An Introduction to the book of Jonah

7/28/2019 An Introduction to the book of Jonah

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An Introduction to

JonahA Brief BACKGROUND to Jonah

AUTHOR:

*The author of Jonah was most likely Jonah himself, the son of Amittai, whose namesignifies, dove.

*Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 as prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam II, whowas king over Israel from 782-753 B.C. This would make Jonah's ministry one of the earliestof the minor prophets.

*In 2 Kings 14:25 Jonah is said to have been from Gath-hepher, which was in the territory ofZebulun in northern Israel.

DATE:

If Jonah was indeed the author, the book of Jonah must have been written sometime from theearly to late 8th century B.C. (around 725-775 B.C). If Jonah was not the author, it could havebeen written anytime between the 8 th century B.C. and the second century B.C, which is the

first recorded mention of the twelve prophets (Sirach 49:10).

AUDIENCE:

Being himself a prophet from Zebulun, Jonah's audience is most likely the 10 tribes of Israelin the north. In reading Jonah, Israel is warned against nationalistic presumption (cf.Deut.32:21with Rom.10:19)and challenged with a missionary God who delights in savingthose far off.

CONTEXT:

Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, a period of great economic prosperityamong the people of God, seemingly unparalleled since the days of Solomon. This was

especially true of Israel in the north, for we read of Jeroboam II in 2 Kings 14:25 (the onlyverse in Kings or Chronicles dealing with Jonah's ministry), He restored the border of Israelfrom the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of theLord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, theprophet, who was of Gath-hepher.

Though there was unparalleled economicprosperity in Israel in the days of Jonah, there wassadly great spiritual poverty. The golden calfs, erected under Jeroboam I generations earlier,continued to be worshiped by Israel in the north in Bethel and Dan (see 1 Kings 12:26-29).Jeroboam II, like every single king before him in northern Israel (over the 10 tribes) was said


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to have done evil in the sight of the Lord. Thus, though the church in northern Israel is richand wealthy and seemed to have need of nothing, they are really wretched and miserable andpoor and blind and naked (Rev.3:17).

Application: One very important application here: Whendid God send Jonah far away tothe Ninevites? When the church at home was well established and had little need for him tostay? No. God sent Jonah to an unreached people group, as it were, in a distant landwhenthere were still massive needs in the church at home. Perhaps Jonah's fellow prophets wouldhave harshly criticized Jonah for going to Nineveh, citing how badly the church needed him athome. The lesson should be fairly clear for us. God is calling the church to send outpreachers of the gospel to unreached people groups in foreign lands even when there are stillneedsand evengreatneedsin the church at home.

OVERVIEW:

*The STYLE of Jonah: The author of Jonah is brutally honestabout the prophet's failings,something we would do well to follow in the writing of our modern Christian biographies.Jonah is written much like aprophetic narrative(as the narratives of Elijah and Elisha in Kingsand Chronicles). Further, the book of Jonah is structured throughparallels:

Jonah swallowed by the great fish (chs. 1-2) Jonah sent to the great city (chs. 3-4)Jonah's commission and disobedience (1:1-3) Jonah's recommission and obedience (3:1-3)

God calms the storm He had sent against thepagan sailors (1:4-16)

God relents concerning His wrath He haddeclared against the pagan Ninevites (3:3-10)

Jonah's prayer of thanksgiving(2:1-9) Jonah's prayer of anger (4:2-3)

*The SCOPE of Jonah: The book of Jonah tells the greatest fish story known to man, butit is meant to do more than tell a story. It was meant to teachIsraeland now usthat theLord is a God who has compassion on those who are far off as well as those near. Thismessage contains both a reminder and a warning:

It seems that Jonah is written to REMIND Israel of GOD'S CHARACTER. As Peterwould later declare, God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man whofears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him (Acts 10:34-35)whether Jew orGentile. It is good news that the Lord is not a God who shows partiality. The book ofJonah clearly shows that, whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved(Rom.10:13). The Lord longs to draw to himself those who are far off as well as thosewho are near.

It seems that Jonah is written to WARN Israel of GOD'S JUDGMENT. The repentanceof the Ninevites is in stark contrast to the continual rebellion of Israel. The northernkingdom of Israel remained unrepentant for generations despite the faithful preaching ofthe prophets (including Jonah himself). In comparison, these Gentile dogs are broughtto repentance after one dayof the preaching of Jonah (4:4-5)and such manifestations of

repentance as had never been seen in Israel (even the Ninevites' animals must fast and beclothed with sackcloth)! In comparing the continual rebellion and disobedience of Israelwith the response of the Gentiles in Nineveh, we sense Isaiah's words echoing throughoutthe book of Jonah: All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient andobstinate people (Is.65:2; Rom.10:21). Moses had likewise prophesied many yearsbefore: They have made Me jealous with what is not God; they have provoked Me toanger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I willprovoke them to anger with a foolish nation (Deut.32:21; Rom.10:19). In this way Jonahis given as a warning to Jewish Israel (and a forecast of their exile and judgment). If theycontinue to reject their God, the Lord was quite able to raise up children for Abrahamfrom among the Gentiles.


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*The OUTLINE of Jonah, in brief (we will return to this in more detail soon):

Chapter 1: Jonah's SINChapter 2: Jonah's PRAYERChapter 3: Jonah's PREACHINGChapter 4: Jonah's LESSON

*The book of Jonah is quoted or referred to in the New Testament in at least the followingpassages: Matt.12:39-41; 16:4; Lk.11:29-32. For more on Nineveh see the book of Nahum,which is a later oracle pronounced against Nineveh (written some hundred years or moreafter the events recorded in the book of Jonah).

COMMON MISTAKES in the interpretation of JonahMistake regarding the HISTORICITY of Jonah's preaching:

Some take it to be merely an allegorythat none of these events really actually happened.These people say that everythingfrom the storm to the fish to Jonah's preaching in Ninevehand the conversion of the citywere not factual events but a fictional story to teach lessons

about God.

We do not disagree that the story of Jonah is here to teach us lessons. But the natural readingof the text is to take it as it is: a record of events concerning the life and preaching of Jonah,the son of Amittai, prophet from Gath-hepher. It has been rightly said that Jonah reads likeone of the historically grounded prophetic narratives found in Kings or Chronicles (see 1Kings 17:2,8). Christ also confirms the historicity of Jonah's 3 days in the belly of the fish andensuing repentance of the Ninevites in His words in Matthew 12:39-41.

Mistake regarding the HEARERS of Jonah's preaching:

Some say that the Assyrians (the people of which Nineveh was the capital) were presently the

greatest enemies of God's people, and thus that the greatest significance in Jonah being sent toNineveh was that Jonah was being sent to preach the gospel to his worst enemies.

The Assyrians were indeed a brutal people, and enemies of the people of God, but theyweren't by any means the greatest enemies of Israel in Jonah's daythat would have been theArameans (2 Kings 13:4-5,22 is the backdrop of 14:25-26). They are indeed the ones whowill eventually conquer Israel in the north and exile them to their own land. But the exilewouldn't take place for another several years (40-70 years later), under an Assyrian king whowas most likely the grandson of the reigning king of Assyria during Jonah's day. TheAssyrians are the enemies of most other foreign lands because of their brutality (includingIsrael), but they are not necessarily Israel's worst enemies at this time.

Mistake regarding the CONTENT of Jonah's preaching:

Some say again, that Jonah, hating the thought of having to preach to the Assyrians, rebelledagainst God yet again as he preached, in that instead of preaching upon the love and grace ofGod (as he ought to have), Jonah preached a harsh and legalistic message of only doom andgloom.

We will get to this in more detail later, but for now we will briefly point out that, 1) in chapter1 God told Jonah, Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickednesshas come up before Me (1:2);and 2) after the Ninevites repent, the text reads, Godrelented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them (3:10);


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IE, the message Jonah preached was indeed God's messageGod himself was preachingthrough Jonah.

A SUMMARY of JonahChapter 1: Jonah's SIN

Chapter 2: Jonah's PRAYERChapter 3: Jonah's PREACHINGChapter 4: Jonah's LESSON

CHAPTER 1: JONAH'S SIN

*The SOURCE of Jonah's sin:

Why did Jonah run away? Jonah reveals later (4:2)why he fled in the first place: he wasafraid the Ninevites would repent, and in turn, that God would relent concerning Hispronounced judgment.

Why didn't Jonah want them to repent?

First, a clarification. Jonah's problem was NOT a lack of knowledge. It wasn't that Jonahdidn't realize or understand (perhaps as the early church in the book of Acts) that Godwas a compassionate God who had purposed to save the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Heknew full well that the Gentiles (and by implication, the Ninevites) were included in God'spurposes of salvation (see 4:1-2)he just didn'twantthem to be. So why not? It mayhave been for one or all of the following reasons:

Perhaps, 1) because Jonah wanted God to give justice to his enemies instead ofmercy. It's not for nothing that the Lord says what He does in 1:2 (see alsoNahum 3:1-4). The Assyrians are said to have been absolutely brutal. Jonah's callto go to Nineveh has been likened to God calling a Jew to preach the gospel toGermany under the reign of Hitler, or an American being sent as a missionary to

Al Qaeda. They were a fierce people and the enemies of human kind.

Application:Are there any group of people we are so disgusted with that wewould much rather see God's justice poured out upon them than Hiscompassion? Have we forgotten we were once haters of others and enemies ofGod?

Perhaps, 2) because Jonah had become too nationalisticso much so that eventhough he knewthat God was a compassionate God who was concerned for thesalvation of Gentiles (like the Ninevites), he didn't want those Gentile dogs to bepart of the people of God. If this was the case it wasn't necessarily that he had aspecial grudge against the Assyrians, but it was rather that he didn't want any filthyGentiles coming in (to the kingdom) and polluting the temple of God.

Application: Do we have wrong and sinful notions about the church? Do we(either openly and explicitly or inwardly and subtly) keep anyone out of thechurch because we see them as a polluting (or just uncomfortable) influence? (IE,poor smelly people, people from other races countries or religions, homosexuals,unchurched rowdy kidsanyone who because they act or talk differently make usuncomfortable?) Is our church an open door for all? A house of prayer for allnations? Or are their some who we basically close the door on (though we wouldnever admit to it)?


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Perhaps, 3) because Jonah knew that the repentance of Nineveh exposed ugly andfearful truths about the people of God:what would be the implications ofNineveh repenting after 1 day of Jonah's preaching (it seems the city repentedbefore Jonah could even get through the 3 days' walkand as it turned out, suchrepentance as we have never read before in the pages of the Old Testament); butIsrael remaining unrepentant for hundreds of years despite the Lord continuallysending prophets like Jonah to her? It may have been that Jonah had the words ofDeuteronomy 32:21 ringing in his ears: They have made Me jealous with what isnot God; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make themjealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with afoolish nation. It may well have been that Jonah knew there was more at stakewith Nineveh's repentance than the conversion of the Gentilesit may well havebeen that Jonah was fearful that the conversion of Nineveh exposed the necessityof the judgment of Israel.

Application: Imagine that there was a large-scale repentance of Al Qaeda, somuch so that there was an ensuing missionary movementwith former Al Qaedaterrorists now being sent to the US as passionate, sold-out to Christ missionaries.How would it make you feel? Excited or angry? Pastorsimagine one of themcoming into your church wanting to partner with you to stir up your (perhaps

somewhat sleepy) congregation and reach the community. How would it makeyou feel? Would you be thankful for the new life and opportunities for thegospel? Or would it make you fearful that it might expose that your church isn't ashealthy as everyone might have thought? Do we welcome the Light of Christ toexpose our sins (both individual and corporate sins), or does that thought terrifyus?

*The DESCRIPTION of Jonah's sin:

In running away from the mission of God, Jonah found himself actually running awayfrom God's very presence (1:3 twice; 10).

Application:Whether we don't want to share the good news with others because they are

our worst enemies, or because we think that outsiders with filthy mouths or filthy liveswould mess up our pristine church, or because we are afraid of what true conversions andnew life would expose about the sins of our own church hidden beneath the surfaceknow this: in running away from the mission of God to gather those far off, you are notstaying on neutral territory with the Lordyou are running away from God's verypresence.

*The RESULT of Jonah's sin:

1) A FIERCE STORM comes upon the ship: The great storm comes upon Jonah's shipbecause of Jonah's disobedience (1:4,12). Jonah's reaction to the storm? He is fastasleep.

While unbelieving pagans are earnestly calling on each their god, Jonah has gone downinto the hold of the ship and was fast asleep. Jonah sleeps while his mates are perishing.Jonah, whose God alone is the Living and true God who could actually deliver them,sleeps; while his mates uselessly call upon their gods who could never deliver. The onlyman on that ship who could help had chosen not to. Jonah's actions are so despicableeven to the pagan captain that he rebukes Jonahand has to admonish him to call on hisGod along with everyone else.

Application: Storms don't always come to us because of disobedience. Sometimes it isjust when we are following the Lord that the winds and the waves become the fiercest(as


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in Mark 4:35-38). But we have a God who pursues us when we run away from Hispresence. He has promised to sanctify us (Psalm 23:3; 31:3). He is the hound ofheaven. It is in love for Jonah as much as in love for the Ninevites that God sent thestorm in chapter 1. The Lord sends discipline to His wayward children because He iscommitted to our sanctification.

2) THE JEWISH PROPHET is thrown out of the ship: Jonah told them this was theonly way for the sea to be made calm again. The sailors feared to do this and triedeverything they could to prevent Jonah's being thrown overboard, but in the end they sawthis was the only way.

3) THE GENTILE SAILORS are brought to faith in the Lord: Theprogressionisbeautiful: when the storm comes, the sailors became afraid, (v5); when they learn it hadcome upon them because of the Lord, the men became extremely frightened, (v10);and when the sea stops its raging, the men feared the Lord greatly (v16). Further, thelanguageused by the sailors in Jonah 1:14-16 is the Old Testament language of salvation.They earnestly called on the Lord (v14) before throwing Jonah in the sea, and wheneverything immediately becomes calm, they fear the Lord greatly (v16), offer a sacrificeto the Lord (v16), and make vows (v16). It is hard to find any clearer language used inthe Old Testament for men being brought to faith in the Messiah than this.

CHAPTER 2: JONAH'S PRAYER

*Its CONTEXT:

Jonah's prayer is FILLED WITH FAITHfaith that the Lord hears and delivers sinnerswho call upon His name.

It is evident that as he is sinking down to the bottom of the sea, Jonah casts up a faintprayer to God: I called out of my distress to the Lord. . .I cried for help from the depthof Sheol. . .While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came toYou(2:2,7).

Jonah had been nothing but disobedient. He had deliberately run away from God, andhad acted so reprehensibly towards his fellow man that even the pagan sailors had torebuke him. But Jonah cried out to God for help as he sunk to the bottom of the ocean.And God heard him and delivered him.

Application:When does God hear our prayers and deliver us? When we've been goodChristians and have some religious points to cash in? No. God hears our prayers evenon our worst days. Our Savior hears and answers the prayers of sinnerseven Christiansinners.

*Its CONTENT:

Jonah's prayer is FILLED WITH THE PSALMS. . .

Jonah 2:2 Psalm 18:4-6; 50:15

Jonah 2:3 Psalm 42:7; 69:1-2

Jonah 2:4 Psalm 31:22; 5:7

Jonah 2:5 Psalm 18:5; 69:1-2; 116:3


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Jonah 2:6 Psalm 30:3; 40:2

Jonah 2:7 Psalm 142:3; 18:6

Jonah 2:8 Psalm 31:6

Jonah 2:9 Psalm 50:14, 23

Application 1: The value of PRAYING SCRIPTURE. . .

Application 2: The value of MEMORIZATION. As one brother has pointed outthough Jonah's prayer is filled with the Psalms, the prophet had no copy of the OldTestament with him in the belly of the fish.1 What he prays here from the Psalms hadbeen committed to memory. An application here: We are given seasons of summer inthe light to store up truth for seasons of darkness. What we learn in the light will bevaluable in times of darkness.2 Do we have Scripture tucked away in our hearts for thetimes we need God's Word but don't have a Bible handy?

*Its THEME:

Jonah's prayer is FILLED WITH WORSHIP. Though he had been delivered fromdrowning in the ocean, he was by no means out of the woods yet (has anyone ever beenknown to be swallowed up by a whale but live to tell about it?) Still, instead of Jonah'sprayer being filled with anxious supplications for deliverance, it is filled with worship. Inthe midst of the darkness and uncertainty, Jonah worships the Lord for who He is and forwhat He has done. Do I worship and give thanks in the midst of darkness anduncertainty?

CHAPTER 3: JONAH'S PREACHING

*Its CONTEXT:

After Jonah's disobedience, God did not look for another, more obedient prophet to sendto Nineveh. We read: Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time. . .(3:1).

Application: God is a God of second chances. Like blind Bartimaeus, we may yet againregain what we had lost through sin and neglect: Lord, I want to REgain my sight. . .(Lk.18:41). Have you failed God? Have you been all too often like disobedient Jonah?In Christ we may draw near once again, having our consciences cleansed with the blood ofthe Lamb, we may be filled afresh with His Spirit, forgetting what is behind and reachingforward to what is ahead.

*Its NATURE:

How are we to understand Jonah's proclamation to Nineveh? Was the commission thatGod had given to Jonah a one-time, specific prophesy, given exclusively to the Nineviteswith no direct applications to us? Or are we to see Jonah as an evangelist being sent to anunreached people group (as it were) to preach the gospel? Is Jonah prophesying of aspecific occurrencesomething we ought not to pattern? Or is Jonah simply preachingthe gospelsomething we definitelyought to pattern? Are we to understand Jonah andhis proclamation as aprophetin the exclusive and unrepeatable sense? Or are we tounderstand Jonah as apreacher, sent to the Ninevites as a missionary evangelist in much

1 Very much appreciated this insight from John Stevenson's study of Jonah (www.johnstevenson.net).

2 Ibid.


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the same way we are sent out to preach Christ to the nations today?

In one sense, Jonah's message was very UNIQUE to the Ninevites. God had revealed toJonah that He would send judgment to them after 40 days. We are never to speculateabout dates or times of the second coming of Christ. This specificity was revealeduniquely to Jonah as an Old Testament prophet.

But in another sense, Jonah's message is to be understood in GENERAL terms and canbe thought of not only as a specific prophesy to the Ninevites, but as evangelisticpreaching. In referring to Jonah, our Lord said: The men of Nineveh will stand up withthis generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at thepreaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here (Matt.12:41). Theplain reading of Christ's words is that Jonah had been sent to Nineveh as a preacher of thegospel.

*Its CONTENT:

WHAT message was given: Short and to the point: Yet forty days and Nineveh will beoverthrown (3:4). Surely this is a very condensed summaryof his preaching, but this wasthe thrust.

WHEN the message was given: This time God didn't give Jonah his message well aheadof time. Jonah wasn't given a well-written manuscript weeks ahead of schedule, for weread: proclaim to [Nineveh] the proclamation which I am going to tell you (3:2).

Application 1: Living by faith in future grace. God often leads us in such a way as forcingus to trust in Him. Jonah didn't have to be anxious, wondering if God would give him amessage or not. God said that He wouldat the right time. Jonah was called to live byfaith in FUTURE gracepromised grace for tomorrowand so are we.

Application 2: Keeping a keen sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in preaching. Sermonpreparation is not badit is very necessary. But we need to always have about us adesperate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. HE needs to dictate everything aboutwhatand

howwe preachfor it is THE SPIRIT that gives life. With all our sermon preparationlet us never trust in prepared manuscripts or outlinesbut look to the Living God indesperate dependencein seeking our text, in preparing an outline, and in our preachingitselfknowing that He may well give us a different message when we get to the pulpit.We need to believe and trust in the Holy Spirit in everything we doespeciallyinpreaching.

*Its ORIGIN:

The message to the Ninevites was SENT FROM GOD: We mentioned above that somedeem Jonah's preaching to be harsh, judgmental, and legalistic. In short, they say Jonahpreached the wrong message. He should have preached love and mercy, but he preachedwrath and judgment instead.

But what does the text say? We can only assume that what Jonah proclaimed in Ninevehwas the same message that the Lord had told Jonah to proclaim the first time in 1:2,where they Lord commanded Jonah to cry against [Nineveh], for their wickedness hascome up before Me (1:2). This is confirmed in 3:10, where we read that it was Godhimself who had declared through Jonah the message of impending judgment. Thus wesee that the contentof Jonah's messagewhich the prophet had been given to preach fromGod himselfwas the message of the impending righteous judgment of God against thewickedness of sinners. And it is quite noteworthy that it is thismessage that led to whatwas arguably the greatest revival ever recorded in the Scriptureswhich leads us to another


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truth:

The message to the Ninevites was GIVEN IN COMPASSION: We learn in chapter 4that it was out ofcompassionthat God sent Jonah to preach this message of impendingjudgment(4:2). Does this sound strange?? It was actually out of love and mercyFORguilty sinners that God had sent Jonah to preach upon God's righteous judgmentandcoming wrathAGAINST guilty sinners. Wow. . .

*Its IMPLICATIONS:

In this we learn a vital truth: Preaching upon the coming judgment of God is the mostcompassionate thing you can do. Do you believe that? Jonah's preaching was not justsome kind of legalistic and judgmental preaching reserved for the Old Testament. Jonah'spreaching should be our preaching. If you have compassion for sinners and want to seethem come to Christ, then preach often upon the coming wrath of Godfor it is thisthatleads men to call upon the Savior.

Free grace is only seen to be as precious as it is against the context of the judgment ofGod. Sinners must first be broken if they are to be truly healed by the Savior. Andsinners must be confronted with the holiness and righteousness of God, and His just

wrath against sin, if they are to be broken.

Application:As any good physician, a faithful preacher must cut deeply the consciencesof sinners with the scalpel of the Law if they are to remove the cancer of sin buried deepwithin. We must follow the pattern of not only the prophets, but John the Baptist (seeMatt.3:7-12), Paul (Rom.1:16-3:20), and of our Lord Jesus himself in showing sinners whythey must repent: the wrath of God is coming, and all of us stand as guilty criminals beforethe holy Judge of heaven (Rom.1:18ff).

*It's RESPONSE:

Faith and repentanceand such as had never been seen in Israel. . .

*In the span of a single day (3:4ff), the whole city is found earnestly calling upon GodJonah can't even seem to walk the full 3 days before the whole city is brought torepentance!!

*We read that the repentance of Nineveh spreads from the greatest to the least of them(3:5). Even the king humbles himself before God in sackcloth and ashes.

*Now the most amazing thing. Not only does the whole city begin to fast in order to callupon Godbut the king of Nineveh orders that even the beasts, herds, and flocks ofNineveh both fast and be clothed with sackcloth (3:7-8)!!! This kind of earnestness inseeking God is absolutely unprecedented.

Application:Jonah fully EXPECTED God to work mightily in Ninevehhe just didn't

WANT Him to (4:1-2). This is probably not our main problem. Perhaps for us it is theother way around. We may often WANT God to workto draw to Himself even ourenemies, and those who might make us uncomfortablewe may struggle here and there,but our main problem is not wanting God to work. Our main problem is that we don'tEXPECT God to do anything. We need to live in true Holy Spirit expectation that Godis constantly willing and wanting to use us in powerful ways to draw lost sinners home tohimself.


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CHAPTER 4: JONAH'S LESSON

*Its BACKGROUND:3

God GIVES Jonah the plant (4:6): God is in our COMFORTS.

God TAKES the plant away from Jonah (4:7): God is in our LOSSES.

God SENDS affliction to Jonah: God is in our HEAVIEST TRIALS.

God does all of this for a specific PURPOSE: God is always wanting to TEACH us.

General Application: What do you think God has been trying to teach you recentlythrough the events in your life? Am I thankful for His gifts? Do I cling to Him in mylosses and trials? Am I listening what what He is wanting to teach me?

Specific Application:Jonah cared more about the plant than the eternal souls of theNinevites. But maybe we're more like Jonah than we would like to think. Do we caremore about our temporal comforts than eternal souls? Do we care more about our ACthan the neighbors next-door? Fresh basil on our pasta more than the precious souls we

walk by at the grocery store? The iced-coffee we get from Dunkin Donutsmore than thegirl (from one of the most unreached people groups in the world) who makes it for us?

*Its THEME:

God has compassion for far-off, lost, guilty sinners (4:11). . .do we?

*Its MEANS:

God teaches Jonah by asking him a searching QUESTION (4:4,9). The Lord oftenprobes our hearts through questions. For instance. . .

*The Lord's question to Adam in the garden, Whereare you? (Gen.3:9).

*Jesus' question to the scribes, Whyare you reasoning about these things in yourhearts? (Mk.2:8).

*Jesus' question to some of His disciples, Whydo you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do notdo what I say? (Lk.6:46).

*Jesus' question to blind Bartimaeus, Whatdo you want Me to do for you? (Lk.18:41).

*Here to Jonah: Do you have good reason to be angry? (vv4,9).

*Its RESULT:

The book ends with God's question to Jonah, the prodigal prophet; we're left wonderingwhat will Jonah's response be? There are a lot of similarities here with the parable of theprodigal son. In both we're left asking, how will he respond?

Application:We're left asking not only how Jonah will respondbut, How will Irespond? The question is meant to probe your heart and mine as much as Jonah's.

3 Taken from Spurgeon sermon,Jonah's Object Lessons.


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Jonah and the MISSION of GodThe DOMINION of God SETS THE BACKDROP for the mission of God (1:1-2):

That the Ninevites were not yet worshipers of Yahweh didn't get them off the hook or makethem any less accountable to Him for their wickedness. Scripture wants us to see that thesepaganAssyrianswere accountable to the God of Israel.

Application: Citizens in a monarchy may not necessarilywantto be under the rule of theirparticular king, but they have no choice in the matter. Likewise, that many people don'twantto be under the reign of Yahweh doesn't make them any less accountable to Him for theiractions. We will every one of us give an account of himself to God (Rom.14:12),whetherwe want to or not.

The PROVIDENCE of God EXISTS TO ADVANCE the mission of God:

*The Lord hurled the great wind on the sea(1:4).

*The Lord again calmed the raging of the seas (1:15-16).

*The Lord appointed the great fish to swallow Jonah (1:17).

*The Lord commanded the fish to spit Jonah out upon dry land (2:10).

*The Lord appointed the plant to grow over Jonah (4:6).

*The Lord appointed the worm to devour the plant(4:7).

*The Lord the next day appointed a scorching east wind (4:8).

Application: Do we believe that the God who saves sinners is the same God who directs usprovidentially to those He has prepared to receive the gospel and draw to Himself? Do we

livelike we believe it? We ought to live constantly in Holy Spirit EXPECTATIONexpecting that God is providentially directing usbringing us to this or that placeputting thisor that person in our pathvery intentionallyand for His saving purposes.

The WORD of God IS THE SOLE FOUNDATION of the mission of God:

*God's Word is the BASIS of our preaching: It is WHY we preach to all creation (1:2; 3:1).

*God's Word is the CONTENT of our preaching: It is WHAT we preach to all creation(1:2; 3:2).

The PURPOSE of God is to SPREAD HIS PRAISES through the church:

God's purpose is to GATHER those FAR OFF (4:10-11), and to do it through theproclamation of a messagethe spreading of His praises. Conversion necessitates theproclamation of a message. Jonah was given a message to preach. The Ninevites wouldn't besaved simply by seeing Jonah's lifeno matter how holy or kind he was.

Application: We must proclaim a message if we would see souls saved. It is the message ofthe gospel that sets men free from their sins (Rom.1:16).

The PLAN of God is to spread His praises THROUGH the church:

God's plan is to USE HIS PEOPLE to gather those far off (cf. Isaiah 2:3). There are still


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empty seats at the marriage supper of the Lamb, and Christ has sent you and I into the worldin order to rescue His precious bride from her tormenters, and deliver her safely to the armsof Christ. Spurgeon draws out the account of Jonah's sleeping in the ship the followingtruths:4

I. The ship is in danger:Men are dying! Men are perishing! Hell is filling. . .What, shall wesleep now? Shall we be idle now?

II. Men are longing for deliverance: In Jonah's ship every man was a pleader; every personwas praying; and though I cannot say this of the world that lies in the wicked one, yet, to avery great extent, it is truth that the masses are longing to hear the words of this life.

III. The children of God are the only men who can do any real spiritual service to theperishing world: the salvation of the world under God lies with the church.

IV. You are in the ship yourself:you enjoy its privileges, and therefore, you ought to takeyour quota of the work.

V. The honor of our God is mightily concerned in every Jonah being aroused: How couldJehovah be glorified, if the only worshipper of Jehovah in the vessel should sleep?

The PROMISE of God is to spread His praises through THE CHURCH:

To use His people DESPITE THEM to gather those far off: Not only does Jonah makethese pagan sailors look like devout men of God in comparison, but the prophet appears tous to be more of a curse to everybody around him than a blessing! But wholly despite Jonahand his sin, God is using him as a blessing of salvation to those around himand in doing so,fulfilling the promises He had made to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12). Thus, hisinteraction with the pagan sailors results in their fearing and making vows to the Lord (1:14-16; the OT language of conversion);and his begrudgingly preaching to the Ninevites results ina massive awakening among the Assyrians perhaps unparalleled in the history of missions.

Application: How comforting it is that even on our worst days, we cannot mess up God's

saving purposes.

Seeing CHRIST in JonahJonah's COMMISSION came through the WORD of Christ (1:1; 3:1):

God did not appear to Jonah in a dream or vision. We are told, both in 1:1 and 3:1, that itwas the Word of the Lord that came to Jonah, telling him to go and preach to the Ninevites.It is the same for us. God speaks to us through His Word, and Jesus Christ is the Word-made-flesh (John 1:1-14). As Jonah was sent to preach the gospel to the Gentiles through theWord of the Lord, so you and I are commanded by God's Word to go and make disciples of

all nations.

Jonah's LIFE points to the GOSPEL of Christ:

Jonah a picture of the FIRST ADAM. . .

*As with the first Adam, it was because of Jonah's sin that certain death was coming to allon the ship. The reaction of the sailors to Jonah confessing his sin is exactly the same asthe Lord God's reaction to Adam and Eve's sin in the garden: What is this you have

4 In his sermon, What Meanest Thou, O Sleeper?


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done? (Genesis 3:13). We see played out in Jonah chapter 1 what we read in Romans5:12-21, that it was through the transgression of the one man that the fierce anger of Godwas kindled against all those in the ship.

Jonah a picture of the SECOND ADAM. . .

*As with the second Adam, Jonah was given over to certain deathby the hands of

Gentile unbelievers (1:15)in order to fulfill the words of the prophet (himself in 1:12).Who threw Jonah overboard? Gentile sailors did (1:15);but ultimately God himself did(2:3). So it was with Christ, who was given over to death by the hands of Gentiles in orderto fulfill what had been spoken by the prophets (Acts 2:23).

*Jonah's deliverance from death was miraculous, fore-picturing the miraculous deliveranceof Christ from the grave.

*Jonah remained in the heart of the earth for 3 days, as a type of the One who would raisefrom the dead after 3 days (Matt.12:40; 16:4).

*The death of Jonah resulted in life and salvation for the Gentile sailors. As thethrowing of Jonah overboard stopped the raging of the seas, so the offering up of Christ

on the cross stopped the fury of God's wrath for all who would believe upon Him.

Jonah's SIN highlights our NEED for Christ:

Every single one of us is a profoundly messed up sinner in desperate need of a Savior. Noman will ever get into the kingdom of God by being a good person, because there simply areno good people. There are only messed up self-righteous sinners like Jonah and appallingfilthy wicked prodigal sinners like the Gentile sailors and Ninevites. Every single one of ushas broken God's Law to pieces. The Ninevites were a wicked people, and Jonah was adisobedient prophet. The Ninevites unknowingly worshiped false gods; Jonah knowinglydisobeyed the true God (which is worse?). We may be prodigal son-sinners like the sailorsand Ninevites, or we may be self-righteous pharisee-sinners like Jonah, but at the end of theday, we areall of usjust profoundly messed up sinners who desperately need a Savior.

Applications: Is this the way you see yourself? Is this the way you see others?

Jonah's STORY shows us the WAY to Christ:

*Seen in the response of JONAH:

Though Jonah runs far away from God, he seems to evidence true repentance just beforehe is cast into the sea. In 1:12, Jonah tells the sailors, for I know that on account of methis great storm has come upon you. There were a lot of things Jonah could have saidhere. He didn't have to take responsibility. He could have blamed it all on God who sentthe storm. He could have blamed it on the wickedness of the Ninevites who all but made

him run the other way to Tarshish. But he put the blame on himself. Jonah is saying ineffect, It's my fault. In verse 12 of chapter one, Jonah shows us that repentance is theway to come back to Christ.

*Illustrated through the response of the SAILORS:5

I. Sinners, when they are tossed upon the sea of conviction, make desperate efforts tosave themselves.

5 Spurgeon draws out of their conversion four implications in coming to Christ; from his sermon, Labor in Vain, on Jonah1:12-13.


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II. The fleshly efforts of awakened sinners must inevitably fail.

III. The soul's sorrow will continue to increase so long as it relies upon its own efforts.

IV. The way of safety for sinners is to be found in the sacrifice of another on their behalf.

*Seen in the response of the NINEVITES:

I. The SOURCE of faith and repentance:

Faith and repentance come through hearing, and hearing by the WORD of Christ(Rom.10:13-15).

II. The NECESSITY of faith and repentance:

WITHOUT faith (3:5)and repentance (3:10)we CANNOT be saved.

III. The PROMISE in faith and repentance:

WITH faith and repentance we CANNOT BUT be saved (3:5,10).

Jonah's PRAYER proclaims the DEITY of Christ:

Jonah finishes his prayer from the belly of the fish with the words, Salvation is from theLord (2:9). These words are actually profoundly important for the defense of the deity ofChrist. Some false teaching (especially Jehovah's Witnesses) say that Christ was not truly Godhimself in the flesh. But if Christ has truly flown wide open the doors of salvation throughHis work on the crossyea, accomplished salvationand yet is not in fact God himself in thefleshthan we cannot affirm the truth of Jonah 2:9. If Jesus was no more than a man, thansalvation was NOT of the Lord, and thus our worship is idolatryfor we are worshipping amanand not Godif salvation came through Christ but He is not in fact the Lord. The deityof Christ is so vitally important that Jesus himself declared to the Jews that no man can be

saved who does not affirm His deity: Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins;for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins (literal translation of John 8:24).

Jonah's PREACHING echos the WARNING of Christ:

Our Lord says the following sober words in referring to Jonah: The men of Nineveh willstand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it because they repented atthe preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here(Matt.12:41).The Jews of Jesus' day were not on the whole an immoral irreligious people. They went tosynagogue regularly and sat under Jesus' teaching(Lk.13:26). Many of them called JesusLord (Matt.7:22). But many of them would be thrust out of the kingdom in the last day, forthey had never truly bowed the knee to Christ(Lk.13:24-30).

And these words are for us as much as the Jews. To whom much is given much is required,and we have an infinite amount of greater light than the Ninevites. Let us never be foundplaying churchif we reject the Messiah with the light we have been given this side of thegospels, our judgment will be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt.11:20-24). Hewho has ears, let him hear. God help us.

A few FINAL LESSONS GLEANED from JonahWho the Lord is. He is GRACIOUSit's hard to say whether God was more gracious to the pagan


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do this is not through dreams or visions, but through His people. So BE EXHORTED: There is aperishing world that desperately needs the message we have been given, and we are the only oneswho have it. If we, like Jonah, have drifted into a deep sleep, now is the time to wake up, repent, andget this gospel out to the world. The question, really, is not whether God will gather home the lostsheep of Israel. The question is, willyouget to be part of it? BE COMFORTED: God is the Godof second chances, and He uses weak and sinful vessels like Jonah to usher in His kingdom. BEHUMBLED: Repentance isn't just for unbelievers. Jonah was as much in need of repentance as theNinevites. God is calling us as believers to a life of repentance. What do we need to be repentingof? (See appendix). BE EXPECTANT: We ought to live every day in Holy Spirit expectationwholly believing that if Christ is drawing home His lost sheepand if He primarily uses His people todo sothen He is constantly putting in our paths those He is calling home to himself.


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APPENDIX: A proposed confession from JonahThe ways I too am a prodigal prophet. . .

My HYPROCRISY. If Jonah was indeed the author of his own story, as most believe, then at least,though he had many faults, he didn't try to hide any of them but freely confessed and acknowledgedthem. Jonah had a lot of faults, but is he a better man than me? Do I hide my sin so others think

highly of me? God have mercy on me, the sinner.

My DROWSINESS. Jonah, the missionary of the cross, slept while pagan unbelievers cried out totheir gods in earnest supplication. While the world perishes, Jonah goes in for a nap. The only onewho could help his perishing mates was sleeping like a baby in the holds of the ship. But if I am tocondemn Jonah I must also condemn myself. I ought to live in earnest watchfulness but how oftendo I trudge along in a drowsy slumber? While the world perishes how often do I close my eyes andpretend there is no storm? God have mercy on me, the sinner.

My APATHY. Jonah seemed to harbor a hatred for the Ninevitesbut it was complete indifferencetowards the lives of his ship-mates that led him to go have a rest while everyone else perished in thestorm (and that because ofhissin). I may not often have hatred in my heart for lost sinners, but howoften am I apathetic towards them? How often am I completely indifferent as to whether this or that

person will spend eternity in glory or torment? I find my heart often totally apathetic to the poor,lost sinners that surround me. God have mercy on me, the sinner.

My INGRATITUDE. Jonah worshiped his God in the stomach of the fishwhen as yet he was inthe midst of deep darkness with no guarantee of deliverance. Instead of supplications his prayer inchapter 2 is filled with worship and thanksgiving. How little do I give thanks to Godespecially inthe midst of trials and darkness? God have mercy on me, the sinner.

My SILENCE. I am in many ways a worse missionary than Jonah. For all his faults, at least Jonahwent to Nineveh in the end and preached the gospel. Do I preach the gospel? There was nosalvation for the Ninevites apart from the proclamation of a message, and there is no salvation for lostsinners apart from a proclamation of a message. But though I know this, I am astounded at howsilent I can be. How little I open up my mouth and proclaim the message of Jesus. God have mercy

on me, the sinner.

My LACK OF EXPECTATION. This is one reason for my silence. I don't expect God to doanything. I don't live in Holy Spirit expectation. Christ has saved me from my sins but I seem to notbelieve He will save anyone else through my witness. And in this way I once again am guilty of sinsthat Jonah was not. He fully expected God to save the Ninevites. He didn't want that to happen, buthe fully expected it. I ought to expect God to be constantly bringing to me lost sheep that He iscalling homebut I live little in Holy Spirit expectation. God have mercy on me, the sinner.

My MOTIVES. Jonah evidently didn't want the Ninevites to find salvation in the Messiah. We maydiffer from Jonah here. But what is the reason we want lost sinners to be saved through ourministry? If we are very honest, buried deep within our heart are sinful motives. We want sinners tobe saved, but often not solely for their eternal joy and God's glory. We want to be seen asproductive, accomplished, zealous, approved. God have mercy on me, the sinner.

My PRIORITIES. Jonah evidently cared more for his plant than the souls of the Ninevites. But amI any better? Do I care more about my food than the waitress who brings it to me? Would I bemore disturbed by my mosquito net being taken away than the reality that a whole country isperishing in their sins? God have mercy on me, the sinner.


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John Brown's

Reflections on Jonah

Chapter 1: God's ministers must either send or bear his message as he directs them. But even good menwill often take the most foolish methods to evade difficult and dangerous duties. And Providence mayseem at first to favor their projects; but rebellion against God will at last awaken terrible storms inconsciences and societies; and saints may become a plague to heathens themselves, and need theirrebukes for their wickedness and deep unconcern. In troubles it highly becomes us to inquire into thesinful cause. In sinning, we seldom think how mischievous the consequences may be; and in vain weindulge the most secret wickedness, when God can so easily discover it. Yea, shameful is it whenministers and saints are forced to confess their secret rebellions to his open enemies. But when men aretruly humbled for sin, they will readily submit to either shame or suffering for it. And if sin has raised astorm, we never must hope for peace till it be removed by remission and repentance. Those whoacknowledge their guilt with openness and grief are entitled to our deepest compassion. But even naturalconscience, if awakened, will startle at the very appearance of murder. There is no striving against thecounsels of God; his will must be done; and if, with prayer, we follow his direction, we may trust him withthe issue. While alarming providences produce short appearances of religion in sinners, God oftenstrangely marks his dominion over and direction of his creatures, and affords marvelous protection to hisoffending saints.

Chapter 2: Many are forced to pray when and where they never expected. But no place can shut out asaint from communion with his God; nor need he doubt his nearness and willingness to help in a time ofneed. But how fearful is it to fall into the hands of the living God, even as a provoked Father! Into whathells, what depths, what pits of corruption, desertion, temptation and affliction may a saint be plunged!And be reduced, how near the bring of despair! But troubles should lead us directly to our God, andmake us by faith call to mind his new-covenant characters and promises. To expect happiness in sinfulcourses, or idolized creatures, is to forsake our own mercy. And if we run from our proper work, we runfrom our substantial comforts. It is unreasonable, on this side of hell, to indulge despair. For great is thepower of God over all creatures; and infinite and unbounded his mercy towards penitent and prayingoffenders. But noted deliverances ought always to issue in high praises and thanksgivings, and inredoubled applications to our duty.

Chapter 3: God often tries the sincerity of men's repentance by assigning to them that very work whichthey had formerly evaded; and marks his favors to true penitents in honoring them with important trusts.And it is a mercy even to be scourged into cheerful obedience. What alarming messages of unexpectedwrath must God's ministers sometimes bear! And his Word must not be bent either to the humors ofpreachers or hearers. It bears a promising appearance when kings obtain proper notice of God'swarnings, and seriously attend to them; when they and their subjects concur in repentance andreformation; and when believing fears of judgment, and hopes of mercy, jointly excite to it. Whilesinners are stirred up to prayer, there is hope in their end. God favorably regards even externalreformation, that he may encourage to that which is truly evangelical.

Chapter 4: It is very dangerous to be under the power of a proud peevish spirit. Men often pretendregard for God's honor when they mind only their own; and fear disparagement without any ground.Alas! Awful is the consideration that pride and passion should so affect even saints, that they should wish

for death, either to themselves or others, when they are very unripe for it; and rage at that very mercy ofGod which prevents their damnation. Yeah, even create inconveniences to themselves, that they may getsomewhat to complain of! How apt are men to be lifted up or cast down by a mere trifle. But if they willvex themselves with imaginary miseries, it is but just that they be made to feel real ones. Ungovernedpassions too often bear down reason and conscience, and make men vindicate the most glaring absurdityand guilt, and outrageously fly out against both their God and their life. But infinite is the tenderness ofGod in taking such pains to convince and reclaim the froward children and servants. If we have pity onan earthly comfort, how absurd to quarrel with his pity to babes, to creatures endowed with immortalsouls, and to all the works of his hands. But let me not bid adieu to this prophet without beholding inhim my once suffering and now glorified Redeemer. He, for our rebellion imputed to him, was pursued


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by the storm, was cast into the raging ocean of his Father's wrath, to procure for us an eternal calm offorgiveness and favor. After lying a part of three days in the grave, he was miraculously raised from thedead, and ascended to glory. And marvelously effectual was the publication of the gospel to multitudesof sinners, chiefly of the Gentiles, for their conviction, conversion, and eternal salvation.

Summary of Jonah: In whatever point of view he is contemplated, Jonah stands alone among theprophets of God. His firstcharacteristic is resistance to the divine commission. In this, no doubt, heappears assimilated both to Moses and Jeremiah, Exodus 3:11; Jeremiah 1:6; 20:9; but still there is thisremarkable differencethey only remonstrated against their commission on the ground of their unfitness.Jonah never pleads unfitness, yet timidly, sensitively, alasit may be, selfishly, shrinks from theunwelcome duty. His secondcharacteristic is irritability; and that, not a momentary ebullition succeededby as speedy repentance, but a spirit that sits and broods over its malady, and vindicates, even beforeGod, the indulgence of its bitter reflections. The thirdcharacteristic stands in the historic events bywhich his life has been distinguished from other men. His miraculous preservation; his prayer composedat the bottom of the sea; his return from the regions of death; and, probably, his wonderful reappearanceto the very mariners that threw him overboard; the faithful boldness of his preaching; its unparalleledsuccess with a rich, luxurious, and abandoned peoplethese form peculiarities in the personal history ofthe prophet perfectly unparalleled among any of his brethren. But with these historical peculiarities wehave little concern, further than to admire them as examples of the wonderful power of God. Ourbusiness is rather with the two moral traits by which the prophet is distinguished, which, however strange,

nay almost incredible as they may at first sight appear, will on examination be found much morecommon than Christians generally imagine.

1) As to the firstdisobedience to the divine commissionis it not every day realized when consciencetells us not to suffer sin upon our neighbor; and yet fear of giving offense, the desire of pleasing, the loveof ease, or some selfish interest, prevents us from delivering the unwelcome message. No doubt we maysatisfy ourselves with pleading that we have no direct commission as Jonah had; but he that knows hisMaster's will, and sees a sinner perishing without an attempt for his salvation, is just as culpable as Jonahwas, commits exactly the same fault, and with this remarkable aggravation, that he has more light thanJonah had, and is proportionably liable to greater condemnation.

2) As to the second characteristicirritability--it may be partly dependent upon bodily structure; partlyupon education, example, and previous habits; and partly upon the state of the health; and it may not be

denied, that where these concur, though they cannot justify, they may yet go far to palliate many personalfaults of temper. But for Jonah what can be pleaded either in excuse or extenuation? Nothing; at leastnothing that is recorded. Nor is it needful that he should be defended; nay, it is just that he becondemned. But while we cast the stone at the prophet, let us carefully examine whether we may notstand under like condemnation. Have we never murmured at our lot? Have we never wished to have itchanged? Have we never been unreasonably angry with an adversary? Have we never justified that angerto our own conscience or to others? If we have ever been guilty of these, or any of these things, have wenot acted in the very spirit of Jonah; and when we condemn him, are we not literally condemningourselves?

An Introduction to the book of Jonah

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