Very nice. I think that the neatest part of chapter one is that God told Jonah to go preach 'against Ninevah' but Jonah, knowing the character of God, knows that whatever the words or however wrathful the form the ultimate reality is grace and redemption.
Need to give some thought to the parallels between Jonah asleep in the boat and Christ asleep in the boat. Are they similar? Opposites? What does one say about the other?
Thanks for the comment. I looked at possible parallels between Jonah sleeping and Jesus sleeping, as that seems to be a popular discussion. Not sure that I found anything really interesting other than Jonah can sleep even with a guilty conscience, which doesn’t say much about his temperament, but perhaps he does trust God, even though he disobeyed. I thought the parallels to sleeping Christians from Enduring Word were more relevant. And you will see in the analysis of the passage where he asks to be thrown into the water that I think his sacrifice is rather half-hearted because he won’t jump in himself but makes the crew throw him in.
I still don't know what I think about him asleep. I just don't see enough detail to put together a picture.
I would go easy on Jonah about not throwing himself into the sea. This is his Gethsemane after all, even if the spirit was willing imagine how the flesh must have revolted against such a thought, particularly as he had no promise of any kind of mercy and must have felt he was going straight to hell. I imagine that a legalistic sort of believing Jew with a bad conscience would not die without a chance to make some sort of sacrificial atonement. Jonah signs his own death warrant but can't come up with the nerve to commit suicide, which throwing yourself into the middle of the ocean in a storm is pretty well suicidal. Even Christ didn't drive the nails or jab the spear Himself. Maybe, like David with Saul, Jonah is afraid to strike the Lord's Anointed?
Good food for thought! I may modify my write-up for that day coming later this week. I’m not sure I would have the courage to jump off a burning boat or building, much less do a sacrifice like this.
Very nice. I think that the neatest part of chapter one is that God told Jonah to go preach 'against Ninevah' but Jonah, knowing the character of God, knows that whatever the words or however wrathful the form the ultimate reality is grace and redemption.
Need to give some thought to the parallels between Jonah asleep in the boat and Christ asleep in the boat. Are they similar? Opposites? What does one say about the other?
Thanks for the comment. I looked at possible parallels between Jonah sleeping and Jesus sleeping, as that seems to be a popular discussion. Not sure that I found anything really interesting other than Jonah can sleep even with a guilty conscience, which doesn’t say much about his temperament, but perhaps he does trust God, even though he disobeyed. I thought the parallels to sleeping Christians from Enduring Word were more relevant. And you will see in the analysis of the passage where he asks to be thrown into the water that I think his sacrifice is rather half-hearted because he won’t jump in himself but makes the crew throw him in.
I still don't know what I think about him asleep. I just don't see enough detail to put together a picture.
I would go easy on Jonah about not throwing himself into the sea. This is his Gethsemane after all, even if the spirit was willing imagine how the flesh must have revolted against such a thought, particularly as he had no promise of any kind of mercy and must have felt he was going straight to hell. I imagine that a legalistic sort of believing Jew with a bad conscience would not die without a chance to make some sort of sacrificial atonement. Jonah signs his own death warrant but can't come up with the nerve to commit suicide, which throwing yourself into the middle of the ocean in a storm is pretty well suicidal. Even Christ didn't drive the nails or jab the spear Himself. Maybe, like David with Saul, Jonah is afraid to strike the Lord's Anointed?
Good food for thought! I may modify my write-up for that day coming later this week. I’m not sure I would have the courage to jump off a burning boat or building, much less do a sacrifice like this.
Look forward to seeing what you come up with