Jonah 1

Commentary

Jonah chapter 1 is the story of God's call to Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah is a prophet of God and is called to go to Nineveh and preach against it because of its wickedness. Jonah, however, does not want to go and instead tries to flee from God by boarding a ship to Tarshish. God sends a great storm upon the sea and the sailors on the ship are afraid. They cast lots to determine who is responsible for the storm and the lot falls on Jonah. Jonah confesses to the sailors that he is running away from God and tells them to throw him overboard. The sailors reluctantly do so and the storm stops. This chapter serves as a reminder of the power of God and His ability to bring about His will. It also serves as a warning to those who try to run away from God. No matter how far we try to run, God will always be there and will always be in control. We must be obedient to God and follow His commands, no matter how difficult they may be.