Commentary

on theBook of Jonah

Book of Jonah

Y.S. ChiuCOMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF JONAH

1. Author of the book—Jonah

a) Since there is no evidence to the contrary, the unique prophetic style indicates that Jonah was the author. Though it is written from the third person’s perspective, it is consistent with the style of the other prophets.

b) Jonah was the son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher (1: 1; 1 Kgs 14: 25).

c) Jonah in Hebrew means “dove”. A characteristic of the dove is innocence (Matt 10: 16). Its work is to convey news (Gen 8: 8-11). Jonah did not live up to his name; he was not innocent like a dove. God commanded him to preach in Nineveh but he escaped to Tarshish instead. After the Lord chastised him, Jonah obeyed His instructions and went to preach in Nineveh. When God did not eventually bring calamity upon the Ninevites, Jonah became angry and twice asked for death. Such a person does not deserve to be called a dove; instead, he should have been called a tiger, leopard, lion or wolf.

2. Period of ministry

Prophet Jonah’s ministry took place during the reign of King Jeroboam II (around BC 793 –752).

3. Reliability of the book

Many theologians who do not believe in miracles doubt the authenticity of this book. They regard the book as a legend or myth—it is unbelievable that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and yet remained unharmed and undigested for three days and nights in its

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stomach. Finally he was spat out completely unharmed. This is illogical from a scientific perspective. But the following four points will help us understand and believe in the reliability of this book:

a) Jonah was a historical figure. First and Second Kings, the historical books of the Jews, are regarded as reliable and trustworthy. From 2 Kgs 14: 25, we know that:

i. Jonah was a prophet of Godii. Jonah was the son of Amittai of Gath-hepher.iii. Jonah prophesied and his prophesies were fulfilled.

b) In the apocryphal books written in BC 1 and 2, as well as in the Antiguities, Jonah’s preaching and crying out to the people of Nineveh was recorded as a true historical account.

c) If the contents of this book were merely parable or prophecy, it would have been very different from the Old Testament writings.

d) The Lord Jesus believed in the miracle of Jonah as well as the repentance of the Ninevites. That was why He said, “...just as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgement, and shall condemn it because of Jonah.” (Matt 12: 29-41).

4. Characteristics of the book

a) This book and the Book of Ruth were both written to correct the extreme nationalistic fervour of the Jews.

b) It declares the love and mercy of God and testifies that God is not only the God of the Jews, but also God of all nations (ref Acts 10: 34. 35; 11: 18: Rom 3: 29).

c) It shows God’s great love and bountiful grace. He remembered not only the adults but also the children and even the livestock (Jon 4: 11).

d) Jonah was the pioneer of world evangelism. He was the first evangelist to have gone out of his own country to preach. In the Old Testament, he was the first prophet of God to have actually gone to preach to a foreign nation (the capital of Assyria, Nineveh). This prefigures that the salvation grace of Christ will be preached to people all over the world.

e) This book shows that the only way to receive salvation is to repent. God is gracious and merciful to everyone, whether he be one of God’s chosen or a gentile. As long as he/she repents sincerely and truthfully, God will surely show mercy and forgive him/her.

5. Jonah and Jesus

Jonah was the only prophet singled out by Jesus to be compared with Him. Jonah prefigures Jesus Christ.

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a) Both were Galileans. Gath-hepher, Jonah’s hometown, was only a few miles north of Nazareth. When the Pharisees rebuked Nicodemus saying, “Look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee”, they had obviously forgotten about Jonah.

b) Jonah was in the fish’s stomach for three days and nights. This prefigures that Jesus would be in the heart of the earth for three days and nights.

c) When the Ninevites heard what Jonah preached, they repented. Jesus was greater than Jonah; however the Jews of His time refused to repent even after hearing what He said. Therefore they were condemned.

d) Jonah was willing to sacrifice himself and be thrown into the sea in order to save others. Similarly, Jesus willingly gave up His life to save the people of the world.

6. Division of the book

Chapter 1: Jonah’s Escape (1: 1-17) God calls Jonah (1: 1, 2) Jonah disobeys God and tries to hide from Him (1: 3) Jonah on board the ship (1: 4-10) Jonah in the sea (1: 11-17)

Chapter 2: Jonah’s Prayer (2: 1-10) Jonah suffers in the fish’s stomach Jonah’s prayer (2: 1-10)

Chapter 3: The Ninevites’ Repentance (3: 1-10) Jonah’s realization (3: 1-4) The Ninevites’ repentance (3: 5-8) The efficacy of repentance (3: 9-10)

Chapter 4: Jonah’s anger and God’s discipline (4: 1-9) Jonah’s anger (4: 1-9) God disciplines Jonah (4: 1-11)

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CHAPTER 1:JONAH’S ESCAPE

A. God calls Jonah

Verse 1, 2: “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

i. Arise :

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah” – this shows that Jonah was indeed a chosen prophet; the word of God was with him. This is unlike the old priest Eli, whom the Lord rarely spoke to or gave revelations (1 Sam 3: 1).

God called upon Jonah to arise, because He wanted him to realize his commission and to arise to work for God (ref: Acts 8: 26, 27). Prophets are the spokesmen of God, they ought to be ever ready to carry out God’s work.

Today, we too need to get up quickly, to prepare to do the work of the Lord because He has called us (Mk 16: 15). Preaching the gospel is a commission of each and every chosen one of God (1 Pet 2: 9). We should emulate prophet Isaiah and say, “Lord! Here am I. Send me!” (Is 6: 8).

ii. Go to Nineveh :

This was an extraordinary and unwelcome task because the city of Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the age-old enemy of the Israelites.

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Nineveh was a large Assyrian city situated on the eastern bank of river Tigris. This city was built by Nimrod, the descendant of Ham (Gen 10: 8-11). The king of Assyria, Hammurabi loved this place very much. He built the temple of Ishtar here. It was a strong fortified city built on a foundation of huge rocks and bricks. It was surrounded by a trench of width 140 feet. Its perimeter was about 24 miles and area, 10,000 acres (Information obtained from a Bible Dictionary). Nineveh was an extremely great city of about three days’ walk (Jon 3: 3).

Nineveh was also a very evil city. God said, “Their wickedness has come up before Me”. The wickedness of this city is documented in Nahum 3: 1-4:

(1) Full of deceit

(2) Violent, with no mercy

(3) Extremely immoral

Like the city of Nineveh, the world today is also crooked and perverse (Phil 2: 15), evil and adulterous (Matt 12: 39), and full of wickedness. This is exactly the time that we need to go into the world to preach and save people.

iii. Cry out against the city :

According to Lu Zhen Zhong’s translation, “cry” means “declare warning”. The modern Chinese version translates it as “public rebuke”. God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh to cry against it, to publicly rebuke the city for its wickedness, to declare warning and to exhort them to repent.

To “cry out” is the responsibility of a prophet. Before Paul bade farewell to the Ephesians, he said, “And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching the Kingdom.....For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (Acts 20: 25-27). Evangelists should not be afraid of offending people, nor should they remain quiet about the people’s sins so as to gain their favor. If they do so, they would have neglected their responsibility of “crying out”.

“Crying out” is also the responsibility of everyone who has received the grace of God. After the demon-possessed man of Gadarenes had been healed by the Lord Jesus, he went throughout Decapolis, declaring to all what great things the Lord had done for him (Mk 5: 19, 20). After the woman of Samaria had known Jesus, she left her water-pot to go into the city to “cry out” to the people, attracting many to go and see Jesus (Jn 4: 25-30). They are all role models for us.

B. Jonah disobeys God and tries to hide from Him

Verse 3: “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”

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i. Reasons for his disobedience :

“Jonah rose up”: He arose not to accomplish the will of God, but to disobey thewill of God, to “flee to Tarshish from the presence of God”. Why did he disobey God and try to flee from His presence? The following are some possible reasons:

(1) Racial discrimination

Because the Jews were God’s chosen ones, they had a superiority complex and regarded Gentiles as dogs (Matt 15: 26). Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The king of Assyria often attacked Judah. As a result, they were enemies. Why would they ever want to preach to their enemies? Thus, it could have been this strong feeling of patriotism that prevented Jonah from going to Nineveh, thus causing him to disobey God.

(2) Lack of love

Nineveh was a city full of wickedness, its people deserved to be punished. Moreover, the Ninevites often attacked Jonah’s own nation. If God were to punish them, the Israelites would no longer suffer and they would be able to lead a peaceful life. Why then should they pity the enemy when the latter was punished?

After Jonah had preached the warning of destruction, the Ninevites repented. But Jonah still hoped that they would be destroyed. Wanting to laugh at their suffering, he put up a shelter outside the city and sat in the shade of the shelter; he was waiting to see punishment befall upon the Ninevites. We can see that Jonah was indeed lacking in love and compassion.

(3) Feared difficulties

Nineveh was a great city (three days’ walk) with a large population (counting children alone, there were more than 120,000 of them who could not discern between their right hand and their left). The journey was long and there were also difficulties in language. Going into the city of an enemy to warn them of God’s punishment was not exactly easy. He might be despised, persecuted or even killed. It was indeed a very difficult task.

(4) Concerned only about his own reputation

A prophet speaks on behalf of God. If things they speak of come to pass, it proves that they are true prophets and earns them the respect of everybody. Jonah knew that God was merciful and if the Ninevites repented, God would not bring calamity upon them. If this happened, what he proclaimed would have been empty words; his reputation would be tarnished. In order to preserve his reputation, he then decided to escape to Tarshish.

ii. His flight to Tarshish :

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Tarshish is located in the southwestern part of Spain today. Many believe that it is the present town of Tarifa in Spain. During Jonah’s time, Tarshish was a big city well known to all. The journey from Joppa to Tarshish was about 1900 over miles. Jonah thought that by running to a faraway place, he would be able to get far away from God.

God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh, which was located at the eastern border of Israel. But Jonah wanted to escape to Tarshish instead, which was in the opposite direction. This was a show of open defiance against the words of God.

iii. Can a man escape from God?

The strange thing was that there was a boat going to Tarshish waiting atJoppa when Jonah decided to flee. Jonah thought that it was his good luck and quickly purchased a ticket and boarded the ship.

Jonah thought that by escaping to Tarshish, he would be able to escape from God. Little did he know that this was absolutely wrong, because God is omniscient and omnipresent (Jer 23: 23, 24). David the Psalmist said, “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold Thou art there.” (Ps 139: 7, 8). How can a man escape from God? The consequence of Jonah’s attempt to escape from God was God’s chastisement. He experienced the danger of a storm and suffered in the big fish’s stomach for three days and nights.

There are two reasons behind man’s attempt to escape from God:

(1) He has disobeyed the instructions of God, and fears that God will investigate and question him.

After Adam and Eve had disobeyed the words of God by eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they hid themselves upon hearing the voice of God. They wanted to escape from the “presence of the Lord” (Gen 3: 8). Similarly today, some believers do not dare to attend services after they have sinned. They will even try to avoid being visited by preachers.

The bible says, “For His eyes are on the ways of man, and he sees all his steps. There is no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves (Job 34: 21, 22). There is no way sinners can hide from the questioning of God.

(2) He wants to avoid the work of God.

Jonah ran away; Saul hid among the equipment (ref 1 Sam 10: 20-22). The result of hiding from God is always failure. And the eventual consequence will be God’s chastisement.

C. Jonah on board the ship

Verse 4-10:8

Book of Jonah

“But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him and said, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Jonah paid the fare and boarded the ship to flee to Tarshish. What happened to him on board the ship was the chastisement of God.

i. The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea:

In order to stop Jonah’s flight to Tarshish, the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea. There was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up (1: 4). “The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea”: there was a great wind because God had commanded it. God is the Lord of the universe, even the wind and the sea will obey Him (Ps 103: 19; 107: 25, 29; 135: 6; Matt 8: 24-27).

Amidst the tumultuous storm, the following different attitudes of the people on board were revealed:

(1) Fear (1: 5a)

The sudden onset of a storm scares even very experienced sailors. When danger and disaster befall, fear and helplessness are common human reactions (ref: Matt 8: 24-26; Acts 27: 14-21).

(2) Every man cried out to his god (1: 5a)

There is a Chinese adage that says, “One calls on heaven in extreme poverty; on mother in extreme pain.” When calamities befall, the religious inclination of man will manifest itself naturally. During peaceful times he will say that there is no god, but when calamities befall, he will cry out to god.

(3) They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea (1: 5)

Their purpose of doing this was to lighten the ship’s load, to prevent it from sinking and thus preserve their lives. Though the ship was lighter, the windstorm continued to rage; their lives were still in danger.

During times of danger, man often tries to save himself using his own wisdom and strength (ref: Acts 27: 14-20).

(4) Jonah was fast asleep in the lowest part of the ship (1: 5)9

Book of Jonah

In the midst of the windstorm, everyone was terrified, only Jonah remained calm. He went into the hold of the ship, lay down and fell sound asleep.

ii. The reproach of the captain :

In the midst of the windstorm, when everyone was looking for ways to save their lives, the captain discovered Jonah sleeping in the hold of the ship (some suggest that it was possibly the sound of Jonah’s snoring that attracted the captain’s attention to this suspicious passenger). He reproached Jonah saying, “What do you mean, sleeper?”(1: 6). The prophet of God is a watchman who should be rebuking others according to the instructions of God. This prophet, on the contrary, was rebuked – how shameful! As children of God, we must conduct our lives in such a way that others cannot find fault with us, for it will be shameful to have others rebuke us for our mistakes (ref: Gen 12: 10-20).

“Arise, call on your God; perhaps your god will consider us, so that we may not perish”. The captain wanted Jonah to get up and pray. Having such words come from a Gentile reminds us that many people actually forget God; they do not know how to pray to Him in the midst of sufferings. How pitiful they are! Even though the captain asked Jonah to pray, he did not. Why? It was because of sin. Because of sin, people do not dare to draw near to God nor pray to Him; and God will not listen to them (Ps 66: 18; Jn 9: 31). Jonah knew that by running away, he had stirred up the wrath of God. The windstorm was a result of God’s chastisement.

“Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.”The people used the method of casting lots to determine the truth (ref: Jos 7: 16-18). Eventually, the lot fell on Jonah.

It is impossible to hide sins. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known (Matt 10: 26; 2 Sam 12: 12).

iii. The interrogation of the people: The people said to Jonah, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us?”(1: 8). Though the lot had fallen on Jonah, the people did not dare to put the blame on him immediately; they gave him a chance to defend himself. They continued to question Jonah saying:

1) What is your occupation?2) Where do you come from?3) What is your country? And of what people are you?”

Because of their interrogation, Jonah answered truthfully, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land”(1: 9). He also told them “he [had] fled from the presence of God”(1: 10).

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“They were exceedingly afraid”(1: 10). When the people heard the answer of Jonah, they knew that the windstorm was taking place because Jonah had disobeyed God, that this was the chastisement of God. As a result, they were exceedingly afraid and were convinced that the ship would sink.

“What is this you have done?” This question posed by the people to Jonah is worth deeply reflecting on.

(1) God once asked Eve, “What is this you have done?” after she had disobeyed His command of God and eaten the forbidden fruit (Gen 3: 13).

(2) After Cain killed his brother, Abel, God asked, “What is this that you have done?”(Gen 4: 10).

(3) After Laban had cheated Jacob, Jacob asked him, “What is this that you have done to me?”(Gen 29: 25).

(4) Jacob departed from Laban’s house with his wives, children, livestock and properties. Later on, Laban found out about his departure and caught up with him. Laban questioned Jacob, “What is this that you have done?”(Gen 31: 26).

(5) After Saul had offered the sacrifice himself, Samuel asked him, “What is this you have done?” (1 Sam 13: 11).

Today we too ought to examine our conduct. Let us not have either God or other people ask us, “What is this that you have done?”

D. Jonah in the sea

Verse 11-17:“Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?” –for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” Nevertheless, the man rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grown more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for you O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

i. The sea was growing more tempestuous (1: 11)

Even though the men “rowed hard to return to land, but they could not”(1: 13). Diligence is the secret to success, but if sins are not removed, no matter how much hard work we put in, we will not be able to appease the anger of God.

ii. Jonah willingly bore the punishment11

Book of Jonah

Knowing that his plan to flee from God had failed and that he was the cause of the mishap, Jonah was willing to bear the punishment so as to save the others. That was why when they asked him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”, he immediately replied, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that his great tempest is because of me.”(1: 11, 12)

iii. The sea became calm

“Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land…” Jonah truthfully admitted to his sins, thus earning the sympathy of the rest. That was why they rowed hard to try to reach the shore. But the efforts of these men were futile, the sea continued to grow more tempestuous.

Before the men did according to the Instructions of Jonah, they called on God saying, “O Lord…do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.”(1: 14). The people on board were really people with love, they did not dare to indiscriminately throw a man into the sea. Their prayer was also to beseech God not to view their action as shedding innocent blood but acting according to His will.

“So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging”(1: 15). Jonah was indeed the cause of the trouble. The impact of one’s sins upon others is indeed frightening. When sin is not removed, there will be no peace. When sin is removed, everyone will receive peace (ref: Jos 7).

“Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly…”(1: 16) Even though the Gentiles were superstitious, when they saw with their own eyes such a wondrous happening and personally experienced God, they feared Him greatly and even offered up sacrifices and made vows (ref: Acts 19: 11-20).

iv. God arranged for a big fish to swallow Jonah

“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah”(1: 17). God rules over all (Ps 103: 19). The wind and the sea obey Him, He can also arrange for a fish to swallow Jonah and yet preserve his life. With God nothing is impossible (Gen 18: 14; Jer 32: 17).

Note that the fish “swallowed” Jonah, not “ate” Jonah. If it had chewed Jonah before swallowing him, Jonah would surely have died. “The great fish swallowed Jonah” shows us the love of God.

Jonah suffered greatly for three days and nights in the fish’s stomach. It was dark and smelly; he probably experienced breathing problems. No wonder he felt as if he was “in the depths of Sheol”(2: 2). This was the chastisement of God to allow him to understand, “Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?”

To disbelievers, Jonah’s miracle is just a parable or prophecy. But we have ample reasons to believe that this is a genuine miracle. This is because the Lord Jesus himself personally testified, and quoted this as a prefiguration of His death and resurrection (Matt 12: 39-41; 16: 4).

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Reflection

A. The fall of Jonah, the stages of his deterioration, serves as a warning to all men .

(1) “Went down” to Joppa (1: 3), to flee from God’s presence.(2) “Went down” into a ship to Tarshish.(3) “Went down” into the hold of the ship (1: 5), lay down to sleep.(4) “Went down” into the sea (1: 15), rather face death then to submit to God.(5) “Went down” into the fish’s stomach (1: 17), lost hope.(6) “Went down” to the moorings of the mountains (2: 3,6), into Sheol, eternal

hopelessness.

Spiritual deterioration occurs gradually, stage by stage (Eph 4: 22). One sinks deeper and deeper into sin (ref: Jos 7: 21 – The stages of Achan’s sins: coveting, taking

and hiding. 2 Sam 11 – The stages of David’s sins: looking, inquiring, inviting, having sexual relations, killing Uriah and covering up sin.).

We should examine ourselves to see if we are deteriorating in our faith (Heb 3: 14), in love (Rev 2: 4, 5), in attending services (Heb 10: 25), in prayers (Matt 26: 40, 41), in offerings (Mal 3: 8-10) and in doing divine work (1 Cor 15: 58). Let us not fall from our steadfastness (2 Pet 3: 17), but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (2 Pet 3: 18).

B. The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea (1: 4)

Those who have lived at sea (sailors) would have had experienced windstorms. The life of a man is also the same, we do not know what may happen to us. We may encounter windstorms (sufferings) any time. In the days of adversity consider (Ecc 7: 14), know that the windstorm is from God. It is because of your sins that God’s wrath has been stirred up. He has sent the windstorm to chastise you; or God wants to test you with this windstorm. Remember what is written in the bible, “All things work for the good of those who love Him” (Rom 8: 28). In the midst of windstorms, we should remain firm in faith. Only thus will we be rewarded.

C. The implication of sin is indeed frightening. The sin of one man will affect many others.

“Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment.”(Ecc 10: 1). Just one dead fly can affect the scent of the entire bottle of perfume. Similarly, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.”(2 Cor 5:6). The disobedience of one man, Jonah, affected all the people on board the ship, causing them to incur great losses:

i. Loss of property – their goods were thrown into the sea.ii. Loss of peace of mind – the people were frightened and panicky.

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“One sinner destroys much good”(Ecc 9: 18). We cannot overlook little sins but remember to catch the foxes (Songs 2: 15).

When Miriam slandered Moses, God punished her with leprosy. For seven days, she had to stay outside the camp and, as a result, the people could not continue with their journey (Num 12). The sin of Achan brought death upon 36 men. After Achan was killed, they were victorious over the city of Ai (Jos 7-8).

D. Awake, sleeper (Eph 5: 14)!

When Jonah was in the hold of the ship. The captain rebuked him for being a “sleeper”. Falling into a deep sleep is dangerous.

i. Samson’s hair was shaved off during his sleep and he lost his strength as a result (Judges 16: 18-20).

ii. Peter fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane and did not watch and pray. Because of this, he denied Christ three times (Matt 26: 40-45; 69-75).

iii. Eutychus fell asleep during service and fell to his death (Acts 20: 8, 9).

The bible says, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”(1Thess 5: 6). “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”(Rom 13: 11). May our spiritual soul not fall asleep.

E. The Lord chastises those whom He loves (Heb 12: 5, 6)

From this chapter, we can see the love of God for His children. God sent out a great wind on the sea to chastise Jonah when he disobeyed God’s instruction and tried to flee (1: 4). Jonah then acknowledged his sins before the people (1: 10). God also prepared a fish to swallow Jonah, so that he had to undergo much suffering, pray and repent from his sins.

The bible says, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law.”(Ps 94: 12). God’s chastisement is for our own good so that we may be partakers of His holiness (Heb 12: 9-11). Let us not take lightly the Lord’s chastisement!

F. What is your occupation? (1: 8)

As human beings in this world, we all need to work for a living. Our ancestor Adam also needed to work when he was in the Garden of Eden. He had to tend the garden and name all the animals (Gen 2: 15, 19). We can take up any occupation – academic, farmer, labourer, businessman, fisherman, shepherd, etc. As Christians, we must have a proper occupation (Tit 1: 8). We should not be lazy and irresponsible in our jobs; even more so, we should not be jobless wanderers, going around causing trouble. So, what is your occupation?

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CHAPTER 2:JONAH’S PRAYER

Verse 1- 10:“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord God from the fish’s belly. And he said, “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction. And He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; all your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, “I have been cast out of Your sight. Yet I will look again toward your holy temple. The waters surround me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet you brought up my life from the pit. O Lord, my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer went up to You, into your holy temple. Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah’s prayer was a prayer of repentance as well as thanksgiving.

i. From Jonah ’ s prayer we can see how terrible it must have been to be in the stomach of the fish.

“The floods surrounded me.” (3) “The waters surrounded me, even to my soul” (5) Lu Zheng Zhong’s version – “the waters surrounded me such that I cannot breathe”. This was probably the scenario when he was thrown into the sea.

“I went down to the moorings of the mountains”(6). Being in the fish’s stomach is just like being in an enclosed space from which there is no exit. “My soul fainted within me.”(7), if this fish were like the whale (a warm-blooded mammal), then it would have been very warm, smelly and dark in its stomach. It would have been difficult to breathe, thus causing people to feel faint, just as if one were in “Sheol” (2).

ii. Jonah ’ s prayer

(1) Cry out to God in adversity (2: 1, 2)

Jonah did not pray when he was on the ship. It was only when he was in the stomach of the fish that he started to pray. Human beings behave this way – they don’t truly realize until they end up in the fish’s stomach (adversity). Jonah was in a state of hopelessness in the fish’s stomach. That was why he prayed sincerely in repentance to the Lord; because the only way of escape was the deliverance of the Lord.

“I cried out to the Lord during adversity”. Adversity turns people towards the Lord. Adversities are God’s way of punishing the wicked. Many people wait till adversities befall them before they awake and turn back to the Lord, before they are willing to pray (Ps 18: 6; 120: 1; Is 26: 16; Ps 107: 10-13; ref: Lk 15: 17-18).

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(2) The contents of prayer (2: 3-9)

a) Confession and repentance (2: 3, 4)Although the word “repentance” cannot be found in the prayer of Jonah, we can see from what he said that he acknowledges his wrongdoing and repents.

“You cast me into the deep”(2: 3). It was clearly the sailors who threw Jonah into the deep and it was Jonah who willingly allowed them to do so. Why then did he make such a statement? Because Jonah knew that this was the will of God, it was His will to cast him into the deep by the hands of the sailors.“I have been cast out of your sight”(2: 4a). Jonah felt all that was happening to him was because he disobeyed God and tried to flee from Him; it was all because of his own doings. This was his punishment.

b) Believing and trusting (2: 4b-7):“And He answered me” (2). Jonah believed that God would surely hear his prayer and answer him.

“I will look again toward your holy temple”, this shows his trust towards God. He believed that he would once again be able to go to the temple to worship and give praises to God. “You have brought up my life from the pit” “My prayer went up to You, into your holy temple” – all these were words of faith. He believed that God would deliver him from the fish’s stomach, so that he would once again enter the temple of God. All these words were spoken in the past tense – shows Jonah’s faith and his belief that God has heard his prayer.

c) Giving thanks and making vows (2: 8, 9):At this moment in time, Jonah remembered that the gods, which the people on board the ship were worshipping, were “worthless idols”; they had all forsaken “their own mercy”. Jonah expressed his good fortune in having the true God in heaven in whom he could trust; he gave thanks for this. He said, “But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.”

“I will pay what I have vowed”: it is not clearly stated here what vow Jonah made. But we can probably guess that he vowed that from henceforth, he would obey the calling of the Lord, to carry out His work according to His will. Pay what you have vowed – better not to vow than to vow and not pay (Ecc 5: 4, 5). If you do not pay your vow, God will surely require it of you (Deut 23: 21-23).

“Salvation is of the Lord” – Jonah understood that, had it not been for the deliverance of the Lord, he would surely have died, digested by the fish.

iii. The efficacy of prayer (2: 10)

In the fish’s stomach, Jonah prayed earnestly, confessing his sins and making a vow. As a result, God heard and answered him.

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“The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” The fish did not spit Jonah into the sea, but onto dry land. This is indeed the grace of God. God takes meticulous care of us and His love is great indeed.

Reflection

A. Jonah was very familiar with the Psalms. The words of his prayer were almost entirely from Psalms.

“In my distress I cried out to the Lord, and He heard me.” (Ps 120: 1), “The floods surrounded me” (Ps 17: 7) “I am cut off from before Your eyes.” (Ps 31: 22), “My heart within me is distressed.” (PS 143: 4), “And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” (Ps 18: 6), “I have hated those who regard useless idols” (Ps 31: 6), “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.” (Ps 116: 17, 18), “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Ps 3: 8)

We should let the words of Christ dwell in us richly (Col 3: 16), and to meditate on it day and night (Ps 119: 97, 98, 147, 148). In this way, during times of adversity, His words will be a lamp to our feel and a light to our path, to guide us in the way we should go (Ps 119: 105).

B. A man who is worse than a fish

The fish knew how to obey the instructions of God, and to be used by God. In contrast, Jonah disobeyed the calling of God and refused to heed His instructions to go to preach in Nineveh. He refused to let God use him. Indeed, he was worse than a fish!

C. Pray anytime and anywhere

The holy temple is the place where all the people pray (Is 56: 7). Our home is also a good place to pray (Dan 6: 10; Acts 10: 30). We can also pray in the wilderness (Mk 1: 35), beside the river (Acts 16: 13), in prison (Acts 16: 25), at the harbour (Acts 21: 5) and in the ship (Acts 27: 35). We can even pray in the fish’s stomach (Jon 2: 1). God is omnipresent and He fills the entire heaven and earth (Jer 23: 23, 24). Therefore we can pray to Him anytime and anywhere (Eph 6: 18).

D. One must repay a vow made (2: 9)

A “vow” is a covenant between man and God. God has never forsaken any of the vows He made with men. He is a loving God who keeps His covenant (Deut 7: 9; 1 Kgs 8: 23; Num 23: 19). Men too cannot forsake a covenant made with God. Therefore one must repay what he has vowed. It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay (Ecc 5: 4, 5).

God will surely require of those who have made a vow but has not repayed (Deut 23: 21-23; Ecc 5: 6). Therefore, before God, we should not be rash with our mouths, and make a vow in a moment of haste (Ecc 5: 2).

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During the Old Testament, salvation is of the Lord. The Israelites suffered as slaves in the land of Egypt. They cried out to the Lord and therefore God sent Moses to deliver them out of Egypt (Ex 3: 7-10; Ps 68: 20).

Today salvation is of the Lord Jesus (Rom 5: 6-11) – “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 12).

CHAPTER 3:THE NINEVITES’ REPENTANCE

A. Jonah realized his commission

Verse 1-4: “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

i. The second calling of God:

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time” (3: 1). After the chastisement of God, He gave Jonah another chance. The second calling of God was similar to His first. He told him saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh.” (2) This time Jonah did not dare to disobey Him because he had been chastised (he suffered greatly in the fish’s stomach for three days and nights). “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord” (3). However, from his behavior, we can see that he did not show any more love to the Ninevites than on the first occasion.

“Preach to it the message that I tell you.” (3: 2). Compare this to the instructions God gave to Jonah during His first calling – “cry out against it” (1: 2). The second is slightly different. Jonah had disobeyed God and fled the first time. This time, God wants him to submit completely. The instructions from God this time emphasizes that it is not he who speaks, but God. God wanted Jonah to preach whatever he had been instructed to. Although Jonah had had an extraordinary experience (being swallowed by a fish), which he could proclaim, God did not want him to preach himself but to preach the message as instructed by God.“For He whom God has sent, speaks the words of God” (Jn 3: 34). The servants of God must speak “as the oracles of God” (1 Pet 4: 11). Paul said, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord…” (2 Cor 4: 5). “…did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.”(1 Cor 2:

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1, 2). Today in the preaching of Jesus, what is most important is that we preach Jesus Christ and His words (the bible).

ii. Submissively, he went to Nineveh :

“So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord”(3: 3). Jonah did not dare to disobey God’s instruction again. He understood that no one who hardened his heart against the Lord would prosper (Job 9: 4). He had already repented in the stomach of the fish and had made a vow. In order to repay his vow, he went to Nineveh immediately.

Being submissive is the requirement for being a prophet of God (Ex 4: 10-17; Jer 1: 4-10). Only obedience can please the Lord (1 Sam 15: 22) and only one who submits to the Lord will be successful (Lk 5: 3-11).

“Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city” – we can infer that the task of Jonah was great and difficult indeed. “A three day journey in extent” probably referred to the circumference of the city, meaning one needed three days to go once around the city. But Jonah only walked one day’s journey and his preaching was already effective.

iii. The preaching of Jonah :

“And Jonah began to enter the city on the first’s day walk”(3: 4). Most probably Jonah used the short cut which passed through the heart of the city, preaching the warning of God.

“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” This is a very simple but serious message. Yet this simple message showed the great love of the Lord. Although the city of Nineveh was extremely wicked, and their wickedness had come up before the Lord (1: 2), God did not destroy them immediately. He gave them a period of 40 days to repent and also sent Jonah to warn them. God’s love is great indeed. Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3: 9).

Jonah only walked one day’s journey and only preached a simple message, but the effect was very great instead. Everyone in the city of Nineveh repented. Undoubtedly, if men were to submit to God to preach diligently, and this is coupled with the God abiding with them, great results will be reaped.

B. The repentance of the Nin e vites

Verse 5-8:So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything;

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do not let them eat or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.”

The repentance of the Ninevites serves as a model for the repentance of all sinners. When rebuking the Jews, the Lord Jesus cited their repentance. “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.”(Lk 11: 32)

i. Believe in God :

Believing in God is the first step to repentance. “For without faith, it is impossible to please God.”(Heb 11: 6) “The people of Nineveh believed God” (3: 5), (Maybe the miracle experienced by Jonah led these people to have faith in God). They believed in the power of God and that He would never lie. He would surely fulfill what He had spoken (ref: Num 23: 19). Therefore, a fast was proclaimed with the youngest to the oldest putting on sackcloth, confessing and repenting in remorse.

ii. Grieving over one ’ s sin s:

“Proclaimed a fast…put on sackcloth” (3: 5), “put on sackcloth and sat amongst ashes”. This is a manifestation of one’s grief/sorrow. (ref: Neh 9: 1; Esth 4: 1, 2; 1 Kgs 21: 27; Ez 27: 31). After hearing the warning of Jonah, the people of Nineveh knew that their wickedness was great indeed. Each and every one in the country fasted, put on sackcloth and grieved over their sins. The bible says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.”(Ps 51: 17; ref: Lk 18: 13, 14). God indeed did not despise the remorseful repentance of the Ninevites.

iii. Repenting in humility :

Although the king of Nineveh was the king of a nation, but “when the word came to the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes”(3: 6). This is indeed a manifestation of humility.

“Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth…”(7). This is complete repentance. Every one in the country, even the livestock, grieved for their sins. Even the livestock fasted and put on sackcloth. This is something very rare indeed and is the only such record in the entire bible.

iv. Forsake the evil way:

Nineveh was an evil city (ref: Nah 3: 1-4), the wickedness came up before the Lord (1: 2). Now they have repented, “everyone has turned from the violence that is in his hands”(3: 8). They repented sincerely and did “cry mightily to God”.

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True repentance is not only repenting in words, but through sincere actions. To forsake evil, remove all evil and turn back to the Lord (ref: 1 Thess 1: 9; Acts 19: 18, 19).

C. The effect of repentance

Verse 9-10:“Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”

“Who can tell if God will turn and relent and turn away from His fierce anger…”(3: 9), the Ninevites humbly hoped for the forgiveness of God.

“Then God saw their works”(3: 10a). God is a God who watches over men. His eyes are in every place, watching over both the good and the evil (Prov 15: 3). God will not be blind to the sins of the wicked ones (Nah 1: 3), neither will he acquit the innocent ones with sins. God saw the works of the Ninevites and saw that they had turned from their evil ways, so He relented and did not bring disaster upon them.

“Relented” which is NACHAM in the original language has two meanings:

1) It means deep sorrow. For example: Gen 6: 6, 7; Judges 1: 18; 1 Sam 15: 11, 35; Jer 15: 6.

2) It means to put a halt to one’s action. For example: Ex 32: 12, 14; 2 Sam 24: 16; Jer 18: 8, 10; Mic 2: 13, 14; Amos 7: 3, 6; Jon 3: 9, 10.

“And He relented”(3: 10). Modern Chinese translates it as: He changed His mind. God is loving, He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3: 9). The Lord Jesus once said, “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”(Lk 9: 56). The Ninevites had repented sincerely. Therefore God relented, He did not carry out further actions, “He did not bring upon them the disaster that He had said He would.”(3: 10b)

Reflection

A. To realize one ’ s commission to preach the gospel.

Paul said, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship (1 Cor 9: 16, 17). Today we have been given the commission to preach the gospel (Mk 16: 15; 1 Pet 2: 9). We should not be like Jonah, and shirk from our responsibility such that troubles befall us. After we have received physical punishment, we should know what we need to do and go forth to do it (Jonah obediently carried out the instructions of God when the Lord called him a second time). We should ponder deeply on these words of Paul.

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May we all realize our commission to preach the gospel with a willing heart (2 Tim 4: 2). In future, our reward will be great (2 Tim 4: 7, 8).

B. The effect of a simple message

When Jonah was preaching in the city of Nineveh, He only spoke a simple message, “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” A simple message, but of tremendous impact. All the people in the city repented. As the saying goes, “A word appropriately spoken is better than a thousand words.”

“And a word spoken in due season, how good it is.”(Prov 15: 23). Philip just said, “Come and see” and Nathanael was brought to the Lord (Jn 1: 46). The Samaritan woman only said, “Come and see…could this be the Christ?” When the people heard her, they all went out of the city to see Jesus (Jn 4: 29, 30).

Do not say that you are not eloquent, that you are not able to testify for Him, because we need not say a lot to testify for Him. As long as we know how to speak appropriately in due season, even a few simple words can lead people to God.

The first phrase of hymn no. 271 tells us, “Do not be afraid to testify for the Lord. Even a few words will be useful.” Arise quickly, open your mouth and preach!

CHAPTER 4:JONAH’S ANGER AND GOD’S DISCIPLINE

A. Jonah’s anger

Verse 1-4:“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

In this chapter is recorded two occasions when Jonah was angry.

i. First time:

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he became angry.” (4: 1): Jonah was exceedingly displeased and angry because God forgave the Ninevites and did not bring disaster upon them. He should actually be joyful and happy that the Lord had forgiven the Ninevites after they repented; that his preaching was effective; and that all the people of the city could be saved. Instead, he was dissatisfied and angry. Puzzling!

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Jonah’s anger showed that he was:

(1) Selfish and jealous:

Jonah’s narrow nationalism made him feel that the enemy should be destroyed, that they do not deserve to be saved. But God forgave them instead, and did not bring disaster upon them. How infuriating. Jonah’s thinking is not unlike the elder son in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15: 25-30).

(2) Foolish and ignorant:

From his prayer, Jonah knew God very well. “For I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness” (4: 2). As he prayed, he was angry in his heart. On one hand, he continued to sin; on the other, he continued to communicate with God. How foolish he is.

(3) The reasons why Jonah fled from God are exposed:

“…Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish” (4: 2b). Jonah himself exposed the reasons for his escape. Jonah knew that if the people of Nineveh were to repent, God would not bring disaster upon them. The enemy would not be destroyed but be allowed to live on. Why then should I go to preach to them to save them? From here, we can see how mean-spirited Jonah was and that he does not have love.

ii. Second time:

Jonah was angry because of a plant. God then asked him, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” He replied, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” (4: 9). Jonah’s anger this time is further evidence that he was a selfish man without love. This time he was not angry because God forgave the Ninevites, but angry because a plant had withered leaving him without any shelter.

Is it right for you to be angry?

During the two occasions when Jonah was angry, God asked him the same question (4, 9). On the 2nd occasion, Jonah actually replied, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” He was hard-hearted till the very end. It was downright dangerous for him to throw such a tantrum. Fortunately God did not let him die as he requested, or else a life would have been lost just like that.

It is natural for humans to get angry. But ponder – “Is it right for you to be angry?” Remember the words in the bible, “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.”(Prov 29: 11). Christians are not saints; it is inevitable that they will get angry. At times, it may be righteous anger, but it is nevertheless not very good to be angry. The bible tells us, “The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (Jas 1: 20).

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When you are about to get angry, take a moment to ponder if it is right for you to be angry. Is it right for you to be angry with the other party? Is it right for you to have such an attitude?

B. God disciplines Jonah

The two instances when Jonah got angry showed that he was a selfish, narrow minded man without love. To address his weakness, God arranged for a plant, and other things to teach him a lesson. God also made use of this incident to lead Jonah to express his stand, indirectly hinting to Jonah that he had been unrighteous in his dealings with the Ninevites.

a. God taught Jonah using real life examples:

Verse 5-8:So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

“Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city.” (4: 5). Probably the eastern side of the city was higher such that the whole city could be clearly seen from there.

“There he made himself a shelter”, Jonah intended to remain there for a period of time. God’s mercy period was 40 days. Now that the period was not up yet, Jonah intended to sit under the shelter, “to see what would become of the city.” (4: 5). That is, to see how God would bring disaster upon the city. God then “prepared” some “miracles” to teach Jonah a lesson.

(1) God arranged for a gourd plant

Jonah was waiting outside the city to see how God would destroy the city. Under the shelter, the sun was above his head, “the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery.” (4: 6). “Gourd” is a kind of plant commonly found in many places in the Middle East. Its seeds can be crushed to produce oil and it can grow to a height of one cubit and five feet. Its leaves are big and thus are good as shelter against the scorching sun.

This was a miracle. A gourd plant actually grew up taller than Jonah within a night (4: 10). Its shade spared Jonah the misery of being scorched by the sun. Jonah “was very grateful for this plant”, for the cool of the shade.

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(2) God prepared a worm

God prepared a worm and so it damaged the plant that it withered (4: 7). The withering of the plant left Jonah exposed to the heat of the sun. He was hot and miserable. That was why Jonah became angry when the plant withered (9).

(3) God prepared a vehement east wind

“God prepared a vehement east wind” (4: 8). In the Middle Eastern area, there is a kind of wind known as “Sivocco”. It is a hot wind which bring great discomfort to people whenever it blows. With the east wind blowing and the sun shining over Jonah, he began to feel faint. He asked for death and even said that it was better to be dead than to be alive.

In this book, we see that besides talking to Jonah, God also arranged for various things in the environment to teach Jonah. A great fish, a gourd plant, a worm, the east wind – all these are prepared by God. The surroundings are the best teacher. As long as you use your heart and mind, you will be able to receive revelation and edification.

b. The discipline of God:

Verse 10-11:But the Lord said, “ You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left-and much livestock?”

What God emphasized was: The gourd plant was not planted by Jonah. He did not tend it nor water it, yet he treasured this plant, and he even asked for death because he lost the plant. God also created the Ninevites, would God not love and treasure them even more?

Jonah appreciated the gourd plant because of the shade it provided. Yet he did not treasure the lives of the Ninevites. He only cared about his own interests, not the lives of others. He was selfish and narrow-minded.

God prepared for a vehement east wind and scorching sun to shine above Jonah, causing him to feel faint. God deliberately allowed him to experience some suffering to stimulate his empathy. However, he remained selfish; even becoming so angry he asked for death.

“Nineveh that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left.” (4: 11). Those who could not discern between their right hand and their left were infants. According to this estimation, the population of the city of Nineveh can be around 60,000, 70,000 people (some estimate it to be 100,000). The difference between this massive

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number of people and the gourd tree is great indeed. God treasured the lives of men, Jonah treasured the gourd plant. Everyone has some empathy. But Jonah’s narrow nationalistic perspective, coupled with discrimination in terms of religion, made Jonah a selfish man. Unfortunately many people today have emulated Jonah. They only seek after their own enjoyment; they are only concerned about their own salvation, not about the souls of others. And just like the people of Gadarenes, when they saw that the demon-possessed man was healed, there was not even a bit of thanksgiving in their hearts. All they thought of was the 2,000 pigs that they had lost. Because of this, they begged Jesus to leave them. They treasure pigs’ lives more than human lives. Their values are all mixed up.

“And should I not pity them?” (4: 11). These words reflect the love and mercy of God. God not only loved the adults, he also loved infants and even treasured the lives of livestock.

“A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench.” (Matt 12: 20). God has a merciful heart. How deep, wide, long and high is His love (Eph 3: 18). Even though the Ninevites were very wicked people, God still forgave them and gave them a chance to repent. Although Jonah disobeyed God, he was hard-hearted and cold, God employed all means to edify Jonah. The love of God is great indeed. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord.

This book suddenly comes to an end here. There seems to be no conclusion. There is no record of how Jonah repented after God had disciplined him. There is room left for the readers to ponder. This is the characteristic of this book.

Reflection

A. To see what would become of the city (4: 5)

Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. He did not help others when they were in trouble and even wanted to rejoice in the sufferings of others. This is a very terrible attitude.

The bible says, “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this, does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?” (Prov 24: 11, 12). Your family, relatives, friends and even enemies are walking on the road to destruction, have you showed any concern for their souls? Have you preached the gospel to them? (1 Tim 5: 8). Do not be like Jonah, remaining as a bystander when others are in trouble. God will not allow this kind of behavior. Beware lest God do unto you as you deserve.

Have you showed any concern for the matters of the church? Or are you like Jonah sitting outside the city to see what would become of it?

The bible says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles. Lest the Lord see it, and it displeases Him, and He turn away is wrath

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from him.” (Prov 24: 17, 18). God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matt 5: 45). Your enemies (you deem him as your enemy) are not the enemies of God. God loves the Israelites, but God also loves the people of Nineveh. Therefore we ought to love our enemies and not be like Jonah who sat outside the city to wait to see the destruction of his enemies. God will not be pleased with one who rejoices in the sufferings of others. Beware lest the wrath of God comes upon you instead of your enemies (Prov 17: 5).

B. God ’s arrangements

God is always patient in teaching people (ref: Job 33: 14-18). In order to teach Jonah a lesson, God prepared a big fish (1: 17), a gourd plant (4: 6), a worm (4: 7), and a vehement east wind (4: 8). All these were from God for the edification of Jonah, to correct his wrong way of thinking.

Things arranged by God, be it good or bad, smooth or not smooth, will be underpinned by His good will. Because “all things work for good for those who love Him” (Rom 8: 28).

C. God loves all men (Jn 3: 16)

Jonah was a prophet who loved his country. He knew that Assyria was a great nation that often attacked the Israelites. One day, she might actually destroy the Israelite nation. Therefore, he only wished to see God destroying this city because of its sins; he was unwilling to see its repentance and the mercy of God. This kind of narrow nationalistic thinking is so deeply implanted in Jonah that he was willing to die rather then to see his enemies being saved.

This book is for the correction of such erroneous Jewish thinking. From this book we see that God loves all mankind. He is not only God of the Jews, but also God of the Gentiles (Rom 3: 29). He is the God of all mankind (Acts 10: 34, 35; 11: 18).

The bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”(Gal 3: 28).

Paul said, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Rom 1: 14-16).

The salvation of Christ is for all people and all nations, regardless of status, position or gender. Therefore we ought to obey the teachings of the Lord, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mk 16: 15). We should actively promote world evangelism, to preach the true gospel of our church to all nations, in preparation for the 2nd coming of the Lord.

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Book of Jonah

REFERENCE MATERIAL:

City of NinevehNineveh was a city of ancient Assyria. It was situated on the eastern bank of River Tigris, presently opposite a city in Iraq. This city was first built during the new Stone Age, about 5000 years ago. Through inference, it is concluded that the culture of the earliest group of people is similar to that of the people in Northern Mesopotamia. However, it cannot be confirmed which group of people it is.

The Assyrian king, Sennacherib (BC 705-681, ref: 2 Kgs 18-19; 2 Chron 32; Is 36-37), greatly developed this city during his reign. The royal records give us a glimpse of the situation of this city. After Sennacherib started to develop this city extensively, the land area of the new city became double the original. The wall of the inner city was about 13 kilometres long, built with stones and cement. Its width was around 13 metres, with a height of 22 metres, with many watchtowers. Around the inner wall was a river about 30 metres wide, which served as fortification. Outside this river was the outer city and another fortification river. There were 14 doors, each with a name. There are also linked rivers and canals through which fresh water was channeled for the city’s use. There were broad paths in the city. Public buildings and temples took up most part of the city. There was also a big garden within which were various kinds of valuables, plants and animals given by the rulers of various nations. The last great ruler of Assyria once built his palace within the city.

During the summer of BC 612, an army led by Cyaxares and the Babylonian army led by Nabooplassur jointly attacked the city of Nineveh. It was during this attack that Assyria was destroyed. The fall of Nineveh greatly affected the people of that era. There are many records of this in the Old Testament.

(Abstract from: R. C. Thompson and Hutchinson. R. W., A Century of Exploration at Nineveh, 1929 Parrot. Andre, Nineveh and The Old Testament, 1956)

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