Thematic Bible: The reluctant missionary
Thematic Bible
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Disappointed at the success of his own message
The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth-from the greatest of them to the least. When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he issued a decree in Nineveh: By order of the king and his nobles: No man or beast, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water. read more.
Furthermore, both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish. Then God saw their actions-that they had turned from their evil ways-so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.
Furthermore, both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish. Then God saw their actions-that they had turned from their evil ways-so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.
But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious.
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Finds God's presence even in the depths of the sea
Your right hand will hold on to me.
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Taught a lesson of the breadth of the divine love
The Lord asked, "Is it right for you to be angry?" Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made himself a shelter there and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God appointed a plant, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah's head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. read more.
When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered. As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he almost fainted, and he wanted to die. He said, "It's better for me to die than to live." Then God asked Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" "[Yes,]" he replied. "It is right. I'm angry enough to die!" So the Lord said, "You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?"
When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered. As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he almost fainted, and he wanted to die. He said, "It's better for me to die than to live." Then God asked Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" "[Yes,]" he replied. "It is right. I'm angry enough to die!" So the Lord said, "You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?"
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Overtaken in his flight
Then the Lord hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship's cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep. The captain approached him and said, "What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won't perish." read more.
"Come on!" the sailors said to each other. "Let's cast lots. Then we will know who is to blame for this trouble we're in." So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we're in. What is your business and where are you from? What is your country and what people are you from?" He answered them, "I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land." Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, "What is this you've done?" For the men knew he was fleeing from the Lord's presence, because he had told them. So they said to him, "What should we do to you to calm this sea that's against us?" For the sea was getting worse and worse. He answered them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I'm to blame for this violent storm that is against you." Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not because the sea was raging against them more and more. So they called out to the Lord: "Please, Yahweh, don't let us perish because of this man's life, and don't charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased." Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. The men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. Then the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.
"Come on!" the sailors said to each other. "Let's cast lots. Then we will know who is to blame for this trouble we're in." So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we're in. What is your business and where are you from? What is your country and what people are you from?" He answered them, "I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land." Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, "What is this you've done?" For the men knew he was fleeing from the Lord's presence, because he had told them. So they said to him, "What should we do to you to calm this sea that's against us?" For the sea was getting worse and worse. He answered them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I'm to blame for this violent storm that is against you." Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not because the sea was raging against them more and more. So they called out to the Lord: "Please, Yahweh, don't let us perish because of this man's life, and don't charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased." Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. The men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. Then the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Reveals his bigotry in lamenting the repentance of the ninevites
But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. He prayed to the Lord: "Please, Lord, isn't this what I said while I was still in my own country? That's why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from [sending] disaster. And now, Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Proceeds upon his mission of warning
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: "Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you." So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the Lord's command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk.
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Sought to flee from an unwelcome duty
However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence.
Jonah » The reluctant missionary » Sent to a foreign field
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.”