He said to them, Pick me up and throw me into the sea. One cannot but be reminded of Jesus disciples experience in a storm on the sea of Galilee (Matthew 8.23-27; Mark 4.36-41; Luke 8.22-25). Reading: Jonah 14. Delirium-Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep. Indeed, he never really repents, just continually runs from his mistakes even repeatedly prefers death over repentance. Note that he also puts down good money in order to flee. God commanded Jonah to travel northeast to Nineveh. If only we had the faith of Jonah, evangelism might leap forward into warp drive. Deor.,' 3:37). Those who are morally alert do not say such things; those who are in the darkness of delirium, in a moral slumber, say them. Coming to his senses he declared, I have been expelled from Your sight. In verse 7 the sailors are casting lots, doing divination to try to figure out who the guilty person is. 5This raises interesting questions about the nature of reality. He is good and acts accordingly. They recognized Gods sovereignty: You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased. When Jonah hit the water, the storm ceased. The power of Gods word is revealed by the peoples response. Sept. cont. The mariners, fearing for their lives, also lose wealth. The men decide to draw lots to see who is responsible for the storm and the lot falls on Jonah. 6The Hebrew reads, , a great fish. When God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah fled as far as he could from God. What are your thoughts on this? , Joshua 22:16-20 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? It is a luscious, heartfelt piece depicting the repentance of the Ninevites. The repeated testimony of the Scriptures is that God delights in mercy (Psalm 86.15, 145.8; Jeremiah 33.26; Ezekiel 39.25). God pursues each of us to restore our broken relationship with Him (Genesis 3.8-10). The challenge for believers is to rejoice in Gods salvation and His goodness. Despite his rebellion, Jonah kept his testimony and spoke the truth: I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. God honors His word. The kingship was weak and the provinces maintained a large degree of independence. iii. The storm was so violent they knew their ship was about to shatter. In this sovereignly enacted covenant, He declared His blessings to Gentiles would be mediated through a new race of people, the Jews. We are all fools. We read: 5Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 3 For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current swirled about me; all Your breakers and waves swept over me. The other has Jonah alone with God. that not everyone is willing or able to be corrected. He was a hard case, preferring death to life (Jonah 4.3, 1.12). Then the LORDcommanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land (Jonah 1.10). 8But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands (Jonah 3.7-8). Then, God prepared() a worm to eat the gourd which killed it (Jonah 4.7). He entered the city and proclaimed the message to the inhabitants. One section involves Jonah, those with whom he had contact, and God. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and mercy. To his great credit, Jonah told the truth. The Lord was the first to be resurrected. First, I do not have an opinion on this right now; I have not studied it enough. The phrase, or like expression, the word of the LORD came governs the books structure and occurs twice (Jonah 1.1, 3.1). As soon as Jonah has settled gratefully into its shade, God sends a worm to chew the roots of the plant, killing it so that Jonah is left exposed once again. In the end, the men must hand Jonah over to the Lord. Could it mean something other than burial? Many people today talk about victimless sins,actions that supposedly dont hurt anyone. The virtue of obedience is it allows one to enjoy God, to celebrate His work. 1The etymology of the name is literally wine-press of the digging and is mentioned in Joshua 19.13 and 2 Kings 14.25. 1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. Here, Jonah a prophet who likely understood what was happening might, indeed should have taken responsibility for the storm and prayed to his God to save the innocent sailors. I have a question about the scripture that reads: for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Since Jesus was not dead and buried for three nights, what does in the heart of the earth mean? Just my thoughts. In that story, a landowner contracted with laborers early in the morning to pay a denarius for a days work. VII. Too many wander around in a kind of delirium, a moral sleep, talking about their rights and insisting that what they do is nobody elses business. Yet all the while the storm winds buffet and others suffer for what they do. That which I have vowed I will pay. A story about prophecy and repentancebut not in the way you think. Water, whale, withering wind: Jonah wished to die (Jonah 4.8 cf. Whats also interesting is that many skeptics doubted the existence of Nineveh until its ruins were discovered in 1845. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Jonah 1:7 They all said to each other Come (Jon. But Jonahs hatred of these people is evident throughout the book even to the end. Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.". Mr. Reade went on to say, "It contains forty-eight verses and 1,328 words. recognized Gods mercy. Jonah's Commission Was Clear But Distasteful "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." a. Jesus called this day the Tribulation (Matthew 24.21, 29). What we do, or fail to do, affects others. The lot falls to Jonah, and he is finally forced to go public. Such was the case of Peter who reluctantly went to Cornelius house (Acts 10.28). The other worker, with whom he made no contract (whatever was right), received pay according to the landowners heart. He was at such peace he was sleeping through a storm that had everyone else petrified with fear. What is certain at this point is that Jonah is in need of more repentance himself. Indeed, many people spend lots of money and go miles out of their way in order to be able to stay in sin. He proclaimed the message that God gave him, " Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown!" (3:4). God repeated his command to Jonah. 2016 Don Samdahl. 16Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. I wonder if (and hope that) the young people who sang it understood its significance for them, too. To paraphrase: God, I told you they would just repent and you, being a merciful God, would forgive them. The city of Nineveh is represented in Cuneiform by a symbol of a fish within a house. Bulletin for Biblical Research 18.2 (2008) 193207,How Big Was Nineveh? And it has said, "Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.". Jonah said to them, Pick me up and throw me into the sea, that it may quiet down for you; since I know it is because of me that this violent storm has come upon you.. Jonah doubtless had meantime complied with the captain's request, but, as the sailors saw, without visible effect. Exceptions are Rahab, the harlot, Naaman, the Syrian general, Ruth, the Moabitess, and Nebuchadnezzar. Of all the prophets, Jonah is perhaps the most reluctant; his struggle with sin is not hidden. Nineveh was probably the greatest city in the world in Jonahs day. This is another important lesson: in our sin, our defiance, we often bring storms not only into our own life but also into the lives of others. We run from Godjust as our first parents did in the garden (Genesis 3.8-10). The lot fell upon Jonah. In those contexts, it strongly seemed as though God initially forgot.. Or were these just wrong use of language by the prophets or wrong presentation by the prophets because of their weak and limited understanding of God probably as a result of their spiritually dead nature. Jonah did nothing to merit the gourd. But unlike other prophetic books, what follows is not an account of the divine words that Jonah received, but instead a story about Jonah who, it turns out, was a very reluctant, even recalcitrant prophet. He falls asleep, and then is thrown down into the sea. 3:3). From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD, his God. Jonah did his best to escape one great fish, only to be swallowed by another. Not so, Jonah. God does not save us merely for our own sake, but alsofor the sake of others with whom our life is intertwined. Jonah left the city and sat east of it. But God is tricky. Oct 7, 2019. Site by Glass Canvas, Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Yes, sin is usually very expensivebut many seem quite willing to pay the price. Disobedience does not. The Lord knows. Copyright 2023 Catholic Standard Jonah could not understand Gods mercy to Israels enemies. We read: 7Each man said to his mate, Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. And Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. One of the greatest prophets during the time of Jeroboam II was Jonah the son of Amitai, who, as a prophet disciple, had anointed Jehu and who, therefore, enjoyed the king's benevolence. The people of Nineveh repented, and God spared the city. The word means fish but the scope of meaning of is unclear. Salvation is from the Lord.. ), king of Assyria, invaded Israel during Hezekiahs reign about 50 years later. Chapter 1 ends, And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1.17).6 This verse fits more appropriately as the beginning of chapter 2 which contains Jonahs prayer to God. Jonahs evangelistic message was brief. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple., ut You have brought up my life from the pit, O, Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple (Jonah 2.4). Why oh why did you send me on this mission? Somewhat like Judas, Jonah and many other sinners do not repent to the Lord but rather are merely ashamed of themselves. Make a deal with God and He will keep it. In the 20th century, we often like to doctor up the word of God. From what people are you? 9He said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land (Jonah 1.7-9). Worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor 7:10). Responding to Gods grace begins by believing Pauls gospel of grace (Acts 20.24): that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). Its another classic example of archaeology confirming the Biblical record. Now, God had blessed themand used him to do it. The men did not accept Jonah's offer until they had made every effort to save themselves in other ways. When Jesus prayed on Thursday night that the cup of his suffering be removed from him in such earnestness that he bled, perhaps that degree of intercession had him in the heart of the earth, to some degree. God prefers mercy to judgment. 6When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes (Jonah 3.5-6). It reveals Gods greatness and mans pettiness. IV. Twelve years ago, they found out that their baby boy, Jonah, was diagnosed with a fatal rare disease, Sanfilippo Syndrome. We are currently reading Jonah's story in daily Mass. Through Jonah, the sailors experienced salvation. Jonah had gone down () to Joppa (Jonah 1.3), down to the ship (Jonah 1.3), down to the hold (Jonah 1.5). In that event, Jesus had slept through the storm. Yom Kippur in the Community. If he was really dead, he had to be resurrected, as I understand the terminology. As for escape by sea, God owns the sea and its lanes. Of all the prophets, Jonah is perhaps the most reluctant; his struggle with sin is not hidden. Jonah slept. The Abrahamic Covenant established that all Gentile blessing would come through Israel. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice. John, Thank you. In four short chapters, the story of Jonah reveals God's consistent, unchangeable character and is a testament to his relentless love and abundant mercy. Chapter 2 recounts Jonah in the belly of the sea monster where he prayed and gave thanks to God. The bottom line (if youll pardon the financial pun) is that sinful choices are usually very costly. One night, when Hill was 15 years old, he and a friend snuck out in an SUV. Jonah. To deny the historicity of Jonah is to deny Christs resurrection. Jonah has been able to grasp the situations they have been in all show but can't seem to grasp that Ben was putting the whole family/operation at risk and Wendy had to chose between him or everyone and everything else. According to Genesis 10.11, Asshur, a son of Shem (Genesis 10.22) built it. 1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. The phrasing of the order emphasized individual accountability and personal responsibility: that each may turn from his wicked way. The text reads: 7He issued a proclamation and it said, In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. God demonstrated His ultimate mercy and grace in sending His Son to die for our sins and rising from the dead so we might have life and enjoy His fellowship forever. While all these storms (which he caused) are raging, Jonah is asleep. Jonahs repentance is expressed in a long, strange, and beautiful poem that is spoken within the fishs belly, and the language indicates that he is ready to change direction: The bars of the earth closed upon me forever. Surprisingly, the men are not willing to kill him. Each response was internal (were afraid, believed), spoken (cried to god, proclaimed a fast), and active (cast wares, put on sackcloth). He remembers our sins no more. This is what every sinner, whether outside the Church or inside, needs to hear:wake up and look at what youre doing; see how youre affecting yourself and all of us. 4So I said, I have been expelled from Your sight. Jonah is a dangerand a cause of grief to others around him. Despair-They asked, What shall we do with you, that the sea may quiet down for us? For the sea was growing more and more turbulent. 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 372. . In other words, get back in touch with God, from whom youre running. I would say we can file this in the "God's Will will be done." Jonah 1: NASB 1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. The other suggestion is in the paragraph Salvation to the Gentiles, in your Conclusion. Two books of the Bible speak of Nineveh. When I read the Biblical account, I see that Jonah actually dies and is resurrected. But he gives no response, risking the lives of everyone onboard. And should not I care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons?!. Now, with a quick divine reminder, the reluctant prophet heads straight for Nineveh and delivers the intended prophecy: Nineveh is wicked and will be destroyed in 40 days. God asked Jonah if he should really be angry about the plant, and Jonah said he should be angry, even to death. No, I am not a pastor. The mariners, fearing for their lives, also lose wealthand suffer great losses (by throwing their cargo overboard) on account of Jonahs sinfulness. Why oh why did you send me on this right now ; I have been from. Old, he and a friend snuck out in an SUV I do have. See that Jonah actually dies and is mentioned in Joshua 19.13 and 2 Kings 14.25 landowner contracted with early. Catholic Standard Jonah could not understand Gods mercy to Israels enemies, in Your Conclusion is very! 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