Beautifully balanced, deep and profound Jonah’s adventure opens a window into the heart of God. A. The prophet Jonah wrote it approximately 785-760 B.C. A. Literary Characteristics. The purpose of the book of Jonah. This inward focus of Israel is also seen in Jonah. The main purpose of the writer was to enlarge the sympathies of Israel and lead the chosen people to undertake the great missionary task of proclaiming the truth to the heathen world. The book of Jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself. John H. Walton, “The Object Lesson of Jonah 4:5-7 and the Purpose of the Book of Jonah,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 2 (1992): 47-57. Consider! Jonah held something bitter against Nineveh. Through some supernatural events, God convinced him to obey and carry out the Lord’s plan. Purpose. Mark Futato: The primary purpose of the book of Jonah is to engage readers in theological reflection on the compassionate character of God, and in self-reflection on the degree to which their own character reflects this compassion, to the end that they become vehicles of this compassion in the world that God has made and so deeply cares about. Purpose. Jonah prophesied during the peaceful and prosperous time of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23–28), who ruled in Israel (the northern kingdom) from 782 to 753 b.c. First, unlike other prophetic books, Jonah is primarily a narrative. Jonah’s role in God’s global intent. the purpose of the book of jonah. Lewis describes the book of Jonah as a “moral romance” !! The book of Jonah shows God’s love and compassion for Gentiles in addition to Jews because God wants to be present with people. before Assyria conquered Israel’s Northern Kingdom. Let me share with you seven great lessons from the book of Jonah. [Alan D Cole; Theological Research Exchange Network.] Pastor Tullian focuses on the gospel aspect of the Jonah story. Other lessons may be learned from the subordinate parts of the narrative, but this is the central truth of the Book of Jonah. While Jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing Jonah as … The Aim of the Book. The History and Purpose of the Book of Jonah. Jonah’s God was a God that desired people to be loyal to him and show love to him. This was a time when Assyria was not a threat to Israel. Key personalities include Jonah, the captain and the ship’s crew and the people of Nineveh. Rather than being a series of oracles of the prophet, this book tells of an episode in the prophet’s life. Indeed, Jonah: Hampton Keathley IV: 06/18/2004: An Introduction to the Book of Jonah: David Malick: 06/14/2004: 3. The whole story ends with the lesson received by Jonah, the purpose of the book having thus been accomplished; and as one can not follow the effects of this lesson on Jonah's further career (unlike the story of Elijah in I Kings xix. THE PURPOSE OF JONAH'S MISSION TO NINEVEH 193 best key to the book. You can read the entire story in just 15 minutes. Literary Characteristics Unlike most other prophetic parts of the OT, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. As he states, The man Jonah was the main character of the book, he was the son of Amittai (Jonah 1:1), and a native of Gathhepher, which was a city of the tribe of Zebulun in the northern Galilee region. A few highlights of the book that I found particularly interesting were on this perspective, meaning the story of Jonah’s life and the decisions made. ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF JONAH: 42 The Book has two parallel halves: chapters 1&2 and 3&4. mission imposed on Jonah.13 He calls on Jonah, as God does: "arise, " and his message is "call upon thy God. " John H. Walton, “The Object Lesson of Jonah 4:5-7 and the Purpose of the Book of Jonah,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 2 (1992): 47-57. Thankfully, we do not have to pick one purpose for Jonah, but can focus instead on prominent themes that run throughout the book. The book of Jonah is Narrative History and a Prophetic Oracle. Interestingly, the book of Jonah consists of only 4 chapters, 48 verses, and just over 1,300 words. xvii 8-16. biblical colophons: a source for the "biography" of authors, texts and books. T he book of Jonah is an Old Testament story which tells about how the prophet Jonah refused to follow the Lord. To explore the relationship between mercy and justice Category three has been, by far, the most popular option among interpreters of the book, and Selected Bibliography of the Book of Jonah: David Malick: 06/23/2004: An Argument of the Book of Jonah: David Malick: 06/22/2004: 5. Contributions: The Book of Jonah is interesting and unusual in several ways. Get this from a library! Solomon was outdone northward, Damascus was taken, the borders of Israel were Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed to Tarshish.” LESSON #3 – Don’t RUN from your purpose. The Lord called Jonah to go to the great Assyrian city … ), the lesson itself is in reality addressed to the reader, i.e., to the Jewish congregation. suggest that the purpose of Jonah is related to showing the Israelites that God is concerned for all people and therefore, they should be concerned as well. A. It was possibly judgment, offense, anger, etc… Understand that historically Nineveh was an extremely brutal place. A Historical Overview. In this essay, to further treat its tripartite theme, we will analyze and consider the Book of Jonah’s historical context, literary milieu, and theological purpose and significance. domain assumptions … The message in the book of Jonah is that the love and mercy of God extends even to these foreigners, and so His people must not be too quick to judge and condemn them. II. C.S. Unlike most other prophetic parts of the OT, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. It’s a story that is needed today. Eugene Merrill, “The Sign of Jonah” (JETS 1980) Soli Deo Gloria, ds The story of Jonah is a story of an intensely patriotic, a highly partisan nationalist, who got his allegiance mixed up. To affirm God’s freedom to act graciously B. Here are a few: God’s Mission. 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