Jonah the Missionary

The Prophet Jonah Made

for One Lousy Missionary,

Yet God Used Him:

Find Out Why!

The Book of Jonah is packed with lessons we all should learn, one of which is that God at times sends us to places we don’t want to go. In fact, sometimes He sends us, as missionaries of His Gospel of Grace, to those whom we consider our enemies. The Book of Jonah reads like a suspense novel, with the reader jumping into an already-in-progress story. Let me set the scene to place it into the right perspective. During the time of Jonah, prophets such as Amos were already prophesying, through God’s Word, that Assyria (Babylon) would soon capture Israel and take its people captive, with many Israelites dying in the process. Amos’ message to Israel was simple: Repent now or endure the wrath of God. The children of Israel had abandoned God’s commandments in favor of false idols and teachings. This was a time in Jonah’s life when he would have heard Amos’ message, then would want to share that message with his family and friends: the message of repentance. As we will note later in the story, Jonah had a keen understanding of God’s grace toward those who repent; it was personal.

The story begins with God calling on Jonah to go to Nineveh! You soon will understand why I added an exclamation point after Nineveh. Jonah must have wondered why he couldn’t simply preach at home to family and friends. Why not join Amos and stay home? Jonah must have thought that his own family should hear God’s Word first. To understand Jonah’s issues with going to Nineveh, I should note where Nineveh is located, which makes all the difference in the story. Nineveh is located in Assyria—the city that Amos is prophesying about, the city whose army soon will destroy all that Jonah loves and holds dear. Jonah wasn’t pleased when God called on him to go to Nineveh and preach repentance. The Assyrians worshipped the vicious god Ashur and a multitude of other gods and goddesses. They were legendary for their brutality and cruelty, such as impaling enemy soldiers on stakes in front of conquered towns and hanging their heads from trees in the king’s gardens. They also tortured their captives--men, women, and children--by hacking off noses, ears, or fingers; gouging out eyes; or tearing off lips and hands. They reportedly covered the city wall with the skins of their victims. Rebellious subjects would be massacred by the hundreds, sometimes burned at the stake, then their skulls would be placed in great piles by the roadside as a warning to others. And yet, these are the people to whom God wants Jonah to preach the Gospel message of repentance?

Thus, it would make sense that Jonah would be afraid of going to Nineveh, with its reputation for brutality--sworn enemies of Israel, his own people. Ironically, Jonah wasn’t afraid of the Assyrians themselves; he feared the people of Nineveh would actually repent! Jonah himself tells us why he initially didn’t go in 4:1-2. Jonah knew God to be gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love--a God who relents from sending calamities. The God whom Jonah knew is full of mercy, yet Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to experience the God whom he knew. The story emphasizes the intimate relationship that Jonah had with God; this goes unnoticed at times--just how well Jonah “knew” God. This intimacy will make a big difference in the message Jonah preaches.

Jonah becomes the first and only prophet to actually go against God’s calling. Jonah didn’t hesitate, doubt, or argue with God; he simply turned and went in the opposite direction from Nineveh. While trying to sail to Tarshish, the seas grew rough, the boat was about to sink, and Jonah was sleeping downstairs. He eventually was tossed overboard, at his own request, to save the innocent lives on the boat. However, if Jonah thought he would drown and die, God had other plans—and a big fish. God rescues Jonah and places him inside a big fish. It is there that Jonah eventually realizes that he has no choice but to fulfill God’s calling. It would take Jonah three full days before, while in the belly of the fish before he finally gives in to God and repents. Can you imagine Jonah’s resolve in not wanting to follow His calling and spending three days inside the belly of a big fish! He finally repents after three days in the big fish, and God releases Jonah onto dry land. God then calls on Jonah once again to go to Nineveh, and Jonah obeys, but don’t assume he was happy about it.

For some, the fact that Jonah spent three days in the belly of a big fish is the focal point of the Book of Jonah. This is often interpreted as a messianic prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection after lying in a tomb for three days. This event has come to signify the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus--a prophetic message. However, an additional message that goes unnoticed is that “out of Zion,” the message of repentance (the Gospel) will be shared with the Gentiles, including God’s enemies. This goes back to the fact that Jonah was called on to leave Zion not only as a prophet, but also, in a sense, as a missionary. The Good News of the Gospel is to come out of Zion and into the world, for all to hear.

Jonah was called on to spread the Word, not only as a prophet, but also to share a message of God’s mercy and forgiveness, as a missionary. Jonah had an intimate relationship with God, a relationship that revolved around his understanding of how great God’s mercy is. Jonah’s personal understanding of God’s mercy underlies his message of impending doom if the Ninevites don’t repent. As a missionary, Jonah’s personal spirituality lies at the foundation of his message. Jonah could not divorce himself of his personal relationship with God, nor could he divorce himself of the truth he had come to know and understand about God’s mercy. He had a personal relationship with God and “knew” God.

Jonah did go to Nineveh and preach a message--a message so weak that it defies understanding of how anyone could have believed or understood it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” That’s it. That’s the message Jonah preached. He preached it while sulking, like a spoiled child made to do something he didn’t want to do. He was not happy about it, but the Ninevites believed his message was from God. A fast was proclaimed, and all the Ninevites, from the richest to the poorest, put on sackcloth as a sign of repentance. God then spared the whole city.

Thus, the message coming out of Zion to the world was received by the Assyrians. Jonah was upset with God because he spared Nineveh, but he amazingly was even more concerned about a plant. God caused this plant to sprout to give Jonah shade in the harsh desert sun while Jonah sat on a hillside to see what would happen to Nineveh, but nothing happened because they repented, and Jonah was mad. The next day, God caused the plant to wither away, and Jonah was now even angrier about the plant dying. You think you have had bad days as a missionary? In this act, God reminds Jonah of the value of human life and what’s really important. Jonah focused on the plant and neglected to notice that God is concerned about all human life and wants us all to have the same concern. The remaining verses in the Book of Jonah are about God explaining the importance of all human life to Jonah. God loves everyone.

Jonah teaches us that we are all called out of Zion to share the message of the Gospel to the entire world--especially to those whom we might consider unworthy or even our enemies. Jonah would have wanted to share this Gospel message at home first, to save his own family, but God sent Jonah out to preach the message to his own enemies. The picture is that of extremes--from family to enemies--and everyone else in between. The message of the Gospel is for everyone; no one is left out. We tend to lose track of what’s really important, like Jonah’s misplaced concern for the plant, when our real concern should be sharing the Gospel messages so that God’s mercy can be shared. Don’t let the plants in your life distract you from what is important to God, which is His enduring love for humanity. Jonah never doubted the power of God’s loving mercy, but to Jonah, it was personal. Because it was so personal, Jonah’s message had power, even when he obviously didn’t want to share it, and when he did, he did a pitiful job. I have reminded missionaries in the past to share a message, not a lesson. When you take God’s message, and it becomes personal, the message you share becomes powerful. I have written in the past, “Before teaching God’s Word, live it, a lived life is a greater lesson.” When you personally can understand God’s love and His awesome goodness, it becomes much easier to share His Gospel message, even when you feel like you did a lousy job, or don’t feel like sharing, it doesn’t matter. Your conviction makes the message powerful regardless. Jonah may have been the lousiest missionary ever to share God’s message, but God used his message because Jonah had a personal relationship with the Father, which made all the difference.

Establish your relationship with the God of Creation, and once you do, go out and share it with everyone. Don’t worry about whether you feel capable, or if you don’t want to share. It doesn’t matter because once you establish your relationship with God, He will do the rest. I once reminded a missionary that his life made more of an impression on me than the lesson he was trying to share, and it made all the difference in the world!

Of course, we are all called on to be missionaries, not just for a season, but for life. Testifying to the goodness of our Lord is not reserved for those who hold the title of missionary. This lesson is for everyone who has a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As part of our covenant with Him, we are called to share and testify to His goodness from a personal standpoint. God also may call us to share this love with those whom we feel have wronged us, those to whom we would rather not speak, yet like Jonah, even they need to hear God’s redeeming message of love. Don’t let life’s daily distractions cause you to lose focus like Jonah and his misplaced concern for the plant. Instead, realize that God’s ultimate concern for humanity also should be reflected in our own lives, through the charity we share with our neighbors, along with the words of life, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jonah may have been a lousy missionary, but his personal relationship with God made for one powerful message.

#Jonah #Missionary #BookofMormon #LDSchurch #GodsWord