I read and studied Jonah over the last couple of days and have a lot of thoughts that I am excited to share. I've read Jonah before, but I had never taken the time until now to really dig and uncover the big picture from the story. There is a lot to the story of Jonah that I glossed over in the past, and I pray that the incite God has given me will be helpful to you as well.
Let's start by taking a look at the cast of characters. We've got Jonah, of course, and the Lord, the people on the boat, and the people of Nineveh.
First, let's consider the crew of the boat that Jonah hopped on to run away from God (I'm still wondering how he thought he could hide). In the first chapter, it is clear that the people on the boat believed in many different gods. When the storm came up, they all prayed to their deity of choice in hopes that someone would luck out and appease the right god who would calm the storm. When that didn't work, the captain found Jonah sleeping and asked him what his deal was. I can imagine the captain saying "we need all hands praying to as many gods as we can think of or we're all going to be sleeping with the fishes! Get up and pray, man!" The next brilliant move of the crew was to cast lots and guess who lucked out? Jonah, of course. At this point, the crew knew that something was up with Jonah, and they started to interrogate him. Jonah didn't take long to fess up to being the cause of the storm and told the crew to throw him overboard. That seemed to have presented a new problem of angering Jonah's god by killing him. Eventually, they prayed to the Lord asking that they be innocent of Jonah's blood and tossed him over the side.
The interesting thing I find about the crew is that they had a great amount of respect for the Lord (Jonah's god). When the storm stopped after throwing Jonah overboard, they feared the Lord exceedingly. (1:16) Unfortunately, even though the crew acknowledged that the Lord brought up the storm and stopped it just as fast, their real concern was for the preservation of their lives instead of their complete dependence on God to be rescued. They didn't have reverence for God, but rather had terror that caused them to try and appease the Lord with sacrifices and vows.
Now, let's take a look at the people of Nineveh and how they responded to Jonah's prophecy of their destruction. Jonah depects the city of Nineveh as an exceedingly great city. It sounds like they are wealthy, strong, and proud. As I read the minor prophets, it seems that those qualities usually are present before God knocks people down a peg or two. This time is no different, and God is ready to strike down the entire city of Nineveh for their evil has come up before me. (1:2) When Jonah finally gets around to listening to God and heading to Nineveh, his message is simple: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (3:4) I find verse 5 incredible.
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. Jonah 3:5
First of all, they didn't think some crazy nut was speaking to them. They recognized that it was God Himself. Secondly, they listened. There is no indication that they listened because they expected God to take pity on them and spare them. They simply listened because they believed God's judgment to be righteous and just. Their fast shows an understanding of their depravity and their souls being at the mercy of God. The king issues a decree in verses 7-8. The middle of verse 8 and all of verse 9 show an incredible amount of understanding.
Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish.
Jonah 3:8b,9
From the least to the greatest, all 120,000 people in Nineveh, understood the prophecy and repented. This wasn't just a fast to appease God in a similar way to the sacrifices of the ship crew. This was a fast that acknowledged their sinful condition and need of grace and mercy. The entire city got "it." Just as Abraham's believing God was counted as righteousness, it seems that Nineveh's belief was as well. Amazing, isn't it?
Now let's take a look at the eventually-obedient prophet and his interaction with the Lord. At first, Jonah's hesitancy to go to Nineveh seems to be out of fear. He fled on the boat to get away from the presence of the Lord. God was "nice" enough to bring up a huge storm to remind Jonah that he cannot flee from His presence. God is then gracious enough to appoint a fish to swallow Jonah for three days and three nights. If this doesn't show the sovereignty and omniscience of God, I don't know what does! God knew that Jonah would try and flee from him, and He used that as the perfect opportunity to use Jonah as a prophesy of Christ's whereabouts the 3 days between His death and resurrection. (Matthew 16:4) I feel blessed when I think of how patient God was with Jonah, and I can see a similiar degree of patience with me when I struggle to obey God. Jonah's prayer in chapter 2 is a great lead-in to the people of Nineveh. Jonah speaks of his own depravity and the Lord's rescuing hand reaching down to lift him up out of the pit. The three days in the big fish seemed to do Jonah some good, and after he was vomitted up onto dry land, he obeyed the Lord and went to Nineveh.
Chapter 4 comes on the heals of a city-wide reconciliation and ends the book as it began with a conversation between Jonah and the Lord. The good news about Jonah in this chapter is that he takes his concerns to the Lord. The bad news is that he is resentful towards the Ninevites and angry that God spared them. As I thought about Jonah's bitterness, I began to question just how often I am resentful of the good fortune and blessings of others. Or maybe it manifests in my resentment that I haven't been blessed with the same experience or opportunity.
One thing's for sure. I can't remember ever being mad enough to want to die. Maybe I feigned like I was that angry, but I can't quite relate to Jonah on that one! Fortunately, the Lord was patient and asked Jonah if he did well to be angry. At that, Jonah stormed off still in a bad mood. That's when God turned up the heat to get the point across to Jonah.
Jonah is outside of the city fuming and just waiting to see what will happen to Nineveh. God does what only God can do and sprouts a plant in a single day that is large enough to provide shade for Jonah. Jonah is excited about his new shade, but, unfortunately for him, the next day a worm attacked the plant and the plant withered and died.
This seems to be the last straw for Jonah and again he says that it would be better for him to die. God again asks Jonah if he does good to be angry, but, unlike the first time, this time Jonah answers. He is angry enough to snap at God and tell God that he does do well to be angry. I have to believe that the way the book of Jonah ends means that Jonah finally got God's point because he offers no response of his own to what God says.
God compares the plant to Nineveh to show Jonah why He has every reason to spare the people of the great city. Unlike the plant, which Jonah did not labor for, God labored for Nineveh. God also made the city grow. And lastly, God allowed the city to prosper. Jonah had nothing to do with the plant's growth or shade-providing abilities unlike God's complete sovereignty over Nineveh and its people. It shows how much God cares for people from the least to the greatest in each city, country, and continent.
The final thoughts I have about Jonah regard the supernatural events that took place. There are at least six events in four short chapters. They are as follows:
1. God's Word came to Jonah (1:1 and 3:1)
2. God calls a storm while Jonah is at sea (1:4)
3. The lot fell on Jonah when the crew of the ship were casting lots to determine fault (1:7)
4. The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah (1:17)
5. All 120,000 people of Nineveh repent (3:5)
6. The plant, the worm, and the weather while Jonah is outside the city waiting (4:6-8)
I used to think that Jonah was just a fish story, but after this latest time of reading it, I am convinced that it is so much more. It is a story of the patience of God with His people and the reconciliation of 120,000 people from the simple words "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" Is it more astonishing that a fish swallowed Jonah or that God softened the hearts of thousands of people? I believe that the 120,000 new hearts is the real fish story.
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