In this essay I will take the position that the book of Jonah was intended to follow the unfinished journey of a prideful christian, and to show the involvement of an altruistic God. One of the major themes found in the book of Jonah is the relationship between God and Jonah. First, Jonah flees from God’s will, then he turns back to God, and finally, Jonah preaches God’s message of repentance to the people of Nineveh, but sadly, it doesn’t end there. Jonah was called as a prophet for God, but he had a detrimental problem in his character; Jonah was prideful. This causes Jonah to lose sight of his mission, and thus the unfinished journey of Jonah’s life is left in the hands of the reader.
My first point is that Jonah starts his journey in union with God, but then falls into a pit of disobedience. We can infer that in the beginning of the narrative, Jonah was worthy to claim his title as a prophet of God. ‘Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah…’ (Jonah 1:1). God’s appointed prophets are not just ordinary men whom have no special qualities. Jonah was specifically chosen and called to ‘go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it…’ (Jonah 1:2). God gives this commission to
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Jonah, but he cowardly runs away (Jonah 1:3). This outright rebellion, portrayed by Jonah’s actions, displays the true intentions of Jonah’s heart and reveals his spiritual condition. As the story continues, we see that Jonah’s act of disobedience is allowed, but not approved by God. Jonah proceeds on his path of mutiny towards God, but does not go very far before ‘the Lord sends out a great wind into the sea’ (Jonah 1:4). The shipmates cannot seem to find the reason to this problem, and then it strikes them that the only passenger left is Jonah, who had ‘gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep’ (Jonah 1:5). The fact that Jonah is found in a slumber, can express the ignorance and unawareness he has toward his state of being. Jonah is filled with pride and disobedience, but he does not realize it. Even more, we can infer that Jonah replies to the ship mates in a very arrogant manner, “And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). The fact that Jonah can utter this, although he is currently running away from that very same Lord, is absurd. Yet this is the moment where we catch a glimpse of our fallen nature, and note the redemptive power of the Almighty. God uses Jonah’s faults to not only bring Jonah to repentance, but also converts the shipmates (Jonah 1:16). This is God intervening on behalf of a disobedient sinner. He uses our mistakes to fulfill His desire to seek and save those who are lost. My second observation of Jonah’s journey consists of the fact that Jonah returns to God in repentance, yet only after experiencing near death. It is interesting how Jonah displays such a selfless act of being thrown into the ‘mighty tempest,’ even though he was running away from God who created the storm. We can note that this heroic gesture is only after he had expressed his prideful status of being a Hebrew who fears the Lord. To test this act of faith, God needed something more drastic and so he ‘had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah’ (Jonah 1:17). For ‘three days and three nights’ Jonah lay dormant in the fish’s belly. Suffering through horrid stenches, digestive acids, and suffocation, Jonah finally came to the realization that he needed God (Jonah 2:1). Similarly in our Christian walks, we stray from God and we think that our ways are higher than His. God allows this because He gives us the freedom of choice, but God also orchestrates certain events to occur so that we may see our need to return to Him. Jonah’s ‘lying vanity’ is that he will be happier disobeying God, but when in a suboptimal situation, Jonah finally sees his need and prays a prayer of repentance and deliverance (Jonah 2:2-9). Subsequently, Jonah is forgiven by God, which is symbolized by the regurgitation of the great fish (Jonah 2:10), and is asked again to ‘go unto Nineveh… and preach unto it’ (Jonah 3:2). An important lesson we can learn is that although we may run away from God, if we come before Him in repentance, He will forgive us and meet us where we left off. My final inspection of Jonah’s unfinished journey is the events following Jonah’s prayer of repentance. Jonah finally completes the request of God to preach unto Nineveh and to call them into repentance (Jonah 3:4). Yet, even with these simple words, ‘the people of Nineveh believed God’ (Jonah 3:4). Now all is well. Jonah repented, Nineveh repented, and even ‘God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them’ (Jonah 3:10). But, in reality we see this story doesn’t have such a happy ending. This act of grace shown by God ‘displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry’ (Jonah 4:1). It is ironic that the very mercy shown to Jonah, is the same mercy that enrages him and causes a feeling even unto death. Now we understand why Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh in the first place (Jonah 4:2), Jonah fled from the idea of seeing such a wicked nation saved. In bitter indignation, Jonah ‘went out of the city…and there made him a booth’ (Jonah 4:5). Although Jonah is wrong, the pride within him shields from seeing his faults. But, once again we see the magnanimous character of God shining as he ‘prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief’ (Jonah 4:6). We see that the Lord brings, but He also takes away (Jonah 4:7). As Jonah is sorrowful at seeing a gourd die (Jonah 4:8), he desires and would have rejoiced to see the thousands in Nineveh perish. Jonah is unutterably selfish, and shows that his repentance was genuine, but temporary. Jonah’s journey cannot be considered complete due to the fact that, although he achieved God’s commission of preaching unto Nineveh, he was left bitter because God had shown mercy on them. We can analyze the abrupt end in Chapter 4, that Jonah is still in a state of anger and despair, and that there was no common ground found between him and God. Yet even then, the very last verse found in the book of Jonah is God pleading with his prophet (Jonah 4:11). God’s extraordinary capacity to forgive upon true repentance is fundamental to our understanding of His character. Throughout the book of Jonah we can analyze a constant battle between God and man.
The story of Jonah illustrates something very important. We may start off as ‘good’ Christians, but the journey in between will not always be favorable. Even if our whole life is spent working for God, if our last sentiments are filled with selfishness and pride, we are still guilty of sin. We see that Jonah was consequently left in anguish, but we can also see that God never gave up on Jonah. Thus the unfinished journey of Jonah’s life is left in the hands of the reader. How will we finish this story in our own life? Will we put self aside to live in the will of God, or will we allow our misdemeanors to get in the way? Let us then, hid behind the righteousness of Christ, come humbly before God in
repentance.
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
Specifically, it taught about how His mercy could not be restricted by a person’s preconceptions. Jonah was a prophet of God but was ruled by his unrelenting hatred towards sinners. Despite his loathing, God was more than capable of using him in the salvation of the corrupted. When Jonah was commanded by the Lord to preach to the Ninevites, he resisted. Nineveh was a pagan society and epitomized “everything evil that the Israelites hated” (MacArthur, Jonah 112), Seeing that his enemies would be forgiven if he delivered the message, Jonah fled from his duty. However, he would not be able to elude from the will of God and, after some precarious situations in the sea, would reluctantly prophesied to the Ninevites and inspired their faith in the Lord. This came to show that while “Jonah was filled with resentment … [and his] wrath was aroused, … the Lord [could still extend His] grace” (MacArthur, Jonah
In Vonnegut’s novel, readers can notice that there are numerous religious references such as names and terms throughout it. In the opening of the novel it can already be seen. Vonnegut starts his novel off with the narrator introducing himself, “Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” (Vonnegut 1). From this opening line you can already see a biblical reference, that reference being “Jonah”. The name Jonah derives from the Hebrew bible, it’s known to be the name of a prophet who disobeyed God. Already early on in the novel it can be seen that a parallel between religion and the post-war world which the story take place in are intertwining. It can be assumed that by the author uses of the reference Jonah, a disobedient prophet of god, that the novel also revolves around the theme of deception among people in society. Deception implicated among person to another can lead to creating destruction in society. If one such as a writ...
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives and to understand the significance Rachel's life had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapter titled “Shul” and “School” next to each other with each giving a view of the problems they faced in school. Here both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassm...
“Jonah (and the Whale) - Story of Old Testament Minor Prophet Who Went to Nineveh." Easy English Bible - with Studies and Commentaries. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-outline/jonah-summary.htm
...e Biblical story weighs heavily on Joseph’s divine dream interpreting ability and the story it provides, focusing on the theme of God caring for His people and fulfilling his divine plan. The Qur’an appreciates this but sees it as a means to the end of the spread of faith to non-believers. The Christian and Jewish version of Joseph’s trials serves a greater literary purpose than the Qur’an’s version, advancing belief by showing God’s abilities and the way they may be manifested in others in order to fulfill his divine plan. However, the Qur’an expands upon the Biblical version by including additional plot points and explicitly portraying Joseph’s goals and how they align with Islamic theology. The accounts differ in functionality, but both are crucial to the holistic understanding of the story of Joseph and some of the fundamental differences between the religions.
This essay will attempt to exegete, the passage from Jonah chapter one. This is a common passage in the Old Testament known as the call of Jonah to Nineveh. It is widely believed that Jonah was a prophet of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, in about the 8th century BC. The available evidence seems fair to suggest that Jonah is the main character in the book named after his name. First thing to remember is that Johan’ popularity is based on his story of being swallowed by a fish.
In this essay I will take an interpretive look at Genesis chapters 5-9. The main focuses will be: the relationship between God, Noah, and Noah’s generation of mankind; the barriers and boundaries for humankind that were present and created by God in these chapters, the characteristics of God throughout the text and the overall importance and message of this passage in the Bible.
In this paper, there will be an attempt to investigate two factors first, there will be a comparison between Judah and our nation to see how Jeremiah’s betrayal of God as the divine potter is applicable in today’s world. Finally, How does Paul’s concept of “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4, English Standard Version). How does this concept relate to our modern world?
Ishmael is excited about the journey ahead, but soon learns there is bound to be chaos on the ship. In chapter seven, Ishmael goes into the chapel where he sees family and friends of sailors who died at sea mourn their death. Then at the sermon in chapter nine, Father Mapple tells the whalers a story of "Jonah and the whale". In the story Jonah doesn 't obey God and therefore has to accept his punishment of a whale swallowing him. The meaning of the story Father Mapple preaches in relation to the whalers is that the crewmates must listen to and obey their captain. Another event that makes the Pequod seem less safe is the conversation Elijah has with Ishmael and Queequeg. Before he boards the ship, a prophet names Elijah warns Ishmael and Queequeg of Ahab 's madness and the crew he has snuck aboard the ship to help him get revenge on Moby
Jonah. Stylistically, the author portrays God as the one that “appoints” different aspects of creation to redeem, or deliver, what “evil” has befallen. In Jonah 1 and 2, God
The Book of Nahum is a prophetic book concerned with pronouncing judgment upon the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, and with detailing its coming destruction at the hands of Yahweh. In light of this concern, it is not surprising that the primary image and expression of Yahweh in this piece is one of a vengeful and wrathful deity, expressing judgment in the form of destruction and desolation. These images combine to portray the character of Yahweh within the book of Nahum as a angry and judgmental God, bent on the destruction of all those who stand against Israel, a reality that readers struggle to comprehend in light of other texts, especially among the prophets, which depict Yahweh as gracious and merciful. What this essay will argue is that it is this larger textual context of the exploration of divine character, especially among the Twelve, through which Nahum should be understood, as well as through comprehension of the mythical allusions made by the author in Yahweh’s theophany. To show this, we will focus in on Nahum 1:2-3, exploring how it describes Yahweh, especially in relation to its use of Exodus 34:6-7, as well as how this compares to other prophetic texts and Jonah in particular. We will then explore the mythic qualities of Yahweh, particularly in Nahum 1:4, and how they relate to our reading of Nahum.
On an opposite note, Jonah was a man whom God called upon to become a prophet. Jonah refused because he didn't desire a life of servitude. Knowing that he had committed an ultimate sin, Jonah fled to the ocean, risking hundreds of crew members' lives, believing that God would not be able to follow. In the sea, Jonah was swallowed by God in the form of a whale In the whale's belly, he repented and prayed for forgiveness. He was spit up by the whale upon dry land and all was forgiven.
The book of Jonah is an adventurous story of a prophet chosen by God to go preach denouncement to a heathen nation. With the exception of stating that Jonah is the son of Amittai, the book itself fails to reveal any background information. Nevertheless, a plorthea of scholars have attempted to provide us with some insight to the, who, when, where, and what of the book. This paper will utilize four scholarly commentaries in a quest to determine the author or authors of the book, the time when it was written, the original audience it spoke to, the occasion, the historical, social and cultural context in which it was written. It will also address the historical, social and cultural context of the book and that of the pericope of 3:1 – 10.
The story of Joseph, the prophet is a pivotal cornerstone for two of the three major Abrahamic religions. In it, both Judaic and Islamic followers have crafted a story which establish God’s ability to intervene and protect his resolute followers. Throughout time, both parties have diverged on the fundamentals of this story to benefit their definition of faithfulness. As such, Both Islamic and Judaic faiths have crafted a story in which the view of God, Joseph, and the other characters present a significant example of the power of God and Allah.