captain wants Jonah to try his God. Perhaps he has a sense that Jonah worships the one true God, Yahweh.
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)
If you simply want to be “biblical,” one way to know God’s will is to cast lots…to roll the dice, draw straws, or flip a coin. I don’t generally recommend this as a method of discernment, but it is biblical…in more than one instance. Here, God uses a storm, sailors, and even the lots to accomplish His purposes.
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” (Jonah 1:8)
They know something is up with this Jonah guy! I’m fascinated by how “spiritual” these sailors are, though it was culturally common. In our society, people don’t usually think much about the supernatural. We tend to look for reasonable explanations for reality.
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9)
I love how Jonah references the sea and the dry land, something on all their minds!
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) (Jonah 1:10)
Can you feel the tension building?
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” (Jonah 1:11)
If you didn’t know what follows, what would you say? My first thought would be to pray to the LORD, but then again, Jonah is running from the LORD, so he replies…
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12)
Would you come up with that answer? Evidently, the sailors didn’t buy it.
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. (Jonah 1:13)
Just when they thought it couldn’t get worse…
Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. (Jonah 1:14-16)
Jonah was supposedly this godly prophet. He disobeys God, yet God uses him to get the attention and worship of these men. God can redeem anything!
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
Does this mention a whale? No! It’s a huge fish.
Some whales and sharks can swallow a human whole. Sperm whales can reach 70 feet in length and don’t have to chew their food.
Two SeaWorld educators, Keith Robinson and Donna Parham, believe it may have been a great white shark.[1] Jonah and Jaws!
To summarize chapter one, Jonah runs from God, a storm comes, he’s thrown overboard, pagan sailors repent and worship God, and a great fish saves Jonah.
So What?
Obey God. Skip the detour! I said it earlier:
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. There are consequences for all our actions. What will you do?
[1] http://www.jewishsightseeing.com/usa/california/san_diego/general_stories/sd9-13-02jonah.html
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
July 27, 2025
Jonah 1:1-17
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:1-3
The Bible is not a book. It’s a library. There are letters, instructions, poems, prophecies, and stories—incredible stories! We’re going to spend the next four weeks looking at one of the most fascinating of them all. It is controversial. It is referenced by Jesus. It has drama and action and God speaking and…a very abrupt ending!
Many of you know the story of Jonah. Or do you? Jonah is certainly one of the most well-known characters in the Bible. Before we dive in, let’s begin with some background. Jonah was a prophet from Gath Hepher near the Sea of Galilee while Jeroboam II reigned over the ten northern tribes from 786-746 B.C.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Jonah is considered a minor prophet, not because he is less important than a major prophet, but rather because this book is much shorter than books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel. God speaks to Jonah and tells him to go…to Nineveh…to preach against it and its wickedness.
Prophets are not necessarily future-tellers but forth-tellers. They are called by God to speak, announce, proclaim…and generally, it’s not good news. The one-word message of many prophets is…repent! Turn! Change! Return to God!
The life of a prophet is not enviable. They disrupt. They annoy. Much of the time, they are rejected. People-pleasers need not apply! This was not an easy assignment. Rarely did God offer cushy jobs to prophets!
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. (Jonah 1:3)
Someone has said if you want to run from God, satan will always give you a ride!
I don’t want to give too much away, but it was not fear of rejection that caused Jonah to head in the opposite direction of God’s instructions. Note to the wise: do not try to run away from the LORD. It never goes well.
I thought of Jonah on more than one occasion when God called Heather and me to make a major life decision, particularly two relocations. Moving to Findlay last year was one of them. I wanted to be sure we were moving at God’s calling and not simply the urging of friends. As many of you know, I was not particularly excited about moving to Findlay, but I didn’t want to follow Jonah into disobedience…and I certainly didn’t want to experience the detour he took!
I must add, Heather and I are thrilled God led us to Findlay…and grateful we said yes!
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. This applies to everything from career choices and spousal selection to everyday temptations to sin.
Jonah chose to flee. Perhaps he thought God wouldn’t notice him “running” away from Him! He was told to go to modern-day Iraq and instead headed toward Spain! He even paid for the trip! This is no accident. It was pre-meditated disobedience and rebellion against God. You can run, but you can never hide!
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (Jonah 1:4)
Most of us have never been on a dangerous sea, but countless people have lost their lives in nautical storms. Imagine the construction of the ships…before fiberglass, steel, and modern plastics. Wood and hand tools were likely the only materials available.
All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. (Jonah 1:5a)
They were all afraid, which tells you this was a serious storm. Then these experienced sailors each cried out to his own god. What an interesting statement! They believed in god…or gods! Then these sailors were so desperate they threw their stuff into the sea. Can you picture the scene? It was a nightmare. These people were fearing for their lives!
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. (Jonah 1:5b)
The same Hebrew word, yarad, is used to describe Jonah going down to Joppa, going aboard the ship, going below deck, and falling into a deep sleep.
[Can you think of anyone who slept in a boat during a huge storm? Jesus in Mark 4:38.]
The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 1:6)
The sailors call out to their gods. Now the captain wants Jonah to try his God. Perhaps he has a sense that Jonah worships the one true God, Yahweh.
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)
If you simply want to be “biblical,” one way to know God’s will is to cast lots…to roll the dice, draw straws, or flip a coin. I don’t generally recommend this as a method of discernment, but it is biblical…in more than one instance. Here, God uses a storm, sailors, and even the lots to accomplish His purposes.
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” (Jonah 1:8)
They know something is up with this Jonah guy! I’m fascinated by how “spiritual” these sailors are, though it was culturally common. In our society, people don’t usually think much about the supernatural. We tend to look for reasonable explanations for reality.
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9)
I love how Jonah references the sea and the dry land, something on all their minds!
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) (Jonah 1:10)
Can you feel the tension building?
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” (Jonah 1:11)
If you didn’t know what follows, what would you say? My first thought would be to pray to the LORD, but then again, Jonah is running from the LORD, so he replies…
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12)
Would you come up with that answer? Evidently, the sailors didn’t buy it.
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. (Jonah 1:13)
Just when they thought it couldn’t get worse…
Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. (Jonah 1:14-16)
Jonah was supposedly this godly prophet. He disobeys God, yet God uses him to get the attention and worship of these men. God can redeem anything!
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
Does this mention a whale? No! It’s a huge fish.
Some whales and sharks can swallow a human whole. Sperm whales can reach 70 feet in length and don’t have to chew their food.
Two SeaWorld educators, Keith Robinson and Donna Parham, believe it may have been a great white shark.[1] Jonah and Jaws!
To summarize chapter one, Jonah runs from God, a storm comes, he’s thrown overboard, pagan sailors repent and worship God, and a great fish saves Jonah.
So What?
Obey God. Skip the detour! I said it earlier:
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. There are consequences for all our actions. What will you do?
[1] http://www.jewishsightseeing.com/usa/california/san_diego/general_stories/sd9-13-02jonah.html