More Than a "Fish Story"

BOTH THE higher critic and the scoffer zero in on the book of Jonah as their favorite target. The skeptic derides the Biblical account of the reluctant prophet as a "whopper of a fish story" while the critic who doesn't accept miracles has to relegate this account to the allegorical. He accepts it as part of the canon because of its spiritual value rather than giving any credence to its historical validity. . .

-an executive editor of Ministry at the time this article was written

BOTH THE higher critic and the scoffer zero in on the book of Jonah as their favorite target. The skeptic derides the Biblical account of the reluctant prophet as a "whopper of a fish story" while the critic who doesn't accept miracles has to relegate this account to the allegorical. He accepts it as part of the canon because of its spiritual value rather than giving any credence to its historical validity.

The Bible itself, however, demonstrates that the book of Jonah is to be taken as a literal and authentic account. All through the Scriptures are found records of God's miraculous intervention affecting the same elements described in Jonah. The crossing of the Red Sea and Christ's calming the stormy sea are instances of God's power over these elements. Christ feeding the five thousand and providing a fish with money in its mouth and Elisha raising the Shunammite's son to life certainly also demonstrate God's ability to prepare a fish for the prophet's submarine ride and to prepare a gourd or vine and then a worm to destroy it.

Jesus did not seem to doubt the veracity of the miracles recorded in Jonah. In Matthew 12:39-41 He verifies both the miracle of the prepared fish and the miracle of repentance that accompanied Jonah's witness to Nineveh.

A Much Venerated Prophet

Undoubtedly the Jonah mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 as "the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher" is the same person as the "son of Amittai" mentioned in Jonah 1:1. This would place Jonah's ministry in the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel and indicates recognition and respect for him, since he is referred to in this passage as God's servant and a prophet.

Another argument that is some times advanced, and rightfully so, for the authenticity of the book of Jonah is that there is a simple sincerity about this book that is apparent to the reader. Jonah does not try to cover up his mistakes or his disobedience and bigotry. In all humility he tells it like it was. This has been part of this book's great appeal to its readers throughout the ages.

There is nothing self-justifying in Jonah's account. In fact, if we did not have the indication of a subsequent successful and honorable ministry in 2 Kings, we would probably look upon Jonah as a failure and a rather disreputable figure.

One reason why the book of Jonah became an important part of the canon of Scripture is that there is a universal application of his experience. The story of Jonah can be divided into the following steps:

1:1-3 Disobedience

1:4-14 Disaster

1:17-2:10 Deliverance

3:1-10 Decision and Dedication

4:1-3 Disappointment

4:4-11 Dialog or Discussion With God

In the last instance, God, of course has the last word, driving home the meaning of the whole experience.

Not only Jonah, but all Israel had been commissioned to carry God's message of mercy to the Gentile world. Yet they seemed reluctant to do so. In fact, God often had to bring disaster upon them before they felt a compulsion to witness. We see this demonstrated over and over in their history. The story of Esther is just one illustration.

Disobedience would be followed by punishment, yet God did not forsake His people. He preserved them through difficulty and captivity in the bowels of the Gentile world and brought them back to their homeland to witness again to the nations about them.

The Christian church, as well as individual Christians, has also gone through similar experiences in its relationship to God and to the commission to witness to the world. Too often we disobey and seek to hide from fulfilling God's mission and purpose in our lives. Yet He preserves us through the difficulties that result and lovingly perseveres in bringing about a new sense of calling and a new commitment on our part to our Heaven-appointed task.

Understanding Jonah

In the light of what we have just said, none of us can really condemn Jonah. There have been times when for one reason or another we have been reluctant to follow God's plan for our lives.

Yet, if we seek to understand Jonah's great aversion to heeding God's call we can most probably find it in the political conditions of his time. Archeologists have been appalled as they have uncovered the record of the cruelty of the Assyrians revealed in tablets and monuments. Here was a whole nation that gloried in torture and had a reputation for fierceness. Nahum called Nineveh a "bloody city," and adds that "it is all full of lies and robbery" (Na hum 3:1).

Looking forward to Nineveh's certain destruction, he concludes, "All who have heard of your fate clap their hands in joy. Are there any whom your cease less cruelty has not borne down?" (verse 19, N.E.B.). Jonah seems to have been an intensely nationalistic individual and undoubtedly was among those who would "clap their hands in joy" at the destruction of Nineveh.

Thus, although you cannot excuse him, you can hardly blame him for his strong reluctance to accept God's call to minister to Nineveh. Not only was it a difficult and unpromising mission field, but he apparently couldn't bring him self to love his nation's enemies enough to be willing to labor in their behalf. That this is so is indicated in his disappointment at the spectacular results of his mission. Instead of being happy with his evangelistic success, he was greatly displeased because the city was not destroyed.

Two Pictures of Repentance

Not only do we find the remark able repentance of the wicked city of Nineveh in Jonah's account but we also find the servant of God repenting more than once. He repents of his folly in trying to run away from God. He repents of his reluctance to go to Nineveh and finally does go. The fact that he later served as a faithful prophet and recorded his own folly in the matter indicates that he probably also fully repented of his selfish attitude concerning God's dealings with the Ninevites.

Undoubtedly he became a more humble, kind, and loving man as he went back to call the sinners in Israel to repentance. Having seen what God could do for a nation as immoral and decadent as the Assyrians, he was encouraged to keep on witnessing to his own gospel-hardened people. We can picture him often pointing to God's love and compassion manifested to the cruel, inhuman Ninevites and calling upon Israel to respond to that same appeal of mercy. Many times he must have recalled God's words spoken to him in rebuke, "Should not I spare Nineveh?" and pointed to this unique concern as bringing hope for the seemingly hopeless in his own wicked nation.

Insight Into Human Nature

Don W. Hillis in his study outline on The Book of Jonah (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1967) develops this minor prophet's brief book in an interesting way.

Jonah Pursued, Chapter 1

Jonah Praying, Chapter 2

Jonah Preaching, Chapter 3

Jonah Pouting, Chapter 4

He also develops the thesis that "Jonah has some striking lessons to teach us about the religious intuitions and inclinations found in unregenerate human nature. The Assyrian kingdom was filled with sorcery, witchcraft, barbarous cruelty, idolatry, deceit, sensuality, and unmentionable moral perversions. The capital city of Nineveh was sold out to fleshly lusts and filthy lucre. The whole sordid picture does not vary a great deal from the view of human nature seen in every kingdom in every generation."

"And yet with all the failures found in unregenerate man, there seems to be an accompanying desire for something better." Page 34. He illustrates this with two episodes found in the book. The first is the behavior of the sailors. They seemed afraid that their gods couldn't do much in these desperate circumstances and began to search for a better, more powerful God to help them in their emergency.

Second, Hillis cites the reaction of the king of Nineveh and the people of the city. They apparently humbled themselves with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes without any promise that good would accrue from doing so. There was an in ward conviction that there is a better way of life available, without it having to be specifically pointed out to them.

A Lesson for Us

The book of Jonah especially speaks to those given the commission to carry the final message of warning to all the wicked cities of earth. We dare not seek to avoid this responsibility. The corruption, crime, lawlessness, and cruelty that pervade the world's cities are no excuse for evading our duty to call them to repentance.

But there is also hope. We are not to be discouraged with the seemingly impossible task that confronts us. "In every city, filled though it may be with violence and crime, there are many who with proper teaching may learn to become followers of Jesus." --Prophets and Kings, p. 277.


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-an executive editor of Ministry at the time this article was written

May 1975

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