God's+Grace+in+the+Book+of+Jonah

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=Introduction and Background=

Jonah prophesied between 782 and 753 B.C, during the reign of Jeroboam II. He was a popular prophet of his time, predicting several successful Israelite conquests. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and without a doubt it’s greatest city. Assyria was a world power at this time, and violently expressed its dominance over Israel. Jonah’s name means “dove”. The word dove is used several times in the Old Testament as a symbol of Israel. It is most likely that Jonah is a representation of Israel, for he seems to embody the sentiments of the entire nation. Jonah’s hatred for the people of Nineveh is evident, even till the end.

The Lord’s message to Jonah is also the theme for the book that God’s mercy is for everyone//.//(Jonah 1:2)The message was small in itself, but it carried great weight. Primarily, God’s desire was to give Nineveh a chance to repent. However, the Lord shows mercy to Jonah as well, and uses Jonah’s experience to show Israel that their privileged place in the world is dependent on God’s goodness. = = =A Great Storm=

The author of Jonah creates a play on the word “great”. As the Lord called Nineveh a “great” city, (Jonah 1:2) now the Lord is described as hurling a “great” storm. (Jonah 1:4) The Lord also sends a “great” fish to swallow Jonah. (Jonah 17) This all emphasizes the greatness of God’s power and mercy. The storm intercepts Jonah, and is at once received as a divine act by the sailors; this is in contrast to Jonah who sought to ignore God’s presence. God uses the situation on the sea to contrast Israel with the nations around them, and alert Israel to her heart condition. As Jonah fled from the Lord, Israel was also living her own life and following other Gods. The sailors show that the gentiles had a greater fear of the Lord than God’s chosen people. = = =Nineveh’s Reaction=

Jonah’s proclamation to Nineveh was simple: repent or be destroyed. The people of Nineveh responded immediately. Jonah 3:3 describes Nineveh as needing three days to traverse, but Jonah does not even get through the first day before Nineveh repents. (Jonah 3:5) The repentance of Nineveh was greater than any repentance in Israel’s history. A great repentance, for a great city, in response to a great God. = = =God’s Grace=

The story of Jonah ends in a somewhat confusing fashion. Jonah, who is angry that Nineveh repented, sits at a distance from the city and awaits its destruction. (Jonah 4:5) However, the Lord has already relented from his wrath against Nineveh. The Lord again uses Jonah’s circumstance to express his goodness. Out of his grace, the Lord caused a plant to grow to give Jonah shade from the hot sun. Jonah had done nothing to merit God’s grace, in fact he deserved God’s wrath if anything, but the Lord chose to give him something good. In verse 7, the Lord causes the plant to be destroyed, which makes Jonah angry. This is an excellent illustration of God’s grace, and how he can disperse it at his pleasure, or remove it at his pleasure. However, in light of the new covenant through Jesus Christ, God’s grace is permanent for all believers.

// //(Unger 1957)// // (Limburg 1935)

// //(Limburg 1935)//

//[[file:// /C:/Users/Ruth/Documents/Fall 2010/Minor Prophets/WIKI Article- Jonah.docx#_ednref4|[iv]]] (Stuart 1987)

// //(Limburg 1935)//

//[[file:// /C:/Users/Ruth/Documents/Fall 2010/Minor Prophets/WIKI Article- Jonah.docx#_ednref6|[vi]]] (Limburg 1935)

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