Jonah
A Warning to the Enemy
Summary | About | Why You Should Read it | Author | When Written | Context | Timeline | Location | Outline | Observations | Resources
Summary
The Book of Jonah is one of the Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. It tells the story of Jonah, a prophet called by God to deliver a message of repentance to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.
Key Events:
- Jonah’s Call and Flight: God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people of its impending destruction due to their wickedness. Instead of obeying, Jonah flees in the opposite direction and boards a ship bound for Tarshish.
- The Storm and the Fish: As Jonah tries to escape, God sends a great storm. The sailors, realizing Jonah is the cause, throw him overboard. Jonah is swallowed by a large fish, where he spends three days and nights praying for deliverance.
- Jonah’s Repentance and Nineveh’s Warning: After being vomited out by the fish, Jonah finally obeys God’s command. He goes to Nineveh and proclaims that the city will be destroyed in 40 days. Surprisingly, the people of Nineveh, from the king to the commoners, repent, and God spares the city.
- Jonah’s Anger and God’s Lesson: Jonah becomes angry that God shows mercy to Nineveh. He retreats outside the city and sulks. God uses a plant and a worm to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion, showing him that God cares for all people, not just Israel.
Themes:
- God’s Mercy: The central theme is God’s compassion and willingness to forgive, even towards Israel’s enemies like Nineveh.
- Repentance: Both Jonah and the Ninevites demonstrate repentance, showing that turning to God can change outcomes.
- God’s Sovereignty: The story emphasizes that God controls nature (the storm and the fish) and is patient with humanity.
- Human Weakness: Jonah’s reluctance and anger show human frailty, contrasting with God’s grace.
Jonah’s story highlights God’s love for all nations and people, extending His mercy beyond the boundaries of Israel.
The following table provides a high-level look at the structure and contents of the book of Jonah.
About
Jonah is the 32nd book of the Bible and the fifth of the book of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament.
Why You Should Read It
A Christian should read the Book of Jonah for several important reasons, as its themes are deeply relevant to Christian faith and discipleship:
- God’s Mercy and Grace:
The story of Jonah highlights God’s boundless mercy, even toward those considered enemies or outsiders. Christians are reminded that God’s grace extends to all people, not just a select few. This resonates with the New Testament teaching of God’s universal love, as seen in John 3:16, where salvation is offered to the whole world.
- Repentance and Forgiveness:
Jonah’s story demonstrates the power of repentance and God’s willingness to forgive. Just as the people of Nineveh repented and were spared, the New Testament emphasizes the importance of repentance for salvation (Luke 13:3). Christians are encouraged to embrace repentance as a key aspect of their spiritual lives and to extend forgiveness to others.
- God’s Call and Mission:
Jonah’s initial reluctance to obey God’s call speaks to the struggle many believers face when asked to step out of their comfort zones to fulfill God’s mission. Christians can learn from Jonah’s story about the importance of obedience and the role of evangelism. The call to share the message of salvation mirrors the Great Commission given by Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).
- God’s Patience and Compassion:
Jonah’s story showcases God’s patience—not only with the sinful people of Nineveh but also with Jonah himself, who struggled with anger and self-righteousness. For Christians, this teaches the importance of cultivating patience and compassion in their own lives, mirroring God’s character.
- Jesus’ Reference to Jonah:
Jesus specifically refers to Jonah’s time in the belly of the fish as a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:39-41). Jonah’s three days in the fish symbolize Jesus’ three days in the tomb, making the book a profound prophetic parallel to the core message of Christianity—the death and resurrection of Christ.
- Lessons on Prejudice and Judgment:
Jonah’s resentment towards the Ninevites highlights the dangers of prejudice and self-righteous judgment. Christians are called to love their enemies and avoid passing judgment on others, reflecting Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:44, 7:1).
By reading Jonah, Christians can gain a deeper understanding of God’s inclusive love, the importance of obedience, and the significance of forgiveness and repentance in their faith journey.
Author
The authorship of the Book of Jonah is traditionally unknown. Unlike many of the prophetic books in the Bible, which often begin with the phrase “The word of the Lord came to [the prophet’s name],” the Book of Jonah is written in the third person and does not directly identify its author. Some suggest that Jonah himself may have written the book, recounting his own experiences in the third person. This is not impossible, but there’s no direct internal evidence to support this theory. Many scholars believe the book was written by an anonymous author long after Jonah’s life. This theory suggests that the story was preserved in oral tradition and later written down, possibly by someone familiar with the historical context of Israel’s relationship with Assyria.
When Written
Jonah prophesied to Nineveh sometime between 765 and 750 B.C. It was written it sometime thereafter.
Context
The Book of Jonah was likely written in a specific historical, cultural, and theological context that influenced its themes and message. While the precise date of composition remains uncertain, scholars generally situate the story within a broader context that reflects Israel’s relationship with its neighbors, particularly the Assyrian Empire.
Historical Context:
Setting during the Reign of Jeroboam II (8th century BCE): The events in the Book of Jonah are set during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel (circa 793–753 BCE). During this period, Israel experienced a time of relative prosperity and military success. However, Israel’s moral and spiritual condition was in decline, and many prophets (like Amos and Hosea) were calling the people to repentance.
Assyria’s Role: Assyria, with its capital in Nineveh, was a rising imperial power that would later destroy the northern kingdom of Israel (in 722 BCE). Assyrians were known for their cruelty and aggression, and they posed a constant threat to Israel and its neighbors. Nineveh represented the height of wickedness and brutality in the eyes of Israelites.
Prophetic Tradition: Jonah is part of the prophetic tradition, which often involved calling Israel (and sometimes other nations) to repentance and warning of God’s judgment. The idea of God sending a prophet to Israel’s enemy would have been shocking to the Israelites of the time.
In summary, the Book of Jonah was written in a context where Israel was dealing with foreign powers like Assyria, questioning its role and identity in a world of competing nations. It challenged Israel’s narrow view of God’s mercy and justice, urging them to consider God’s concern for all people, including their enemies. Its themes of repentance, divine mercy, and inclusivity make it timeless, addressing both ancient and modern audiences.
Timeline
The timeline below shows from the beginning of the monarchy with Saul through the start of the Exile. Jonah takes place sometime during his ministry, which was from 800 to 750 B.C. The repentance of Nineveh probably took place between 765 and 759 B.C. when a number of cataclysmic events took place.
Location
Jonah tried to run away from God boarding a ship in the coastal city of Joppa and eventually did as directed and went to Nineveh, in northern Assyria.
Outline
| I. Jonah Flees His Mission (chs. 1-2) |
| A. Jonah’s Commission and Flight (1:1-3) |
| B. The Endangered Sailors’ Cry to Their Gods (1:4-6) |
| C. Jonah’s Disobedience Exposed (1:7-10) |
| D. Jonah’s Punishment and Deliverance (1:11 — 2:1; 2:10) |
| E. His Prayer of Thanksgiving (2:2- 9) |
| II. Jonah Reluctantly Fulfills His Mission (chs. 3 – 4) |
| A. Jonah’s Renewed Commission and Obedience (3:1-4) |
| B. The Endangered Ninevites’ Repentant Appeal to the Lord (3:5-9) |
| C. The Ninevites’ Repentance Acknowledged (3:10;4:4) |
| D. Jonah’s Deliverance and Rebuke (4:5-11) |
Observations
- Jonah was a prophet from the village of Gath Hepher, located some three miles north of Nazareth in lower Galilee.
- Today the village of Gath Hepher is known as Mash Had.
- The Pharisees were wrong in John 5:52, when they said “Search and look, for no prophet has risen out of Galilee.
- Jonah is the only prophet whom Jesus likened to Himself. Matthew 12:39-41
- Jonah’s experience is a type of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
- Unlike all other Old testament books, Jonah revolves exclusively around a Gentile nation.
- Nineveh was a world empire for about 300 years. (900-60 B.C.)
- From Jonah’s home:
- Assyria was northeast.
- Joppa was southwest.
- Tarshish (Spain) was west.
- Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet whose ministry is entirely on foreign soil.
- Jonah was a contemporary of Jeroboam II of Israel.
- (782-753 B.C.)
- The Book of Jonah has four chapters:
- Chapter 1 – Jonah is running FROM God.
- Chapter 2 – Jonah is running TO God.
- Chapter 3 – Jonah is running WITH God.
- Chapter 4 – Jonah is running AHEAD of God.
- Assyria’s willingness to repent may have been helped by:
- A plague in 765 B.C.
- A solar eclipse two years later in 763 B.C.
- Another plague four years later in 759 B.C.
- The repentance of Nineveh probably took place during the reign of Ashurdan III (773-755 B.C.).
- Upon Nineveh’s repentance at the preaching of Jonah, the city was allowed to stand for another 150 years until the Babylonians rebelled against the Assyrians in 626 B.C. and overthrew the mighty city of Nineveh 16 years later in 612 B.C.
Old Testament
New Testament
Free Resources
Other Resources
- x
