Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. [2 Kings 14:25 (NLT)]
Since Nineveh was famous as the religious center for the worship of Ishtar (Astarte), the goddess of fertility, we might wonder why this pagan city repented after hearing Jonah’s prophecy? Jonah was an Israelite not an Assyrian—he believed in Jehovah and the people of Nineveh were pagans. Some speculate that the Ninevites had learned of Jonah’s miraculous delivery from the fish but Nineveh was about 500 miles from the sea and, since the fish delivered Jonah onto the beach, that seems highly unlikely! Was Jonah such an eloquent speaker that the heathen people of Nineveh would respond to him when, more often than not, the people of Judah and Israel ignored the words of warning they heard from the prophets who were their own countrymen? What caused the king and 120,000 of his subjects to make such an immediate turnaround?
Perhaps a little history lesson explains Nineveh’s response. We know from 2 Kings 14 that Jonah prophesized during the reign of Jeroboam II (793 – 753 BC). While Jeroboam II did “evil in the Lord’s sight,” he was the most notable and longest reigning king of the northern kingdom. For Israel, this was a time of prosperity, power, and military success. Scripture tells us that it was Jonah who prophesized the king’s victory in battles that restored the borders of the northern kingdom to what they were during Solomon’s time. With Jonah’s proven track record of fulfilled prophecies, perhaps his reputation preceded him.
Moreover, in the realm of international politics, while Israel was on the upswing, Assyria was in decline. Having fragmented into various governor-ruled states, there had been a series of rebellions and attempts to usurp the crown. Preoccupied with internal security, the nation also was threatened by the kingdom of Uratu to the north and powerful Israel to the south. When Jonah proclaimed the city’s destruction, he wasn’t talking about an earthquake. The word he used was haphak which meant overthrown or conquered. Considering the political climate at the time, being conquered seemed a likely possibility to Nineveh and its king. Known for their excessive brutality, few armies were as hated as the Assyrians. Perhaps, when facing the possibility of being conquered, the Ninevites repented in the hope they’d escape such merciless treatment at the hands of their conquerors. Putting the story of Jonah’s prophecy into historical context helps us understand Nineveh’s response to the reluctant prophet and why they believed God’s message. Upon learning that their city would be overthrown within forty days, they proclaimed a fast, donned sackcloth as a symbol of their contriteness and remorse, and repented of their wicked ways. In the story of Jonah, we see God’s mercy extended to Gentiles and a concealed prophecy that was fulfilled by Jesus.
Without even seeing the miracle of Jonah’s “resurrection” from the fish, 120,000 Ninevites were saved but, when someone “greater than Jonah” resurrected, His own countrymen refused to listen and believe—even after seeing the empty tomb! Comparing Jesus to Jonah, however, is a bit like comparing the sun to a match or the entire universe to a tiny pebble. We’ve been warned, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” [Matthew 4:17] What is our response?
The first thing to clear up when writing about the Book of Jonah is whether it was a fish or a whale. Both the Hebrew word (dahg) and the Greek word (ketos) in later translations were used to describe this sea creature. In 785 BC, at the time of this story’s writing, neither language had a word that could identify the exact species so it could have been a fish, shark, whale or some other now extinct large sea creature. For those who choose to use this discrepancy to attack the Bible’s veracity, it’s probably wise to remember that Linnaeus’ classification of living things occurred in the 18th century and not 2,800 years ago when Jonah was swallowed by something huge in the sea. When learning the story in Sunday school, most of us were told it was a whale. Having seen Disney’s Pinocchio with Geppetto living in a whale’s belly, it was easy to picture Jonah doing the same.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers. [Luke 22:31-32 (NLT)]
The story is told of a Sunday school teacher who was teaching her class about the Ten Commandments. “What is the commandment about parents?” she asked. “Honor thy father and mother,” was the quick reply. “Is there a commandment about brothers and sisters?” the teacher queried. One little boy shouted, “Thou shalt not kill!” While we know we’re not supposed to kill them, how should we treat them?
Walking along the shoreline, I was surprised to see a baby opossum on the beach. A man with a large bucket was trying to scoop him up to return him to the safety of the mangroves but the little guy would have none of it. Lost and in danger of dying of thirst or becoming dinner for an osprey or eagle, I’m sure he thought he was on a wonderful adventure. Meanwhile, his mother was probably frantically searching the mangroves for her wayward child.
Devotions of the Heart 