Thanks again for providing greater understanding to this book With appreciation, John. Each man had cried to his own god (Jonah 1.5). It is a story of repentance. Whats also interesting is that many skeptics doubted the existence of Nineveh until its ruins were discovered in 1845. But the entire city of Nineveh responded to Jonahs message. The bottom line (if youll pardon the financial pun) is that sinful choices are usually very costly. All things are His. They were aghast at Jonahs behavior in fleeing God (Jonah 1.10). The phrasing of the order emphasized individual accountability and personal responsibility: that each may turn from his wicked way. The text reads: 7He issued a proclamation and it said, In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. I do not deserve to live.This is not repentance; it is despair. Through Jonah, the sailors experienced salvation. The text states 120,000 did not know their right hand from their left (Jonah 4.11). It is true, however,that not everyone is willing or able to be corrected. : Od. It is a story of repentance. Jerome says here, "The fugitive was taken by lot, not by virtue of the lots, especially of the lots of heathen men, but by the will of him who guided the uncertain lots." He did not care for the hundreds of thousands of Ninevites, their children, or their animals. Gods statement to Jonah reminds one of Jesus parable of the laborers of the vineyard (Matthew 20.1-16). He knew that God was compassionate and suspected that the city might repent and be spared. 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. Indeed, he never really repents, just continually runs from his mistakes even repeatedly prefers death over repentance. They tried to turn the ship to land but the storm only worsened. , Joshua 22:16-20 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? And Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He said, While I was fainting away,I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple (Jonah 2.7). The sailors, captain, king, nobles, citizens of Nineveh responded to Gods mercy. Jonah's story reveals God's missionary heart to us as well as Jonah's prejudice toward foreigners. We are currently reading Jonahs story in daily Mass. In that event, Jesus had slept through the storm. God was gracious and Jonah peevish. In despair, the men shouted, What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us (Jonah 1.11)? Similarly, in our own culture today a good deal of pain and loss results from the defiant, selfish, and bad behavior of many. But he gives no response, risking the lives of everyone onboard. and a cause of grief to others around him. The teaching is clear: persistent and unrepentant sin brings storms, disturbances, and troubles. Since the Assyrians did not record military defeats, Sennacherib did not record his failure to destroy Jerusalem or capture its king (Hezekiah). The bottom line (if youll pardon the financial pun) is that sinful choices are usually very costly. Yes, God works with the sinner, drawing him back. Because if God changed His mind, then theres a big question mark about His all knowing nature. Read Jonah for Spiritual Growth. Somehow, they sense His just verdict yet they fear their own judgment and ask for His mercy. They were saved. Then the LORDcommanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land (Jonah 1.10). Similarly, in our own culture today a good deal of pain and loss results from the defiant, selfish, and bad behavior of many. Jonah 1:14-16witnesses that only reluctantly did the sailors cast Jonah overboard, as he had commanded them to do. 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. In the final lines of the book, God speaks once again to Jonah: Are you so deeply grieved about the plant? Yet You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God! Patient-Home-4877 1 yr. ago Stop with your self-justifying slogans and look at whats really going on! God does not save us merely for our own sake, but also, for the sake of others with whom our life is intertwined. He said, , nto Your holy temple (Jonah 2.7). It may be that he is trying to die again (first time by drowning, now by dehydration). IX. And if swallowed, revive him? The worms destruction of the gourd was a picture of Gods potential destruction of Nineveh. What is your country? Obviously, from their superstitious perspective, some god or gods are angry with somebody, and they are all suffering because of what this person has done. Comp. Jonah (his name means dove) was a prophet from Gath-Hepher,1 a town a few miles north of Nazareth (2 Kings 14.23-25). He revealed he was a Jew and despite his disobedience, he declared he feared the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.4Jonah retained his testimony and witness. Terrified, His disciples woke Him to save them from sinking. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Theres an irony here that cant be seen in the English. Hmm, now why does this description seem so familiar? God asked Jonah if he should really be angry about the plant, and Jonah said he should be angry, even to death. Of all the prophets, Jonah is perhaps the most reluctant; his struggle with sin is not hidden. After He calmed the storm, they had declared, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? Same power. It is rife with wickedness. Their gods had failed. So easily they remain locked in self-deception and rationalizations, ignoring the damage they are inflicting upon others. Maybe, just maybe, God would change His mind and destroy the city. As for escape by sea, God owns the sea and its lanes. But their rowing is futile and the storm continues to rage, so they reluctantly toss Jonah into the sea, instantly calming the waters. Students of rhetoric can find no better example of the art than this literary gem. The sailors wrenched to and fro and the wind howled so that the crew screamed to be heard. 7Charles Halton. Jonahs prayer was bitter: I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. I knew it. I do not deserve to live.. All but Jonah. Sometimes, to get a mans attention, God creates havoc. Under the intolerably beating sun, Jonah cries out to God in anger, and this time simply begs for death. If only we had the faith of Jonah, evangelism might leap forward into warp drive. To all this pain can be added many other sufferingscaused by our greed, addiction, lack of forgiveness, pride, impatience, and lack of charity. If the plan of God was NOT to go to the Gentiles even as in the Gospels, Jesus said NOT to go to the Gentiles but only to the lost sheep of Israel, WHY did Jonah go to the Gentiles Nineveh? Who could endure without them? Better that way. Jonah was angry over Gods destruction of the gourdhe lost his shade. But God is tricky. Sign up for a special email series here. (Comp. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. Now that of course is extremely important. V. Dressing Down-The captain came to him and said, What are you doing asleep? Jonah is now beginning to come to his senses, In effect, Jonah says to them, Kill me. And should not I care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons?!. In other words, get back in touch with God, from whom youre running. And yet, the minute they genuinely repent even though that repentance is, admittedly, self-interested God is merciful. Such conditions may explain the phrase king of Nineveh rather than king of Assyria and the fact the kings decree was issued in concert with his nobles. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold. Einstein was wrong. Abraham bargained with God not to destroy Sodom if the city had ten righteous people (Genesis 18.32). 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 . In the end, they DID finally turn to God in repentance. Twelve years ago, they found out that their baby boy, Jonah, was diagnosed with a fatal rare disease, Sanfilippo Syndrome. What is certain at this point is that Jonah is in need of more repentance himself. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? VII. Literal vs. Figurative Interpretation of City Size, Faith vs. Works in James: Resolving the Problem, But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the. Despite his sin, Jonah does not lose his dignity. Thus, he said: 9Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish (Jonah 3.9)? Jonah obeyed this time but he still had an attitude. Jonah did his best to escape one great fish, only to be swallowed by another. His prophecy has been believed, the city has responded magnificently to his words, and the people are turning their lives around. Now he had gone down into the sea monster to the depths of death (Jonah 2.6). They now knew they were dealing not with nature alone but with supernature. Jonahis a story of contrasts. And then theres Jonah, the prophet of God, who is supposed to be an exemplary person, yet finds repentance nearly impossible. Jonah responded: He said to them, Pick me up and throw me into the sea. 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. When spoken, it brings men to salvation. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the. Lord (Jonah 2.9). At the end of the day, 6 p.m., his foreman paid each man a denarius. Deor. Verse 2 of chapters 1 and 3 contain the same three Hebrew verbs: (arise), (go), and (cry). Resurrection involves receipt of an immortal body that is not subject to death. 2The book of Jonah has received numerous accolades for it literary artistry. Two books of the Bible speak of Nineveh. Those who are morally alert do not say such things; those who are in the darkness of delirium, in a moral slumber, say them. A raging Jonah leaves the city that is actively turning to God (thanks to his prophecy) and wanders into the wilderness. Paul raised Eutychus (Acts 20) from death but Eutychus died later. 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. When Godquestioned Jonah over his anger about the loss of the gourd he responded: My anger is justifiedeven to death(Jonah 4.9). I cant explain how, but it brought everything into perspective. Solomon wrote, the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD (Proverbs 16.33). Chapter 2 recounts Jonah in the belly of the sea monster where he prayed and gave thanks to God. Rather than heed this call, Jonah flees in the opposite direction on a ship to Tarshish, across the Mediterranean Sea (in ancient terms, this is basically the other side of the world). If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. I understand much more of this book now than previously. Like Jonah, though, many line up to pay the price and take the long, painful journey deeper into defiance and sin. The Lord was the first to be resurrected. L. C. Allen wrote it was a model of literary artistry, marked by symmetry and balance (Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah) and H. C. Brichto described it, from beginning to end, in form and content, in diction, phraseology, and style, a masterpiece of rhetoric (Toward a Grammar of Biblical Poetics). While all these storms (which he caused) are raging, Jonah is asleep. For whose cause; Septuagint, . Response of Those in Command: Captain and King. Yom Kippur in the Community. They were threats! Jonah. "Pol minume miror, navis si fracta est tibi,Scelus te et sceleste parta quae vexit bona.". Lazarus and the rich man both in the place of hell one on paradise side and one on torment side. c. Proclamation was one of Judgment. Background Our first instinct should always be to respect the dignity of every personeven great sinnersand strive to bring them to the Lord with loving correction. Jonahs experience in the sea-beast, this living submarine, must have been terrifying. In four short chapters, the story of Jonah reveals God's consistent, unchangeable character and is a testament to his relentless love and abundant mercy. So, too, are we when we defiantly indulge sinfulness. What we do, or fail to do, affects others. at least not as the first recourse. But unlike other prophetic books, what follows is not an account of the divine words that Jonah received, but instead a story about Jonah who, it turns out, was a very reluctant, even recalcitrant prophet. This mercy is available for nothing. Jesus told the Jews the Ninevites would judge them because they had repented because of Jonahs preaching and that He was greater than Jonah. 2 Chronicles 36.23; Ezra 7.21; Nehemiah 2.20; Daniel 2.18-19, 37, 44). God demonstrated His ultimate mercy and grace in sending His Son to die for our sins and rising from the dead so we might have life and enjoy His fellowship forever. How much of our trouble comes from our sin? Jonah repented from fleeing God to obeying Him. Too many wander around in a kind of delirium, a moral sleep, talking about their rights and insisting that what they do is nobody elses business. Yet all the while the storm winds buffet and others suffer for what they do. His scoffing and defiance likely result from hatred or excessive nationalism. John, God set aside the Gentiles in terms of His direct contact and blessing. The great majority of it. God's Lesson in Compassion. He then asked the laborers if he did not have the right to do what he wanted with his own money. What is your country, and to what people do you belong? Jonah answered them, I am a Hebrew, I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, How could you do such a thing? They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD, because he had told them. One section involves Jonah, those with whom he had contact, and God. Another revealing study of the rhetorical aspects of Jonah is Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah by Phyllis Trible. Thanks for all. If he was really dead, he had to be resurrected, as I understand the terminology. 1 From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God, 2 saying: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me.