Week 13

Tragedy in Amish Community• About seven years ago on Monday morning, October 2, 2006,

32-year-old Charles Roberts burst into a one-room Amish schoolhouse, toting a gun• In the awful moments that followed, he killed five young school

children, injured five more and finally turned the gun on himself• The idyllic, tight-knit Amish community of West Nickel Mines,

just outside of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was devastated• Word of the shooting quickly spread across the country … by the

next day, over fifty television crews had descended on the tiny village• The gunman, as it turns out, was the local milk man who

delivered to the school and the surrounding neighborhood• In a suicide note to his family, Roberts wrote that he had to do

this because he was so angry at God for the death of his own little daughter … this would exact his revenge, he thought

Grace and Forgiveness• What’s so remarkable about this story, however, is

what happened in the aftermath• Within hours of the shooting, representatives of

the Amish community walked over to the gunman’s house and offered forgiveness to his family

• Before the blood had dried on the schoolhouse floor, parents of slain children were offering forgiveness to the offender’s family, in spite of their grief

• The media at first didn’t know what to do with it. As Donald Graybill tells it in his book, Amish Grace, the remarkable response of the West Nickel Mines community transcended the tragedy. It changed the story. What began as a shocking tale of a crazed gunman turned into a gripping—almost super-human—story of forgiveness. A story of grace.

• All of a sudden the entire country was talking about forgiveness. What does it mean? Who has the authority to forgive? What does it mean to forgive if the offender is dead? Is there such a thing as communal forgiveness? And, most of all, what inspired this community to respond so quickly and so sincerely in this way?

Why do you think some outside the Amish community questioned whether that much mercy should have been extended so freely?What do you think you would do in such circumstances?

Most of us grew up with the same instructions to forgive as the Amish people haveWhy is it then that they can forgive the seemingly unforgivable, but many of us cannot?

Amish children see their parents forgiving or extending forgiveness and that is how they learn about forgivenessHow did you learn about forgiveness? What do you think the children in our community learn about forgiveness? What changes would you want to make?

Jonah’s Second Call(Jonah 3:1-3a)

Quick Review of Week 12 ….

2Gath-hepher

Joppa

NinevehTarsus =Tarshish

The Structure of the Book of Jonah

Chapters 1-2 (At Sea)

• Word of God to Jonah 1:1• Content of the Word 1:2 • Response of Jonah 1:3 • Gentile Response 1:5 • Action of Captain 1:6 • Sailors and Jonah 1:7-15 • Disaster Averted 1:15c • Response of Sailors 1:16 • God and Jonah 2:1-11 • God’s Response 2:11

Chapters 3-4 (At Nineveh)• Word of God to Jonah 3:1• Content of the Word 3:2• Response of Jonah 3:3-

4a • Gentile Response 3:5 • Action of King 3:6-9 • Ninevites and God 3:10 • Disaster Averted 3:10c• Response of Jonah 4:1• God and Jonah 4:2-3• God’s Response 4:6-11

Depicts Yahweh’s power beyond Israel’s territory and across the sea

Depicts Yahweh’s power beyond Israel’s territory … into Nineveh

Jonah 3:1-3a

3:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3a So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.

SCENE 4

• Jonah is the only biblical prophet who must be given his assignment a second time because of his prior disobedience• Moses twice is given the assignment to ascend Mount Sinai and receive the 10 Commandments, but that was necessitated by Israel’s disobedience

Jonah 3:1-3a

3:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3a So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.

SCENE 4

Yahweh was gracious to Jonah by bringing him the word of the LORD a “second time.” In what others ways was God’s grace displayed?• God makes no reference to Jonah’s previous failure• God does not remind him of his deliverance from Sheol, nor of his promise, “what I have vowed I will pay” (2:9)• God’s words carry no rebuke for Jonah and no warning of what will happen if he fails to respond once again

1:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it (qara’ ‘al), for their evil has come up before me.”

3:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it (qara’ ‘el) the message that I tell you.”What is the same in these two passages? What is different? • Our ESV text doesn’t catch the subtle difference in 1:2 to “call out against it” (qara’ ‘al, with connotation “to denounce”) compared with 3:2 to “call out to it” (qara’ ‘el, meaning “to proclaim to”)• The content of what Jonah was to preach isn’t given in 1:2, but the construction makes it clear that it was to be a message of judgment• In 3:2 Yahweh commands Jonah to announce “to” Nineveh an as-yet unspecified message

Jonah 1:2 and 3:2

Why does Jonah go to Nineveh this time?

• One answer might be that Jonah realizes he cannot escape Yahweh• This God has pursued him from Israel, across the sea, into the ocean

depths, met him in Sheol, then out onto the land again• At this point Jonah may simply be giving in, crying “uncle,” passively

acquiescing to what Yahweh wants• Perhaps he hopes or anticipates that the Ninevites will not

respond, in which case they will be destroyed• If Jonah is given any freedom in crafting his sermon, he might attempt

to steer the Ninevites to destruction• He could deliver a very short sermon containing no call to repentance

and saying nothing about escape or salvation• Perhaps Jonah goes because of his renewed faith

• Yahweh had provided a great fish for his deliverance, not abandoned him in Sheol, raised him up to new life, and reinstalled him into the prophetic office

• God has come “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10)

The Structure of the Book of Jonah Scene 1: Jonah’s First Call (1:1-3)

Scene 2: The Storm at Sea (1:4-16)

Scene 3: Jonah’s Deliverance & Prayer (1:17 – 2:10)

Scene 4: Jonah’s Second Call (3:1-3a)

Scene 5: Jonah’s Preaching Converts (3:3b-10) Nineveh & Yahweh Changes His Verdict

Scene 6: Jonah’s Response to Yahweh’s (4:1-3)Change of Verdict to Save Nineveh

Scene 7: Yahweh’s Provisions and (4:4-11)Jonah’s Response

Revival!Great revivals have occurred throughout history:• Among the Jews in the first century• The tribes of Ireland in the fifth century• The Protestants in the sixteenth century• The people of Wales in the twentieth centuryYet one of the greatest revivals of all time occurred hundreds of years before any of these – the amazing revival in Nineveh in the 8th century BCIf a genuine revival were to occur in this country, what results would you expect to see?If God answered right now, in one fell swoop, every prayer you prayed last week, would anybody new be in the kingdom?

Jonah 3:3b-5

What information are we given about the city of Nineveh?In Hebrew, the city is literally “a great city of God” as seen in the ESV footnote. What does this lead us to conclude about God’s attitude toward the inhabitants of Nineveh?Based on what we know about the Assyrian Empire, why do you think God was so concerned about the cruel and sinful people who lived in Nineveh?

3:3b Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 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.

GreaterNineveh?

• In the 8th century BC, Nineveh was one of three royal cities in the Assyrian Empire, the two others being Calah and Ashur

• Adad-Nirari III (810-783) had even built a royal palace there just a short while before Jonah came on the scene

• Thus, the city was very closely associated with Assyria’s monarchy and all that went with it

Neo-Assyrian Empire

Nineveh during time of Jonah

… Now Week 13

Herman Melville, Moby Dick

“And here, shipmates, is true and faithful repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment.”

Jonah’s message to the Ninevites as recorded in verse 4 is very short―only five words in the original Hebrew! Do you think this was the prophet’s actual “sermon” or are these words meant to serve as a summary of his message? ExplainWhich part of this proclamation is Law? Which part of this proclamation is Gospel? What happens when only the Law is preached? What happens when only the Gospel is preached?

Jonah 3:3b-53:3b Now Nineveh was an exceedingly

great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 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.

“Yet forty days …”

• In the OT, oracles against non-Israelite nations intend to persuade their audience that they cannot escape Yahweh’s judgment by relying on their own resources

• Jeremiah 18:7-8 – “If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.”– These verses make clear that threats of judgment could have

the effect of creating repentance, and even after punishment a nation might “swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 19:18)

• The presence of “yet forty days” in Jonah's announcement seems to confirm that the threat was intended to produce repentance

• Had God simply intended to overturn the city, He could have done so without any advance warning at all

What does the mention of “forty days” and the description of Nineveh as “evil” bring to mind?• This is reminiscent of the flood account• This was the archetype, pattern, or model for the judgment

of sin in the OTWhat does this suggest about Nineveh and Jonah’s message?• Taken as a whole, Jonah’s message is one of severe judgment

against heinous sin, but one that nonetheless (although only implied here) holds out the possibility that judgment might be delayed, mitigated or avoided

“…and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (haphak)Changed or Destroyed?

• Jonah says in verse 4 Nineveh shall be “overthrown” (haphak in Hebrew)• Words that derive from haphak frequently mean destruction• In some contexts though, haphak indicates a radical transformation

from one extreme to another

Genesis 19:24-25 – “Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew (haphak) those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.”

Hosea 11:8 – “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils (haphak) within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.”

What does haphak indicate in Genesis 19:24-25? To what decisive event is this word linked? In Hosea 11:8, the ESV translates haphak as “recoils.” The NIV translates this part of Hosea as: “My heart is changed within me” (haphak = changed) What does haphak refer to in this instance?How does it point to something other than destruction?

How did the Ninevites understand the word haphak in Jonah’s message? How do you think Jonah intended the word haphak to be understood? Based on the range of meaning possible, what might the LORD have intended by the word haphak in Jonah’s message? Explain how the word haphak shows the way God works in our lives as Christians through the application of Law and Gospel

Judah

• Joash (835 – 796)

• Amaziah (796 – 767)• Defeated the Edomites• 785: Lost war with Jehoash

Israel

• Jehoahaz (814 – 789)

• Jehoash (789 – 782)• Continued struggle with Syria • Elisha dies during his rule

• Jeroboam II (782 – 753)• Greatest king of Israel’s 200 year history• Time of prosperity and ease

Assyria

• Adad-nirari III (811 - 783)• Imposed tribute on Aram-Damascus (Syria),

Phoenicians, Philistines, Israelites, Edomites, and others• Probably the “savior” of 2 Kings 13:5 who allowed Israel

to escape domination by Aram-Damascus• Army rebelled against monarch – deposed him

Assyria

• Adad-nirari III (811 - 783)• Imposed tribute on Aram-Damascus (Syria),

Phoenicians, Philistines, Israelites, Edomites, and others• Probably the “savior” of 2 Kings 13:5 who allowed Israel

to escape domination by Aram-Damascus• Army rebelled against monarch – deposed him

Sons of Adad-nirari III

• Shalmaneser IV (782 - 773)• Ashur-dan III (772 - 755)• Ashur-nirari V (754 - 745)

Judah

• Amaziah (796 – 767)– Also known as Uzziah in

the Old Testament

Israel

• Jeroboam II (782 – 753)• Amos preaches against easy

life (760)• Hosea preaches against

unfaithful Israel (755)

Assyria

• Shalmaneser IV (782 - 773)• Son of Adad-nirari III• Remembered as weak and inept• May reflect the preaching of Jonah

Assyria

• Ashur-dan II (772 - 755)• Second son of Adad-nirari III• Little is known of his rule – very quiet• Faced an epidemic plague as well as revolts in

certain parts of his empire

• Ashur-nirari V (754 - 745)• Third son of Adad-nirari III• Quiet and rarely left the palace• Killed in a palace revolt

(745 – end of “Jonah” effect)

Prepping the Battlefield• At the time of Jonah's visit (c. 780-760 BC), the Neo-

Assyrian Empire as a whole was unusually troubled• Political Instability: Once Adad-Nirari III was succeeded

by Shalmaneser IV (782-773), the Assyrian king no longer had direct control over the totality of the empire, parts of which had come under the control of several different regional officials• This state of affairs continued during the nominal

reigns of Assur-Dan III (772-755) and Assur-Nirari V (754-745)

• In addition, there were a number of famines, revolts and plagues recorded in Assyrian records, events whose evil portent was believed to be clearly indicated by accompanying solar eclipses

Evil Portents?• Official government documents record a plague in 765,

revolts in 763-759, a solar eclipse in 763 and famine from 765 to 759• Reports of eclipses in Neo-Assyrian documents were

typically followed by such statements as:"the king will be deposed and killed and a worthless fellow

seize the throne“"the king will die, rain from heaven will flood the land“"there will be famine”''a deity will strike the king and fire will consume the land“• This state of affairs would have made both rulers and

subjects unusually attuned to the message of a visiting prophet, as the book of Jonah bears out

Assyrian Beliefs and Practices• Once an evil omen was witnessed, a king would try to

avoid his anticipated death or the hardship announced in the omen by putting a substitute king on the throne for a certain time (sar puhi ritual)

• The (real) ruler took the status of a farmer or commoner but remained within the palace

• The substitute himself was typically a person of low standing (examples include a prisoner of war, a death-row inmate, a political enemy of the king, a gardener, and even a simpleton)

• For a while (maximum duration of the replacement period was 100 days) this individual lived a life of luxury, since he had really to look the part of the king whose death the eclipse or ominous event portended

• Robes, food, a significant entourage, residing in the palace with a queen and other royal privileges were his to enjoy (but only for a while)

• Once the proscribed period was over, the substitute king would then be killed with the hope that the omen's force would thus be exhausted

• Interestingly, to make sure that the omens would irrevocably remain affecting the substitute, the document where they were written was physically attached to his garments

• It’s possible that the king of Nineveh removed his royal robes not simply as part of his mourning, but also in order to leave them to the substitute

Sar Puhi Ritual

How did the people of Nineveh respond to the preaching of Jonah?• “The greatest to the least of them” is a merism for the entire population • They believed “God” (Elohim) – saving faith or acknowledgment of the truth of the prophet’s words?• They produced fruits of repentance (called for a fast and put on sackcloth)?

Jonah 3:3b-53:3b Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4Jonah began to

go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 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 3:6-96 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his

throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”What was the king of Nineveh’s personal response to Jonah’s preaching? What is the meaning of each action?• The King takes four immediate steps:

1. He rises from his throne (abdicates his authority)2. Removes his robe (symbol of his glory and power)3. Covers himself with sackcloth (sign of grief and humility)4. Sat in ash heap (new dwelling and self-negation) The king is “overthrown” from his throne and dignified

clothing

After the “overthrow” of the king’s life before God, what further step does he take to reinforce the people’s response?• He and his nobles issue a royal proclamation that:

1. Intensifies the general fast 2. Expands the sackcloth of repentance3. Commands all to cry out to the God of Israel4. Commands all to repent from their evil ways and violence5. Offers the possibility of hope and God’s compassion

Let beast be covered with sackcloth