Jonah held something bitter against Nineveh. Literary Characteristics Unlike most other prophetic parts of the OT, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. Jonah’s God was a God that desired people to be loyal to him and show love to him. Eugene Merrill, “The Sign of Jonah” (JETS 1980) Soli Deo Gloria, ds The prophet Jonah wrote it approximately 785-760 B.C. In this cycle of the story, we note the structural pattern of the book: The authority selects Jonah for a mission, and the latter is constantly reminded of it. While Jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing Jonah as … THE MEANING OF THE BOOK OF JONAH [1]. John H. Walton, “The Object Lesson of Jonah 4:5-7 and the Purpose of the Book of Jonah,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 2 (1992): 47-57. Unlike most other prophetic parts of the OT, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. Selected Bibliography of the Book of Jonah: David Malick: 06/23/2004: An Argument of the Book of Jonah: David Malick: 06/22/2004: 5. To explore the relationship between mercy and justice Category three has been, by far, the most popular option among interpreters of the book, and A. The purpose of the book of Jonah is much deeper and richer. The Lord called Jonah to go to the great Assyrian city … Contributions: The Book of Jonah is interesting and unusual in several ways. mission imposed on Jonah.13 He calls on Jonah, as God does: "arise, " and his message is "call upon thy God. " T he book of Jonah is an Old Testament story which tells about how the prophet Jonah refused to follow the Lord. Jonah's reaction is known only from his very eloquent silence. The purpose of the book of Jonah is to show God's people that His plan is exceedingly compassionate (God is gracious) and exceedingly certain (God is sovereign). The purpose of this book is to show that God is a merciful and gracious God. The primary purpose of the book of Jonah is to engage readers in theological reflection on the compas-sionate character of God, and in self-reflection on the degree to which their own character reflects this compassion, to the end that they become vehicles of this compassion in the world that God has made and The History and Purpose of the Book of Jonah. before Assyria conquered Israel’s Northern Kingdom. It’s a story that is needed today. Book of Jonah has to me the air of being a moral romance, a quite different kind of thing from, say, the account of King David or the New Testament narratives, not pegged, like them, into any historical situation." Key personalities include Jonah, the captain and the ship’s crew and the people of Nineveh. Ironically, the book of Jonah is filled with irony, parody and exaggeration that are often overlooked by many interpreters. xvii 8-16. biblical colophons: a source for the "biography" of authors, texts and books. A few highlights of the book that I found particularly interesting were on this perspective, meaning the story of Jonah’s life and the decisions made. Let me share with you seven great lessons from the book of Jonah. Jonah’s role in God’s global intent. ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF JONAH: 42 The Book has two parallel halves: chapters 1&2 and 3&4. The book of Jonah shows God’s love and compassion for Gentiles in addition to Jews because God wants to be present with people. Purpose. The Talmud ascribes the composition of the Twelve Prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly (Bava Batra 15a).Rashi explains that the books were bound together in one scroll because each was so short that some might get … Although the book of Jonah is not about world missions, the theme of God’s mission to the world is definitely present in the book. The book of Jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself. II. 19 One other obvious hyperbolic element in the book is the repentance of animals together with the Ninevites, which influenced a number of scholars to challenge the historical level of the book. A. myth, legend and folk-lore in the ugaritic keret and aqhat texts. Jonah, the son of Amittai, was the friend and counselor of Jeroboam II, who is said to have regained the land of his fathers " from the entering in of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah." 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