Jonah: An Interpretive Study

Introduction

Second Timothy 3:16–17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NKJV). The truth of these verses is undeniably evident throughout the Bible; however, there are certain portions of God’s Word that are not easily understood and are often overlooked in a believer’s reading. God reveals Himself and His working plan for mankind through the entire canon of Scripture. Therefore, it is man’s responsibility to seek to understand God more through every story and teaching in the Bible, even if it requires a more heuristic study. Interpretation is the work of man to determine the correct meaning of God’s Word. The Book of Jonah is one story that is commonly misunderstood or neglected in the reading of the Bible. The book’s importance and application may not be immediately identified; however, the Book of Jonah is filled with God’s work and character. There is much to learn from this book.

Most people are familiar with the story of Jonah to some extent. He was the infamous prophet who ran away from God, was thrown overboard into a raging sea, survived being swallowed by a fish and lived in its belly for three days and nights, and then was spit out on the shore. A common Sunday School story, “Jonah and the Whale” is often taught with the application that God gives second chances and that man’s responsibility is to obey God’s commands. These points play a part in the book, but there is a plenitude of other things to contemplate when studying the Book of Jonah in its entirety. For instance, is Jonah actually running away from the presence of the Lord by fleeing to Tarshish? Does Jonah genuinely repent in his prayer from the belly of the fish in chapter two? And what is the significance of Jonah’s experience with the plant in chapter four? The purpose of this paper is to examine these and other questions in an attempt to understand each component of the story and, in turn, the purpose of the book as a whole in the canon of Scripture.

Background

Because the story of Jonah is set in a much different culture than the present, there are many unfamiliar and mysterious aspects integrated into the book. What the original readers automatically knew about such things is not so obvious to readers today. Therefore, there are great benefits to learning more about the customs, people, and geography of this historical period.

Although Jonah is a well-known character of the Old Testament, little else is generally known about him than what is revealed in the Book of Jonah. It is evident that Jonah’s role was to be a prophet. A prophet during that time served as a channel of communication between the human and divine worlds (Wilson 884). In the Old Testament, prophets often predicted the future as well as renewed the morals and ethics of the nation of Israel. These men “brought Israelite religion to a higher level of development.” The etymology of the Hebrew word for prophet means “one who calls” or “the one who is called,” showing the unique position prophets held (885).

Second Kings 14:25 provides readers with some additional background information of the prophet Jonah. In this verse Jonah is referred to as a servant of God during the reign of King Jeroboam II (782–753 B.C.) in Israel (Macaulay 904). It is important to note that Jonah lived during the time of the split kingdom and was connected with the history of Israel in the north rather than Judah to the south. This verse also reveals that Jonah lived in Gath-Hepher, which is in the territory of Zebulun west of the Sea of Chinnereth (Pfeiffer 99). In addition to what he does in the Book of Jonah, he also predicted the expansion of Israel’s territory. Therefore, the book is only a portion of Jonah’s ministry. Jonah’s prediction of the kingdom’s expansion was most likely made early in Jeroboam II’s reign because it was fulfilled during that time period (Allen 810). The result was Israel’s restoration to its Davidic-Solomonic borders to the north and east (McCarter 468). Although Jeroboam is remembered as an evil king, he was a powerful and shrewd leader to which his military success alludes (Pfeiffer 148).

Jeroboam II’s reign and consequently Jonah’s prophetic ministry was during a period of direct conflict with Assyria (McCarter 468). This was after the death of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III in 824 B.C. (Grayson “Mesopotamia” 743) when the empire was weak as a result of internal revolt and the rising Urartu empire in the north (Machinist 85). These years of Assyrian history (782–745 B.C.) are known as the Interval Period which was the lowest point of the Neo-Assyrian empire. Although there were kings of the empire as a whole during the Interval Period, the empire was split into independent states that were in turn ruled by former governors (Grayson “Mesopotamia” 743). By the time Tiglath-Pileser III came to power in 744 B.C. (Machinist 86), the Assyrian empire was on the verge of extinction ( Grayson “Mesopotamia” 744).

The main plot of the Book of Jonah involves God’s command to go to the city of Ninevah in order to warn the people of His coming judgment. Because Ninevah was an Assyrian city, its history corresponds to some extent with the empire’s history as a whole. Ninevah is remembered as Assyria’s capital, established by Sennacherib when he came to power in 705 B.C. (Christenson 759). Some scholars believe that the phrase “the king of Ninevah” used in chapter three of the Book of Jonah, implies that Ninevah was the Assyrian capital at this point; as a result the book’s events could be dated to the end of the eighth century B.C. since that was the beginning of Sennacherib’s reign; however, that is not consistent with Jeroboam’s monarchy. With Assyria’s history in mind, it is quite possible that the king in chapter three of Jonah was the ruler of the city only and not the entire empire (Alcorn “Jonah, Book of” 947). Therefore the city most likely was not yet the capital of Assyria when Jonah was commanded to minister there.

Ninevah was one of four great Assyrian cities along with Asshur, Calah, and Arbela (Grayson 1118) that displayed Assyria’s power and wealth (Machinist 86). Several times throughout the Book of Jonah Ninevah is described as “that great city” (1:2; 3:2). Jonah 3:3 gives further description, saying “Now Ninevah was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.” This description was probably referring to not only the immediate city limits, but Ninevah’s satellite towns and the other surrounding communities under its jurisdiction as well (DeVries 31). Consequently, Jonah’s warning affected a larger area than just immediate Ninevah.

The geographical perimeters of Jonah’s story gives important insight into the book. As previously stated, Jonah was from Gath-Hepher, west of the Sea of Chinnereth in Zebulun (Pfeiffer 99). Although landlocked, Zebulun had ready access to the Mediterranean Sea south through the plain of Jezreel (101). When God called Jonah to go to the city of Ninevah, He was asking Jonah to travel approximately 360 miles northeast of Gath-Hepher into the heart of Assyria. This was not a small trip in the context of the Old Testament. Jonah fled, however, in the opposite direction, traveling south to the the coast city of Joppa, which was at least forty-five miles away (127). From there Jonah boarded a ship for Tarshish. The exact location of Tarshish is uncertain, but it most likely was in modern-day Spain, making it over 2000 miles to the west (Clenenden 942). Tarshish was considered the far limit of the western world (“Tarshish” 1557), which explains Jonah’s method of fleeing “from the presence of the LORD” (Jon. 3:2). If Tarshish was indeed located in modern-day Spain, then the sea on which Jonah traveled would have been the Great Sea or what is now known as the Mediterranean Sea. There is a good possibility, therefore, that the fish God sent to swallow Jonah vomited him up further along the Syrian coast north of Israel (Alcorn “Jonah” 944).

A majority of the plot of chapter one involves the mariners with whom Jonah travels when he attempts to flee from the Lord’s command. These mariners played significant supporting roles as the Lord used them to carry out His will and brought them to repentance, and it is helpful to understand some of their background. In order to flee, Jonah travels to Joppa, a port city believed to have been under Phoenician control during Jonah’s time (Trammell “Joppa” 945). With this in mind, it is likely that the mariners of the ship he boarded were Phoenician men, especially because of the Phoenician connection with a city called Tarshish. Phoenician religion was similar to that of Canaan and included the fertility rites of Baal (Trammell “Phoenicia” 1295). Baal was the chief god in Canaanite religion, although there were dozens of others with specific personalities and abilities (Eaken 259). Baal was associated with the gods Asherah and Ashtoreth (Helmbold 703). Asherah was believed to be the great mother-goddess and companion or spouse of El, who later was replaced by Baal, and Ashtoreth was the daughter of Asherah. Sacrifices were a common practice in Canaanite religion; offerings of produce, livestock, and even children represented giving up what was most precious in life in order for a god to restore order and ensure fertility (Church 566). Practices such as these would have been reflected in Phoenician religion as well. When the mariners offered a sacrifice to the Lord after the sea ceased from raging, therefore, it was not a foreign custom.

Another custom in chapter one is the casting of lots, an action of the mariners in chapter one in order to determine whose fault the raging storm was. Casting lots was a widely used method in the Old Testament for making a decision (Baker 1053). The Jews used it to discern God’s will, and its legitimacy was never questioned. In fact, the Hebrew word for “lot” is also translated as “destiny” in other passages. Some examples of the use of lots include Achan’s identification as a thief, the appointment of the conquered land to each tribe, and Saul’s selection as king. The process of casting lots involved the use of marked stones and posing questions that could be answered with either yes or no (Humphreys 624). The lot landing on Jonah as the cause of the storm is evidence of God’s use of this method to indicate His will.

Although there are additional components that could be explained, knowing the things presented in this section greatly aids in understanding the cultural and historical context of the Book of Jonah.

Interpretive Issues

The Bible is a literary anthology, comprised of an abundance of literary genres. The primary goal of literature is not merely a conception of ideas, but for readers to share in the experience of which they are reading as well (Ryken 457). This is one of the objectives of the Bible as literature as well. The two largest categories of literary genres in the Bible are narrative and poetry, both of which are displayed in the Book of Jonah. Narrative literature presents “theology as the story of what God does in history.” Readers understand God through His role as a character in a series of stories. Biblical poetry displays truth about God as well (458). The imagery and figures of speech used in poetry displays theology in a vivid way, expressing an idea or concept that could not be understood in plain language (Travers 595). As a result, the structure of Jonah, including both narrative and poetry, gives readers a more clear picture of who God is and what He is doing throughout the book.

Although Jonah was a prophet, his book does not fit into the classification of being a prophetic book in the Old Testament. The book as a whole is considered to be a narrative; however, chapter two is placed in the poetry genre, taking the form of a declarative psalm from Jonah to the Lord. Besides this short prayer interlude, the story of Jonah is constantly being pushed forward with the use of transition words at the beginning of every phrase or sentence. The story involves various different characters, although the main roles are held by the Lord and Jonah himself. There are two names used for the Lord throughout the book. Yahweh, which is translated in English as “LORD,” is the proper name of God and connotes “the revelation of His redemptive covenant,” among other things (Payne 212). Yahweh is the covenant name of the Lord. The other name used in reference to God is Elohim, referring to Him as being creator. Elohim is specified by “God” in English translations, and is often used with descriptive words that indicate various aspects about God (Scott 44). For example, in Jonah 1:9 Jonah refers to Him as “the God of heaven, who made the sea and dry land.” Paying attention to when each distinct name is used throughout the story indicates specific aspects of God that are being employed or demonstrated.

An important concept in the Book of Jonah is the character of God, of which several aspects are displayed. In Jonah 4:2 Jonah describes God as “‘a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.’” Although the English words provide a reasonable description of what God has done throughout the book, much more can be understood about Him if a person studies the meaning of the Hebrew words originally used in the writing of the Book of Jonah. For instance, the adjective “merciful” in the 4:2 means much more than what its English definition implies. Therefore it is extremely beneficial to study the Hebrew word rahum, which is translated as “merciful” in the New King James Version.

The adjectives “compassionate” or “merciful” in English translations of the Old Testament come from the Hebrew word rahum. Rahum is defined as warm compassion, going further than what is expected, forgiving, and replacing judgment with grace (Butterworth “raham” 1094). This word is used only when describing the character and attributes of God (Coppes “raham” 843). Eleven out of the thirteen times it is found in the Old Testament, rahum is used alongside the word hannun, which is translated as “gracious;” other adjectives generally follow, further describing the character of God (Butterworth “raham” 1094). The root of rahum along with several other related words are derived from the verb rhm, which involves the concept of grace and hope someone willingly bestows on another person (1093).

One of the noun forms of rahum is rehem, translated as “womb” (Butterworth “raham” 1093). According to Mike Butterworth, a woman’s womb is associated with the “tender care bestowed on an infant when it is most vulnerable” (1093). This connotation sheds light on the Lord being rahum, providing tender care for His people when they are susceptible to harm. The verb form raham is associated with the deep love of a father as he looks on his children (Coppes “raham” 841). There are three ideas involved with this verb: the unconditional election of God; mercy and forgiveness shown toward His people in the face of deserved judgment upon the condition of their repentance; and continuing mercy and grace in preserving His unrepentant people from judgment (842). Although raham can be used in reference to the actions of men, it is used to describe the Lord a majority of the time (841). In addition, the ideas involved with this word are not solely displayed toward the nation of Israel, but to all people. It is an emotion that many times brings about action.

Each form of the Hebrew root aids in understanding what rahum means, specifically in the context of Jonah 4:2. God being “merciful” is only a small part of the broader meaning. When Jonah describes Him as “a gracious and merciful God,” he is angry that God has relented from bringing judgment on the city of Ninevah. Although to readers God being rahum is seen in a positive light, in contrast Jonah is upset. God’s tender-mercy is based on his freedom to love and show grace to whomever He chooses (Coppes “raham” 843), and in the Book of Jonah God chooses to show grace to Jonah’s enemies when they repent. Therefore, in the context of Jonah 4:2, rahum means God’s freedom to withhold judgment and exhibit unmerited favor towards anyone He desires. Although punishment and judgment is deserved, God chooses to forgive and show grace upon the condition of repentance (Coppes “raham” 842). Just as a father looks at his own children with love and kindness, so God looks at His creation.

Another term in the Book of Jonah connected to the emotion of God is the Hebrew word hus, translated as “pity” in the New King James Version of Jonah 4:10–11. God uses this word when questioning Jonah’s reaction to the loss of the plant. God then speaks of His own reaction to the possible loss of Ninevah, saying, “And should I not pity Ninevah, that great city…?” According to Leonard J. Coppes, the basic meaning of hus is “to look with pity” or to “spare” (272). As a verb, hus is commonly used with “eye” as the subject. Because weeping comes from the eye and expresses emotion (Butterworth “hws” 50), a connection can be seen between the verb hus and the adjective rahum. It is “the inner feeling of compassion arising out of a natural bond.” Hus involves the feelings that are felt not only towards one who is in trouble (Coppes “hus” 272), but also in reference to the loss of material things (Butterworth “hws” 51) which applies to Jonah. Is his response truly pity, however, or merely regret for losing something that gave him comfort?

Occurring twenty-four times in the Old Testament, hus is primarily found in the books of Deuteronomy and Ezekiel in the form of a negative command (Coppes “hus” 272). In Deuteronomy, Israel is commanded to not let their eyes hus the people they defeat in the promised land. Later in the book God commands them not to pity or show compassion to any person who turns away to serve other gods, but rather to reveal and kill them. In Ezekiel God says several times that He will not have hus on His people because they have defiled His sanctuary and turned away. Although to pity would be a human’s natural response in many situations, that reaction often hinders the carrying out of judgment. Butterworth states, “Sin may not simply be set aside through emotion” (51), meaning that even though a person may feel sorry for people or things, their sin cannot be justified. God properly shows hus toward the city of Ninevah in light of the fact that they repent from their evil ways.

In Joel 2:13 the Lord is described as “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.” Because the Lord is all of these things, later in Joel 2:18 He has hus on His people. The description of the Lord is very similar to Jonah 4:2 and further shows the connection between the Lord’s emotion of raham and His action of hus on many peoples. In the Book of Jonah the Lord pities and spares Ninevah, looking upon the city with compassion or regret. Because the Lord is emotionally involved with His creation, He refrains from what is justly required when they acknowledge their sins and repent (Butterworth “hws” 50).

The themes of the Book of Jonah are part of the progressive message of Scripture. The book’s purpose is unique from other books but is continued revelation from God for right living and attitudes. The Lord is presented as Creator, Ruler, Judge, and Savior throughout the story (Van Dine), speaking and acting in order to bring people to Himself. He has not left His creation to fend for itself; rather, the Lord’s love and compassion for mankind is close at hand.

Message

The message of the Book of Jonah is “ God deeply cares for all of His creation, and His desire that His own people reflect this compassion is evident in His use of a disobedient messenger, Jonah, to offer grace and mercy to all people.”

The overarching theme of the Book of Jonah is God’s raham towards all people. It is not only seen throughout Jonah’s documented experience but is also extended toward the mariners in chapter one and the people of Ninevah in chapter three. Although God’s sovereignty is also woven throughout the story, there is additional purpose than solely to demonstrate that the Lord rightly does whatever He wants. Because salvation is available to all people, God reaches out to others with grace and mercy through Jonah. Therefore, as God’s chosen agent, Jonah should possess or reflect God’s character. Even though Israel has a special relationship with the Lord, He intensely cares for all of His creation and desires that Israel and specifically Jonah feel the same way.

The narrative unfolds with very little background information (1:1–3). In Jonah 1:1 the Lord commands Jonah to go to Ninevah, a foreign city, to cry out against it, for their wickedness had come up before Him. The city’s wickedness cannot abide with the Lord’s righteousness, and He cannot let it go unpunished. With no explanation in the immediate context, however, Jonah does exactly opposite of what the Lord commanded by fleeing. The text says that he “arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (1:3), but it is obvious that Jonah is not physically fleeing from the Lord’s presence. As Psalm 139:7–8 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there…” Rather, Jonah flees in order to remove himself from being used by the Lord.

The Lord does not allow Jonah to run very far before He sends a storm upon the sea (1:4–7). This is not only to apprehend Jonah, but also to bring others, pagans, face to face with Himself, their Creator. While Jonah is below deck sleeping, the mariners of the ship are terrified for their lives, exhibiting the magnitude of the tempest the Lord has produced since they were most likely weathered seamen. By casting lots the sailors discover through the Lord’s direction that Jonah is the cause of such a storm. Jonah’s response to the mariners’ frenzied questions reveals that he is running from the Lord, the true God. Although they initially fight against it, the mariners finally throw Jonah into the sea, and it immediately becomes calm. It is evident that the mariners are acquainted with the Lord to some extent because of their prayer to the Lord to “not let [them] perish for this man’s life” or “charge [them] with innocent blood” (1:14). They realize that He is the Creator of life and holds all people accountable for their actions. Even though the mariners were most likely followers of polytheistic Canaanite religion, they acknowledge that the Lord is greater than their gods, and they offer sacrifices to Him in response.

The end of chapter one states that the Lord prepares a fish to swallow Jonah (1:17). A blessing from the Lord, the fish is the agent by which Jonah is saved from drowning. From Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish, readers can understand the extent of his turmoil when he cried out to the Lord for salvation while in the sea. Without the fish, Jonah would have died, but the Lord heard his voice. Following the common form of a declarative psalm, Jonah not only recalls what the Lord has done, but also promises to praise the Lord for His work. In the close of the psalm Jonah states, “Salvation is of the Lord” (2:9), but it will later be evident that Jonah is speaking in regards to himself alone. He knows that salvation is from the Lord, but chooses to recognize it only when it is related to him. Regardless of that fact, after three days and nights, the Lord causes the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land, delivering Jonah once again.

The beginning of Jonah three is almost identical to the opening of the story in chapter one (3:1–3a). The Lord’s command is the same: “Arise, go to Ninevah, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you” (3:2). Just as Jonah’s response of fleeing had no explanation in chapter one, Jonah obeys the Lord’s command in chapter three without further explanation. The amount of time between Jonah’s deliverance from the fish and this second chance from the Lord is not specified; it is obvious, though, that something has happened for Jonah to respond with obedience. It could be attributed to the fact that his attempt to run away from the Lord previously had been a failure, and he recognizes that it would not be wise to repeat it.

Jonah’s task is to warn the city of Ninevah of the Lord’s coming judgment (3:4–9). Because the city was consumed with evil, it is surprising that Ninevah reacts so quickly to Jonah’s message. “So the people of Ninevah believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them” (3:5). The Lord chooses to bless the city of Ninevah through the words of Jonah, and the people repent with hope that “…God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that [they] may not perish” (3:9).

Chapter three parallels chapter one in several ways. As previously stated, the Lord’s command from Jonah 1:2 is almost identical to His command in 3:2. Although the basis of the command is the same, Jonah’s response differs from disobedience in chapter one to obedience in chapter three. His fleeing was sin, but Jonah’s disobedience accomplishes the Lord’s purpose in chapter one in the same way his obedience does in chapter three. Once again God uses Jonah as an instrument to bring other nations to knowledge of Him, and more people are saved.

God sees the penitence of Ninevah and relents from the judgment He said He would bring upon them (3:10). His raham is directly related to this response. Because God is “gracious and merciful…slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness” (4:2), He relents from punishing them. Even though God is perfectly holy and cannot dwell with evil, He does have great emotion and compassion for His creation regardless of the fact that they are evil, and He chooses to drop the charges against Ninevah when they repent. It is quite clear that Jonah knows these things of God, as demonstrated in his confession of who the Lord is in 4:2. He has even experienced the Lord’s raham and forgiveness himself when God gave him a second chance to obey His command; however, Jonah is not pleased to see that these traits of God extend toward other people. Opposed to the idea that “salvation is from the Lord” for all people, Jonah becomes very angry.

It appears that most of the drama of the narrative has been resolved at the close of chapter three, but chapter four continues the plot with the Lord confronting His angered messenger. Jonah is wrongfully angry that the Lord has spared Ninevah, and the Lord uses unique circumstances to admonish Jonah. “Is it right for you to be angry?” He questions (4:4). Leaving the city, Jonah decides to sit and watch what will become of the city (4:5). Since God has already decided to spare the city, it is unclear for what exactly Jonah is waiting. Nevertheless, he is in anticipation of something. Similar to how the Lord prepared a fish to deliver Jonah in 1:17, He prepares a plant to provide shade and protection for Jonah as he sits and waits, and he is thankful for the comfort. The next morning, however, the Lord prepares a worm to destroy the plant, and Jonah is left to deal with the intense heat and wind. This part of the narrative initially appears to be a bit obscure, but its purpose is very important in the Lord’s dealing with Jonah.

The final paragraph of the book begins with a repetition of Jonah wishing to die (4:8b). The combination of the loss of the plant and Ninevah being spared from what Jonah thought was deserved leaves him without a desire to continue living. This is where the Lord places Jonah in order to reveal what He has been showing him the entire time. Jonah had hus for the plant with which he had no connection. He neither labored nor grew the plant; it merely provided comfort for him. He shows hus for the plant, yet he feels absolutely nothing toward Ninevah. In contrast, the Lord has a strong connection with the people of Ninevah whom He has labored and grown. Ninevah is not a city of nameless and faceless barbarians to the Lord; these people are His creation, and He desires for them to repent and be saved. God is right to respond in this way; it is completely consistent with His character. Because Jonah is His servant, set apart, and called out, God desires that he portray this emotion as well.

There are some interesting aspects to consider when looking at chapter two and chapter four of this narrative. In chapter two Jonah declares to God his thankfulness for being saved from death. His prayer recognizes his time of need when he was drowning and how the Lord saved his life. Jonah then makes a vow to sacrifice to the Lord and praise Him for what He has done (2:9). In chapter four, however, Jonah twice states, “It is better for me to die than to live” (4:3b, 8b). Why is Jonah no longer thankful for the Lord’s salvation? Without chapter four, the story ends happily; however, because the story continues, it is evident that Jonah’s attitude is inconsistent. He may have been genuinely thankful to the Lord for saving his life, but his obedience to the Lord’s command in chapter three was probably on the basis of fear or obligation, not true concern for the city of Ninevah. Jonah has already experienced what happens when a person runs away from the Lord’s command; he does not have much of a choice, therefore, in chapter three other than to obey. The true condition of Jonah’s heart is revealed through this experience. He does not care about the Assyrian people; in fact, he may have delighted in going to the wicked city and telling them that God’s judgment was coming. He looks forward to seeing their destruction and is upset when God relents. He does not reflect the Lord’s raham.

The original readers of the Book of Jonah were the people of Israel. Hundreds of years previously, God had made a covenant with the nation of Israel, saying “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (Ex. 19:5–6a). Israel has a unique relationship with the Lord, and through them He not only judged but also saved other nations. Even though Jonah’s position as a prophet is particularly distinct, the entire nation was held responsible to the Lord. Any Israelite could relate to Jonah and in all likelihood would have responded similarly. Therefore, the book is a charge to the entire nation to reflect upon the condition of their hearts. Each one of them has been called to a higher purpose, and God desires for them to live accordingly.

Correlation

The idea of God relenting “from the disaster that He had said He would bring” (Jon. 3:10) is a familiar message in Scripture. In the account of the golden calf in Exodus 32, the Lord’s wrath burns against the nation of Israel for so quickly turning away from Him, and He wishes to destroy them. Moses implores the Lord, however, and “the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Ex. 32:14). The nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, has experienced God relenting from giving what was deserved as well.

In 2 Samuel chapter twenty-four the Lord relents from calamity after David disobeys and takes a census of the nation. The Lord sends pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men die (24:15). When the angel moves to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relents and stops him. The Book of Jeremiah shows more examples of God relenting in regard to the nation of Israel. In addition, the Book of Amos twice records the Lord relenting from bringing pestilence and judgment upon them. Within each context from the stated examples is a valid basis for judgment and punishment; however, the Lord has mercy and relents from giving what these people are qualified to receive as a result of their sin. Therefore, the Lord relenting from judging the city of Ninevah is not a new concept and is even familiar to the nation of Israel. They themselves have not received what they deserved for their sin and evil ways.

The three days and three nights Jonah spends in the fish’s belly correspond with the time Jesus spent in the grave. In Matthew 12:39–41 Jesus condemns the present generation for being evil and adulterous and ignoring all of the signs pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. They ask for another sign, but the only one they would be given is the “sign of the prophet Jonah,” alluding to Jesus’ coming death and resurrection. In verse forty-one Jesus states that the people of Ninevah are indeed better than this generation because even they could see the error of their ways and repented when Jonah came to them with the Lord’s message. Jesus’ generation, however, had Jesus Himself in their midst, and yet they still did not believe.

There exists a similarity between the story of Jonah and Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke chapter fifteen as well. The main character of the parable, the prodigal son, asks his father for his inheritance before leaving to live life as he pleased. Quickly spending all of his money, the son is soon left with nothing and decides to return home to ask his father for forgiveness and a position to work. The father, however, receives his younger son with open arms and celebrates his return, and the older brother who has been home working while his brother has been squandering his inheritance becomes angry. He does not celebrate his brother’s homecoming and in reality resents his return and their father’s joyful reaction. When confronted by his father, the older son expresses that it is unfair for his disobedient brother to return and be received joyfully. The father says, “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found” (Lk. 15:32). In this story the younger brother is similar to the city of Ninevah, and the older brother to Jonah. Ninevah is an evil city who repents just like the younger brother who runs off to do whatever he wants but comes to his senses and returns to his father. Jonah is upset that the Lord would show mercy to such a city as Ninevah, as is the older brother with his father for celebrating the prodigal’s son homecoming. Both of these responses are incorrect although easily understood. Like the father says in Luke fifteen, it is right to be joyful about someone returning to the right way of living. In a sense, the Ninevites were dead, but because they repented and were forgiven they were then alive. It is the proper response to be glad.

It is very beneficial that the Book of Jonah does not stand alone. Its place in Scripture is important because it expounds upon truths and themes already presented in the Old Testament as well as being a foundation for later passages. The story is unique and addresses the specific issue of Israel’s heart but remains consistent in presenting God, His character, and His dealings with people.

Application

The Book of Jonah ends with an unanswered question, leaving readers with very little resolution. How Jonah reacts to what the Lord has said is not specified. The purpose of this abrupt conclusion is to encourage the audience to respond in light of what has been learned and seen in the story. It urges readers to identify where they themselves are represented in the story. How will they respond? Although the present generation is significantly different from the original readers of this text, many of the same principles continue to be applicable today. Situation and culture may change, but humankind as a whole is essentially the same. Therefore, the Book of Jonah has the same fundamental purpose today as it did thousands of years ago.

In reference to the Israelites of Jonah’s day, God saw the need for repentance and a change of thinking. These people were proud of their association with the Lord and thought very highly of themselves to the point of not having any concern for other people. Whereas the blessings God had given them should have prompted loving and merciful attitudes toward others, Israel was haughty and only attentive to her own needs. Consequently, God’s use of Jonah to reach the city of Ninevah condemned Jonah and all of Israel for their wrong disposition and purposed to motivate them to adjust their hearts and actions to reflect the Lord’s.

Although in the present day the Lord’s compassion and pity has not been witnessed on such a large scale as Him relenting from judging an entire city, there continue to exist parallel situations of God graciously forgiving instead of bringing deserved judgment. It is necessary to recognize that every person is a sinner and deserves the wrath of God. Only by God’s grace are believers saved from their transgressions and sanctified. A follower of Christ is fundamentally no different from an unbeliever and therefore has no justification for pride in one’s position. In 2 Timothy 1:9 Paul describes the Lord as One “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began…” Just as Jonah failed to remember the state from which he had been called and saved, many people disregard the Lord’s gracious calling on their own lives when looking at the shortcomings of others. Specifically in light of Christ’s finished work on the cross, Christians should have an appropriate attitude toward the unsaved, desiring that all people come to a saving knowledge of God and His great love and mercy. For the Lord continues to be “‘a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm’” (Jon. 4:2).

Conclusion

The familiar account of Jonah is a commonly misunderstood and misapplied story of the Old Testament. The true themes of the narrative revolve around the representation of the Lord and His character. As a prophet of the Lord from the nation of Israel, Jonah in particular should have had a similar perspective and disposition to the Lord’s. Jonah initially disobeyed God’s command to go to the city of Ninevah, however, and though he did eventually obey, he failed to be compassionate or caring for the city’s condition. Through Jonah’s experience readers are confronted with their own failure to live up to God’s standards. The deep emotion the Lord has for all of His creation should be reflected in His people, although it is frequently not. The purpose of the Book of Jonah involves the change of people’s hearts to become more like God, their Creator, Judge, Ruler, and Savior. His response of being gracious and merciful to all people is right and good, and in light of that His followers should exhibit these same traits.

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