Theological themes of the Book of Jonah, Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu

Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study Material on the Book of Jonah

Introduction
From our previous studies, we have been looking at the theological themes in the book of Jonah. As a beginning point, we have studied the themes of sovereignty of God and divine retribution and divine compassion natures of God. This lesson continues to look at the theological theme of Jonah with a focus on Jonah’s relationship with God. It also looks at Israel as a source of blessings to other nations. Before conclusions are drawn from this study, an attempt will be made to look at how the book of Jonah is used in the New Testament.

Jonah’s relationship with the Lord
Jonah had an intimate relationship with God. The sailors and the Ninevites are very uncertain about the character of God. They have no assurance of God’s mercy, only a vague hope. Thus the captain exhorts Jonah to call on his God because ‘Maybe he will take notice of us’ (Jonah 1:6). The King of Nineveh proclaims a fast and says, ‘Who knows? God may yet relent’ (Jonah 3:9), In contrast, Jonah is blessed with the knowledge of God.

Jonah’s knowledge of God comes from God himself direct speech. The sailors, on the other hand, must deduce what they can about God from the storm and eventually from Jonah. The people of Nineveh likewise learn about God’s plans through Jonah. Only Jonah knows that God is the maker of heaven and earth and that he is a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity (Jonah 4:2). Jonah has a close relationship with God: he is the only one who is said to ‘pray’. The Ninevites and the sailors call to God in emergencies but he is a stranger to them. Jonah knows God personally and has no doubt that he will be gracious and forgiving to those who repent, even to a heathen nation (Jonah 4:2). Despite all his privileges, Jonah’s response is contrasted unfavourably with that of the sailors and the Ninevites. All the other characters in the story, including the animals, obey God without hesitation.

There is, therefore, tremendous irony in the story: although Jonah has the privilege of being in direct communication with God, he refuses to learn from God’s word and has to be taught natural events. The storm and the fish teach him that he cannot escape God’s commission and that his attempt to run away from God is pointless and ineffective (cf. Ps. 139). The divine provision of the gourd, followed its untimely destruction, reveals that Jonah’s behaviour is irrational. He cares for a single plant and objects to its demise but demands the destruction of thousands of human beings and animals.

The irony in Jonah’s story reflects that of Israel’s history. The nation had the privilege of direct communication from God of a kind that no other nation had experienced. Israel had failed to obey and had to learn its lesson the hard way through the bitter experiences of history. These included the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel and the later just as exile of Judah to Babylon. If Israel had obeyed God’s direct communication, then the fish and the events would not have been necessary, Jonah’s incarceration instruction of the gourd would not have been necessary had he responded obediently to God’s commands.

Israel – a source of blessing for others?
We are not told the reason for Jonah’s antagonism towards the people of Nineveh. Perhaps he perceived (accurately) that within several decades the Assyrians would destroy Israel. For whatever reason, Jonah wanted Ninevah to be overthrown. He knew, however, that God was gracious and that he intended to use him to give the Ninevites an opportunity to repent. God was going To use Jonah to be a source of *blessing to his enemies, and the prophet could not countenance this, especially when it would result in the demise of Israel.

The message of the book for Israel and for the church today is that those who have been blessed the Lord have the potential and, indeed, the responsibility to be a blessing to others, even their enemies (Matt. 5:43-47) There is no nation or people beyond the range of the Lord’s compassion and concern (John 1:10-13).

Jonah as used in the New Testament
There are three NT passages which refer to Jonah: Matthew 12:38-41, paralleled in Luke 11:29-32, and Matthew 16:1-4. In these passages, Jesus states that his contemporaries shall receive, in response to their request for a ‘sign’, only one, ‘the sign of Jonah’.

Although Jesus’ comments have been interpreted in various ways, he clearly views his ministry as paralleling Jonah’s. Since Jesu condemns the unbelief of his contemporary he is possibly reflecting on the consequences of Jonah’s ministry to Ninevah which result in the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians.

Conclusion
This lesson has aimed at introducing the book of Jonah looking at the themes of Jonah’s relationship with God and the perspective of Israel as a blessing to other nations. Reading through Jonah’s relationship with God invites us to reflect on our personal and thus unique relationship with God. Our experiences of God as true Christians may not be the same with the people of the world. God may be treating us as God’s children. Even as God intended to bless Israel in order to bless others, we are to remind ourselves daily that God blesses us as Christians to bless others.