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- J - Jonah. God's greatest OT missionary to the Gentiles. Jonah, son of Amittai (Jon. 1:1), was a servant of Yahweh, the God of Israel, a prophet who hailed from the town of Gath-Hepher (2 Kings 14:25) in the territory allotted to the sons of Zebulun (Josh. 19:10-13), about fifteen miles due west of the Sea of Galilee. Jonah evidently prophesied on God's behalf to the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.) (2 Kings 14:23-25). Yahweh commissioned Jonah to take a message of impending judgment to Nineveh (Jon. 1:1-2), a major city of the Assyrian Empire on the east bank of the Tigris River, some 550 miles northeast of Samaria. Jonah, however fled the opposite direction, sailing for Tarshish, 2500 miles west of Joppa (Jon. 1:3). Jonah's stated reason for disobeying was that He knew God is merciful, and that the Ninevites might well repent and be spared God's judgment (Jon. 4:1-2). It is difficult for Gentile readers today to fathom Jonah's motivation. My conjecture is that, as a prophet, Jonah knew that one day Assyria was destined to conquer and destroy his own people. If Nineveh itself were destroyed, Jonah reasoned, that future disaster for his own country would be averted. Yahweh impeded Jonah's flight, and he was hurled into the raging sea to save the mariners (Jon. 1:4-15). The immediately becalmed sea resulted in the salvation of the mariners (Jon. 1:16). Meanwhile Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, saving him from drowning (Jon. 1:17). In a psalm of prayer composed inside the fish's belly, Jonah described his near demise and prayer of repentance, and vowed to obey (Jon. 2:1-9). At this, the fish disgorged Jonah onto dry land (Jon. 2:10). True to his vow, Jonah delivered the message of impending judgment to the Ninevites. They miraculously repented, and God spared them from disastrous judgment (Jon. 3). Jonah was greatly displeased with Yahweh for sparing the lives of the Ninevites, and requested to die (Jon. 4:1-3). Jonah stationed himself outside the city to see what would happen. God prepared a plant that shaded Jonah, a blessing for which he was grateful. But God also appointed a worm that killed the gourd, and Jonah lost his shade, once again requesting death. God asked Jonah if he was justified in feeling angry about the plant. Jonah said he had good reason to be angry about the loss of the plant. Then Yahweh pointed out Jonah's compassion for a mere plant that he had neither made nor caused to grow. If Jonah was justified in his compassion for the plant, was not Yahweh justified in having compassion on 120,000 children and even the animals of Nineveh (Jon. 4:4-11)? Jonah never answered Yahweh's question. But he he evidently internalized the message. He wrote the book. Critics question the historicity of the book and the authorship of Jonah. Jesus did not, stating that Jonah's three days in the belly of the fish was a sign of His own impending death and resurrection (Matt. 12:38-41; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32). See the Condensed Outline of Jonah, the Outline of Jonah, and the Annotated Outline of Jonah. Judgment Seat of Christ.
The judgment of all Church Age
believers (Rom. 14:10-12). Salvation
is not an issue here, for these believers possess eternal life (John 3:16), having been born into God’s family
(John 1:12), and they do not enter into judgment
or condemnation (John 3:18; 3:36; 5:24; Rom. 8:1).
Performance and motive is the issue.
How well have these believers invested their lives for Jesus (Col. 3:17, 23-25)? Every Christian is building on the
foundation that has been laid. He is building with materials that survive the
fire of Christ’s judgment or that do not (1 Cor. 3:12-15). If the Christian has done his work
for the Lord, it will survive, and he will be rewarded. If not, his work will
not survive, yet he himself will (1 Cor. 3:15). Faithful investing of one’s life
for the Lord will, I believe, result in greater opportunity to serve Him later
(Luke 19:11-19). This judgment will either take
place with each believer when he meets the Lord (1 John 3:2-3) and / or else after the entire
Church is raptured prior to the start of the Tribulation
period. By the time Christ returns to Earth (Rev. 19:11-21), the Church has been completely purified and is
ready to return with Him as His spotless bride (Rev. 19:7-9). See a more extensive discussion of the Judgment Seat of Christ. If you have difficulty locating a file, please contact the Web Master. Updated March 1, 2012 Background and Button Image Credit |
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