Of all the prophets, Jonah is perhaps the most reluctant; his struggle with sin is not hidden. that not everyone is willing or able to be corrected. In fact, he is furiously angryand directs his outburst at God. Its another classic example of archaeology confirming the Biblical record. Yom Kippur in the Community. God pursues each of us to restore our broken relationship with Him (Genesis 3.8-10). It reveals Gods greatness and mans pettiness. Jonah was called to preach the word of warning to the city of Nineveh, but he ran in the opposite direction. Gods will and plan operates within and accommodates human volition. He knew that God was compassionate and suspected that the city might repent and be spared. As our defiance deepens, the headwinds become ever stronger and the destructive forces ever more powerful. Thanks so much. 270, 271.) They now prayed that He would spare them and not hold them guilty for shedding innocent blood by throwing Jonah overboard. We are currently reading Jonah's story in daily Mass. The bottom line (if youll pardon the financial pun) is that sinful choices are usually very costly. Could God not leave well enough alone? Hi Don, wonferfully insightful study. Romans 9.15-16). Jonah 1:14-16witnesses that only reluctantly did the sailors cast Jonah overboard, as he had commanded them to do. Jonah became angry. I understand much more of this book now than previously. We read: Then Jonah began to go through the city one days walk; and he cried out and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown (Jonah 3.4).9. It may be that he is trying to die again (first time by drowning, now by dehydration). Indeed, he never really repents, just continually runs from his mistakes even repeatedly prefers death over repentance. That attitude, rather than Jonah's outward disobedience, was what upset God the most. Once again, God wont permit him to perish without facing his mistakes and, where previously God sent a giant fish to save him from the water, this time God sprouts a plant to shelter Jonah from the burning sun. 1 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. So much suffering, so much expense, so much extra mileage could be avoided if we just obeyed God. Note that he also puts down good money in order to flee. III. Jonah was a typical Jew who wished to have no dealings with Gentiles. Great work Sir Samdahl! Note that he also puts down good money in order to flee. I knew You would find a way to spare and bless these pagans. 10God prepared () a fish (Jonah 1.17), a gourd (Jonah 4.6), a worm (Jonah 4.7), and a violent east wind (Jonah 4.8). The virtue of obedience is it allows one to enjoy God, to celebrate His work. Site by Glass Canvas, Whither shall I go from thy spirit? The waves quickly enveloped him and overpowered his body. He did nothing. It provides a foretaste of the fullness of Israels destiny to bless Gentiles anticipated in the great Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12.1-3 cf. For I will send you far away to the Gentiles (Acts 22.21). By the way, Do u pastor any congregation? He did not provide sunlight for it. God heard his prayer and delivered him. The lot falls to Jonah, and he is finally forced to go public. Somehow, they sense His just verdict yet they fear their own judgment and ask for His mercy. He has declared the first shall be last, and the last first (Matthew 20.16). The point of Jesus parable and the point of Jonah is that grace is greater than law. "Pol minume miror, navis si fracta est tibi,Scelus te et sceleste parta quae vexit bona.". Jonah could not understand Gods mercy to Israels enemies. I learned a lot. I believe Jonah didnt go, nor was the intent of God that he go to preach the Gospel but rather he was to preach judgement. Required fields are marked *. This is what every sinner, whether outside the Church or inside, needs to hear: wake up and look at what youre doing; see how youre affecting yourself and all of us. If you want to experience spiritual growth, if you want to cultivate a heart more like God's, or if you want to better understand God's priorities, I . Rise up, call upon your God! Stop with your self-justifying slogans and look at whats really going on! But Jonahs hatred of these people is evident throughout the book even to the end. If I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I descend into hell, thou art present. Consider their situation. Often the last one to know or admit the damage he does is the sinner himself. God was gracious and Jonah peevish. After God delivered him, Jonah traveled to Nineveh and prophesied that the Lord would destroy the city because of its wickedness. Ask Nebuchadnezzar. And then theres Jonah, the prophet of God, who is supposed to be an exemplary person, yet finds repentance nearly impossible. In response to Jonahs flight, God hurled () a storm onto the sea. The other has Jonah alone with God. As for escape by sea, God owns the sea and its lanes. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. His scoffing and defiance likely result from hatred or excessive nationalism. I cannot see where the text states Jonah actually died or not. Jonah is now beginning to come to his senses,but not with godly sorrow, more with worldly sorrow. Lord (Jonah 2.9). Jonah's story reveals God's missionary heart to us as well as Jonah's prejudice toward foreigners. but Jonah is the only book of the Bible that begins with it. Apparently he had no problem traveling quickly to hop a boat headed the opposite direction. - we left Jonah last week in quite a pickle.. - He was a prophet of Israel.and God had told him "arise, and go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry against it, because their wickedness had come up before the Lord." - well, Jonah didn't like that idea because Ninevah was in Assyria..and the Assyrians were enemies of Israel. This is what every sinner, whether outside the Church or inside, needs to hear:wake up and look at what youre doing; see how youre affecting yourself and all of us. 2. What a wonderful explanation of the Book of Jonah. Jonah had appeared during a time of national distress and its rulers could ill afford divine wrath by aninvading army, famine, earthquake, epidemic, or flood. Another revealing study of the rhetorical aspects of Jonah is Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah by Phyllis Trible. He could have told the crew to turn the ship back to Joppa. 1 Now the word of the LORDcame to Jonah the second time, saying, 2Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you (Jonah 3.1-2). Instead, he told them to throw him into the sea. Nineveh is the capital of Syria, the mortal enemy of Israel. To all this pain can be added many other sufferingscaused by our greed, addiction, lack of forgiveness, pride, impatience, and lack of charity. Its always a longer journey when you disobey God. God is aware of all man does. This word is used for Gods hurling the storm, sailors tossing ballast from the ship, and Jonah being cast into the sea (Jonah 1.4, 5, 12, 15). If he was really dead, he had to be resurrected, as I understand the terminology. This was a large army, even by modern standards. IX. that grows ever deeper. If a learner starts displaying a skill learned in DTI within natural environment, we might say that the learner: Has generalized the skill from DTI to the natural environment. IV. 3 For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current swirled about me; all Your breakers and waves swept over me. This is why God makes statements such as 2 Chronicles 7.14. However, God has declared, vengeance is mine; I will repay (Romans 12.19; 1 Corinthians 4.5). God has restrained judgment for 2,000 years and given men and women an opportunity for eternal life by believing Pauls gospel of grace (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). In the end, the men must hand Jonah over to the Lord. His remembering is not that He forgets but that he gives heed to something. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The book of Nahum prophesied and described its doom. Jonah 3 God gave His commission to Jonah a second timeand this time, Jonah was ready to obey. Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. This would mean the metroplex was about 60 miles in diameter (comparable to modern Dallas-Ft. Worth). The last thing Jonah thought God would do was send him to the Assyrians (Jonah 1.1-2). Bulletin for Biblical Research 18.2 (2008) 193207,How Big Was Nineveh? I would say we can file this in the "God's Will will be done." Jonah 1: NASB 1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. That's where the word of the Lord came to Jonah a . Ask Saul of Tarsus. God asked Jonah if he should really be angry about the plant, and Jonah said he should be angry, even to death. Despite brevity, it is a powerful story of Gods grace to Gentiles and a reflective study into Gods character and mercy. Defiance also indicates a lack of faith because it comes from the Latin dis (against) and fidere (believe). Psalm 139 says, beautifully. In an attempt to absolve themselves . Comp. In effect, Jonah says to them, Kill me. The mariners, fearing for their lives, also lose wealth. Its a pretty bad day for a prophet when those whom he is supposed to address, must turn and call him to conversion. Implicit in Jonahs message was that God was displeased with their behavior. The arks lid was called the mercy seat (Exodus 25.17-22; cf. What are your thoughts on this? The Abrahamic Covenant established that all Gentile blessing would come through Israel. He said, While I was fainting away,I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple (Jonah 2.7). Jonah was part of that. This will be the Day of the Lord, first revealed in Psalm 2 and expanded upon in detail by the prophets. In those contexts, it strongly seemed as though God initially forgot.. Or were these just wrong use of language by the prophets or wrong presentation by the prophets because of their weak and limited understanding of God probably as a result of their spiritually dead nature. The cartoonish image of animals fasting and wearing sackcloth is meant to emphasize the totality of the citys repentance. What a change! VII. I do not deserve to live.. The Lord then taught Jonah about His love for the people of Nineveh. Jonah had a choice. Terrified, His disciples woke Him to save them from sinking. In the belly of the fish, Jonah finally descends as far as possible and hits (literal) rock bottom the bottom of the sea. The story of Jonah teaches compassion by not following the prophet's example. 3 Albert Einstein said,God does not play dice with the universe. He hated the notion of a universe governed by probability, a fundamental concept of quantum theory. The men decide to draw lots to see who is responsible for the storm and the lot falls on Jonah. I have a question about the scripture that reads: for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Since Jesus was not dead and buried for three nights, what does in the heart of the earth mean? The other worker, with whom he made no contract (whatever was right), received pay according to the landowners heart. Big difference. God revealed His mercy not only by His words and actions but in the architecture of the Tabernacle. There is abortion, disease, teenage pregnancy, children with no fathers, and all the grief and pain that come from broken or malformed families. Somehow, they sense His just verdict yet they fear their own judgment and ask for His mercy. Thank God for second chances! On the other hand, the proclamation, which included the nobles, may have been issued in that way to indicate that all the leadership was agreed. But God would have us reach out to the sinner, to correct with love. They tried to turn the ship to land but the storm only worsened. The Psalmist wrote God founded the earth upon the seas (Psalm 24.1-2). The sailors wrenched to and fro and the wind howled so that the crew screamed to be heard. So easily they remain locked in self-deception and rationalizations, ignoring the damage they are inflicting upon others. But you can't run from the God who controls storms and big fish. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Bren, Your email address will not be published. So much suffering, so much expense, so much extra mileage could be avoided if we just obeyed God. They were threats! A story about prophecy and repentancebut not in the way you think. He realized he could not escape God and looked to Him for deliverance. You cared about the plant, which you did not work for and which you did not grow. Jonahis a story of contrasts. But on particular occasions, He reveals Himself and acts. Make a deal with God and He will keep it. (Comp. He then asked the laborers if he did not have the right to do what he wanted with his own money. The book of Jonah ends with God having the last word: 10Then the Lord said, You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. This order extended to humans as well as animals. All the while, they continue to ramble on about their right to do as they please. Do not let them eat or drink water. and less costly as well. Until Christs blood was shed all the people that had died were held in the heart of the earth Hebrews 10:4. As soon as Jonah has settled gratefully into its shade, God sends a worm to chew the roots of the plant, killing it so that Jonah is left exposed once again. The owner replied he had done no wrong. Jonah repented from fleeing God to obeying Him. Jonahs defiance sends him and others headlong into a stormthat grows ever deeper. Jesus actually identified Himself with the prophet's three-day sojourn in the belly of the great fish, noting it as a foreshadowing of His own death . 2016 Don Samdahl. We are all runaways. When spoken, it brings men to salvation. That which I have vowed I will pay. 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.". Gamble against God and youll lose. He created a storm to ensure the ship never reached Tarshish and arraigned a great fish to swallow him. Parallel Commentaries "Pol minume miror, navis si fracta est tibi, Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural. He was at such peace he was sleeping through a storm that had everyone else petrified with fear. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. The book of Jonah is short, compassing four brief chapters of 48 verses. They recognized Gods sovereignty: You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased. 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