Jonah

Date:

Jonah prophesied during the reign, or ascension, of Jeroboam II. This would probably make him a contemporary of with Hosea and Amos.

Jeroboam II's reign (c. 786–746 BCE) was Israel's peak of power, marked by vast territorial expansion to near its ancient borders and economic prosperity, yet it was simultaneously a time of severe social injustice, increased class division, and spiritual apostasy, prompting condemnations from prophets like Amos and Hosea.

Hosea 1:1 NKJV

The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

Amos 1:1 NKJV

The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Characteristics:

During the reign of Jonah, Israel had a strange contradictory relationship with the Gentile world. On one side Israel was making alliances with foreign nations, while at the same time they were bitterly exclusive.

G. Campbell Morgan said that both of these approaches were wrong and showed Israels misinterpretation of God’s attitude and a prostitution of of the divine purpose. Amos taught the sovereignty of God over all nations. Thus, Jonah’s story was designed to display the love of God for a repentant people and as a rebuke of the exclusiveness of Israel.

Message:

Jonah’s message, although presented in the narrative, is actually a prophetic book. The design was to teach Israel the inclusiveness of the divine government and a rebuke to the exclusiveness of their attitude. Ultimately, Jonah is a prophetic message against Israel for its failure to align its heart with the message and mission of God.

The Stated message:

The stated message is that we should always be ready to form our ideas by the act of God, rather than by our misinterpretation of His acts based on our prejudices. Jonah had attempted to interpret God activity based on his own personal prejudice. Again, Morgan said, “There are times when we must be ready to give up prejudice and conviction and to stay in the presence of an act of God.

Application:

The fact that there was a ship ready for Jonah to board, heading for Joppa, was not a sign that God was in favor of Jonah’s decision. Instead, Jonah’s willingness to board the ship can be a sign that Jonah had completely viewed his circumstances through eyes aligned contrary to God’s plan.

The truth of our alignment with the Gospel is not found in our ability to recite the Gospel or explain the depths of its doctrine. Rather it is found in our ability and willingness to share the Gospel and rejoice when Nineveh repents.