Today I am in Joppa which is the southern end of the city today called Tel Aviv. The port of Joppa was of great significance in both the Old and New Testament because of access that it gave to Jerusalem and other sites in Israel. This would have been the port Herod the Great used to bring in materials for Caesarea Maritima in 10 BC, which is approximately 30 miles to the north on the shore.
There is a Tel located in Jaffa, called Tel Yafo, which is over 130 feet tall. This site would have provided a perfect view of the coastline, which would have been important for military purposes in the past. Archaeology shows us that the natural port of Jaffa has been used since the Bronze Age.
Biblically speaking, Joppa is referenced in Joshua 19:46 in the context of an inheritance for the tribe of Dan after the conquests of Israel. This port city most likely was not under Israelite control until the conquest of David. Solomon, David’s son, used the main port of Joppa for importing cedars from Lebanon to build the first temple, according to 2 Chronicles 2:15-16. Then 800 years later, this port was used again to import material for the rebuilding of the Temple according to Ezra 3:7. This speaks to the significance of Joppa over hundreds of years.
Perhaps one of the most well-known stories in the Bible that takes place in Joppa is Jonah’s struggle with God. God had clearly told Jonah to go to Nineveh, located in the east, which was in the Babylon kingdom (located in modern day Iraq). Jonah was commissioned to prophesy to Nineveh concerning their ungodliness, which is referenced in Jonah 1:3. They were evil people and the enemies of Jonah and his people. Instead of obeying God, Jonah headed to Joppa to find the first ship he could find to get away from the presence and commands of God. He paid a fair and caught a ship headed west, and the rest if the story is history from there. I believe it is an easy conclusion to draw that God placed Jonah back near this port once the large fish spit him out on dry land. So where you come by plane, boat or fish, it is very apparent that this small town has a long history with a lot of significance.
After the death of Christ, we are told of a few more biblical stories taking place in Joppa. The New Testament account of Peter’s resurrection of the widow Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) written in Acts 9:36–42 takes place in Joppa. Also, in Acts 10:10–23, while Peter was in Joppa, we are told that he had a vision of a large sheet filled with “clean” and “unclean” animals being lowered from heaven, together with a message from the Holy Spirit to accompany several messengers to Cornelius in Caesarea. Therefore, we can conclude that the early church had presence in this city.
There are other stories and accounts of great Jewish and Roman history taking place in Joppa. We know that in the 700’s BC Hezekiah had rule over this city and fought against Sennacherib to keep its control. In the 300’s BC Alexander the Great’s troops were stationed in Joppa. It later became a Seleucid Hellenized port until it was taken over by the Maccabean rebels (1 Maccabees x.76, xiv.5) and the re-founded Jewish kingdom.
During the first century AD, Roman repression of the Jewish Revolt, Joppa was captured and burned by Cestius Gallus. The Roman Jewish historian Josephus (Jewish War 2.507–509, 3:414–426) writes that 8,400 inhabitants were massacred. Pirates operating from the rebuilt port incurred the wrath of Vespasian, who raised the city and erected a citadel in its place, installing a Roman garrison there.
Archeological excavations of Tel Yafo have yielded at least seven layers of occupational levels, dating back to the seventeenth century BC. This is not an easy place to excavate because there are many people still living and using this small Tel Aviv suburb every day. While large boats no longer use the port, it is still a hub for all sorts of small aquatic vessels.
So what Can we Learn from Joppa?
Has God even been clear with you about something, yet you chose to ignore Him?
Perhaps God told you to reconcile a relationship, care for someone who is hurting, or share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Maybe you heard His voice, but you chose to ignore it and run the other way. That is exactly what Jonah did.
Who Was Jonah?
Jonah was a prophet who lived the eight or ninth century BC, during the reign of King Jeroboam II (782-753 BC) according to 1 Kings 17:7-24. His name means “Dove” and sometimes in the Old Testament we see a strong correlation between a person’s name and their demeanor. Therefore, it may be safe to assume that he was a gentle and non-confrontational man who tried to avoid conflict at all cost. Many theologians and commentators refer to him as the “Reluctant prophet” because of the way he avoided God’s command in the book bearing his name.
We know that his birth place was Gath-hepher in Northern Israel because it is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, “He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.” It is interesting to note that his father’s name, Amittai, means “truth” which adds significance to the call of Jonah’s life to speak the truth on behalf of God. Many believe that He was also the son of his later widowed mother, Zarephath.
Before Jonah was ever born, God knew exactly how He would use him. He even knew the struggle that Jonah would give when commanded to go to Nineveh. However, we can learn from Jonah’s life that God knows our credentials and qualms but chooses to use us anyway. God’s sovereignty will always prevail even over our preferences. We see several times in the book of Jonah that “God made” or “God appointed” the storm to appear, the fish to swallow Jonah, and even the worm to eat the plant at the end of the book of Jonah. There’s no denying the fact that God was completely in control of what was happening throughout the story even though Jonah tried everything in his power to stop. It should be a comfort to our souls to know that there is a God who is in control of our mistakes and sins; He is masterful at weaving them into His perfect plan.
When Jonah came to Joppa, his intention was to get away from the Lord. In Jonah 1:3, we are told that he “paid the price” to jump on a ship headed to Tarshish. The truth for our life is that there is always going to be ship headed in the wrong direction. This begs the question: will you pay the price to try to get away from the commands of God in your life or will you stay the course? Eugene Peterson pointed out that our call as Christians is to “live a life of long obedience in the same direction.”
Hear His Voice and Do Not Run
God spoke to Jonah without a hiccup or stutter, but Jonah didn’t like what He had to say. In Hebrews 1:1-2 it says that “In the past [God] spoke through prophets… But in these days he has spoken to us by His son whom he appointed over all things.” Jesus gave us a clear way to live. The Holy Spirit applies this truth to our live daily, but the choice is our as to whether we will listen and obey. Sure, there are bound to be things we don’t want to do, or things we wish we could change God’s mind on. However, we are not God, nor do we have His view on the greater picture or purposes. Our calling is to trust God through faith and obey Him with our actions. Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Good word!