The people of Nineveh were living in evil, and Jonah was called to command them to repent [Jonah 1:2]. Furthermore, the citizens were governed by a King; moreover, the people repented to the Lord after Jonah’s warning [Jonah 3:6-10]. In addition, the book of Nahum is written almost entirely to address the people of Nineveh; Nahum prophesies that their wickedness, folly, and unrepentant lives will lead to destruction. Nineveh is described as a bloody city [3:1], and is repeatedly condemned for their practices of sexual immorality [3:4]. Lastly, Zephaniah 2:13 briefly foretells the future abbihulation of Nineveh. "Jonah son of Amittai” was an Israelite prophet from Gath Hepher; he lived under the rule of Jeroboam II [2 Kings 14:15-25]. He was called to travel to the Assyrian capital, Nineveh, and command them to repent of their wickedness [Jonah 1:2] Conversely, Jonah boarded a ship to travel Tarshish, fleeing from God’s request [1:3]. However, while at sea a great storm arose as a result of Jonah’s disobedience, and after being tossed overboard, was swallowed by a large fish [1:4-16]. Consequently, after being in the belly of the fish for 3 days, he repented; this led to a change in the prophets heart, and he was determined to do as the Lord had asked [1:17-2:10]. Therefore, he traveled to Nineveh, and proclaimed God’s call to repentance for all to hear [Chapter 3]. Additionally, in Matthew 12:39-40, Jesus says evil doers will receive the sign of Jonah. In verse 40 Jesus parallels his 3 day stay in “the heart of the earth” to Jonah’s 3 day experience in the belly of the fish.
Without a doubt, there are several similarities between Jonah and the rest of the Minor Prophets. After scanning through the book, I noticed they all contai...
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...ls to Matthew 18:23-35 [178]. Leslie reflects on the parallel, and states “Nineveh’s sin is confronted by the great love of God; Nineveh's repentance is met by the forgiveness of God, while misunderstanding of God’s forgiveness is challenged by a reasoned reprimand” (178).
Work Cited
Commentaries
Allen, Leslie C. The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah. Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1976. Print.
Bruckner, James K. Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah: The NIV Application Commentary
from Biblical Text-- to Contemporary Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004. Print.
Limburg, James. Jonah: A Commentary. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 1993
. Print.
Websites
"Ancient Nineveh - Background Bible Study (Bible History Online)." Ancient Nineveh -
Background Bible Study (Bible History Online). N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.
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...
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.
When I read the name of "Jonah," I was prompted to think of the character of the same name in the Bible who got swallowed by a whale in the Old Testament. While the character goes also by the name "John," I couldn't help but wonder if there was some similarity involved in this novel.
The Gospel of Matthew is an eyewitness story written for an audience of believers, under great stress, and persecution. Matthew develops a theological plot incorporating genealogy, speeches, parables, inter and intra textual references, common vocabulary, and fulfillment quotations, with a tension that builds as we are invited into the story. The crucifixion and resurrection bring us to a Christological climax that symbolically points beyond its conclusion to God’s Kingdom, bringing atonement, salvation and the ushering in the Eschaton. The extraordinary events surrounding the crucifixion act as commentary, adding important details concerning the death of Jesus.1
Although it may not be automatically detected by many of today's readers, a common literary genre manifests itself within several accounts of the Bible: epic. Epic is often a form of literature affiliated with works such as The Odyssey, however, its unique, artistic style can also be easily detected within the Word of God. Abraham's faithful obedience to God when called upon to sacrifice his only son is one such example found within the book of Genesis. It contains several epic elements which Homer's audience would recognize with ease. The story of Abraham's Obedience displays the following epic traits: communal nature, ritual, epithet, high style, and presence of story motifs such as hero, supernatural machinery, and quest.
...ificed for all the sins of mankind. Feeling ashamed and sad, he questions his own faith by saying that his son was too young to have scaped world s and flesh s rage (Lines8, 9). Finally, he uses a tender word like peace to signal that he has accepted his son s death, forgiven himself and God, and realizes that everything will be all right.
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 book of Zephaniah contains messages of divine judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, as well as against other nations. It addresses a rare concentration of references to central issues in the history of ancient Israel. Idolatry, violence, and deception abound in Judah when Zephaniah began prophesying. Zephaniah's prophesying made it clear that Yahweh would execute vengeance upon unrepentant wrongdoers. His adverse judgments would be visited not only upon Judah and Jerusalem, but also upon other peoples: the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, Ethiopians, and Assyrians. Significantly, Zephaniah, the prophet, never stands at the center of the book of Zephaniah; the word of Yahweh is at the center of the book. Zephaniah is mentioned only insofar as he is necessary for the interpretation of the text.
Today, we take this parable very lightly, as we have been brought up in a culture that forgives people’s faults easily. Most people think, “Yeah, I forgive everyone who harms me.” However, if you think about it, this just isn’t true, as everyone has a couple of people they hold a grudge against, and this parable is telling us to stop holding that grudge. Forgiving is a huge part of Christian teaching and should not be taken lightly.
Joel is the second of the twelve Minor Prophets. The book of Joel is set in the early eighth century BC in a time of great prosperity for Judah.2 Joel uses three easily identifiable formulas to convey his message to the people. What struck me about the book of Joel is his vivid writing style that includes the vivid use of simile and metaphor and the use of repetition and summary to reiterate his message. The main message of Joel is God’s offer of hope despite the present locust situation and if Israel repented there would be a coming day of God’s blessing.3
Matthew directed this passage toward the Matthean reader for it supplies instruction and a sense of warning to those who wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Matthew uses tension and surprise, in both form and content, to address this situation, while affirming that Jesus Christ, “God is with us,” is the defining figure around which the community’s self-understanding, imagination, and social relations are to be formed” (Saunders 871). By presenting the text in the form of a parable, the message of God’s will is omitted in a historical and cultural context that enables society to comprehend the meaning behind the words chosen by Matthew.
A strong Christian lesson on the true nature of forgiveness can be found in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount: