Jonah. 2: Yahweh's commission to Jonah? similarity to God's commission to us (Matt. 28:19-20)?.

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1 Chapter 1 1: "The Word of Yahweh came" Standard phrase for divine revelation: Hag 1:1; Joel 1:1; Hos 1:1 During the reign of Jeroboam II; He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. (2Ki 14:25 NIV) 1) Jonah is probably the author, but book does not say 2) 2 Kings 14:25 probably refers to him, unless there were two prophets named Jonah þ) During the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (793/ /746 BC) þ) which would place Jonah's ministry about BC þ) from Gath Hepher (4 miles north of Nazareth), tribe of Zebulon 2: Nineveh: Occupying a central position on the great highway between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, wealth flowed into it from many sources, so that it became the greatest of all ancient cities. About B.C. 633 the Assyrian empire began to show signs of weakness, and Nineveh was attacked by the Medes, who subsequently, about B.C. 625, being joined by the Babylonians and Susianians, again attacked it, when it fell, and was razed to the ground. The Assyrian empire then came to an end, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its provinces between them. "After having ruled for more than six hundred years with hideous tyranny and violence, from the Caucasus and the Caspian to the Persian Gulf, and from beyond the Tigris to Asia Minor and Egypt, it vanished like a dream" (Na 2:6-11) Its end was strange, sudden, tragic. It was God's doing, his judgement on Assyria's pride (Isa 10:5-19). 2: Yahweh's commission to Jonah? similarity to God's commission to us (Matt. 28:19-20)?. 3: Tarshish = ancient Phoenician mining colony on south-west coast of Spain. Jonah, instead of going east to Nineveh, went west Tarshish! Trying to flee from the Presence of God (MT) - phrase occurs twice Why? 3:10-4:3: "The ship" Jonah found (ANNIYAH) 2 Chron. 9:21 has "ships going to Tarshish," that is, large, sea-going merchant ships capable of going to Tarshish, about as far away as they could go. 4: Yahweh "hurls" a great wind. 9: Jonah confesses his faith in Yahweh. What does he say about him? : "the sea was walking and storming" also 1:13b 14: literally: "Please, O Yahweh, let us not be destroyed for the life of this man and do not put innocent blood upon us, for You, O Yahweh, have done just as You pleased!" They understand that God is after Jonah. But do not want God to blame them for Jonah's death. C:\Users\Peter\Documents\Pete\Petes Data\Inmotion SERMONSANDBIBLESTUDIES.NET\BIBLESTUDIES INMOTION\Jonah r2.wpdpage 1

2 17: fish or large sea creature Matthew 12:40. Whale shark (Rhineodon), largest of all sharks, reaches 70 feet in length, with a jaw capable of swallowing a man. The great fish to swallow Jonah": Standard Hebrew words for "fish" (DAG) and "swallow" att. 12:40 has KATOS = "sea-monster" How was the fish an instrument of God's saving Jonah? 17: three days and three nights cited by Jesus in Matthew 12:40 referring to His burial from Good Friday evening to Easter Sunday morning, only about 36 hours. But how three days and three nights from Good Friday to Easter Sunday morning? #) Compare Esther 4:16 ("three days, night and day") to 5:1 ("on the third day"), concluding that "the third day" is equivalent to "three days, night and day" and that including the day also includes the night #) The Jewish calendar day begins at sunset the evening before #) The Jewish day (versus night) begins at sunrise #) Thus, the three days and three nights of Jesus in the tomb: a> First Night: 6 pm Thurs - 6 am Fri b> First Day: 6 am Fri - 6 pm Fri c> Second Night: 6 pm Fri - 6 am Sat d> Second Day: 6 am Sat - 6 pm Sat e> Third Night: 6 pm Sat - 6 am Sun f> Third Day: 6 am Sun = Sunrise 17: God "appointed" (Heb: MNH), not created, an existing sea-monster to swallow Jonah. How was the fish an instrument of God's saving Jonah? A. Reported swallowings 1) 1891, James Bartley was swallowed by a whale and later found alive but unconscious in the whale, when it was killed and cut up. 2) 1758, sailor swallowed by a shark which was killed shortly afterwards and spit up the sailor B. Possible historical connections between Jonah and Nineveh 1) Ancient Greek historian Berossus gives name of Assyrian fish-god as "Oannes," possible Greek form of "Jonah" 2) Egyptian seal, dated from BC, showing clearly a man emerging from a sea monster 3) Dagon was the Assyrian sea-god, half man and half fish. What better way to herald Jonah as a divine messenger but to have him spit up by a great sea-monster in the presence of eye-witnesses in Phoenicia Chapter 2 2: He is in the place of the dead, Sheol (2), pit (6) C:\Users\Peter\Documents\Pete\Petes Data\Inmotion SERMONSANDBIBLESTUDIES.NET\BIBLESTUDIES INMOTION\Jonah r2.wpdpage 2

3 2:2-9 Prayer/(Psalm) of thanksgiving for deliverance a. Formal Structure 1) Two strophes (verses) of six half-lines each ending in "to your holy temple" 2) Concluding strophe of three half-lines b. Thought Structure 1) First strophe (vv. 2-4) From the depths of the sea I called to Yahweh and He answered 2) Second strophe (vv. 5-7) From the depths of the sea I called to Yahweh and He answered 3) Concluding strophe (vv. 8-9) Salvation comes not from idols but Yahweh c. Descriptions of where Jonah was 1) V. 1: "From the belly [Heb: M`H = belly, stomach, innards] of the fish" 2) First Strophe (vv. 2-4) þ) V. 2: "From the belly [Heb: BThN = belly, womb, body] of Sheol" þ) V. 3: "depths" "heart of the sea" "the rivers [NHR] surrounded me" "breakers and waves" literally: "smashers and rollers" þ) V. 4: "driven from before Your eyes" 3) Second Strophe (vv. 5-7) þ) v. 5: "the waters surround me" "the deep" [Heb: TiHOM = "the deep, sea, abyss", "primeval ocean" (Gen. 1:2), "depths of the earth" (=Sheol, Ps 71:20) þ) v. 6 "extremities of the mountains" Ps. 18:7 speaks of "the foundations of the mountains" 18:19 "the foundations of the earth" Ps. 24:2 says that the earth [Heb: 'aretz], that is, the world [Heb: TeVeL] was founded upon the seas [Heb: YaM] þ) v. 6: "pit" of Sheol 4) What is the point of this piling on of descriptions of where Jonah was? 5) How is this a type of Christ? þ) Matt. 12:40 þ) Acts 2:27 þ) The cry from the cross // v. 2; Ps. 22:1; Matt. 27:46 6) 2:6 the rescue // Ps. 18:16 v. 7: "when my soul/life was slowly ebbing away, I remembered (trustingly) C:\Users\Peter\Documents\Pete\Petes Data\Inmotion SERMONSANDBIBLESTUDIES.NET\BIBLESTUDIES INMOTION\Jonah r2.wpdpage 3

4 Yahweh." 7) v. 8: idols "vapors of emptiness" same phrase at Ps. 31:7 "vapors" is standard word for idols, often trans. "vanities": Dt 32:21; 1 K 16:13, 26 8) v. 8: "grace" [Heb: CheSeD = "loving-kindness"] Lit: "Those who guard/cling to vapors of emptiness/idols abandon (God's) loving-kindness towards them." 9) v. 9 "salvation" [Heb: YeShU`aH] same root as Joshua/Jesus comes from the Lord! For all things finally! 10) v. 10: "spit" [Heb: Qeh] meaning is like the sound Chapter 3 3:3 3 days journey to go around Nineveh: a circumference of about fifty miles according to 4 th century BC historian Ctesias. 4:11 says 120,000 inhabitants giving a population density of about 600 people per square mile. See pg 1 of notes God cause Ninevites to respond in faith to Jonah s preaching, as sailors did in 1:16 1. People 2. King 3:10 God had compassion, repented Unlike man, who under the conviction of sin feels genuine remorse and sorrow, God is free from sin. Yet the Scriptures inform us that God repents (Gen 6:6-7; Exo 32:14; Jud 2:18; 1Sam 15:11 et al.), i.e. he relents or changes his dealings with men according to his sovereign purposes. On the surface, such language seems inconsistent, if not contradictory, with certain passages which affirm God's immutability: "God is not a man... that he should repent" (1Sam 15:29 contra v. 11); "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind" (Psa 110:4). When [Heb: NChM] is used of God, however, the expression is anthropopathic and there is not ultimate tension. From man's limited, earthly, finite perspective it only appears that God's purposes have changed. God always desired to show compassion by bringing man to repentance. Chapter 4 4:1 notice Jonah s anger at God s compassion towards the hated Ninevites! 2: How is God described by Jonah: Exodus 34:6 the compassionate God RaCHuM = God's deep, tender love the strong tie God has with those whom he has called as his children (Psa 103:13). God looks upon his own as a father looks upon his children; he has pity on them (cf. Mic 7:17). same root is word meaning "womb" incorporating concept of motherly love. (a) As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; (Psa 103:13 NIV) (b) You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins C:\Users\Peter\Documents\Pete\Petes Data\Inmotion SERMONSANDBIBLESTUDIES.NET\BIBLESTUDIES INMOTION\Jonah r2.wpdpage 4

5 3. underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. (Mic 7:19 NIV) 4. God's unconditioned gracious choice (CHaNuN, grace ). God tells Moses that he is gracious and merciful to whomever he chooses without restriction (Exo 33:19). 5. 4:6 a garden-plant= castor-oil tree 4:11 what is the Lord s reasoning? C:\Users\Peter\Documents\Pete\Petes Data\Inmotion SERMONSANDBIBLESTUDIES.NET\BIBLESTUDIES INMOTION\Jonah r2.wpdpage 5