SB#5
10 October 1998



Jonah 3-4:
Running against God


1. notes

a) the city

Nineveh was along the Tigris River, deep into Assyrian territory; it was about 800km from Israel to Ninevah. It was founded c. 4000~5000 B.C., and at this time was the capitol of Assyria, with a population of about 600,000. The minor prophet Nahum identified Ninevah's sins as plotting against the Lord, cruelty and plundering in war, prostitution, witchcraft (occult practices), and commercial exploitation (Nahum 1:11, 2:12-13, 3:1, 3:4, 3:16, 3:19; Zephaniah 2:13), i.e., violence, immorality, and social injustice. The city was dedicated to Ishtar, the goddess of love and war. Though the Ninvevites repented after Jonah's preaching, the following generations fell into sin again, again incurring God's judgment. At that time Nahum addressed most of his prophecies against Nineveh (Jeremiah also prophesied against Assyria, specifically, against Damascus, the capitol, in Jer. 49). Nineveh was destroyed by the Babylonians in 612 B.C., a century after Jonah's evangelistic mission there. Jonah's legendary burial site and tomb are located at the remains of Ninevah.

The scenario of the story goes back to sometime before 720 B.C. At this time the nation was politically unstable and militarily weak. Earlier, Assyria dominated the region, and even exercised some control over the northern kingdom of Israel (2Kings 13:7). In Jonah's time, Israel grew stronger, and Damascus and Assyria were weakened. King Jereboam II of Israel was able to re-establish Israel's former borders, expand, and even make incursions into Damascene territory. At this time of regional turmoil and instability, the Ninevites were probably afraid of foreign invasion or attack, and more likely to believe a prophet preaching doom. For this reason it is believed that the story happened at this time, and for this reason they probably responded so well to Jonah's message.

b) theme

Among other things, the book addresses the religious nationalism that was common among the Jews—a desire for Israel to receive God's special mercies, and national enemies to receive only God's wrath.

c) chapter 3
v3   Jonah obeyed the Lord, albeit reluctantly, and sometime after his fish/whale encounter, he goes to Nineveh. Archeological excavation shows the city to be 12km in circumference; the distance in v3 of a three-day journey's distance around the city may refer Nineveh itself, or to the "Nineveh metropolitan area" mentioned in Gen. 10:11-12 (Nineveh, Ir, Resen, Calah, Rehoboth).
v5 Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes/dust were customary expressions of humble repentance, humiliation, or mourning among ancient Near Eastern cultures and in the OT.
v8 References to domestic animals in the passage is unusual; it indicates urgency and emphasis.

d) chapter 4
Jonah was displeased that God was showing compassion on people who were Israel's enemies; his view of grace was nationalistic, focused on only his own people. He probably viewed Nineveh's salvation as a threat to Israel's most favored nation status. This upset him so much that he wanted to die.
v2 Contrast God's love and patience with Jonah's favoritism, ethnocentrism, and impatience.
v5-6 The shelter didn't provide complete shade, so God sent a vine, probably a castor oil vine, which grew at a miraculous rate. This shrub could normally grow 4m tall, with large, shady leaves. Meanwhile, Jonah sat outside the city, still hoping that God might destroy it.
v10 The vine's quick death suggests the fleeting value and temporariness of this world, people, etc.
v11 The Ninevites are compared to small children incapable of telling right and left (cf. Dt. 1:39, Is. 7:15-16), who need God's compassion. The mention of the cattle is either for emphasis, or to show God's concern for all aspects of their lives and all aspects of creation.
Jonah's sins consisted of selfishness, self-righteousness, spiritual blindness, and nationalism.

2. lessons

God, us, and the nations

faithfulness and usefulness