Jonah was not onboard with God and he ran from God thinking he could get away with it but that would be disobeying a "direct order" in military parlance. That deserves the severest of punishments: treason is punishable by death! Court-martial per the uniform code of military justice. The point is that we all tend to run from God at times but there is a merciful God who will come after us and bring us to repentance. The phrase "but God" is significant in that God has the last word and is a God who intervenes in the affairs of man.
God was always in control noted by the phrase "but God..." even churning up a perfect storm and went after this rebellious lost sheep and brought him back. The storyline is a perfect illustration of the gospel: Jonah doesn't preach the gospel he is the gospel in a manner of speaking but the book portrays it by symbolism and events. Some people only learn by seeing what not to do or by bad examples! Jonah was a prophet who was called to speak on God's behalf with his authority and he knew what the people needed to hear but was reluctant. He was stubborn all the way to his NDE or near-death experience.
When the seasoned sailors (note that seasoned believers can be in the same predicament) cried for salvation, he knew what to tell them and they repented and worshiped God but Jonah thought it was all over for him and it was too late to get on track with God again. They say there are no atheists in foxholes and people get religion when desperate or afraid! When people ask us what shall they do to be saved, we should be prepared to speak for God and what to tell them. We should know the simple gospel message: repent and believe in Jesus for the remission of sins and to get right with God and restore the broken relationship.
One main lesson from this book is that there are consequences and recompense for disobeying God's direct commands and going our own thing or running from God. Conditionals are all over the Bible: if this, then that... We reap what we sow and pay the piper for our sins and even get others punished by association with us. With every cause, there is an effect by definition or it's not a cause. This is the second law of being and is called the law of causality or of cause and effect. Jonah in this book found out that God is merciful and that means we do not get what we deserve: he deserved death and he knew it. To him who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, it is a sin! Jonah knew better and was held to a higher standard.
Like Joshua knew, "There is sin in the camp!" Paul the apostle also fought God or His will and Jesus said to him: It is hard to kick against the goads! meaning that the way of the transgressor is hard and you will not get away fighting my will and that is a hard way to live. He who does the will of God abides forever. We cannot live lives of disobedience and escape running, punishment, discipline, or natural consequences even if we repent!
God is saying to us: what have you done! Known sins are more serious. That is rhetorical for our sake because God knows our rebellion. Jonah had a wake-up call and saw the light and God's mercy but he learned the hard way; blessed are those who learn from the Bible and don't need to go through the school of hard knocks. Jonah had been doing his own thing and doing what was right in his own eyes and was "following the course of this world." Jonah should have learned that we do not get away with disobeying God or running from his will. Paul said he was not "disobedient to the heavenly vision." Jonah was indeed an example; what not to do! We must be faithful to fulfill our calling!
Jonah also doubted God's omnipresence or that God is everywhere and erroneously thought you could hide from God or escape His sovereignty as if God were a tribal or local deity. The sailors on board wondered where God was but Jonah reminded learned that the question should be "Where isn't God?
Today with all the evils in the world people still ask this but God says "Where is the church?" The church was given the Great Commission to the whole world but it also has a social obligation to be good citizens and salt and light to the world.
Jonah might have had disdain or animosity toward Nineveh because of its notorious reputation. But God has leveled the playing field and called us all sinners in his sight and we are all in the same boat needing his mercy. He despised them but God saw differently. God is the God of the Gentile too and not only of the Jews and this book illustrates that better than any other OT book. God has no hands but our hands, no voice but ours, and no ears except ours; we are his instruments of mercy and his vessels of honor that God has decided to use for his glory whether we want or not God has a purpose for us.
Some doubt that Jonah was a prophet because there are no predictive prophecies in the book but a prophet not only can foretell but forthtell or speak on God's behalf to edify and with the authority of God. Prophets are notorious for upsetting or discomforting the at ease and comforting the discouraged. Prophets must be ready to speak not on authority but with authority and they are known for doing the thankless job of preaching repentance to the apostate and rebellious Israel and Judah.
Prophets are never people pleasers nor do they preach what people are itching to hear! Their message is usually unwelcome! People can get upset at the truth told directly to them. Jonah did not want to be a prophet, he did not inherit the job, but was appointed directly by God! But the sailors asked him what to do and he knew as if they were saying if you are a prophet or know your God what is happening onboard this ship? We find out Jonah was no ordinary prophet: God used him to bring revival.
Jonah knew the Answerer, not just a generic answer1, and as believers, we do too: we should know the answers to life's ultimate questions and be ready to speak for God because we are anointed. We are all commissioned to preach the gospel. Many Christians are spiritually hard of hearing and turn a deaf ear to God's call on their lives. We must heed the heavenly claim on our lives for God owns us!
The message of this book seems to be summed up asking "What shall we do?" When we are called by God, we cannot say: No Lord! for that is false by definition: if Jesus is Lord, we must not disobey. We must not preach the false gospel of "easy-believism" or "cheap grace" thinking we do not need to receive Christ as Lord to be saved but only need to simply believe he is Lord; even the demons do that much. Soli Deo Gloria!