Bible Study
Studies in Jonah by Neil Foster
Lesson 2


    • Jonah 1:5-16
      • Jonah 1:1-2a
      • Exodus 20:5-6
      • Jeremiah 20:1-2 & 9
      • Genesis 22:15-18
    • Jonah 1:4-6
    • Jonah 1:7, 8, 9
    • Jonah 1:10, 11, 12, 13
    • Jonah 1:14-15
    • Jonah 1:16
      • 1 Samuel 5:7
      • 1 Kings 20:23
      • 2 Chronicles 2:5
      • 1 Kings 20:28
      • Isaiah 45:22
      • 1 Kings 18:21-38

Review incl. meaning of Jonah (Yonah), a dove.

Others believed in the God of Israel

But they believed in the God of Israel just like they believed in their own god and they made comparisons between them.

Israel had a tendency to believe in other gods, also, and to compare God with them.

This is not believing in God, for this is saying is essence: "I believe in God, that He is like Buddha and Dagon and Baal" --- But God is like Buddha & Dagon and Baal for they are not god, and God is not even like the people think that Buddha & Dagon and Baal are.

This was emphasized to Israel (and to us) by the account of Elijah and the priests of Baal.

The worship of nature is not knowing God.

Jonah was a prophet to the kingdom of Israel. The book of Jonah does not specifically tell us that, but 2 Kings did. We looked at those scriptures last week and we learned that Jonah was a prophet to Israel during the days of King Joash. He had prophesied that a specific area of land that had once been a part of Israel would actually become a part of Israel again, and (as we saw) this actually came to pass.

From this, and from the fact that we have no "negative" prophecies recorded, I think we can deduct that Jonah was a "popular" prophet in Israel -- Because prophets who prophesied "good things" were liked, and prophets who prophesied "evil things" were hated. The "truth was simply not desired unless it concerned "good things."

  • Jonah 1:1-2a. Notice that God told Jonah to go. He didn't ask him to go. God didn't say "Jonah would you mind going to Nineveh..."

The statement is very plain. God didn't give Jonah a choice as to his going to Nineveh. He said "Go" --- And Jonah thought he could get out of it by getting away from God's presence -- and he did get out of it, for a time.

The "choice" and "no choice" situation are given to us throughout the Bible.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and Jonah went to a seaport of the city of Joppa. He paid his fare on a ship headed out in the Mediterranean headed to Tarshish (i.e., to Spain) -- Why? Because he thought if he got far enough away from the Hebrew nation, God would not be there -- But he soon learned better.

Last week we sort of touched on "other gods."

Let me point out again -- believing that God is a God like unto other gods is simply not believing in God at all.

These mariners were probably a mixture of various nationalities, and each nation had its on special god or gods.

These mariners would be considered by many as modern in their views (they were not narrow-minded at all). They not only allowed others to have gods of their own choosing, but they were broad-minded enough to accept each other's gods.

And so the shipmaster wanted Jonah to pray to Jonah's God, maybe Jonah's God would consider their plight and help them -- their prayers to all the various other gods hadn't helped at all.

It was a very common practice in those days to assume that somebody was guilty of some great sin and that that sin was the cause of their trouble, and it was also a common practice to cast lots to find out who it was. The casting of lots was sort of like throwing dice.

Both the belief that sin caused problems, and that lots could decide matters were held by Jews and early Christians. Both have some Bible foundation. For example,

Whether by chance, or by divine intent (we don't know which) the casting of the lots pointed to Jonah as the guilty one.

Immediately, the ship master and crew began to ask Jonah questions:
  1. What is the cause of this evil?
  2. What is your occupation?
  3. Where do you come from?
  4. What nationality are you?
  5. What is your race?

Only his answer concerning his race is recorded for us here. No doubt Jonah told them more than this as we shall see a little further on.

Jonah said that he was a Hebrew, and he feared the Lord. In the King James, Lord is always used to translate Yahweh (Jehovah) -- Elohim, Adoni, Yahweh.

Jonah "fears" the Lord, but obviously his "fear" is different from that of the mariners. They were scared to death while Jonah was sleeping. They are still scared to death, but Jonah stands in awe and wonder and amazement in the presence of the Lord God of Israel.

To fear the Lord really means "to stand in awe and wonder at his power and majesty."

Jonah fears the Lord the God of Heaven which has made the sea and the dry land. He now knows -- he has probably always known, but now he admits that God is out there on the seas just as He was in his Jewish homeland.

You see, Jonah has told them some more. He had told them that he had fled from the presence of the Lord and so they were afraid.

The sea grew more and more tempestuous. Instead of calming down, things were getting worse.

Since the "lots" had pointed to Jonah, and since he had admitted running away from the presence of his God, they were confident that they had found the cause of their trouble, so their question to Jonah was: "What are we to do with you?"

This is a full and honest confession on Jonah's part. He says he knows that this is all happening because of him -- so if they separate him from them, their problems will be over.

Men who do not believe in God are often very "good" by human "people" standards. There is indeed honor among thieves that often surpasses honor among Christians. This is a very sad truth, but it doesn't change unbelievers into Christians. Therefore, the failure of Christians does not change them back into unbelievers.

These men didn't want to throw Jonah overboard so they tried to row and bring the ship to land. They were going to put him ashore wherever they could reach a shore. But their efforts were futile.

They turned to Jonah's God and asked him not to hold it against them for having to slay Jonah. "Lay not upon us innocent blood." Do you think that is pretty decent of them?

Then over the side he went, and the sea was calm.

They seemed to conclude that Jehovah, Jonah's God was pretty powerful, so they offered a sacrifice to Him and made vows.

Nothing here implies in any way that these men believed in God any differently after the event than before, except that they were impressed that Jehovah was a pretty powerful God.

Conclusion

It was not uncommon, in the Old Testament days for various people to believe that the Hebrew's God was Yahweh (Jehovah).

They believed in the God of Israel, just like they believed in their own gods and they even made comparisons between them.

Even the Hebrew people had a tendency to accept other gods and to compare them with Jehovah.

To believe that GOD is and that other gods are also is not to believe in GOD at all -- for this is like saying: "I believe in God . . . I believe He is like Buddha and Dagon and Baal" -- But God is not like Buddha and Dagon and Baal, for they are not gods. Such words simply say -- I believe God is not a god -- because I say He is like gods that are not gods.

God is not even like what the people think that Buddha and Dagon and Baal are like.

Elijah emphasized this truth in the account recorded in 1 Kings which related to Elijah and the contest with the priests of Baal.

© 1979
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