WHY DOES JONAH RUN FROM GOD? by Adriel Sanchez for Core Christianity
In Jonah, there’s no story before God’s call to Jonah. No setting is described. The author mentions no year or season. He doesn’t tell us who he is or why he’s writing. He doesn’t tell us anything about his main character, Jonah, except his name and his father’s name. The word of God comes to Jonah, but we don’t know where or how.
This differs from other prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Each of these books describe either a broad historical setting, the specific setting of God’s call, or the prophet’s life and background. It may be that the author of Jonah assumed that his audience would already be familiar with his protagonist.[1] Jonah is mentioned briefly in 2 Kings 14:25, where he spoke God’s word to the evil king of Israel, Jeroboam. But since we don’t know the author or when the book of Jonah was written, we also don’t a have a clear sense of the book’s original audience.
What matters is God’s presence and call, not details about the prophet or setting. God is present through his word.
Though Jonah doesn’t say anything to God, he responds to his call by running away, with a particular geographical location in mind: “But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jon. 1:3). He’s running away from God’s calling, God’s presence, and God’s word.
An Unprecedented Call
Jonah isn’t the first reluctant prophet. Moses, Israel’s first prophet, objected when God, speaking to him from a burning bush, called him to confront Pharaoh and lead God’s people out of Egypt. He said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exod. 3:10). Likewise, Jeremiah objected to his call, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth” (Jer. 1:6). Both question their own fitness for the task. In each case, God reassures them that he will be with them and give them the words to speak.
But Jonah doesn’t say anything to God. The text doesn’t offer any motive for Jonah’s response. Nothing suggests he doubts his own abilities. No other prophet had ever run away from God’s call, and the text doesn’t say why he does this.
