Expert: John Kelly - 6/30/2004

Question
Hi Mr. Kelly

I was wondering if you could explain or find out what the book of Jonah in the Old Testament means (specifically the first chapter).  I was also pondering about how the first chapter affects us in today's society.  I have to give a scripture seminar on this chapter and I was wondering if you had any ideas for the first chapter!

Thanks for the help!


Answer
Hello Jeff,

Jonah is written in a simple narrative style, much like the Book of Mark. When reading Jonah, you need to look at all the people, places, things, and how they interact and move the story forward.

Chapter 1 sets the stage. Here, we meet Jonah, a prophet of God. God gives Jonah a mission to go to Nineveh, a gentile city of great strength, size, and evil. The people of Nineveh were enemies of Israel. The journey would take much time. It would take three days just to walk through the city itself.

Apparently, Jonah had argued with God about this mission, citing God's compassion as his reason for not wanting to go. Scholars have given various reasons for this. Some say it was pride, since Jonah later says that he knew that God would spare the city. The people of Israel would have hailed Jonah as a great prophet by his people if his prophecy against Nineveh had come true. But, since it did not come true, there was no real way to know if God had really told Jonah what to say. The Book of Jonah lays this problem to rest for us, in that we are indeed told that it was God's compassion, not Jonah's error, which led to Nineveh's salvation.

There is certainly evidence that Jonah's pride was hurt, but there is a deeper problem in Jonah's heart. Why does Jonah run away? Certainly he knows that he cannot run from God. The reason that Jonah runs away is because Jonah believes that, by not going to Nineveh, no one will speak God's word of doom and that doom will come! (Jonah 4:2). In other words, Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to die! Jonah hated those people. He wanted God to give them what they deserve. Here is an opportunity for us to examine our own hearts. When God gives us opportunities to go and minister in His name, do we obey, or do we wish that God would stop bothering us and give those people what they deserve? Do we hate the people God wants us to reach with His love, or do we look past a person's sin, race, gender, economic status, and history into the heart and see the need for God? Are we acting more like God, or more like Jonah?

If I had to sum up Chapter 1 of Jonah in one phrase, it would be this: God's compassion in the face of our disobedience. Look at how many times God shows compassion instead of Justice. First, he allows Jonah to flee instead of killing Him. Second, God spares the sailors, even thought they were knowingly aiding Jonah, even though they worshipped false gods. Third, God spares Jonah again by not allowing him to drown. What is the lesson here? Maybe we could accomplish a lot more for God if we would show more compassion and less judgment. By this, I do not mean that we throw out all understanding of right and wrong. That is not compassion; that is stupidity. Of course, there is right and wrong, but so often we choose to judge the sinner and not the sin. Instead, we should be working for God so that the sin may be separated from the sinner through the blood of Jesus Christ.

The rest of Jonah follows this theme of Jonah's hatred and God's compassion and desire that all people would come to know Him.

I hope this info helps. Best wishes on your seminar.

John