Fight-or-flight mode is a response to a situation when we’re faced with something frightening or threatening. The fight-or-flight response is naturally ingrained in us from our caveman ancestors. They’d often be faced with wild animals charging toward them, such as hairy bears or mountain tigers, and they’d have two options:
- To Fight
- To take Flight (run away) for their lives!
The Flight
Jonah is also facing some life-threatening situations in Jonah 1. First, threat he faced was the the threat from the word of the Lord that came to Jonah son of Amittai in Jonah 1:1.
Jonah 1:1 “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.””
Entering a city renowned for its wickedness would expose Jonah’s life to significant peril. Additionally, conveying the message of God to this pagan nation would be perceived as a highly unfavorable political decision from the viewpoint of the Israelites. Assyria, a hostile nation towards Israel, had been prophesied by other prophets as the one responsible for Israel’s eventual exile. Warning the people of Nineveh about God’s judgment could potentially save a nation that would later destroy the northern Kingdom. Despite this, God instructs Jonah to undertake an unprecedented mission of conveying His message to a Gentile nation.
Instead of arising and going to Nineveh as God commanded and fighting the threats, Jonah does the opposite:he takes a Flight! And that flight is similar to how a caveman would run away from the mountain tiger – a flight to be as far as possible from the threat! So, instead of making a 200 mile trip to Nineveh, Jonah decides to make a 2500 mile trip across the sea to Tarshish, to be as far as possible from God’s plan.
Instead of arising and going to Nineveh as God commanded and fighting the threats, Jonah does the opposite:he takes a Flight! And that flight is similar to how a caveman would run away from the mountain tiger – a flight to be as far as possible from the threat! So, instead of making a 200 mile trip to Nineveh, Jonah decides to make a 2500 mile trip across the sea to Tarshish, to be as far as possible from God’s plan.
Jonah’s actions reveal a clear fear of the personal and natural consequences that may arise from obeying God’s commands. At the core of these fears lies a lack of faith in God’s goodness and wisdom. Instead of trusting in God, Jonah chooses to run away from Him, thereby distancing himself from the very source and sustainer of life. The sad reality of disobeying God is that it never leads to a more fulfilling life; rather, it brings about death. Fortunately for Jonah, God does not abandon His children even when they turn their backs on Him. Despite Jonah’s disobedience and potential for a tragic end, God extends His mercy towards him.
Jonah attempt to escape God’s presence might seem foolish, but the reality is that every single one of us falls into the same pattern. The ways we run might not be obvious, but we certainly run. We struggle with pain and bitterness and fail to seek God or open His word. But in reality if we are in Christ, he is our refuge and we are safe in His presence. We need to only trust in His plans.
The Sleep
God encounters Jonah again in the storm. But again, Jonah’s escapist characteristic comes to play. Jonah tries to ignore and sleep
“… But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ” – Jonah 1:5.
As a person, I often have ‘go to sleep’ impulses whenever I feel overwhelmed. When circumstance are too tough for me to handle, I choose not think about it and I often choose to take a nap or sleep early to forget the worries and stress. I think Jonah is doing something similar by ignoring the intense situation and sleeping under the deck.
Jonah behaves likes a complete rebel in this circumstance not wanting to face the truth at all. Everyone calls on God for help except Jonah who knew the real God and who probably knew what was happening. Jonah is the only one whose God has the power to calm the stormy sea, yet Jonah is asleep and inattentive to the wellbeing of his fellow men.
“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
Although falling asleep might offer a temporary respite from conflicts or problems, it does not mean we are truly escaping from them. The issues will still be there when we wake up, and it is essential to address and confront them actively rather than avoiding or ignoring them.
Actually Jonah was not the only person who decided to sleep through a storm. There was one more person who slept through a raging storm – none other than Jesus Christ himself! The tone of rebuke in the captain’s voice is echoed in Mark’s account of the storm as the disciples question Jesus whether or not Jesus cares if they die! But the biggest difference is that Jesus slept because of the peace he had in His Father. And Jesus was sure of the authority He had over the storms! While Jonah slept in his rebellious nature to escape the truth! You can sleep in peace even if all odds are against if you have strong faith in God! But we shouldn’t be ignoring our responsibilities and should remain faithful to God.
Wake-Up Moment
Jonah also has his wake-up moment when everything that the mean in ship fails! The cast lot and lot falls on Jonah! It is ironic that the pagan sailors are the one identifying the issue and delivering God’s decision than the prophet of God who is ignoring God’s word. This time Jonah asks the men to throw him in sea.
But the men refuses to throw Jonah and tries their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. The non-hebrew men on ship were more afraid to disobey God (they were scared to throw Jonah to sea initially) even at the cost of their life (it’s ironical in comparison to Jonah’s disobedience). Finally they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. And God provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.
God’s Mercy
Jonah’s attempt to escape from God’s call is met with God’s merciful intervention. Although a fiery storm may not seem like an act of mercy, God uses it to rescue Jonah from a more disastrous outcome – a life disconnected from God’s presence and guidance. Instead of leaving Jonah to face the consequences of his disobedience, God, in His mercy and compassion, relentlessly pursues him through the storm. Jonah may try to ignore and forget, but God remains steadfast and does not abandon His children. If not for Jonah, God can certainly rise another prophet for Nineveh but God continued to pursue Jonah because He loves him deeply.
Similarly, we often find ourselves doubting God’s plans and purposes for our own lives. In the face of challenging circumstances, we may question whether following God’s commands is truly the best choice or if we should take a different path and flee from His call. In these moments of limited understanding, we must anchor ourselves in the belief in God’s goodness. Despite the pain we may experience, we can find assurance that God is with us, and if we trust in Him, we will ultimately triumph through His strength and guidance. Our God is a God of Mercy!
LIGHT ON THE CROSS 