Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god. Sigh. The phrase, or like expression, the word of the LORD came governs the books structure and occurs twice (Jonah 1.1, 3.1). Jonah 1.1-2 should arrest ones attention. Those who are morally alert do not say such things; those who are in the darkness of delirium, in a moral slumber, say them. It is a prayer well worth careful study. Later, about 9 a.m. he hired more workers. Finding him asleep, the flummoxed captain said: How is it that you are sleeping? 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. You cared about the plant, which you did not work for and which you did not grow. Salvation is from the Lord.. Nineveh is the capital of Syria, the mortal enemy of Israel. Despair-They asked, What shall we do with you, that the sea may quiet down for us? For the sea was growing more and more turbulent. God is aware of all man does. In the second section, chapters 2 and 4, Jonah was alone with God. Big difference. Indeed, many people spend lots of money and go miles out of their way in order to be able to stay in sin. Thanks again for providing greater understanding to this book With appreciation, John. Twelve years ago, they found out that their baby boy, Jonah, was diagnosed with a fatal rare disease, Sanfilippo Syndrome. In this case, He commissioned Jonah to address the evil of the Ninevites. God's Lesson in Compassion. The Scriptures state Jesus was in the earth 3 days and 3 nights. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. God not only plays dice, His dice are loadedand invisible. Now that of course is extremely important. VII. Perhaps because he cannot see a way out of this hole of wrongdoing, and perhaps because he would probably die anyway, Jonah tells the crew that their only option is to throw him overboard an act that will supposedly appease God and save the ship from the storm. When they heard these words they began to scream, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live (Acts 22.22)! ; 1 Samuel 14:41; Acts 1:26). "Pol minume miror, navis si fracta est tibi,Scelus te et sceleste parta quae vexit bona.". Am I correct in my understanding that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because he was a good law keeping Jew because Jews had no dealings with gentiles? A raging Jonah leaves the city that is actively turning to God (thanks to his prophecy) and wanders into the wilderness. But Sennacheribs entire army would have been much larger.8. Bulletin for Biblical Research 18.2 (2008) 193207,How Big Was Nineveh? Of all the prophets, Jonah is perhaps the most reluctant; his struggle with sin is not hidden. Why did the storm intensify if the men were trying to row to land? Gods mercy trumps every time. Note that he also puts down good money in order to flee. At the opening of his story, God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, one of the largest cities in ancient Mesopotamia, and the capital of Israels most dangerous enemy, the Assyrian empire. Einstein was wrong. Jonah had a choice. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. A gigantic storm was raging. 2. The mariners () salts were seasoned sailors. This is why He gave the order of ministry in Acts 1.8. And where do you come from? 8Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, 9But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. Jonah did his best to escape one great fish, only to be swallowed by another. Two books of the Bible speak of Nineveh. The owner replied he had done no wrong. God does deliver Jonah. Jonah could not understand Gods mercy to Israels enemies. But if only resuscitated, I would think Jonah was not really dead; he was just unconscious or had stopped breathing. In effect, God says to Jonah, Now, where were we?. They were terrified. Exodus 25.9; Hebrews 8.5). The crew, decent men, insist on trying once more to row to shore, a desperate attempt to save the man who had callously endangered their lives. But God would not leave him alone. After the great fish vomited up Jonah on dry ground, God appeared to Jonah a second time (3:1). This order extended to humans as well as animals. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. He was a hard case, preferring death to life (Jonah 4.3, 1.12). But Jonah received more than a mere mention. The Abrahamic Covenant established that all Gentile blessing would come through Israel. In the belly of the fish, Jonah finally descends as far as possible and hits (literal) rock bottom the bottom of the sea. He did not care for the hundreds of thousands of Ninevites, their children, or their animals. Salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2.9). Turn back to God lest we all perish. God asked Jonah if he should really be angry about the plant, and Jonah said he should be angry, even to death. Since the Assyrians did not record military defeats, Sennacherib did not record his failure to destroy Jerusalem or capture its king (Hezekiah). 2 I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. "Little I wonder if the ship is wreckedWhich carries thee and thy ill-gotten wealth." God sends a giant fish to swallow Jonah. Being a king, he understood authority and sovereignty (cf. It is a luscious, heartfelt piece depicting the repentance of the Ninevites. Background A story about prophecy and repentancebut not in the way you think. Jonahis a story of contrasts. 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. The great majority of it. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days walk (Jonah 3.3). Then, God prepared() a worm to eat the gourd which killed it (Jonah 4.7). Jonah Scott will no longer be appearing this year. Theres an irony here that cant be seen in the English. So easily they remain locked in self-deception and rationalizations, ignoring the damage they are inflicting upon others. God is sovereign. Do you have any idea how your behavior, your sins, are affecting the rest of us? During this time, God prepared () a gourd to grow and shade Jonah from the sweltering Mideast sun.10 The gourd made him happy (Jonah 4.6). But their rowing is futile and the storm continues to rage, so they reluctantly toss Jonah into the sea, instantly calming the waters. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Somehow, they sense His just verdict yet they fear their own judgment and ask for His mercy. Jonah reacted by going to Joppa and fleeing west to Tarshish (Jonah 1.3, 10). The cartoonish image of animals fasting and wearing sackcloth is meant to emphasize the totality of the citys repentance. One of our greatest Christian authors, Charles Reade, known for his book, The Cloister and the Hearth, has called Jonah, "The most beautiful story ever written in so small a compass.". . They needed to be destroyed! - I had toyed with the idea of concluding this series last week but there are some nagging words at the end of the book that I believe we need to study. All the while, they continue to ramble on about their right to do as they please. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. It is too easy for us to wish to destroy those who have harmed us, returning crime for crime, sin for sin. I. Defiance-This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. God pursues each of us to restore our broken relationship with Him (Genesis 3.8-10). Mr. Reade went on to say, "It contains forty-eight verses and 1,328 words. But Jonah is not pleased. We read: 7Each man said to his mate, Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 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. 6I descended to the roots of the mountains. These would be paid whatever was right. At noon and 3 p.m. he did the same thing. The teaching is clear: persistent and unrepentant sin brings storms, disturbances, and troubles. but Jonah is the only book of the Bible that begins with it. Indeed, he never really repents, just continually runs from his mistakes even repeatedly prefers death over repentance. Marcia is teaching Denise how to clean a kitchen. From what people are you? 9He said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land (Jonah 1.7-9). 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). In Jonahs day, they were Israels great enemy. 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? wrote Ninevehwas about sixty miles in circumference and twenty miles across. I cannot see where the text states Jonah actually died or not. Yet he became angry when God removed it. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not. Its another classic example of archaeology confirming the Biblical record. Or whither shall I flee from thy face? Often the last one to know or admit the damage he does is the sinner himself. They refused Jonahs solution and rowed with greater intensity. Similarly, in our own culture today a good deal of pain and loss results from the defiant, selfish, and bad behavior of many. God caused the dice reveal Jonah as the problem.3The mariners demanded an accounting. We read: So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of theLORD. It reveals God's greatness and man's pettiness. 4 The God of heaven was a term known to Gentiles (cf. Luke 16:19- reveals Abrahams bosom. Another revealing study of the rhetorical aspects of Jonah is Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah by Phyllis Trible. Indeed, it must have been a kind of willful obliviousness for who could sleep through the tumult of a storm threatening to overturn a ship and a crew of sailors crying for their lives? 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. The Ninevites repented from wickedness to righteousness. They recognized Gods sovereignty: You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased. When Jonah hit the water, the storm ceased. Read Jonah for Spiritual Growth. In a remarkable turn in the story, those who are not believers in the God of Israel dress down Jonah,who is to be Gods prophet, unto repentance! The great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped around my head. (Comp. God asked why Jonah had so much more . Here, Jonah a prophet who likely understood what was happening might, indeed should have taken responsibility for the storm and prayed to his God to save the innocent sailors. We are all runaways. In other words, man rolls dice but God makes the spots come up. 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. During that time, which will last seven years (Daniels 70th week, Daniel 9.27), God will pour His wrath upon all mankind for its unbelief and evil (Psalm 2.5, 9). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Jonah 1:7 They all said to each other Come (Jon. What is important is they believed God. Jesus, declared, 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 (Matthew 12.40). John, God set aside the Gentiles in terms of His direct contact and blessing. 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