Bible Study Jonah and The Whale

[HeIsRisen2018]

I just finished reading that story this morning as part of my daily Bible reading. Anyways, I was just wondering, why exactly was Jonah turning away from the Lord in the first place? Was it because of the bad things that were happening around him or he was just afraid of preaching the message and doing what God wanted him to do?

 

[lisa-in-FL]

A great book and a warning to all of us to let God have his way with our lives and have pity for the lost and unsaved. The key to why Jonah ran away from God's command is actually in Ch 4 Verse 2

2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

In other words, "didn't i say this is what would happen before I left my home? that's why I fled because I knew you are gracious, merciful and slow to anger, etc". He was a Hebrew and looked down on the pagan Ninevites, so he didn't want to have to preach to them. He didn't want to see them repent and see God have mercy on them. Really kind of shocking when you think of it and you have to wonder why God bothered to choose Jonah for this particular job.
Then later in the chapter you see him wishing he were dead and enjoying the shade of the gourd God provided. But when the plant dies God chides Jonah for having more pity on the plant than the entire city of Ninevah.

Jonah was a grumpy, unhappy man even though God used him for a great job.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

A great book and a warning to all of us to let God have his way with our lives and have pity for the lost and unsaved. The key to why Jonah ran away from God's command is actually in Ch 4 Verse 2

2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

In other words, "didn't i say this is what would happen before I left my home? that's why I fled because I knew you are gracious, merciful and slow to anger, etc". He was a Hebrew and looked down on the pagan Ninevites, so he didn't want to have to preach to them. He didn't want to see them repent and see God have mercy on them. Really kind of shocking when you think of it and you have to wonder why God bothered to choose Jonah for this particular job.
Then later in the chapter you see him wishing he were dead and enjoying the shade of the gourd God provided. But when the plant dies God chides Jonah for having more pity on the plant than the entire city of Ninevah.

Jonah was a grumpy, unhappy man even though God used him for a great job.

Oh I see, so Jonah was more of the love your friends and hate your enemies type. That makes more sense to me now but it still always has baffled me how the whale never actually digested him, but then again, with God all things are possible. Whenever I think of this story it always reminds me of the movie Pinocchio.

 

[lisa-in-FL]

yes, exactly. he had no compassion for his enemies. and they weren't even really his enemies. they heard his message and immediately repented. he didn't have to deal with the persecution and opposition that most prophets in the Bible had to deal with.

and yes, God can do anything. In chapter 1 verse 17 is says He "prepared" the fish. So its like it was custom made for Jonah to take a little trip in its belly.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

yes, exactly. he had no compassion for his enemies. and they weren't even really his enemies. they heard his message and immediately repented. he didn't have to deal with the persecution and opposition that most prophets in the Bible had to deal with.

and yes, God can do anything. In chapter 1 verse 17 is says He "prepared" the fish. So its like it was custom made for Jonah to take a little trip in its belly.

Yes now that you bring that up I always wondered why it said that since whales are mammals and not fish. Maybe the people who lived back then just weren't aware of that yet.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Okay, I just finished watching this and I have one more question. If God knew all along, (which He did due to the fact that He already knows everything) Nineveh (or however you spell that) would change, then why did He threaten to destroy them in the first place?

 

[for_his_glory]

JONAH

Chapter 1

Vs. 1-3 Jonah is called of God to go to Nineveh and preach. Jonah refused to preach there because he felt the people would repent and be spared Gods judgment. Jonah thought God was only a God of Israel (like some religions today). Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire that fought against Israel.

Vs. 4-7 God caused the storm to get Jonahs attention and persuade him to go to Nineveh. When we reject what God has for us to do, lives can be destroyed. God directed the choosing of the lot so Jonah would be exposed.

Vs. 12 Jonah was feeling guilty for disobeying God, so in order to save the innocent, he was willing to die or to make a sacrifice.

Vs. 17 This was like Jesus' death, burial and resurrection Jonah died to himself to save others. Within himself he died and was resurrected with better insight as to what God wanted him to do.

Chapter 2

Vs. 1-10 Believers should never give up hope in what seems to be an impossible situation. Like Jonah, we must cry out for Gods mercy and help and put our lives into his hands.

Chapter 3

Vs. 1-10 Jonah was angry that God spared Nineveh because they were enemies at Israel. Jonah, like us, was not dedicated first and foremost to Gods will. Like religion and tradition, you become dedicated to the workings of your own church bylaws and the way they conduct their own administrative works.

Vs. 3 Jonah felt God had turned against him by saving the Ninevites and was emotionally distraught

Vs. 6-8 Rather than rejecting Jonah because of his wrong response, God compassionately attempted to convince him by using a fast growing vine to show Jonah he was concerned both for Israel and other nations.

Vs.9, 10 Gods action with the vine and the scorching east wind was intended to show Jonahs selfish concern for his own physical welfare in contrast to his lack of concern for the Ninevites

Vs. 11 God expressed his love for Nineveh (us). It's the love of the creator for his creatures (us) even though we have lived in sin and unbelief against his word. It's a love that goes beyond any human love. Gods' love is unconditional that reaches out to everyone. God sent his son here to teach us how to repent and we put him on a cross, but what we did not know was that Jesus was predestined to take all our sins and to be the final sacrifice, to make atonement for all men. He paid a debt he did not owe; we owe a debt we cannot pay.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

JONAH

Chapter 1

Vs. 1-3 Jonah is called of God to go to Nineveh and preach. Jonah refused to preach there because he felt the people would repent and be spared Gods judgment. Jonah thought God was only a God of Israel (like some religions today). Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire that fought against Israel.

Vs. 4-7 God caused the storm to get Jonahs attention and persuade him to go to Nineveh. When we reject what God has for us to do, lives can be destroyed. God directed the choosing of the lot so Jonah would be exposed.

Vs. 12 Jonah was feeling guilty for disobeying God, so in order to save the innocent, he was willing to die or to make a sacrifice.

Vs. 17 This was like Jesus' death, burial and resurrection Jonah died to himself to save others. Within himself he died and was resurrected with better insight as to what God wanted him to do.

Chapter 2

Vs. 1-10 Believers should never give up hope in what seems to be an impossible situation. Like Jonah, we must cry out for Gods mercy and help and put our lives into his hands.

Chapter 3

Vs. 1-10 Jonah was angry that God spared Nineveh because they were enemies at Israel. Jonah, like us, was not dedicated first and foremost to Gods will. Like religion and tradition, you become dedicated to the workings of your own church bylaws and the way they conduct their own administrative works.

Vs. 3 Jonah felt God had turned against him by saving the Ninevites and was emotionally distraught

Vs. 6-8 Rather than rejecting Jonah because of his wrong response, God compassionately attempted to convince him by using a fast growing vine to show Jonah he was concerned both for Israel and other nations.

Vs.9, 10 Gods action with the vine and the scorching east wind was intended to show Jonahs selfish concern for his own physical welfare in contrast to his lack of concern for the Ninevites

Vs. 11 God expressed his love for Nineveh (us). It's the love of the creator for his creatures (us) even though we have lived in sin and unbelief against his word. It's a love that goes beyond any human love. Gods' love is unconditional that reaches out to everyone. God sent his son here to teach us how to repent and we put him on a cross, but what we did not know was that Jesus was predestined to take all our sins and to be the final sacrifice, to make atonement for all men. He paid a debt he did not owe; we owe a debt we cannot pay.

I like all of that, it's very thought out and organized, but what about my last two questions pointed above? (I sort of knew that it was only a matter of time before you found this topic by the way, but it's a very good lesson and I'm suddenly learning a lot more about a story I have heard over a thousand times. )

 

[lisa-in-FL]

Hey April - Its the same as with Adam and Eve in the Garden all the way down to the last person who gets saved before the Lord comes back, God knows all and He has plans for us, but He doesn't make us choose anything - we still have free will. Jonah could have told those guys in the boat that he had no idea why the storm happened and they all could have drowned but he (begrudgingly) following God's will for Him instead.

I've said before I wish I knew God's plan for me so I could just make all the right moves, but maybe I'd be (or I am already) like Jonah - stubborn and unwilling to cooperate.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Hey April - Its the same as with Adam and Eve in the Garden all the way down to the last person who gets saved before the Lord comes back, God knows all and He has plans for us, but He doesn't make us choose anything - we still have free will. Jonah could have told those guys in the boat that he had no idea why the storm happened and they all could have drowned but he (begrudgingly) following God's will for Him instead.

I've said before I wish I knew God's plan for me so I could just make all the right moves, but maybe I'd be (or I am already) like Jonah - stubborn and unwilling to cooperate.

Yeah that part was sad and difficult to watch when Jonah willingly sacrificed himself like that. That still doesn't explain why a whale is called a fish in the Bible though.

 

[lisa-in-FL]

As for the whale vs the fish, you can look it up - the translation in Jonah is based on the Hebrew word for "fish" and later in Matthew, Jesus mentions the whale which is translated from Greek. Some people also say its because God's animal classifications aren't the same as our man-made ones.
I personally don't read to much into it. Whether whale, fish or "sea creature" I believe it was something big enough to swallow a man whole and had been prepared by God for this purpose.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

As for the whale vs the fish, you can look it up - the translation in Jonah is based on the Hebrew word for "fish" and later in Matthew, Jesus mentions the whale which is translated from Greek. Some people also say its because God's animal classifications aren't the same as our man-made ones.
I personally don't read to much into it. Whether whale, fish or "sea creature" I believe it was something big enough to swallow a man whole and had been prepared by God for this purpose.

I suppose that could be it because it sounds about right. I still think of a fish as an animal that breathes water though and whales breathe air like us so to me they're just mammals.

 

[for_his_glory]

Okay, I just finished watching this and I have one more question. If God knew all along, (which He did due to the fact that He already knows everything) Nineveh (or however you spell that) would change, then why did He threaten to destroy them in the first place?

Nineveh was part of the Babylonian Empire in the days of Jonah and the people did much evil in the eyes of God. God was giving them a chance to repent as Jonah was sent to them to help bring them to repentance as many did that day. It was also a lesson for Jonah that God is not only the God of Israel, but to all who will turn back to him.

 

[for_his_glory]

Whales are called mammals because they give birth to live young, they have fur, they have lungs and breath air. They also provide milk for their young.

Actually I just looked this up.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Whales are called mammals because they give birth to live young, they have fur, they have lungs and breath air. They also provide milk for their young.

Actually I just looked this up.

Well, I already knew that except for the fur part but hey, you learn something new every day. I thought that they either had hair or blubber.

 

[JohnDB]

Some side notes...

Aramean Empire conquered the northern half of Israel...it's capitol was Ninevah. They were especially brutal. They had a practice of hanging the corpses of their enemies outside on the city wall by the gates. (There were some Jews hanging there) the rest of the Northern Tribes of Israel were led into slavery by chaining them together through hooks pierced through their cheeks.
(Rather inhumane)
Jonah may have been in the Southern tribes and disagreed with the North...but they were still brothers to him...and God's chosen people.

So as a prophet...Jonah hated Ninevah and the people there. Nothing would have made him happier than to see God's wrath poured out on these people. Their souls were going to roast in Hell and Jonah wanted to toast marshmallows over them while they were burning.

Tarshish is a very old designation for the area today known as England. (Ninevah was the other way...all land trip)

As Jonah was sitting in that "big fish" his Mediterranean skin was going through a bit of a change. His skin pigments would have been digested and he would appear very very white. Adding to his mistique and message while traveling through the city.

 

[Edward]

yes, exactly. he had no compassion for his enemies. and they weren't even really his enemies. they heard his message and immediately repented. he didn't have to deal with the persecution and opposition that most prophets in the Bible had to deal with.

and yes, God can do anything. In chapter 1 verse 17 is says He "prepared" the fish. So its like it was custom made for Jonah to take a little trip in its belly.

It was also kind of arrogant of Jonah. Not very humble to put God to the test, lol.

"2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

In other words, "didn't i say this is what would happen before I left my home? that's why I fled because I knew you are gracious, merciful and slow to anger, etc". "

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Some side notes...

Aramean Empire conquered the northern half of Israel...it's capitol was Ninevah. They were especially brutal. They had a practice of hanging the corpses of their enemies outside on the city wall by the gates. (There were some Jews hanging there) the rest of the Northern Tribes of Israel were led into slavery by chaining them together through hooks pierced through their cheeks.
(Rather inhumane)
Jonah may have been in the Southern tribes and disagreed with the North...but they were still brothers to him...and God's chosen people.

So as a prophet...Jonah hated Ninevah and the people there. Nothing would have made him happier than to see God's wrath poured out on these people. Their souls were going to roast in Hell and Jonah wanted to toast marshmallows over them while they were burning.

Tarshish is a very old designation for the area today known as England. (Ninevah was the other way...all land trip)

As Jonah was sitting in that "big fish" his Mediterranean skin was going through a bit of a change. His skin pigments would have been digested and he would appear very very white. Adding to his mistique and message while traveling through the city.

You know what? Even if we don't want to admit it I think that we're all guilty of that from time to time. As you already know I'm in charge of bringing CF the daily news and a lot of idiots that I see in the news I think gee I want them to burn in Hell whether they be child molesters, animal abusers etc. Then I remind myself two things; one,.. we can't judge them when we don't the whole entire story, and two,.. Jesus loves them (as evil and sick as they are ) just as much as He loves us and salvation was offered to all of us. That doesn't mean that the guilty don't deserve to be punished for their crimes, but they still deserve to be forgiven because if they didn't, Jesus would have never have died for them.

 

[for_his_glory]

God will always have His way in using the least like the ones in this list:

Noah was a drunk

Abraham was too old

Isaac was a daydreamer

Jacob was a liar

Leah was ugly

Joseph was abused

Moses had a stuttering problem

Gideon was afraid

Samson had long hair and was a womanizer

Rahab was a prostitute

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

David had an affair and was a murderer

Elijah was suicidal

Isaiah preached naked

Jonah ran from God

Naomi was a widow

Job went bankrupt

Peter denied Christ

The Disciples fell asleep while praying

Martha worried about everything

Mary Magdalene was, well you know

The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once

Zaccheus was too small

Paul was too religious (and as Saul was a murderer?)

Timothy had an ulcer...........

AND

Lazarus was dead!

God wants your availability, not your ability