Vss of jonah follow the natural thought of the book. First, we should note that this marvelous narrative has suffered the brunt of the critics barbs for a long while. What you need to know about the book of jonah digitalcommons. If there ever was a book of the bible that dealt with a man matching his will and wits against the lord, its the book of jonah. The outline of the book alone led to the recognition that its plot revolves around the interaction between jonah and the other characters in the story. Many critics however want to lower the book of jonah to an allegory, a parable or a legend because of the miracles described in it especially the appearing of the great fish devouring jonah. The outline of the book alone led to the recognition that its plot revolves around the interaction between jonah and the other characters in. But he could not understand how god could love even foreign nations who did bad things. For it begins with a commission to jonah and with jonah s refusal to heed it, in other words, the book of jonah begins with a formal expression of gods sovereign will and with a mans determined opposition. Key personalities include jonah, the captain and the ships crew and the people of nineveh.
Jonah is sent to preach to the wicked city nineveh, but flees in the opposite direction because he knows that the lord is a gracious god and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent in punishing 4. The purpose of the book of jonah is to show gods people that his plan is exceedingly compassionate god is gracious and exceedingly certain god is sovereign. Jonah is read every year by the jews on the day of atonement yom kippur. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. The lord doesnt appoint the great fish to destroy jonah as the reader. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. This summary of the book of jonah provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of jonah. We hope that this outline of jonah will assist you as you investigate the pages of gods letter to you. Some have considered the book of jonah as a myth due to its fanciful story of a prophet being swallowed by a great fish and surviving. The primary purpose of the book of jonah is to engage readers in theological.
While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a bitter man. The book is named after the main character, but i think the author was a sage at the royal court in israel who heard jonah give an account of the mission to king jeroboam ii and realized the theological implications. It is unprecedented and will be remembered as something that cannot be compared to any other similar experience in the history of the nation. The major messages of jonah the overall message of the book is basically twofold. The book of jonah is filled with valuable information and timeless lessons.
Chapter 1 tells of jonahs call to go to nineveh and declare the citys doom, how jonah disobeyed and boarded a ship bound for tarshish or a refinery ship. Jonah represents jesus as the resurrection and the life. An outline and survey of the books content further confirmed its uniqueness among the prophets as a narrative with a plot rather than a collection of oracles. Seven episodes in jonah 7 jonahs lesson about compassion 4. Jonah is the only minor prophet where miracles play an important role. This book of jonah, though it be placed here in the midst of the prophetical books of scripture, is yet rather a history than a prophecy. Finally, the book of jonah vividly demonstrates that out of all gods vast and. Some people feel that the book of jonah supports a view of universalistic, which is the view that all people can become gods chosen people sasson 25. Jonah halfhearted obedience about this topical sermon outline on jonah halfhearted obedience. There is also no known author for the book of jonah.
The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humor lies. After being swallowed by a great fish, jonah runs back to god. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author. Jonah was resurrected from the whale to pursue gods path that he had laid before him, which was to rebuke nineveh into repentance. I have actually finished teaching through the book of jonah through my podcast the studies and downloadable manuscripts can be found on my main writing website here. You can find the best commentary on jonah for you using the tools on the right side. As the grace commentary on jonah is written, posts will be added to the chapters below.
God told jonah he had many people in ninevehand lots of cattle 4. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. With this additional short summary of the book of jonah you can discover the people, places and stories detailed in this holy scripture. The book begins with god telling jonah to go to the great city of nineveh. Summary of the book of jonah the story of the bible. The purpose of this book is to show that god is a merciful and gracious god. This outline has a nice repetition of words and names, but it does little to explain the plotline of the story. Jonah is the only minor prophet who preaches to a foreign people. The vast majority of commentators and students of the book of jonah still adhere to one of the first three readings or some combination thereof see david kimhi on 1. The god who made jonah controls history and nature.
Jonah is cause of the trouble 7 jonah cast into the stormy sea 1416 a huge fish swallows jonah 17 2. Interestingly enough, this is the point at which the book starts. It is believed to be reflective of the yahwist or jahwist tradition. The incidentals in the book of jonah are the fish, the gourd, the east wind, the boat, and even the city of nineveh. Jonah is the only minor prophet whose major activity takes place on foreign soil.
God has expectations, and because he has those expectations, we have choices to make. The name jonah means dove in hebrew, but jonahs character is anything but dovelike. I am a hebrew, and i fear the lord, the god of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. Another view is that the three days does not refer to the length of the journey, but to the size of the project e. Jonah obeys god and goes to nineveh 14 ninevites repent at jonah s message 59 god decides not to destroy nineveh 10 4. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord.
Concern for the salvation of all people, including ones enemies, is the proper attitude for people of god. This book also shows gods foreign mission program was in existence centuries prior to the great commission of matt. However, the miraculous is not the major theological focus of the overall message of the book i. The essentials here are jehovah and jonah god and manthat is what the book is all about. The book of hosea consists of fourteen chapters, which was the record for a minor prophet until zechariah tied it a couple centuries later. The story of jonah unfolds in seven episodes see diagram, p. Outline of the book of jonah floral heights church of christ.
During the time of the minor prophets, the nation of israel had divided into two separate countries, each with its own government. Types and shadows in jonah jesus is the one crying out. This summary of the book of jonah will help with many different forms of bible study. A more detailed outline, which shows the beauty of the book, is as follows. Perhaps we could reflect upon a few of these matters. When the call of god came to him, jonah could not see beyond his own selfish desire for god to punish the assyrians. The book of jonah professes to give an account of what actually took place in the experience of the prophet. Jonah is identified as a prophet and servant of god during the reign of king jeroboam ii of israel 2 kings 14.
Israel, the northern country consisting of ten tribes, and judah, the remaining two tribes in the south. You dont have to read very far to realize the fruitlessness of that endeavor. Jonahs prayer of thanksgiving while inside the fish ch. Since jonah prophesied during the reign of jeroboam ii 782753 b.
Therefore, in the book of jonah the sea voyage cues the reader to a tension. As the story is related in the book of jonah, the prophet jonah is called by god to go to nineveh a great assyrian city and prophesy disaster because of the. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. Studies in the minor prophets jonah messenger to nineveh 1. While in the great fish, jonah prays to god in his affliction and commits to thanksgiving and to paying what he has vowed. Jonah and the whale almost serves as a cipher or cliffsnotes kind of summary for the book, despite the facts that 1 the book never calls the animal in question a whale but simply a fish or big fish, and 2 the fish episode is hardly what the book of jonah is primarily about. Jonah is the only major old testament character taking a trip on the mediterranean sea. Although the author of jonah is never identified in the book itself, jonah himself has traditionally been identified as the author. The title of the studysalvation belongs to the lordcomes directly from jonah 2. The book is named after its principal character, whose name means dove.
Set in the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc, it was probably written in the postexilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century bc. The book of jonah stands as an important link in the prophetic chain, giving readers a glimpse of christs death and resurrection hundreds of years before they actually occurred. The reign of jeroboam ii 793753 bc, who was an evil king before the lord, saw israels borders expand to their greatest extent since the time of solomon. Gods love and concern is for all people, and anyone who is willing to repent and turn to god can find salvation acts 26.
Jonah s prayer from inside the fish 19 jonah vomited out onto land 10 3. The book of jonah also serves as bulwark against the narrow and rigid thinking of the jews, that they alone were worthy of gods blessings metzger 435. In fact, such a structure may actually confuse the plotline, thereby obscuring the message of the book of jonah. When it comes to walking with god, theres no doubt that one of the central issues is obedience. The prophetic significance of this book not only lies in the short message in nineveh but also in the entire history of jonah described in his book.
The book of jonah is narrative history and a prophetic oracle. I believe in a supernatural, personal, loving, present god. Our interpretation, however, explains the plot, the characters, and the dialogue as embodying the primordial struggle between justice and mercy. There is but one god, and he alone is to be the god of all people. Nevertheless, focus on the whale highlights the genre. May 14, 2016 jonah has only four chapters, which makes it easy to outline the book chapterbychapter. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b.
Outline of the book of jonah they that regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy jonah 2. This passage shows us how we should repent, that is, return to god after we have run away from his directions and will for our lives. Jonah was a picture of the death and resurrection of christ. Studies in the minor prophets jonah messenger to nineveh.
The issue is complicated somewhat by the use of the. One of the more popular narratives of the bible, jonah is included with the prophetic books of the old testament. The major historical issue at stake is the existence of a prechristian jewish gentile mission. An outline is easy to make, when we follow the four chapters in which the book is divided. It is said to be about the prophet jonah of gathhepher in zebulon, who lived in the eight century during the reign of israels king jeroboam ii. Conservative scholars place the writing of the book of jonah before 745 b. The book of jonah can be divided down the middle to show two short. In chapter 1 of this book, jonah tried to run from god. The writer of this article has attempted to do this in stades zeitschrift, 1892, pp.
There are those who relate the book of jonah to the phoenician myth of hercules and the sea monster. We now come to the most well known of the minor prophets. Jonah is the one minor prophet that is also mentioned in the historical books 2 kings 14. Verses 12 this book is a story about god and jonah. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. According to legend, jonah was the son of the widow at zarephath. The book of jonah was written in the fifth century during the postexilic era. It is claimed that jonah was picked up after the storm and shipwreck by a boat that had a fish for a figurehead which gave support for the record in the book of jonah. Jonah is commanded to go east to nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point 1. Nineveh was the capital of assyria, and a place of great wickedness. First, we should note that this marvelous narrative has suffered the brunt of the critics barbs for a. God directs jonah, jonah disobeys jon 1 god has compassion on jonah jonah 2 jonah preaches to nineveh, nineveh repents jonah 3 god has compassion on nineveh, but jonah does not jonah 4 but it gets more interesting if we look beyond the chapter layer. In the midst of the obscure prophecies before and after this book, wherein.
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