NL 310: Jonah and God's Mercy
image: “Jonah the Prophet” by Sargis Babayan (wikimedia)
Jonah 1:1-17; 3:1-10; 4:1-11
Initial Thoughts
A slice of a larger story. The whole book is only four pages in my Bible. This could be a launch point for a short series
It feels awkward to preach about this passage without telling more of the backstory and hearing about Jonah’s reaction.
Bible Study
Jonah’s story
Historical Location
Jonah is identified as a prophet from the Northern Kingdom under King Jeroboam II (786-746 BCE).
Ninevah - was an important Assyrian city. It would become capital in 704 BCE. Located on Tigris River in what is now Iraq.
Assyria known for brutal treatment of those they conquer.
Joppa - A port city on the Mediterranean Sea
Tarshish - Far western edge of the Mediterranean, near Gibraltar.
Source context unknown. Only clues are the exaggerated size of the city of Ninevah, which suggest post exilic period, but this is much debated.
Each chapter is pretty distinct part of the story
1 - Jonah is called by God to go to Ninevah “for their evil has come to my attention.” Jonah refuses. Instead, he goes to Joppa to get on a boat on its way to Tarshish. On the boat, things start to go badly. Eventually, Jonah confesses that he is the problem, and tells the crew to throw him overboard. They oblige him.
2 - “The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.” He is in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. There, Jonah has a change of heart. Jonah sings a song of thanksgiving. The fish then “vomited Jonah onto the dry land.
3 - Jonah preaches to Ninevah, warning them that God has given them forty days to straighten up. The king hears Jonah, and listens. King declares a city-wide period of fasting and mourning. God sees this, “So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.” NRSV states “God changed his mind.”
4 - Jonah upset that God doesn’t destroy Ninevah, so he leaves city and pouts. God teaches Jonah a lesson about compassion with a shrub that provided him shade. We never find out of Jonah gets it.
Four players in Chapter 3
Jonah: Finally obeys God, gets up off the beach, goes to Ninevah and cries out in the city “Just forty days more and Ninevah will be overthrown!”
The people of Ninevah: The people believed God (not Jonah). They proclaimed a fast and put on mourning clothes.
This turn of events seems to be anticlimactic. After so much reluctance by Jonah, there is almost no resistance.
The King: Heard what his people were doing, and joins in. Announces extreme adhesion to the fast - even for the animals in the flocks. Wonders, “Who knows? God may see this and change his mind”
God: Sees what happens, “that they ceased their evil behavior.” God’s mind is changed.
Chapter 1
Tarshish is about as far from Ninevah as you can get
Jonah is faithful to his fellow sailors- sacrifices himself in order to save them
Like chapter 4 would rather die than go to Ninevah and risk God’s mercy for his enemies
Chapter 3 and 4
Echoes chapter 1 - The word of God comes to Jonah (3:1 and 1:1), the difference is Jonah’s response- instead of got up and fled (1:3) Jonah gets up and goes (3:3)
In contrast to Jonah not following God, the Ninevites - all of them- listen to Jonah’s warning and respond with faithful repentance
Humorous hyperbole- even the animals repent
Hypocrisy - Jonah is angry that God is merciful to the Ninevites, even though he himself received God’s mercy when he disobeyed God (chapter 2)
Thoughts and Questions
There are multiple stories throughout the Hebrew Bible and New Testament about the judgment of God, but mercy triumphs over judgment.
“The book of Jonah raises the possibility that perhaps mercy is a part of justice - that true justice is to be merciful” Kelly Murphy, “Jonah, Women’s Bible Commentary
If you tell only the lectionary selection, there is plenty. Jonah’s obedience to God’s call is meet with repentance from the people. God’s mercy is shown. “God changed his mind.” is ripe with interpretative possibilities. What are the theological implications of a God that can change his mind? When does God change his mind? What changed God’s mind?
We expect resistance from the people and King. In fact, we expect Jonah to come to a violent end. He is a foreign man preaching about a foreign God. It is hard to imagine how the people of Ninevah could have heard his words as anything other than an idle threat. Instead, they embrace God’s word, and there is repentance. This can tell us something about who we are reluctant to speak to. Who are the audiences with whom we should have no chance? There are great evangelical implications of who we should/can/are seeking.
The fact is, God changed God’s mind at the beginning of the story. The very act of calling a prophet of Israel to the heart of Assyria shows a change of heart in the nature of God. Jonah’s reluctance to listen to God is born from the faith and tradition he knew, not pure rebellion (Bruce Epperly, Process and Faith).
If a greater portion of the story is told, the ordeal of the fleeing, then reluctant, then successful, then pouting prophet is fascinating. What does it mean for a prophet to be successful? The people listened to Jonah’s message, and believed God (not Jonah). Why is Jonah upset that the city is not destroyed? Can we get too caught up in our own righteous indignation to miss the point? Vengeance is not Justice. Anger is not justice.
Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM
Closing Song by Bryan Odeen