Minor Prophets 05 - Jonah - the Resistant Prophet

(Sources include The Wiersbe Bible Commentary and the ESV Study Bible.)

Name: “dove.” Home: Gath-Hepher, in Zebulun, about two miles north of NT Nazareth.

Date and setting: North Israel during the reign of evil King Jeroboam II (782–753 BC (2 Kgs 14:23–28). After Elisha; just before Amos and Hosea. God blessed Israel with military victory, land expansion, and prosperity, because He had compassion on her bitter, helpless suffering. But would God – should God – have any compassion at all toward the awful Assyrians in Nineveh?

Assyria: violent, bloodthirsty, terrifying, and lustful        pagans. Dedicated to the love and war goddess, Ishtar. Capital: Nineveh. Nineveh was named after Nina, the earlier Sumerian name of the goddess Ishtar written with a sign depicting a fish. From 800-745 BC (including Jonah’s time), torn and weakened by internal strife, external revolts, and war. Its population included 120,000 young children and possibly totaled 600,000.  Talk about a seemingly impossible field for a missionary! Did these wicked people deserve to be delivered? Jonah did not think so.

Key phrase: “the Lord sent, commanded, or appointed” Jonah (1:1-2) the great wind (1:4), the great fish (1:17), the plant (4:6), the worm (4:7), and the scorching wind (4:8). Each of these responded as directed, except for Jonah.

The Lord wanted to save the people of Nineveh. He also wanted to change the prophet’s heart.

Outline:

Ch. 1 Jonah’s Rebellion – Running Away From God – The Boat

Irony: Jonah goes the opposite direction. Tarshish may have been in southern Spain.

Irony: Jonah’s presence in the boat, causing the storm, leads the pagan mariners to pray.

Irony: Jonah sleeps, apparently unconcerned. They force him to share his faith with them.

Irony: Jonah’s one selfless act: “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea.”

Irony: Jonah would rather be thrown into the sea than go and preach in Nineveh.

Ch. 2 Jonah’s Repentance – Running Toward God – The Fish

It was the fish that caught Jonah! As God sent the fish, He wanted to send Jonah. As Nineveh was rebellious, so was Jonah. As God saved Jonah, He wanted to save Nineveh.

Jonah never mentions the fish in his prayer. He may not have known where he was, only that God had saved him. It was when he came out of the fish that he knew he had been in the fish.

It was grace that changed his life, at least for a while.

When the Lord spoke to the fish, it responded at once (2:10). Not so with Jonah.

Ch. 3 Jonah’s Resurgence – Running With God – The City

SOBERING COUNTDOWN    3:1-5

Only one preacher.  Only one sermon.  Very short sermon! Have you ever known eight words of preaching to accomplish so much? Words are powerful. Make them count.

STUNNING CONVERSION    3:6-9

Nineveh, unlike Jonah, did not resist. The king called for national repentance.

We never know who may choose to respond to God’s Word. We must not prejudge.

SUPREME COMPASSION                3:10

Many of God’s threats – and promises – carry an unspoken condition: “if” or “unless.”

God’s character does not change, but His actions change as we obey or reject Him.

God relents when man repents. Jer 18:5-10; Joel 2:12-14; Zech 1:3; Mal 3:7; Jas 4:8

Ch. 4 Jonah’s Resentment – Running Against God – The Vine

What preacher would not love to have as many as 600,000 positive responses? Jonah! Why?

Jonah knew that the Lord would be gracious and relent from carrying out this disaster.

Jonah actually wanted the Ninevites to perish. He had God’s words, but not God’s heart.

Like the elder brother of the Prodigal Son who resented his return and his father’s grace. Like the Pharisees who brought the woman caught in adultery. Like the Pharisee praying next to the tax collector. Like the priest and the Levite who passed by on the other side. Like the leaders who condemned Jesus for offering mercy to sinners.

Jonah left the city to pout and wait. God appointed a plant to shade him from the heat.

To make a point God appointed a worm to destroy the plant. Jonah was “angry enough to die.”

Jonah was more concerned for the plant (and his own comfort) than for thousands of lost souls and their cattle, which God had also created.

The book ends with an unanswered question. “Should I not pity …?”

We do not know Jonah’s response, but we may certainly choose our own response.

Key verses from Jonah:

Jon 4:2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

Jon 4:11 “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”