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Last Shabbat we read through the book of Jonah. If you weren’t here, it was a lot of fun. It makes for great preaching, because there is no lack of irony and humor. But there are profound ethical and spiritual implications to the story, as well. Most notably, are you prepared to love your enemy? Let me repeat my assertion that I consider the people, events and miracles to have happened exactly as written… yes, even the big fish.
Many people don’t believe in the historicity of the story. Some doubt whether there even was such a man, and scoff at the notion of his being gobbled up by a whale and surviving in its stomach for three days. Even a fair number of clergy feel that way, arguing instead that it was never meant to be taken literally, but is allegorical in nature; meant only to teach a moral lesson. I believe the events narrated in Jonah really happened, AND I believe they are meant to teach us moral lessons.
As I said last week, in terms of the supposed impossibility of the story, if there really is an all-powerful God, it is not difficult to accept. After all, would it be any harder for Adonai to create the conditions for Jonah’s survival inside a mammoth fish than it was for Him to create the conditions for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego’s survival inside a blazing hot furnace… or to part the Red Sea and bring Israel out of Egypt in a day?
Let me also remind us that Messiah spoke of Jonah in literal and historical terms; Yeshua Himself regarded the story as genuine, and He was neither naïve nor mistaken. On that basis alone we can be assured of its authenticity.
This morning we will not read the book in its entirety, but working from the assumption that you were either here last Shabbat, or at least are familiar with the particulars, I’d like us to consider some of the broader implications of the book of Jonah. It is my contention that Jonah, like many books of the Bible, can be interpreted both historically and prophetically, as a hint, a foreglimpse of God’s plan for world-wide redemption and as a type of the relationship betweenIsrael and the nations. Most significantly, it prefigures the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua!
I. Think of Jonah as Israel
God had called Israel to be a light to the nations. Moses urged us to follow God’s instruction, saying, “This will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people!’” (Deut. 4:6). The idea was that Israel’s faithfulness would yield shalom and prosperity, and it would draw men and women from other nations to the God of Israel.
Now let’s talk about Assyria. In the ninth century BC Assyria was powerful and an ongoing threat, especially to the Northern Kingdom Israel. Last week we pointed out that in 2 Kings 14 Jonah is said to have lived in Gath Hepher, a village in the Galilee, part of that northern kingdom. The Assyrian army was feared across the entireMiddle East. They conquered Lebanon, Philistia and Damascus. They were particularly cruel and barbaric, routinely gouging out the eyes of their captives, and leading them away with hooks through their lips. They would decapitate many of their victims and pile up their heads; an act meant to strike fear into their enemies. Everyone hated and feared the Assyrians, Jonah included.
Jonah was an Israeli prophet; he loved his people and his land. Given the ruthless violence of the Assyrians, it’s easy to understand why when God said to Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it,” that Jonah refused, and tried to run away from the Lord and from the assignment. We find out later that Jonah’s refused, not because he feared the Assyrians, but rather because he suspected that if he preached to them, they would repent and God would forgive them; and he couldn’t stomach that.
Like Jonah, our Jewish people, instead of being the emissaries God called us to be, disavowed the mission and completely disassociated entirely from Gentiles. True, God warned us not to imitate the grotesque religious practices of the pagan cultures; but He never said we should disdain Gentiles or be dismissive of their need for the One True God.
II. Think of his downward journey as Israel’s rebellion and exile
From the moment Jonah turned his back on his God-given assignment, everything went downhill. He went down to Joppa. Then he went down into the ship. Once on the ship, he went down below deck. And, when God hurled a great storm on the sea, the sailors eventually had no choice but to throw Jonah overboard, and then he went down into the deep. My friends, when you run away from the Lord, it goes down, down, down.
Jonah’s flight away from his home and his downward spiral is, in miniature, the experience of Israel. Twice the Jewish people have been exiled from Jerusalem and Judea. The first time because of idolatry and disloyalty to Adonai; the second time because they did not recognize the time of their visitation – Messiah’s first appearance. In 587 BC it came courtesy of Babylon; In AD 135 it came courtesy of Rome. My people have been scattered to the four corners of the Earth for all these centuries. Jonah’s refusal to obey God reflects in a small way Israel’s refusal, and his departure from the land reflects Israel’s exile. The fact that Jonah is at sea further supports this concept. The sea, in biblical literature, is a symbol for the Gentile nations.
III. Think of the sailors and the Ninevites as the Gentile nations
I guess that’s pretty self-explanatory. But what is remarkable is how the Gentiles are so quick to respond to the works and the words of God! The sailors are from various nations, and the deadly storm causes them to call on their various false gods. But they are sensitive to the fact that this is no random phenomenon. They know something’s up in the spiritual realm, and so they cast lots to determine the cause, and discover that it’s Jonah. Jonah ‘fesses up, and now they know that it is the omnipotent God of Israel that has appointed the storm. At his own suggestion, the sailors throw Jonah overboard, and almost immediately the storm ceases, and we are told that the sailors “feared the Lord,” “offered sacrifices,” and “made vows.” These Gentiles didn’t need a 2×4 over the head. They acted on what they witnessed and became God-fearers!
Likewise the Ninevites. They didn’t witness any supernatural phenomena; no deadly storm at sea, no sudden calm. They didn’t witness the mammoth fish that appeared at that exact moment and transported Jonah for three days inside its stomach. They simply heard the words, “Thus says Adonai…” and it was enough. They fasted and put on sackcloth and ashes; even the king repented!
What is fascinating is that all these Gentiles seem more receptive to the God of Israel than the wayward prophet himself! And perhaps you can see that this too is a hint, a foreshadowing of what was to come. Namely, that the Gentiles would prove more receptive to Messiah Yeshua than even those of His own kindred – the people ofIsrael!
IV. Think of Jonah’s tumult at sea as Israel’s tumult among the nations
Jonah’s rebellion (his own choice) led to an ‘exile’ of sorts away from his homeland, but it wasn’t a quiet, restful exile. His life was in peril.
The great storm at sea is a motif of the Jewish people’s tumultuous experience among the nations where we have been scattered. This, of course, is what Adonai foretold through Moses:
Deuteronomy 28:64-66
Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth… among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. So your life shall hang in doubt before you…”
V. Think of Jonah’s survival as God preserving Israel against all odds
By all rights Jonah and his seafaring companions ought to have suffered shipwreck and drowned. But the immediate calming of the storm and the sudden appearance of the mammoth fish to rescue Jonah were God’s way of sovereignly rescuing their lives. Jonah was supernaturally preserved against all odds of survivability.
Likewise, against all odds, and in the face of repeated attempts to annihilate us across the Earth in every generation; Israel has been supernaturally preserved. Listen to the words of Thomas Newton, an 18th century British clergyman and bishop of Bristol:
“The preservation of the Jews is really one of the most signal and illustrious acts of divine Providence… and what but a supernatural power could have preserved them in such a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preserved. Nor is the providence of God less remarkable in the destruction of their enemies, than in their preservation… We see that the great empires, which in their turn subdued and oppressed the people of God, are all come to ruin… And if such hath been the fatal end of the enemies and oppressors of the Jews, let it serve as a warning to all those, who at any time or upon any occasion are for raising a clamor and persecution against them.
God never said He would cast off Israel forever on account of her rebellion. Exile? Yes. Suffering (as discipline and correction)? Yes. Disinherited? No! The Lord, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah (chapter 31), declared that the only way Israel would be forever cast off from Him would be if we could measure the universe, weigh the earth, and cause the order of stars and constellations to cease their orbits.
VI. Think of Jonah’s second opportunity as God not being done with Israel, but having ongoing purposes for the people and the land
I think that’s pretty self-explanatory. God is gracious! He is the God of second chances (and third… fourth). God has ongoing purposes for the people and the land, and they are good purposes. You never want to count the Jewish people out. Sadly, some have done just that, even in spite of the warning of Rabbi Paul in Romans chapters 9, 10 and 11.
VII. Think of the response of the sailors and Ninevites as the Gentile nations more readily embracing God’s message than the Jewish people
Hasn’t that been the case? Here’s Jonah, given this second opportunity, going to Nineveh, though apparently grudgingly and still with an attitude of resentment. Meanwhile, here are all these Gentiles ready to repent and believe. It’s a picture of the nations embracing Messiah, while Israel is reluctant to do so. But better days are coming! The day is coming when all Israel will see and acknowledge Messiah Yeshua, and receive Him!
VIII. Think of Jonah’s resentment as the Jewish people refusing to celebrate that salvation has come to the nations
The repentance of the Ninevites was something Jonah should have been rejoicing about. But instead of rejoicing that these people are taking the word of Adonai seriously, he resents it! He sets up a little shelter to the east of the city, and it seems like he was hoping to see a cosmic fireworks show. Instead of identifying with the people in their repentance, he holds himself aloof. And you know, this is the same behavior as the older brother of the prodigal son! “I can’t believe that after all he put my father through, after all the horrible things he did, he just waltzes back in, and expects to be forgiven. And they’re throwing a party for him? Well, I’m boycotting that party!” It’s the same peevish, prideful spirit.
Jonah’s attitude toward the Ninevites is a type of the Jewish people’s general disdain for Gentiles. Gentiles have been coming to faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Yeshua the Messiah, and most Jewish people couldn’t care less. We could be having a great party together, if both Jews and Gentiles just understood God’s purposes and what our respective roles are. But no, we can’t have any of that!
IX. Some interesting comparisons and non-coincidences!
It is fascinating to realize that while Jonah resisted God’s will, but fled via Joppa, away from God’s assignment for him; there would be another Jewish man who would willingly accept such an assignment, and bring the Good News of God’s forgiveness to Gentiles. His name? Simon bar Jonah, a.k.a., Peter the Apostle.
A Comparison:
Two Emissaries / Two Covenants
Jonah
OT Prophet (Torah)
Sent to the Gentiles (Assyrians) Sent to a Gentile (Roman centurion)
Assyrians were cruel enemies Romans were cruel enemies
Disobedient – flees to Joppa Obedient – departs fromJoppa
Given second chance after running Given second chance after 3x denial
A rescued man, still hard of heart A redeemed man, a changed heart
Ninevites turn to God, he resents it Cornelius turns to God, he rejoices
Eventual failure (Assyria reverts) Eventual success (nations come to God)
The great realization (Acts 10:34-35):
Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him!”
It should not have been such a great and unexpected revelation to Peter. After all, consider the words of Isaiah, seven hundred years earlier:
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from His people.” … Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples” (Isaiah 56).
And consider the words of Yeshua, with whom Peter spent those three years:
“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd” (John 10:16).
X. Think of Jonah’s third-day emergence as Yeshua’s third-day resurrection (the greatest foreshadowing of all)
Concluding thoughts:
Why did God even bother sending Jonah to Nineveh in the first place? Because He loves Gentiles as well as Jews, and because He isn’t willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. Yes, even Assyrians.
I find it ironic whenever I hear a religious leader say that the Jews gave monotheism to the world. Which Jews, I’d like to know? For the most part, Judaism’s leaders have been utterly indifferent to the spiritual peril of Gentiles all around them. They can’t offer a solution they themselves don’t possess. Like Jonah, the leaders of Judaism are spiritually asleep and oblivious to the judgment at hand. They are no help at all.
So which Jews gave monotheism to the world? I’ll tell you which Jews: the Jews for Jesus of the First Century and afterward. Who else bothered going out to Gentile nations and telling them about the God of Israel? The rabbis? Hardly! Jewish people cannot take credit for giving monotheism to the nations, since across history Jews have studiously avoided any unnecessary interaction with Gentiles. The leaders of my people are like Jonah – dismissive and disdainful of Gentiles, rationalizing their indifference by citing Gentile violence perpetrated against us.
Okay, so Jonah is a prototype of rebellious Israel and the sailors and Ninevites are prototypes of the Gentile nations who readily believe… Okay, so the sea and all its tumult is a foreshadowing of Israel’s exile and tumult among the nations… Okay, so Jonah’s second chance is a picture of God turning once again to the Jewish people and rescuing and redeeming them. So Peter’s Hebrew name, Simon Bar Jonah, is a fascinating parallel, since he was the first apostle to bring the Good News to Gentiles. So what? Big deal. It’s all very fascinating, but what does it have to do with you and me?
The answer is that each one of us is represented in this story, and we need to understand God’s plans for the world and what our role is, and walk in it. Gentiles, by virtue of their love for the God of Israel and closeness to Him are supposed to make the Jewish people jealous, so that they too will embrace Messiah Yeshua.
And what of the Jewish people? They need to have the second birth that only Messiah can offer – the One who rose from the dead after three days, just as Jonah emerged from the great fish after three days. The role of the Jewish people has always been to communicate the light of Messiah to a dark and sinful world. But not having believed in Messiah when He came, we missed our calling; we have squandered our God-given communicative gifts in trivialities: movies and entertainment. The role of the Jewish person in the Last Days of this present age, is to stop running and turn and embrace Yeshua, and then become one of His emissaries.
If we learn anything from Jonah it is that we cannot escape God’s purposes. Running from Him is futile. He loves us too much to let us continue forever in rebellion. Now, if need be, Adonai will accomplish redemption in spite of us. But how much better if we’ll willingly walk, each of us, in the role He has for us. Gentiles: to bring the Good News back to the Jewish people, from whom it first went out. Jews: to repent of our rebellion and turn and embrace God’s appointed Messiah, Yeshua – the One who was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, then wondrously raised from the dead!
Finally, in the book of Jonah we are supposed to learn to love our enemies; to care about their well-being, and to pray for their salvation. Yeshua said, “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the heathen do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
God has purposes for your life. Are you up to it? No one said this was going to be easy. But it is worth it.