from the Hebrew Bible: Chapter 4 The Tale of JONAH from the Hebrew Bible: Chapter 4 c. 400 BCE

Review: Jonah 1

Review: Jonah 2

Review: Jonah 3

Review: Jonah 3 Comic exaggeration

CHAPTER 4 1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” 10 But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. What? 1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.

3:10 When God saw what they [the Ninevites] did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

2a He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish.

Now we know exactly why Jonah fled to Tarshish. WHY did he flee?

That’s right. Jonah did not want these people saved from the LORD’s anger.

He wanted them wiped off the face of the earth—hopefully with the LORD’s fire and brimstone.

2b I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

What does this say about Jonah? What character trait(s) is he exhibiting?

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude: Deriving pleasure from the misfortune of others

But Jonah’s hatred of the Ninevites was not merely his personal prejudice.

Nineveh was also the political enemy of Israel and the Jews.

Is it fair to say that Jonah’s patriotism was insulted when Nineveh was spared?

3 Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah finds death preferable to changing his bias.

4 But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.

6 Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.

In Ch. 2, Jonah was thrilled and offered a prayer of thanks. This is similar to the LORD providing a great fish to swallow Jonah. In Ch. 2, Jonah was thrilled and offered a prayer of thanks. However, there’s something Jonah didn’t learn in Chapter 2.

7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.

8a When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint.

8b He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9a But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

9b “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

Notice the stylistic repetition: God protects Jonah TWICE (fish, leafy plant) Jonah declares a truth about God TWICE (sailors and here in Nineveh) God asks Jonah TWICE: “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jonah answers TWICE: “I wish I were dead”

10 But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Now we should be ready to state the THEME or main point of the book of Jonah. WHAT IS ITS MESSAGE?

Hint: It’s probably the message that Jonah FAILED to learn in this tale.

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Every nation believes it is “special.” This is called ethnocentrism.

Many of us believe that OUR culture is superior to others.

That was VERY true of Israel and the Jews That was VERY true of Israel and the Jews. They were convinced they were “God’s chosen people.”

So isn’t it interesting that the holy book of the Jews, the Hebrew Bible, contains the book of Jonah?

The book of Jonah shows foreigners in a positive light while critiquing the attitude of Jonah, the religious Jew.

The book of Jonah thereby undermines traditional Jewish attitudes…

…and not only JEWISH attitudes.