Jonah – An Introduction

Hi All,

As you probably know, on the blog, intermittently, I walk through a certain book of the bible and share aspects of what I learn with you all.  I will be starting a walk through the book of Jonah. As I share what I learn, I hope it will encourage and bless you all too.

The book of Jonah is one of the best know stories from the bible, of a man swallowed by a fish. It is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. It differs from other books of prophets, in the fact that it is not just a collection of God’s word for a specific situation or people. Although we do see a word from God for the people of Nineveh, one of the main focuses of the book is the prophet himself, his actions, his attitude and heart.

Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire, a people who were Israelites enemies and as such when God gives Jonah His word for the Ninevites, Jonah rebels against God and disobeys Him. We get to see a stubborn reluctant prophet exhibit unwillingness to share of the Lord’s compassion and grace to Israel’s enemy, holding on to the favoured relationship they had with God.

Besides in this book, we read of Jonah in one other place in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings 14:25, he is seen during the reign of Jeroboam 2, “He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, 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.” From this verse, we learn that time wise this would have been around 782-753 BC, that would make Jonah a contemporary of Amos and Hosea.

Although the book is named after the prophet, the main character of the book is God. We get to see God’s heart for all people. How he works through a stubborn and disobedient prophet who was disgruntled at God’s compassion towards the people of Nineveh, who were Israel’s enemy. Skip Heitzig wrote that ‘Jonah is about a man who ran from God, and a God who ran after a man.’

As we spend time in this book, we get to focus on God who is rich in mercy towards all, even those we least anticipate. And He cares for the person doing His work as much as He cares for the work that is being done. Jonah’s heart and attitude serve as a mirror, prompting us to reflect on and reveal our own inclinations.

God Bless.