The book of Jonah is known for the episode of the prophet Jonah who was swallowed by a large fish. But that fascinating incident is merely one piece of a much larger drama.
In the first section of this book, Jonah was called by God to carry out an assignment. He was to warn Ninevah to repent or be destroyed by God. Ninevah was a dangerous enemy of Israel, and Jonah had no interest in warning the enemy.
In the final section, Jonah was compelled to fulfill his mission because God had compassion on his enemies. In hearing Jonah's call to repentance, Ninevah repented and Jonah was left to observe the grace of God in action.
What does it say?
This book tells the story of the prophet Jonah and a mission from God Jonah desperately wanted to avoid. God commissioned him to preach to the people of Nineveh, an evil, hated, and feared enemy of Israel. Jonah was commanded to preach a message of repentance, calling the people to turn from their sins and avoid the destruction that would come if they did not. Jonah himself preferred they be destroyed, and so he didn't want to bring the warning. In fact, since Nineveh was to the northeast, Jonah ran west and headed to Tarshish, the farthest known western point in the known world of Jonah's day.
While in route on a sailing ship to Tarshish, God produced a violent storm to stop Jonah's escape. Jonah ends up in the belly of a fish and back on the land, reluctantly ready to do what God said. Much to his disappointment, Nineveh listened to his message and repented. Nineveh will not be destroyed. And Jonah was taught a lesson about God's grace to all the nations.
Faces & Places
There is only one main character in this short book, the prophet Jonah. He probably ministered as a prophet sometime between 800 and 750 B.C., during a time of relative strength for Israel and great disdain for the surrounding powers, like Assyria, whose capital is Nineveh.
Nineveh, the great city to which Jonah was sent, is northeast of Israel on the banks of the Tigris River. Tarshish, the city to which Jonah tried to flee, is probably in present-day Spain. Nineveh and Tarshish were about as far apart as any two cities in the known world, and that was to Jonah's liking!
Key Verses & Themes
The Compassion of God:
Jonah 4:2 "He prayed to the Lord, 'O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."
Jonah 4:11 " But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Repentance:
Jonah 3:7-9 "'By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.'"
So what?
A thoughtful reading of Jonah can raise an interesting question. Are we more ready to condemn sinners than God is? While God wanted to show compassion on the people of Nineveh, Jonah wanted their destruction. When God wanted to call them to repentance, Jonah wanted them to remain in their sins and die.
One of the problems was that Jonah wanted God to bless his own nation of Israel and nobody else. Jonah was not prepared to love his enemies, even though God was. Are you more like Jonah or more like God? Are you prepared to love your enemies? Are you prepared to pray blessings on your enemies? Are you prepared to act on their behalf? Or would you rather they "get what they deserve"?
God gave what we deserve to Christ, so that he could give us the blessings Christ deserves. Will you take that message to your personal Nineveh?
