Hearing God’s Call

in

JONAH & RUTH

Teaching Outlines for Leadersof

Presbyterian Women2007-2008

bySandy Sturch

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.........................................................................................1

Lesson OneThe Meaning of Call.................................................................3

Lesson TwoJonah 1 – Running from God .................................................14

Lesson ThreeJonah 2 – God’s Gracious Intervention..................................25

Lesson FourJonah 3 – A Second Chance....................................................

Lesson FiveJonah 4 – The Unfathomable Ways of God............................

Lesson SixRuth 1 – When Life Falls Apart..............................................

Lesson SevenRuth 2 – The Faithful Provision of God.................................

Lesson EightRuth 3 – God is in the Details..................................................

Lesson NineRuth 4 – The Persistent Love of God......................................

INTRODUCTION

The PW study this year combines two Old Testament books that are completely different in context and content. They take place in two different historical periods. One is about a young Moabite widow, an alien, who follows her beloved Israelite mother-in-law from Moab back to Bethlehem. The other is about an Israelite prophet, called to preach to the hated Ninevites of Assyria, but runs in the opposite direction. In the Horizon study, the later book (Jonah) comes first; the earlier book (Ruth) comes second, and the subject of call is used to tie these two books together.

Had the decision been mine, I would not have chosen to put these two books together. And if I were teaching these lessons, I would reverse the order so that the study of Ruth, a book about a Gentile woman who becomes part of the genealogy of Christ, would begin in the fall and end in December, dovetailing nicely with Christmas. I would begin the study of Jonah in January with chapter one, ending in April with Jonah chapter four, and in May, I would share insights gleaned from both books. This can include the subject of call, but you can include other important insights as well, such as the meaning of providence, redemption, and God’s steadfast love for all people. But since some circles use the Horizons Bible study along with these study notes, and since some women have requested that I follow the Horizon chapters as closely as possible, I will not impose such a radical change in the order of these lessons. If you wish to teach Ruth first, you will need to revise the Table of Contents accordingly. (And if you use these notes, you will have to check to see if I can get all the lessons written and posted by the time you begin teaching in October, when you would begin the first chapter of Ruth. I am trying!)

When studying Scripture, if we are to interpret accurately, it is important to know what kind of literature we are reading. Scholars don’t agree on Jonah. The author of the Horizons study suggests that Jonah is parable and parody, which is one view among modern scholars. But other scholars see it differently. These notes are written from the perspective that both Jonah and Ruth are historical narrative. This position is based on the conviction that God is all-powerful, the God of miracles; that God is in control of all creation, including the fish in the sea and plants of the earth; that God can sustain life even in the most unlikely or impossible places and circumstances. Furthermore, other parables in the Bible are not based on actual people and historical events. It also seems unlikely that Jesus would compare his own bodily resurrection to a fictitious story in the Old Testament and use as an illustration the repentance of the Ninevites if it never happened (Matt. 12:38-41).

Nevertheless, whatever your own conclusion, we must remember as we study that, “All Scripture (referring at that time to the Old Testament scriptures and now to all scripture) is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17). Also, remember these important words, “For prophecy (again, referring

1

in its context to Old Testament Scriptures) never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). This tells us that all Scripture must be taken seriously; that there is a message for us on every page as we study.

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matt 7:7-8). Truly, if we seek the Lord in this study, we will not be disappointed.

2

LESSON ONE

Understanding God’s Call

If anyone had asked me to put two books of the Old Testament together in one study, I would not have chosen Jonah and Ruth. The differences are obvious. Jonah is a male prophet of Israel, called to preach God’s message to unworthy, dangerous foreigners, who are a formidable threat to Israel. Ruth is a foreigner whose people, the Moabites, are longtime enemies of Israel. She is a widow whose deep devotion to Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law, motivates her to leave her family of origin and homeland to settle in Bethlehem, walking into a life of hardship and uncertainty as an alien. The Moabites are Israel’s longtime enemies.

Can we say that both Jonah and Ruth are both called by God? Jonah, the prophet, intentionally runs away from God’s call to preach in Nineveh. Ruth is an outsider who has no understanding of God’s call, yet she is powerfully drawn to her Israelite mother-in-law and to Israel’s God, which results in a totally different direction in her life. Are both called by God, or is one called by God and the other led by God? Or is there another way to say this?

Maybe called is the right word to use for Jonah––he was called to a prophetic office, and God certainly called him to go on a specific mission. But might providence be a better word to use for Ruth? Surely, God was at work in her life so that the outcome was providential. The late theologian, Paul Achtemeier, defines providence this way (underlining added):

Providence, one of the most commonly held and most vigorously debated beliefs in both ancient and modern times: that there is a benevolent and purposeful ordering of all events of history. Nothing happens by chance; though not always perceptible to human understanding, there is a divine or cosmic plan to the universe, a reason for everything....

The communities of faith reflected in the documents of the Bible also held to a view of providence...God the Creator was held to be personally responsible for preserving and regulating the created order. In this context, providence is related to the notions of “election” and “predestination.” This God has a plan and purpose for his world. Providence is not a principle of orderliness for reason; rather, providence is the will of the Creator who is actively involved in moving his creation to a goal. History is not a cyclical process of endless repetition; history is being moved toward the predetermined end.

In the OT and Jewish literature, the Book of Job and the Wisdom of Solomon represent two classical locations for the confidence regarding

providence. Here, as in other texts, the key terms often translated “providence” are really “foreknowledge” or foresight” (which indeed, is the etymological Latin meaning of “providence). While humans see and judge from the limitations of time and space, even when able to learn on the recorded wisdom of prior generations, God sees the end from the beginning. In spite of evil and all that is perplexingly enigmatic in life, the message of the OT and subsequent Jewish literature is to trust in the providential care and good will of the Creator (Deut. 32:7-43; Job 10:12; Pss. 74:12––17; 104:27-30; cf. Wisd. Of Sol. 14:3; 17:2; 3 Macc. 4:21; 5:30; 3 Macc. 9:24; 17:22).

In the NT, the basis for such an invitation to trust providence is Jesus Christ. He becomes, through his life, death, and resurrection, the guarantor that God’s providential goal is salvation rather than destruction. The belief that history has a saving goal is grounded in his coming. The earliest Christians believed and preached this understanding of providence in a great variety of verbal expressions and human situations (e.g., Matt. 6:25-33; 10:29-31; Rom. 8:28-39; 12 Cor. 4:11-18; 1 Pet. 1:3-9).1

I am suggesting that we have a wonderful opportunity in the study of Ruth to learn the meaning of providence. This is a theological truth we should seek to understand in order to help us understand what we see in the world around us and in our own lives. Most of all, it helps us to better understand God.

Ruth and Jonah lived in different historical periods. Ruth and Naomi lived in the time before the time of the kings, when judges ruled Israel, when “everyone did was right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25; cf. Deut. 12:8; 31:16, 17). Thus, their story shines like a bright light in a time of darkness. Jonah lived in the eighth century B.C., during the days of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.), when there was relative peace and prosperity. He follows his contemporaries, Hosea and Amos, who prophesied during this time. Assyria was rising to its greatest height of power and terror. We will say more about the terrible cruelty of these people and their threat to Israel.

These stories are not primarily about call; they are about God. They are God’s self-revelation; they reveal God’s character. But let’s say more about call. It is a good word. As we begin this study, let’s have a mutual understanding of what it means, or at least the various ways we can appropriately use the word. Again, Paul Achtemeier helps us in our understanding: (underlining added)

Call, a common word acquiring theological significance when God or Christ is the one who calls, implying divine election or commission. Sometimes individuals are called to special vocations in God’s plan of salvation: God called Moses (Exod. 3:4), the judges (Judg. 3:9), the prophets (Jer. 1:5), and Jesus (Matt. 4:21; Rom. 1:1). When the call is a general summons to repentance and salvation, every Israelite or Christian is viewed as its recipient and hence Israel and the church are collectively designated God’s “called” or “elect” (Isa. 41:9; Heb. 3:1). 2

I think we shall see when we study the Book of Ruth that Ruth, a Gentile, was called or elected to become a part of God’s plan of redemption. This was not just for herself personally, but to become part of the lineage of David, and hence the human lineage of Jesus Christ. She is one of the Gentile women in Christ’s genealogy. Yes, she was indeed called. And the events of her life—her marrying an Israelite from Bethlehem, then being widowed at a young age; her decision to go with Naomi back to Bethlehem; her willingness to work for the food for Naomi and herself; her meeting Boaz, who just happened to be a relative of Naomi who qualified to be the kinsman-redeemer; the decision of the nearer relative to decline the opportunity to marry Ruth, resulting in her marriage to Boaz––this is providence. God is behind the scenes, working out all these details according to Ruth’s call to be included in the story of redemption. If our focus is on Ruth, we smile because this is a beautiful story. But if it is on God, we burst forth in praise to our magnificent God who is always behind the scenes, working in all the details of life for his glory. Do you see the difference?

The meaning of call in Jonah’s life was quite different from call in the life of Ruth. Jonah was called to be a prophet. Prophets in the Old Testament were men and women who were called by God to proclaim divine messages from God to individuals, particular groups, Israel, or foreign nations, by means of speech or symbolic action.

The Pentateuch traces Israel’s history of prophecy back to Moses, the paradigm of the prophetic office (Deut. 34:10). The heirs of Moses’ prophetic mantle mentioned in the books of Samuel and Kings include Samuel, Gad, Nathan, Micaiah, Elijah, Elisha, and Huldah. Speaking in the name of Yahweh, these prophets continued the intermediating role first performed by Moses.

Some of the prophets were important political figures who anointed kings, acted as their military advisers, assumed the role of the God-sent censors, and got involved in dethroning some of Israel’s rulers. Until the mid-ninth century BCE, they were Israel’s most important oppositional force; and as agents and defenders of Yahweh, they opposed religious apostasy and syncretism.3

The prophets evaluated the life of God’s people from a divine perspective. The prophetic books record announcements of divine judgment to a sinful people, which were mostly disregarded. But their messages also proclaimed future salvation beyond punishment. The prophet’s message was intended to motivate people to repent so they might escape the predicted judgment. Lack of repentance resulted in tragedy.

There seems to be no discernable pattern to how God called the prophets or at what point in their life they received their call. They heard God’s voice in different ways, at different ages, under different circumstances. For instance, Moses was 80 years old, herding sheep on the backside of the desert, far removed from his luxurious upbringing in Pharaoh’s palace in Egypt (Ex. 3:1-12). Samuel was a young boy, living in the house of Eli, the high priest of Israel. His mother Hannah had left him there after he was weaned, because she, a barren woman, had prayed to conceive and had vowed to “lend” him to the Lord all the days of his life if the Lord would grant her request (1 Sam. 1:10-11). Jeremiah was twenty years old when he was called, and his ministry was to be not just to his own people but he was to be a prophet to the nations (Jer. 1:4-10).

The life of the prophet was hard because the prophet’s message was unpopular. The prophet’s message was counter-cultural. Not only was the prophet called to preach, he was often called to act out God’s message publicly, using dramatic means to illustrate the message. This often resulted in embarrassment, ridicule, and rejection. Yet, the prophet was expected to be obedient and faithful to God’s instructions, however difficult, proclaiming God’s message accurately and faithfully.

Because God formed Israel to be God’s light to the world, it was imperative that God’s people be holy; that they worship only the one true God; that they demonstrate God’s love and justice in all they did, in contrast to the heathen nations around them. The message of the prophet was intended to restore Israel when they turned away from God, but Israel failed to respond. The only record of repentance following a prophet’s preaching is that of Nineveh to the proclamation of judgment by Jonah (Jonah 3:4-5). Nineveh, the powerful capitol of the Assyrian empire, was a Gentile city, filled with idolatry, violence and cruelty, and a growing threat to Israel. But God’s mercy extended even to Nineveh. God cared enough to give these heathen people a chance to repent.

Eventually, the prophets failed miserably in their call, preaching a false message, leading the people astray. The result was exile. They lost their land, their temple, and their identity as a nation. For 400 years, there was only silence––no new word from God. God no longer called them.

So we see that being called can mean different things to different people. But if you belong to Christ, you have been called.

The focus of the Horizon study is call, “Hearing God’s Call in Jonah and Ruth.” What can we learn from Jonah and Ruth in terms of our own call? Who is called? By whom are we called? To what are we called? These are important questions. But these stories reveal far more than call. They teach us the power of God’s relentless and eternal love, not just for us personally, but for the whole world, even our enemies. These stories are primarily about God––the God who loves with a steadfast love that will not let us go; the God who loves the very worst of sinners, who is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. These stories reveal God’s mysterious ways that are beyond our understanding; about God’s eternal plan that, through Israel, the Messiah

would come, fulfilling all the Old Testament prophesies. From the Easter side of the cross, we can understand how both Ruth and Jonah played an important role in the plan of salvation. And maybe this will shed light on our own call as members of the body of Christ.

WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF “CALL”? Call is one of the most common words in the Bible, representing over twenty

different words in the Hebrew and Greek text.

In the Bible, calling is basically a summons by which a person enters into some relationship with God.

In strict Calvinist circles, this doctrine is also known as irresistible grace.

For instance, from the Shorter Catechism:

Q. 31. What is effectual calling?

A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doeth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.

A recent Roman Catholic document says something similar concerning calling:

God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. (Catholic Church, 1.1)

In the OT, the emphasis is on Israel’s destiny as a nation.

For example, the mission or call of Israel as a nation is described this way:

Deuteronomy 4:5-8

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nation, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Psalm 98:2-3

The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

In the call of Jeremiah to be a prophet, the words set you apart and appointed are used:

Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nation ."

In the NT, the emphasis is on the call of the individual to repentance, faith, and service.

The called comprise a larger group than the chosen who will respond. 4

Matthew 22:14

"For many are called, but few are chosen" (ESV).

In the letters of Paul, the verb call and the noun calling normally pertain to the sort of call which is issued by God the Father and is made effective through the Spirit, producing a response of faith in Christ.

Romans 8:30

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

1 Corinthians 1:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Hebrews 9:15

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

There are two other ways call is used in the NT:

God’s call to a special office or to services:

Apostleship

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God....

Missionary preaching

Acts 13:2

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Acts 16:10

After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Priesthood

Hebrews 5:4

No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

God’s call to a providentially ordered occupation.

1 Corinthians 7:20-24 (This is possibly a valid illustration.)

Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

The use of call to refer to occupations is a relatively modern definition of the word., influenced by Webster’s thesis concerning vocation.

However, the primary obligation laid upon churches would be to become communities within which the discernment of God’s call and obedience to it become matters of attention, habit, and collective wisdom. But to be faithful to the biblical witness, such attention needs to be directed in the first instance to hearing the word of God, responding to the initiative of grace, and living out its implications in a life of godliness, rather than to fulfilling some role in the secular economy.

In bearing witness to the gospel, however, the fulfillment of our calling in leading a life worthy of the Lord must influence life in the public sphere. In this derivative sense, we can fulfill God’s calling in an occupation or some social role.5

Here are several insightful NT passages that refer to the believer’s call:

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God––2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Romans 8:28-30

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

1 Corinthians 1:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Ephesians 4:1-6

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

1 Peter 2:20-21

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

WHAT DO JONAH AND RUTH HAVE IN COMMON? Both illustrate the sovereignty of God—that is, God is all-powerful, the supreme

authority over all that exists.

Both show us the providence of God, that is, God working all things together for his own purposes.

IN WHAT HISTORICAL PERIOD DO THESE STORIES TAKE PLACE?

Ruth takes place during the time of the judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25),” before the days of the monarchy, from the conquest of Canaan (c. 1400 B.C.) until just before Samuel, who anointed the first king of Israel (c. 1050 B.C.).

Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of the ten tribes of Northern Israel, during a time of relative peace and prosperity (c. 700 B.C.).

However, within a few years, the kingdom fell into a state of social and religious decay, mixing the prescribed worship of the Lord with the idolatry of the surrounding peoples (religious syncretism) and social injustice (Hos. 2:1-13; 4:1-5; Amos 2:6-16; 3:9-15).

WHAT IS THE LITERARY GENRE OF JONAH? The way we view this question will influence how we accept the teaching of

Jonah.

Scholars present four possibilities:6

Allegory––a method of teaching truths or principles by means of symbolic fictional narrative.

The text of Jonah lacks any compelling indication that would call for such an allegorical understanding.

Midrash––a commentary on Scripture, held by Jewish scholars during the first thousand years of the Christian era, in which the events depicted are not necessarily historical.

This approach appears to conflict with Christ’s witness regarding Jonah’s experiences (Matt. 12:39-42; Luke 11:29-32).

Parable––a brief and usually fictitious story that conveys moral, religious, or spiritual truths; best illustrated by the teachings of Jesus (e.g., Matt. 13:45, 46; Luke 10:29-37; 15:11-32, and in the O.T., Nathan’s parable in 2 Sam. 12:1-4).

This view understands the Jonah narrative as a moral story with a teaching aim.

The unusual complexity and length of the story calls this view into question.

Historical and prophetic narrative.

The story centers on a specific figure and was written as a historical composition.

Jewish tradition regarded the narrative as history, and Christ’s allusions to the story lend further support to the historicity of the work.

Jesus did not understand the Jonah story as a mere parable, but a narrative firmly rooted in historical reality.

Reasons that some scholars challenge this view include the prophet’s healthy survival inside the fish, the unlikelihood of the Ninevites’ dramatic repentance, the size of Nineveh at the time, and the plant’s fast rate of growth. However, most of the criticisms stem from the denial of God’s sovereignty in nature and history, including God’s ability to intervene supernaturally in the created order.

These study notes will reflect the position that Jonah is a historical and prophetic narrative.

WHAT IS THE LITERARY GENRE OF RUTH? By any standards, the Book of Ruth is a classic short story. It has been called the

most beautiful short story every written.7

While we may share this viewpoint, I would caution against emphasizing this over the theological teaching of the book.

We must seek an understanding of God, his character and his ways before making personal application lest we impose our own agenda on the text as we study.

Some scholars believe Ruth was originally written as poetry and changed to prose.

In addition to the valuable insights about God, the book holds great importance because of its link in the genealogy of David and Jesus Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:1. Share with each other what you hope to gain through this study. How do you

think this study will help you deal with some difficult or puzzling areas of your life?

2. What has been your own understanding of the meaning of call? How would you explain the biblical meaning of call? Is there a difference in call in the OT and NT? Explain.

3. Share a time in your life when the providence of God was most apparent to you. What led you to see life’s circumstances in light of God’s providence?

4. What new thing have you learned from this lesson? How will this influence your life?

5. How would you recognize the voice of a prophet today? What kind of reception would a prophet receive in our churches?

6. Do you think we have prophets today? If so, who are they? What led you to your answer? How can you recognize a true prophet from a false prophet?

7. If prophets were to boldly speak God’s message to the church in America today, what do you think would they say? How would we respond?

8. If a prophet were to preach God’s Word faithfully today, including God’s message of judgment, what would be the personal consequence to the prophet?

9. When did you first hear God’s call? How did God’s call change your outlook on life and your direction? What does God’s call in your life mean to you today?

10. Have you ever run from God? Why did you run? How did you feel as you were running away? Did you turn around? If so, made you change your mind?

1 Achtemeier, Paul, Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, 890.2 Ibid, 164.3 Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, 626.4 Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 1, 694.5 Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, 95.6 The Reformation Study Bible, 1286.7 The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, 509.

LESSON TWO

Jonah - Chapter OneRunning from God

Having laid the groundwork for the story of Jonah by explaining call, we must now explain the role of a prophet and the setting of the story.

INTRODUCTION

FIRST, WHAT WAS A PROPHET? Most simply stated, a prophet was God’s mouth.

When Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, God said he would raise up for them a prophet like Moses.

Deuteronomy 18:18-22

I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."

21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

The prophet was expected to live a life of obedience to God, one who spoke God’s word without fail.

Prophets evaluated the life of God’s people from a divine perspective.

This meant announcements of divine judgment to sinful people, but also future salvation beyond punishment.

The messages of the prophets were mostly disregarded.

The life of a prophet was not easy—in fact, many of Israel’s prophets were put to death.

JONAH IS ONE OF THE 12 MINOR PROPHETS. “Minor” does not refer to importance but to length.

The Book of Jonah contains only 58 verses—but those verses include:

A storm at sea

The conversion of sailors

A miraculous rescue

A song of praise

The repentance of Israel’s archenemy

An intensely honest dialogue between God and Israel’s most reluctant prophet

These verses reveal the nature of Yahweh’s relationship to:

the Gentile sailors.

Israel’s enemy Ninevah.

Non-human creation––wind, a fish, wine, worm, and cattle.

The Book of Jonah is in many ways a microcosm of God’s relationship to his whole creation in history.

This book causes us to discuss what no one really wants to talk about––God’s role in the persistence of evil in the world.

Jonah is engaged in an earnest protest with God about the violent Ninevites.

WHAT ARE THE THEMES IN JONAH? Life and death—is a theme in all four chapters.

Ch. 1 is about the threatened death and saved life of the sailors and Jonah.

Ch. 2 concerns Jonah’s death and life within Yahweh’s great fish.

Ch. 3 is about the death and life of the Ninevites and their animals.

Ch. 4 focuses on the life and death of the vine as God’s object lesson for the Ninevites’ and Jonah’s life in the presence of the Creator.

God’s reputation for grace and mercy, even for the most wicked.

Jonah wanted justice for the wicked Ninevites––but he knew God was “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (4:2b).

HOW CAN WE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE THIS STORY? God shows compassion for one of Israel’s hated enemies through a very reluctant

prophet.

Lest we think that Jonah stands out as the only reluctant prophet, he is one of many.

Virtually all the prophets resisted God in some fashion, beginning with Moses who protested God’s call to lead, insisting that he was not qualified.

Jonah’s reluctance was not due to his fear of death but his desire that justice be done to the most wicked people on earth.

But in the end, Jonah was obedient to his call.

His preaching was successful––the Ninevites repented.

Jesus referred to Jonah in a favorable way:

Matthew 12:39-41

"A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. NIV

WHAT IS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THIS STORY? Jonah is a prophet of Israel who prophesies during the reign of Jeroboam II

(746 B.C.)

Jeroboam II reigned in Samaria for 42 years, and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 14:24).

From the time Israel was divided into Northern Israel (10 tribes) and Southern Israel, called Judah (2 tribes), there was not one king who was faithful to God.

We might assume from this that Jonah did not live an easy life as God’s spokesman.

2 Kings 14:23-27

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel

from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.

27 But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. During all of the reigns of the kings of Israel, there was not one who was faithful to the Lord––all were evil.

Jonah was a Galilean prophet to Jeroboam II, who reigned over the ten northern tribes from 786-746 B.C.

This was before Israel’s enslavement and dispersion at the hands of the Assyrians in 722.

This was a time of relative peace and prosperity in Israel, but they were morally and spiritually bankrupt.

WHAT WAS JONAH COMMANDED BY GOD TO DO? Jonah 1:1-2

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

God called Jonah to preach judgment against Nineveh––in Nineveh––because of their great wickedness.

HOW DID JONAH RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL?Jonah 1:3

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

He went to Joppa, taking the first ship to Tarshish, which was as far in the opposite direction as he could go!

Tarshish was a Phoenician city in southern Spain, just west of Gibraltar.

Tyre (north of Israel’s coast) depended on the large merchant ships of Tarshish for shipments of silver, iron, tin, and lead.

Tarshish was known as the westernmost place in the Mediterranean world.8

Jonah paid the fare, giving the reader a sense of being there, of going on the journey with Jonah.

WAS IT POSSIBLE TO FLEE FROM THE LORD? Of course not!

Psalm 139:1-10

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in — behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Vs. 3 literally means God’s presence in the temple (see 2:4, 7).

It is a common experience for people of faith to leave a place that reminds them of Yahweh in order to avoid the message they have heard in that place.9

Jonah did not want to hear God’s call to him so he got as far away from the temple as possible.

WHY WAS JONAH SO DETERMINED NOT TO PREACH IN NINEVEH?

Because Jonah had a basic disagreement with God’s way of dealing with people in the world––

Jonah knew that God would have mercy on these wicked people if they repented—and Jonah did not want them to repent––he wanted justice.

Nineveh was the capitol of Assyria, Israel’s worst enemy and the bane of the ancient world.10

To give us some perspective on the wickedness of the Assyrians:

The Assyrians boasted of their cruelty to captured peoples following the siege of their town or city, and their victims were not limited to combatants. Records brag of live dismemberment, often leaving one hand attached so they could shake it before the person died. They made parades of heads, requiring friends of the deceased to carry them elevated on poles. They boasted of their practice of stretching live prisoners with ropes so they could be skinned alive. The human skins

were then displayed on city walls and on poles. They commissioned pictures of their post-battle tortures where piles of heads, hands, and feet, and heads impaled on poles—eight heads to a stake—were displayed. They pulled out the tongues and testicles of live victims and burned the young alive.

Those who survived the sack of their city were tied in long lines of enslavement and deported to Assyrian cities to labor on building projects. Tens of thousands in hundreds of cities suffered this fate over the two hundred and fifty years of the Assyrians’ reign of terror (c. 883-612). Two Assyrian kings distinguished themselves in boasting of cruelty before the time of the prophet Jonah son of Amittai. Ashurnasirpal II [883-859 B.C.] wrote, for example:

I flayed (the skin from) as many nobles as had rebelled against me [and] draped their skins over the pile [of corpses]….I cut off the heads of their fighters [and] girls….I captured many troops alive: I cut off of some their arms [and] hands; I cut off of others their noses, ears, [and] extremities. I gouged out the eyes of many troops. I made one pile of the living [and] one of the heads. I hung their heads on trees around the city.

Ashurnasirpal’s son, Shalmaneser III (858-824 B.C.), is famous for his pictorial depictions of cruelty in large stone relief wall panels. A description of one panel is enough:

We see an Assyrian soldier grasping the hand and arm of a [living] captured enemy whose other hand and both feet have already been cut off. Dismembered hands and feet fly through the scene. Severed enemy heads hang from the conquered city’s walls.11

But Nineveh was also a great city (occurs 3 times in the book).

Nineveh was on the east bank of the Tigris River, about 550 miles northeast of Jerusalem (220 miles north of Baghdad).

It was a large and important city—a city that God cared about, enough to want to save it.

WHAT WAS TO BE JONAH’S MESSAGE TO THE NINEVITES? Jonah’s message was to be, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”

(3:4)

He was asked to risk his life preaching––he had no guarantees that he would not be killed.

Yet if he succeeded in his mission and they repented, he would not be welcome in Israel because their dreaded and cruel enemy would have been spared destruction as a result of his preaching.

Jonah was caught between a rock and a hard place!

HOW DID GOD RESPOND TO JONAH’S DISOBEDIENCE? (V. 4)Jonah 1:4

Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

We immediately see that Jonah had not fled from God as he intended, but that God was right there with him.

God sent a violent storm.

Notice that the cause of the storm is God, who is Lord over all creation, including the sea. (See Matt. 8:23-27.)

HOW DID THE SAILORS ON THE SHIP RESPOND? (VV. 5-9) Jonah 1:5-14

All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

6 The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish."

The sailors were terrified, and each one cried out to his own god.

In polytheism, one could not be sure which of their many gods had been displeased and, therefore, had to be appeased.

They threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship, thereby incurring a terrible economic loss.

HOW COULD JONAH POSSIBLY SLEEP THROUGH THE STORM? Jonah’s seeming indifference to the plight of the ship and the sailors draws anger

from the captain.

Various reasons are offered for Jonah’s deep sleep:

Jonah’s ability to sleep through the storm is surely not due to his unconcern but perhaps just the opposite—he could have been so terrified he was virtually unconscious.

Other speculation is that he was in deep depression and sleep was his escape.

It could be that Jonah preferred to die than to obey God’s command.

The captain insisted that Jonah call on his god, as the rest of them were doing, in case it was Jonah’s god who could calm the sea.

In other words, if ever there was a time for prayer, this was it!

Even the pagan sailors knew that only supernatural help could save their lives.

THE SAILORS WERE CONVINCED SOMEONE HAD MADE THE GODS ANGRY!

7 Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

It was accepted that God (or the gods, as the sailors believed) controlled the casting of lots (like the roll of the dice), and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"

9 He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

Jonah knew very well that the cause of the storm was God, from whom he was running as far away as possible.

Even in his disobedience, Jonah testified to the sailors that his God, whom he worships, is the God of all creation.

10 This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

Jonah’s guilty conscience would not let him keep silent––he had already told the sailors, who were total strangers, the reason he was on the ship.

We can imagine that Jonah felt even greater guilt for putting the lives of the sailors in danger, not to mention the loss of their valuable cargo.

Sin always has consequences, and those consequences often fall on those who are innocent.

WHAT SOLUTION DOES JONAH SUGGEST?11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"

12 "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

We see here that Jonah preferred to die in the sea than in Nineveh.

Jonah offers himself as a sacrifice for their safety.

From Jonah’s perspective, he is going to die anyway—either with the sailors as they are all drowned in the sea, or die alone if they cast him overboard.

But to the sailor’s credit, they did not want to take Jonah’s life, even though he had caused them so much heartache––they did not want to take the life of an innocent man.

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.

14 Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."

The sailors did not want to be responsible for killing the prophet of such a powerful God.

15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.

This confirmed to them that Jonah was the problem.

WHAT WAS THE BENEFIT TO THE SAILORS? The raising of the storm and its subsequent quieting were evidence of God’s

control of chaos.

This harrowing experience proved to the sailors that Jonah’s God was indeed God of the sea.

16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

Vows were a public expression of the intent to continue in faithful worship.12

HOW DID GOD SPARE JONAH’S LIFE? 17 But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

This miracle was achieved by God’s control over nature.

The power of God ensured that the fish was there at exactly the right time.

Jesus uses Jonah’s experience as an illustration of his own death:

Matthew 12:40-41

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah , and now one greater than Jonah is here.

WHY DID GOD CHOOSE THIS MEANS OF SPARING JONAH’S LIFE?

As the sailors learned that God is in control of chaos, Jonah had to learn this lesson also.

Every force in the world, however potentially dangerous, is completely under God’s dominance and control.

Jonah may have been seasick when he was thrown into the sea and half-drowned when he was swallowed by the fish; he may have been unconscious.

When he came to, he might not have known where he really was—we can only speculate—but Jonah learned some powerful lessons through this experience.

WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD IN THIS FIRST CHAPTER? God is sovereign over the whole earth—over all creation, believers and pagans

alike.

God is love––and wants all humankind to be reconciled to him.

God is merciful, even to the most degenerate of sinners––even to Israel’s enemies.

We are never out of God’s reach, even when we run from him.

God is a God of second chances—our failure is not the end of the story.

No one is beyond God’s grace!

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM JONAH’S EXAMPLE? We cannot run from God! God pursues us even in our disobedience.

God is able to use even our rebellion and failures for his good purposes (Rom. 8:28).

When we sin, others suffer because of us and with us.

God’s call may involve suffering and sacrifice:

Luke 9:23-27

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:1. Can you think of a time when you ran from God? How did God manifest himself

to you even in your rebellion?2. Would you be willing to risk your life to share the gospel with your worst enemy?3. Have you ever been the victim of someone else’s disobedience to God? How did

you handle it? Were you able to forgive?4. We are all created in the image of God. How have you seen God’s image even in

unbelievers—even in your enemy? 5. How has God brought good from your failure?6. To what, or to whom, has God called you? How did you hear God’s call? How

did you respond? Are you still following God’s call?7. How does God give people and nations an opportunity to repent before judgment?8. To what might you compare in your own life Jonah’s three days and nights in the

belly of the fish? How did you feel? How were you rescued?9. Have you ever taken a risk in following God’s call? How would you describe it?10. What is the greatest lesson you have learned from resisting God’s call? 11. What is the greatest joy you have experience in following God’s call?

LESSON THREE

JONAH – CHAPTER TWOJonah’s Prayer

This chapter is Jonah’s psalm of thanksgiving from the belly of the fish. It primarily recounts his distress and gives thanks to God for his rescue. It begins with his cry for help (2:2) and continues with four more stanzas describing his sinking in the water before he is swallowed by the fish (2:3-6). In the refrain (2:7-9) Jonah summarizes his cry for rescue and declares Yahweh as the true source of salvation. The, the narrator tells us, Yahweh talked to the fish, and “it vomited Jonah onto dry land” (2:10).13

The context of this poetic prayer is Jonah’s gratitude while inside the fish. He fully expected to drown in the water. His joy stemmed from the realization that God had delivered him in spite of his running. Jonah reaches a new dimension of understanding of God’s love and mercy. Having been spared drowning, he is confident that God will also deliver him safely to shore.

Theologically, this chapter may be the richest part of the book. The song is critical to the interpretation of the book as we gain an understanding of Jonah’s point of view, speaking in the first person. This chapter enlightens us as to the nature and circumstances of true gratitude.

In Chapter 1, the captain of the sailors asked Jonah to pray to his god, which Jonah did not do (1:6). But in this chapter, for the first time, Jonah speaks directly to Yahweh in response to his physical and unusual deliverance. (But note that in 4:4-5, Jonah will walk away without responding to Yahweh’s question.) In addition to the rich theological insights of this book, Jonah himself is a fascinating person to study––maybe because he is so much like us.

As you begin this lesson, it might be helpful to set the mood by recalling the scene at the end of Chapter 1––black skies, torrential rain and hurricane force wind, threatening to break the ship in pieces; the terrible dilemma of the sailors, concluding that they must throw Jonah overboard to his death if they have any hope of surviving; the awful feeling of guilt in the pit of Jonah’s stomach, knowing that he alone is responsible for the storm and the probable loss of life of these innocent sailors; the realization that it is better for him to die than live because of his decision to disobey Yahweh’s instructions; his hopeless situation, facing sure death—no way out. And in one swift moment, he is overboard, sinking in the violent sea, seemingly to his death.

13Bruckner, James, The NIV Application Commentary, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, p. 69.

2 Ibid, 73.

25

BEGIN THE STUDY BY READING CHAPTER 2: Jonah 2

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 2 He said:

"In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.

From the depths of the grave I called for help,

and you listened to my cry.

3 You hurled me into the deep,

into the very heart of the seas,

and the currents swirled about me;

all your waves and breakers

swept over me.

4 I said, 'I have been banished

from your sight;

yet I will look again

toward your holy temple.'

5 The engulfing waters threatened me,

the deep surrounded me;

seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;

the earth beneath barred me in forever.

But you brought my life up from the pit,

O LORD my God.

7 "When my life was ebbing away,

I remembered you, LORD,

and my prayer rose to you,

to your holy temple.

8 "Those who cling to worthless idols

forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving,

26

will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

Salvation comes from the LORD."

10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

WHAT SHOULD WE OBSERVE IN VS. 1? When Jonah was asked by the sailors to pray to his god, he ignored them (1:6).

Now, in the belly of the fish, for the first time, Jonah speaks directly to Yahweh in response to his deliverance, giving thanks before he is on dry land.

Though still in mortal danger, God’s mercy and grace in causing Jonah to be rescued by the fish assures him that God will totally deliver him.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT A SONG OF THANKSGIVING?

A psalm of thanksgiving was accompanied by a sacrifice (a thank offering, a type of peace offering) to Yahweh that was expected when someone was rescued from death––an illness, accident, or a dangerous situation (Lev. 3:6-11; 7:11-18; 22:18-30).

The delivered person brought a meat offering that was cooked and shared with the congregation.

The narrative psalm usually contained:

an introduction, including a summons to praise Yahweh and a summary of the theme;

a call to the congregation to praise Yahweh;

a narrative account, including the crisis in retrospect and the rescue, often using “I cried,” “you heard,” and “you intervened”;

a vow to praise.

These elements were not always in this order.

This psalm was probably sung, with the refrain sung first (2:7-9) as the introduction, and then sung again as the concluding vow and praise (2:9).

We might do well to compare the ritual or ceremony of the Israelite’s psalms of thanksgiving with our own response to God’s deliverance––most often a quick “Thank you, Lord,” and off we go, with our deliverance soon forgotten.

27

WHAT MAKES THIS PSALM SO UNUSUAL? Through the centuries, readers have been baffled that Jonah would pray this

prayer of thanksgiving while he is still in mortal danger.

He gives thanks for his safety while he remains in the belly of a fish.

He has been rescued from the pitching waves, seaweed, and the grave at the bottom of the sea—but he is nowhere near dry land.

He is still at sea, isolated in the belly of the fish, and at great risk of death.

Yahweh has not spoken to him and Jonah has not repented of his running away from his call.

Nevertheless, Jonah praises Yahweh’s faithfulness and declares his own commitment to the vows he has taken.

This has generated a number of different viewpoints concerning this psalm:

Some have speculated that Chapter 2 was not part of the original book of Jonah;

Some think that this psalm was written and added at a later date than the narrative;

Some argue that the author simply borrowed it from an existing collection of psalms because of its water images;

Some have suggested that it was actually written later in the safety of Jerusalem.

None of these arguments contribute to the theological and inspirational value of this psalm.

WHAT SHOULD BE OUR PERSPECTIVE AS WE SEEK THE MEANING OF THIS PSALM?

This psalm/prayer is an integral part of the narrative development, expressing Jonah’s deep gratitude for his unexpected deliverance.

He is not yet delivered, but the miracle of the fish has turned Jonah’s heart back to Yahweh.

The fish’s appearance and swallowing of the prophet are powerful signs that anticipate the possibility of his full deliverance on dry land.

Jonah’s prayer of thanks is essentially the beginning of his transformation which will be continued in the vine, worm, and wind encounters later in the book.

We can’t help but wonder how Jonah thought he would get out of the fish alive, but since we can’t read his mind, we are simply left to wonder.

28

NOW LET’S LOOK AT THE CONTENT OF THE PSALM.Jonah 2:2

In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

In my distress and depths of the grave refer to Jonah’s drowning in the sea as he is sinking (he confirms the experience of drowning in 2:7).

Verses 2-5 describe Jonah’s progressive descent into his watery grave.

First, he is on the surface of the water (2:3)––hurled overboard, pulled by currents, battered by breaking waves on the surface of the sea.

Jonah is hurled overboard by the sailors, but he knows that Yahweh has done it––the sailors were innocent.

Then he is in the midst of the seas 2:4)––while sinking, he feels banished from Yahweh, yet he looks toward his Yahweh’s presence (yet I will look again toward your holy temple).

There was underlying anxiety and fear of chaos represented by the deep water, as it was over the deep that the Spirit hovered at the creation:

Genesis 1:2

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The fear is further expressed by these passages:

Exodus 15:4-5

Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.

Psalm 107:24-26

They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away.

Then Jonah is near the bottom (2:5)––engulfed in the depths of the sea, sinking to the seaweed at the bottom.

Then he is drowning (2:6)––now at roots of the mountains, in the sand bars of the ocean floor that will be his grave.

But Yahweh sends the fish to spare his life and brings him up from the pit.

The picture is of going down and then being brought up by Yahweh.

29

In 2:7-9, Jonah’s prayer rose to Yahweh in the temple (temple meaning God’s heavenly dwelling place, as in Psalm 11:4,

Psalm 11:4

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.

Finally, Jonah leaves the depths––he is vomited up out of the depths of the sea, out of the depths of the fish, onto dry land (2:10).

THE CENTERPIECE OF THIS SONG OF PRAISE (2:4):Jonah 2:4

I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'

Jonah is quoting himself (I said) so that the reader cannot miss the central point.

This is the first indication that Jonah regrets leaving his place in the presence of Yahweh in the temple––this is his turning point.14

In 1:3, he ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. Now he turns for the first time to look back (Yet I will look again toward your holy temple). 15

Jonah remembered his own words, I have been banished, meaning that he felt he had no option of return.

It was not Yahweh who banished Jonah from his presence; it was Jonah who ran of his own volition.

Jonah experienced banishment when he was lifted up and thrown overboard and then hit the water.

It was then that he realized he had lost his options––he could no longer choose to go back.

Turning and looking was Jonah’s only hope.

Jonah’s offense was fleeing from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah demonstrates his understanding of the power of simply turning again toward the presence of Yahweh––that even when he is banished, with no option of return, he can look to Yahweh.

He thinks he cannot return—but he can turn and look.

143 Ibid, 7315

30

A CLOSER LOOK AT JONAH’S DELIVERANCE (2:7-10): It is noteworthy that Jonah prays this prayer of thanksgiving while he is still in

danger; not yet rescued and far from dry land; Yahweh has not spoken to him and he has not repented.

Nevertheless, Jonah is filled with praise, declaring Yahweh’s faithfulness and his own piety.

Jonah 2:7-10

7 "When my life was ebbing away,

I remembered you, LORD,

and my prayer rose to you,

to your holy temple.

Jonah recalls that he came as close to death as possible before turning in helplessness to Yahweh.

Ebbing away (2:7) refers to Jonah’s fainting and feeble situation.

I remembered you, LORD,” means more than recalling something to mind. It had deep theological significance in that Israel’s foremost responsibility was to remember Yahweh.

Deuteronomy 8:18 –– Moses said:

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Judges 8:33-34

No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

Your holy temple cannot mean that Yahweh is only at the temple, for he was with Jonah in the storm, in the fish, and will be with him on the hillside east of Nineveh (chapter 4).

Yahweh’s presence in the temple is a sign of the necessary worship of the gathered community.

It was also the place of Jonah’s public service as a prophet––today we might say the place of his employment.

Jonah identifies the temple as the special place of communion with Yahweh; the place where God’s people gathered for singing, learning, and prayer.

31

We often say, with Thomas Wolff, “You can’t go home again,” but for believers, that isn’t true; there is always a way back to the Lord (Luke 15:11-32).

8 "Those who cling to worthless idols

forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving,

will sacrifice to you.

Here Jonah seems to set himself apart from idolaters (the sailors and Ninevites), even while still in the belly of the fish due to his own rebellion.

There is tension here, for while Jonah’s attitude is being transformed, the process is not yet complete––he shows his humanity and his limited vision.

Where is this prophet’s compassion for those who do not yet know of God’s grace and mercy?

Jonah is right in his statement about clinging to worthless idols and forfeiting God’s grace, but he seems to be grateful for his own deliverance, yet he has not been willing to be the instruments of extending God’s grace to others.

There seems to be a note of pride in his statement, for it was the pagan sailors who wanted Jonah to pray, but Jonah did not pray, for himself nor for them.

What I have vowed I will make good.

Salvation comes from the LORD."

This seems to imply repentance, but we will wonder about its genuineness when we come to chapter 4, for his attitude toward Nineveh will not have changed.

Jonah makes this declaration while in the belly of the fish, where he is not in the temple, able to fulfill his calling.

He is genuinely thankful, and he will fulfill his call to the Ninevites, but he still has not repented of his evasion of his call.

The narrative context and the psalm reveal Jonah’s self-centered viewpoint:

The personal pronoun “I” is used ten times in 2:2-9.

This might challenge us to ask, Are we truly transformed in the midst of our suffering? Or is our primary concern to get out of the dilemma in which we find ourselves? Is this what we call foxhole religion?

Or should we recognize that transformation is a process that does not occur overnight, even in the belly of a fish? Or even in the crisis in which we find ourselves?

32

Should we have the patience and grace to accept someone where he/she is at the moment, rather than where we pray he/she will be as the process continues?

Jonah is truly grateful that he is not dead yet, and he prays what he can pray––he demonstrates a combination of gratitude and defiance.

He has not lost his deep convictions and argument with Yahweh about Nineveh––he still does not want them to have an opportunity to repent.

He vows to do what he must, but his heart is not changed, in spite of his gratitude to Yahweh for his own deliverance.

While still in his dire circumstances in the fish, he believes he will be delivered––but he does not want Nineveh to be delivered from their idolatry and brutality––God’s grace is for him, not them.

10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah looking toward God is enough for his deliverance––God will deal with his unresolved issues of protest and running later.

God answers those who call out to him in distress whether all the issues are resolved or not.

God accepts Jonah’s thanks, even without repentance, and he accepts his protest not as sin but as a welcome dialogue.

When Jonah confesses that salvation is from the Lord, he is vomited out on dry land.

This was surely a great relief not only to Jonah but to the fish as well!

HOW SHALL WE APPLY THIS TO OUR OWN LIVES? The believer’s life on this earth, after salvation but before its fulfillment, is often

like Jonah’s life.

We want salvation for ourselves, but we are reluctant to see God’s mercy extended to the undeserving.

We give thanks to God for the blessings we have received, but we are reluctant to share these blessings with others.

We have our own standard of what it means to take up our cross to follow Christ, imposing limitations on the cost of discipleship according our own convenience and the fulfillment of personal and often selfish goals.

Matthew 10:37-39

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy

33

of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

We ourselves are guilty of foxhole religion when we get serious about prayer when our life is threatened—or the lives of those we love—though we can virtually ignore the Lord when all seems well.

Transformation of our own self-centeredness comes slowly, though we expect immediate change in those who are living in disobedience.

We are selective in deciding with whom we will share the gospel, preferring to reach those who are “like us” rather than of a different social class, nationality, or culture.

We are much more like Jonah than we care to admit––but like Jonah, the process of transformation is still going on, and for this we must be grateful––and patient.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:1. Are you willing to share a time in your life when transformation began but is not

yet complete?2. Is God’s presence more apparent to you in a church building (temple), or do you

see and feel God’s presence equally everywhere you go? If there is a difference, what makes it so?

3. How does the Lord use crises to strengthen you? In your prayer life? In your praise and worship? Describe the difference you feel when things are going well and when everything seems to be falling apart?

4. How has your attitude about Jonah changed so far? How did you perceive him before, and how do you perceive him now? What has been a surprise to you?

5. What is your expectation of modern day prophets (preachers)? How much latitude should we give them for their own spiritual maturity? How much process of transformation should be expected as they exercise spiritual leadership, and how can we humbly assist them in their growth? Or is it arrogant to consider this part of our responsibility?

6. Have you ever been in a life and death situation? What were your thoughts? How did you pray? When the crisis was past, what difference did it make in your life?

7. What is the most unlikely place you encountered God? Why were you surprised?8. Was Jonah’s call unique? How would you compare it with your call? Or the call

of ministers today? To what extent can we use him as an example?9. List all the insights about God you received from Chapter 2. What was new to

you? How will you apply these insights to your present needs?10. What most inspires you to worship and pray? How much of your time is devoted

to worship and prayer? To what extent do life circumstances influence you?

34

35

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, Kevin J. Vanhoozer, General Editor, Baker, 2005.Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, Zondervan, 1992.Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, Zondervan, 1985.Fee, Gordon D., Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, Zondervan, 2002.Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Paul J. Achtemeier, General Editor, with the Society of Biblical Literature, Harper Collins, 1996.New NIV Application Commentary, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, James Bruckner, Zondervan, 2004.New NIV Application Commentary, Judges/Ruth, K. Lawson Younger, Jr., Zondervan, 2002.NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 1995.Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3, Merrill C. Tenney, General Editor, Zondervan, 1976.Reformation Study Bible, English Standard Version, Ligonier Ministries, 2005.

8 Jonah, NIV Application Commentary, p. 439 Ibid, p. 42.10 Ibid.11 Ibid, p. 29.12 Ibid, p. 49.

36