Book of Jonah. Name meaning: Dove. Year Written: B.C.

Transcription

1 Book of Jonah World Christian Fellowship 60, High Worple, Rayners Lane, Harrow Middlesex, HA2 9SZ, United Kingdom Tel: Name meaning: Dove. Year Written: B.C. 2 Kings 14:23-27, 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, there was no helper for Israel. 27 And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. During this time the reign was of Jeroboam II of Israel, who reigned from 793 to 753 B.C. Jeroboam II was militarily stronger than some of the previous kings according to verse 25. Assyria was just a rising world power and Nineveh was a great world city. 1

2 Book has 4 chapters and 48 verses. Historical background: Jeroboam II had a successful reign (2 Kings 14:25-28; Amos 6:14). Assyria was under pressure from the northern kingdom of Urartu. This freed Syria to deal with Israel. By the end of the century the Assyrian Empire would become the strongest military force in the world up to that time, but this was not an issue at the writing of Jonah. Nineveh was a great city (Luke 11:30-32) located on the east bank of the Tigris River about 550 miles from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Nineveh was with unconquerable fortress 2

3 with both an outer wall and an inner wall 50 feet wide and 100 feet high measured 90 miles in circumference. The City was founded by Nimrod population of 120,000 a garden city and one of the great wonders of the world. The Assyrians were in temporary decline because of internal dissension, so Jeroboam II seized on the opportunity and increased his territories. Israel became very proud and arrogant with resulting in greed, injustice and formal religion. Error in Churches to doubt the authenticity of the Bible. Right from young age at the Sunday school we have been taught that Jonah sitting in the belly and praying to the Lord. Hence we were not sure when someone ask us the question whether Jonah was alive or dead? 3

4 This prophecy of Jonah contains what we might call, the gospel according to Jonah. It is referred to by Jesus as a foundational prophecy which relates to Christ Himself, the Messiah, His mission, and particularly His death and resurrection from the dead. Jonah is very important for understanding the New Testament teachings of God. Jesus mentions about His second coming to Jonah! Mathew 12:39-41, But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. Matthew 16:4, A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And He left them and departed. 4

5 Brief outline: Jonah Flees His Mission (chapters 1 2) Jonah s Commission and Flight (1:1 3) The Endangered Sailors Cry to Their Gods (1:4 6) Jonah s Disobedience Exposed (1:7 10) Jonah s Punishment and Deliverance (1:11 2:1; 2:10) His Prayer of Thanksgiving (2:2 9) Why was he Reluctant? Jonah was not a peaceful prophet in the sense he understood that war was on the horizon for Israel. He could look around and see his nation disobeying God. Many were going over to Baal. We have the prophecies of Hosea, a little later, and parts 5

6 of the prophecies of Joel uttered about the same time. They were indicating how Israel was going astray from God. Israel had been considerably reduced in size but the king of Damascus had even been able to control the internal affairs in the northern kingdom (2 Kings 13:7). God in His good and perfect providence blessed Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:26-27) and he capitalized on Assyria's defeat of Damascus. Whereas Jonah wanted God to punish the wicked king for all their wicked ways but he Lord blessed them more. However, after the Assyrian campaign against Damascus in 797, Jehoash, king of Israel, had been able to recover the territory lost to the king of Damascus. (2 Kings 13:25) Internal troubles in Assyria subsequently allowed Jeroboam II to complete the restoration of Israel's northern borders. Nevertheless, Assyria remained the real threat from the north at that time. The prophets of the Lord were speaking to Israel concerning these events about 797 BC. Elisha spoke to the king of Israel concerning future victories over Damascus (2 Kings 13:14-19). A few years later Jonah prophesied the restoration that Jeroboam II accomplished (2 Kings 14:25). But soon after Israel had triumphed, she began to gloat over her new-found power. Because Israel was relieved of foreign pressures the nation became complacent about the favoured status with God. They expected that all the other nations will face the darkness and punishment on "Day of the Lord'' but they will be basking in the glory of the Lord. 6

7 It was in such a time a message from the Lord through Amos and Hosea was sent to mighty Israel to announce to the people that Israel would be "spared no longer (Amos 7:8 8:2) but would send them into exile "beyond Damascus" (Amos 5:27) i.e. to Assyria (Hosea 9:3; 10:6; 11:5) During this time the Lord also sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them of the imminent danger of divine Judgment. Since God blessed the wicked King of Israel more and more Jonah thought again God will do the same thing called mercy upon people. Jonah Reluctantly Fulfils His Mission (chapters 3 4) Jonah s Renewed Commission and Obedience (3:1 4) The Threatened Ninevites Repentant Appeal to the Lord (3:5 9) The Ninevites Repentance Acknowledged (3:10 4:4) Jonah s Deliverance and Rebuke (4:5 11) Application for today: 1. Selfishness Jonah cared about his reputation more than God and the people. When Jonah prophesied about the destruction of the Nineveh he wanted that his word comes to pass rather than people get saved through their repentance! Are you not happy about the trouble the people whom you hate? 7

8 Are you not happy about the people who have done something wrong against you? Are you not waiting for the people who you don t like their destruction? Philippians 2:3-4, Don t be selfish; don t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.(nlt) Let us repent and ask God for HIS forgiveness so that we will have a heart like God seeking for the lost to be saved. 2. Obedience Do you care to obey the word of the Lord? 100% Not partial obedience!! 1 Samuel 15:22, So Samuel said: Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. Hosea 6:6, I want your loyalty, not your sacrifices. I want you to know me, not to give me burnt offerings.(gw) Will you obey HIS commandments? Jesus said go and preach the Gospel and make disciples? Do you obey to HIS Great Commission?? 8