Old Testament Prophets

Class 4 – Introduction

1. Review last week – questions?
   
   
2. JONAH
1. Look for:

                                                               i.      God’s concern, sovereignty and compassion for ALL of creation and ALL peoples – not just the chosen and redeemed people of Israel. He is the God of the universe.

                                                             ii.      There is also an implied warning to Israel – Jonah – the only Israelite in the book - is also a great prophet; he should be the height of spirituality. Yet he does all he can to avoid God’s service.

2. Theological Message

                                                               i.      Jonah’s message is unusual – it is directed at the Gentiles! The first prophet is addressing his message to those outside of the covenant.

                                                             ii.      The pagans aboard ship show more concern about God’s wrath than Jonah does:

                                                            iii.      God shows great concern for the “great city” while Jonah lacks compassion – indeed, he wanted the city destroyed.

                                                           iv.      Jonah represents Israel – and a very poor representative he is

                                                             v.      God is the God of the universe

1.      Jonah

2.      wind, waves & storm

3.      the fish

4.      a vine

5.      a worm

6.      the east wind

3. New Testament

                                                               i.      God’s message is expanded beyond the chosen people to include all people. Jesus was sent to invite all people of the world to become part of the covenant.

                                                             ii.      Jesus compared & contrasted himself with Jonah (Matthew 12:40-41)

                                                            iii.      ie., people asked for a sign – Jesus would spend three days and three nights in the earth just as Jonah did in the belly of the fish.

                                                           iv.      Jesus came, served and died willingly while Jonah was reluctant – Jesus is the perfection of Jonah.

3. God’s concern for non-gentiles
1. Genesis 21:8-21 – story of Hagar and Ishmael
2. Ruth, the Moabitess
3. 2 Kings 5 – Elisha cures Naaman
   
   In Jonah we have:
4. the Pagan sailors – Jonah 1:11-16

                                                              i.      especially contrast the sailors concern for Jonah with Jonah’s demand that God destroy Nineveh

5. The repentance of Nineveh – Jonah 3
6. Jesus refers to the repentance of the Ninevites in his chastisement of the Jews for their failure to accept Him – Luke 11:29-32.
   
   
3. What did the Fathers have to say?
1. Chapter 1:1-3

                                                               i.      Jerome – Jonah’s flight was dictated by his concern for the Jews – ACCS pp 130

                                                             ii.      Nazianzus – The Folly of escaping God – ACCS pp 130

2. Chapter 1:4-17

                                                               i.      Chrysostom – Sin is like a heavy cargo – ACCS pp 132

3. Chapter 3:1-4

                                                               i.      Caesarius of Arles – Repentance can always come to those who seem to us to be unrepentant – ACCS 140

and,
Origen – does God deceive to convert sinners? ACCS pp 141

and,
Chrysostom – God allows time for repentance – ACCS 141

4. Chapter 4

                                                               i.      Ambrose – Focus more on redemption than Judgment – ACCS pp 148

5. Next time – read Hosea
   
   

Chapter 1:1-3

JONAH'S FLIGHT WAS DICTATED BY His CON­CERN OVER ISRAEL. JEROME:

The prophet knows, the Holy Spirit teaching him, that the re­pentance of the Gentiles is the ruin of the Jews. A lover, then, of his country, he does not so much envy the deliverance of Nineveh as will that his own country should not perish. Seeing too that his fellow prophets are sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to excite the people to repentance, and that Balaam the soothsayer too prophesied the salvation of Israel, he grieves that he alone is cho­sen to be sent to the Assyrians, the enemies of Isra­el, and to that greatest city of the enemies where there was idolatry and ignorance of God. Even more, he feared that Israel might be wholly for­saken due to the conversion of the Ninevites through repentance by his preaching. For he knew by the same Spirit whereby the preaching to the Gentiles was trusted to him that the house of Isra­el would then perish, and he feared that what was at one time to be would take place in his own time.

COMMENTARY ON JONAH 1:3.'

THE FOLLY OF ESCAPING GOD. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: Jonah knew better than anyone the purpose of his message to the Ninevites and that, in planning his flight, although he changed his location, he did not escape from God. Nor is this possible for anyone else, either by conceal­ing himself in the bosom of the earth, or in the depths of the sea, or by soaring on wings, if there be any means of doing so, and rising into the air, or by abiding in the lowest depths of hell, or by any other of the many devices for en­suring escape. For God alone of all things can­ not be escaped from or contended with. If he will to seize and bring them under his hand, he outstrips the swift. He outwits the wise. He overthrows the strong. He cuts down the lofty. He subdues rashness. He resists power. Oration 2.108

Chapter 1:4-17

1:5 The Mariners Cry Out and Attempt to Lighten the Ship

SIN IS LIKE HEAVY CARGO. CHRYSOSTOM:

"They threw overboard the wares that were in the ship into the sea; but the ship was not getting any lighter," because the entire cargo still re­mained within it, the body of the prophet, the heavy cargo, not according to the nature of the body but from the weight of sin. For nothing is so heavy and onerous to bear as sin and disobedi­ence, HOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIV­ING 3

Chapter 3:1-4

REPENT WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE. CAESARIUS OF ARLES:

We should not despair of those who are still unwilling to correct their vices and do not even blush to defend them. In a similar way hope was not abandoned for that city of which it is written, "Three days more, and Nineveh shall be destroyed"; yet in those three days it was able to be converted, pray, bewail and merit mercy from the threatened punishment. Therefore let all who are such listen to God while it is possible to hear him in his silence; that is, not punishing at present. For he will come and will not be silent, and he will then reprove when there is no chance of amendment. SERMON I33.3.^S

WHETHER GOD DECEIVES. ORIGEN:

Does God for our salvation deceive and say certain things so that the sinner ceases doing what he might do if he had not heard certain of these words? Was the one who says, "Yet three days and Nineveh shall be destroyed," speaking as one who speaks truly or not? Or as one who deceives by a deceit that converts? If that kind of conversion did not hap­pen, was what was said no longer a deceit but al­ready truth. There would have been a destruction that followed for Nineveh. It was up to those who hear, HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 19.7.⁶

GOD ALLOWS TIME FOR REPENTANCE. CHRY­SOSTOM:

I want you to marvel at the philanthropy of God, who was sat­isfied with three days of repentance for so many transgressions. I do not want you to sink into de­spair, even though you have innumerable sins. HOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 5.4.

Chapter 4

Focus MORE ON REDEMPTION THAN JUDG­MENT. AMBROSE:

The next day the book of Jonah was read according to custom, and when it was finished I began this sermon: Brothers, a book has been read in which it is prophesied that sin­ners shall return to repentance. It is understood to mean that they may hope for the future in the present. I added that the just man had been will­ing to receive even blame, so as not to see or prophesy destruction for the city. And because that sentence was mournful, he grew sad when the vine withered. God said to the prophet, "Are you sad over the vine?" Jonah answered, "I am sad," The Lord said that if he was grieving be­cause the vine had withered, how much greater should his care be for the salvation of so many people! And, in fact, he did away with the de­struction that had been prepared for the entire

city. LETTER 6o.⁹