In Jonah 1:1-3, Brother Gideon Levytam introduces the book of Jonah (Yonah), explaining the meaning of his name (“dove”) and the prophet’s background as Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher in the tribe of Zebulun. Gideon sets Jonah in Israel’s history during the reign of Jeroboam II and contrasts Israel’s calling to be a light to the nations with Jonah’s reluctance to go beyond the borders of the land. Gideon then walks verse by verse through God’s command to arise and go east to Nineveh, the great Assyrian city, and Jonah’s decision to do the opposite: to go down to Joppa (Yafo), find a ship, pay the fare, and flee toward Tarshish. He highlights Jonah’s downward steps of disobedience and reminds us from Psalm 139 that no one can truly flee from the Lord’s presence. The lesson is clear: disobedience has a cost, yet the God of Israel is faithful—ready to discipline, restore, and show mercy, both to His people and to the nations.
Jonah 1:1-3 - The Flight of the Dove
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