Jonah – Overview – by Nate Wilson

Contact Nate for PowerPoint graphics.

(Jonah 1:1 & 4:11)

Is Jonah For Real?

1. Written in the style of a narrative
   history with vav consecutives.
2. Jesus thought so (Mat. 12:38-41, cf. Lk 11:29ff).
3. Historically plausible - men can survive being swallowed by fish.
4. Linguistically plausible - vocabulary matches time period.
5. Lack of detail could be explained as a lesson written down later in life by Jonah.

First 3 Characters

1. Jonah
2. Jehovah
3. Nineveh

Jonah’s World

• Jonah: Means "Dove"

• From Gath-hepher,
(near Nazareth)

• Jewish tradition: disciple of
Elisha who anointed Jehu king (II Ki. 9:1)

• Idolatrous kings in Israel: Jeroboam, Ahab, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, death of Elisha.

• Oppression from Syria/Aram, but Jeroboam II conquered Damascus and made Israel prosperous, as prophecied by Jonah (2 Ki. 14:25).

• Patriotism and disdain for foreigners.

 Nineveh’s World

• Capitol of Assyria - 200 mi. N. of present-day Baghdad

• Built by Nimrod just after the flood (Gen. 10:8-12)

• V.2 “the great city” - Largest in the world - 60 mi. circum.

• Assyrians worshipped Nebo (pagan knowledge)

• 806BC King Ahad Nirari III invaded Israel  (exploitation)

• Plagues in 765BC and in 759BC (fear)

• Jonah prophesied during Ahad Nirari or Assurdan III

• 722BC Assyria conquered Northern Israel

• Nahum & Zephaniah prophecy against it.

• 612BC – destroyed by Medes & Babylonians

Map & Timeline

God’s World – 8^th Century BC

• Greek city-states and Olympics
• Huanter de Chauvez empire in Peru
• King Rivallo in Europe
• Egypt : Suez Canal dug, takeover by Ethiopia
• Contemporary prophets: Hosea, Isaiah, Amos
• King Uzziah in Judah
• Birth of the Buddah and invention of number zero in India
• Spring and Sumemr Period in China

v.1 "Word of YHVH"

• Jehovah: Personal, self-existent God

• Self-revealing in words

• “And” Continuation of previous revelation

• Initiator of Nineveh’s salvation

Message of the Book

• Punchline: 4:11 And I, should I not be compassionate over Nineveh, the great city, when there exist in her more than one hundred twenty thousand humans who don't know their right hand from their left, and many cattle?

• The … Gentiles should not be grudged God's love, care, and forgiveness. ~A. Cohen

• [T]he design of God [was] to show favour to the Gentiles... As Jonah the servant of God is given up to death that he may successfully … proclaim to the Ninevites the judgement and mercy of [God]… so must the Son of God be buried … that He may bring forth fruit for the whole world” ~C.F. Keil

Character #4: You, the Reader

• Master

– Self?

– God?

• Mission – to represent:

– Self?

– Country (Nineveh, Israel, U.S.) ?

– God? (2 Cor 5:18-21)

• Message

– Your words?

– God’s words? (How to get God’s words?)