Spiritual Formation and Growth in Jonah

Spiritual Formation and Growth in the Book of Jonah

(The English translation was provided by Susana and Daniel.)

The book of Jonah is set in two scenes, each separated by the Lord's commands to Jonah. In the first scene (1:1 – 2:10), God first spoke, then Jonah prayed. In the second scene (3:1-4:11), God spoke again, and Jonah prayed once again. This is the main purpose of the book of Jonah – to record the relationship between God and Jonah, their conversations, and their interactions.

God's word came onto Jonah for the first time (1:1). The message God wanted Jonah to relay is clear and simple -“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”Jonah evaded and rejected God's call. 4:2 tells us the reason behind Jonah's refusal: “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” God's very character became the reason for Jonah's rejection of God's call.

Jonah knew the Old Testament scriptures (Exod. 34:6, Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15). He rebelled and did not obey God's command. And yet, he knew God. He knew that if he were to declare God's judgment and the people of Nineveh showed remorse, then God would have reneged and not inflicted the promised wrath. In the Old Testament, a prophet's authenticity is determined by whether or not his prophecies are fulfilled (Deut. 18:20-22; Jer. 28:6-9). If Jonah's prophecy were not fulfilled due to God's reversal, then his own credibility and status would have been damaged.

The Lord spoke to Jonah once again, repeating the previous message (3:1-2). “Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh…” (3:3). “He (Jonah) proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned’” (3:4). The Bible says: “The Ninevites believed God…Let them give up their evil ways and their violence” (3:5-9). [To understand the Ninevites’ evil ways, reference the Book of Nahum.] “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” (3:10). “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord…” (4:1-2a)

Jonah was not pleased with the Lord’s “compassion”. He was even more displeased with the fact that the Ninevites did not receive judgment, but he prayed to the Lord and reasoned with the Lord. He brought his discontent before the Lord. Jonah did not put down his discontent before praying to the Lord. Just the opposite, Jonah came before the Lord with this “unspiritual” situation. Here, the Old Testament gives us important instruction regarding spiritual formation and growth. Jonah did not change before approaching the Lord. On the contrary, his actual circumstances, personality, and weaknesses became the means for him to experience the Lord.

Jonah came before the Lord, not asking the Lord to mold him, but wanting to present his problems before God and to wrestle with God. During this process, Jonah was unwittingly molded by God. Regardless of a person’s situation, if one can genuinely meet with God, put down his/her “should be” attitude (i.e.: a relationship with God should be like this), and accept his/her own condition “as is” (i.e.: the present situation as it really is), then our earthly life would become a godly life.

Jonah had a response to the Lord’s first command (1:1; 4:2). However, the biblical writer purposely split the Lord and Jonah’s conversation into two parts. In between these two parts, the writer placed three dramatic events (1:3-16; 1:17-2:10; 3:1-10). This is the writer’s narrative technique. The temporary discontinuity, gaps and omissions are meant to cause the readers to reflect upon the events that happened in between the conversations. The Lord spoke to Jonah, but at the same time, actively worked in Jonah’s life. In between the two commands, the Lord worked in Jonah’s life. His speech and actions are inseparable.

Jonah, being the Lord’s prophet, knew Him. However, people who know the Lord need to repent, grow, and be renewed too. Jonah’s response to the Lord (4:2) reflects his faith. The development of the story reflects that Jonah’s response to the Lord and understanding of the Lord were not enough to overcome his inner conditions. It affected how he viewed certain things (ex: how he viewed the Ninevites). He needed to repent, grow and be renewed. The Lord not only wanted Jonah to obey his command, He wanted Jonah’s all. Jonah fled toward Tarshish. The Lord “sent a great wind on the sea” – or one could say “the Lord threw a great wind from the sea” (1:4; In the original language, the same verb is used in 1:5, 12, 15). “All the sailors were afraid…they threw the cargo into the sea…” (1:5). “‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea,’ he (Jonah) replied” (1:12). “Then they (the sailors) took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.” (1:15). Jonah knew he was the reason the Lord “threw this wind”. He was fleeing, but he also knew that he was fleeing from “the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” (1:9). Jonah fled; the Lord sought. Jonah hid; the Lord revealed. The biblical writer does not explicitly tell us Jonah’s emotional response. On the contrary, the sailors gradually returned to the Lord. “All the sailors were afraid (it carries a notion of awe and respect) (1:5). “This terrified (it carries a notion of awe and respect) them” (1:10). “At this time the men greatly feared (it carries a notion of awe and respect) the Lord…” (1:16). From being “afraid and each cried out to his own God” to “greatly feared the Lord”, this was the change in the sailor’s faith and hearts. As a “Hebrew who worships the Lord” (1:9) and prophet, did Jonah’s faith and heart change under God’s wind?

For the sake of seeking Jonah, the Lord sent a great wind on the sea. It led to the sailors throwing Jonah into the great sea. While Jonah was in the sea, the Lord “provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.” (1:17; the Lord’s “providence” also appears in 4:6-8) and “the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (2:10). This great fish was not a tool of God’s judgment but a tool of his salvation. Jonah fled; the Lord sought. Just as it says in Psalm 18:16: “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.” The Lord provided this great fish, because it was a suitable environment for speaking to Jonah. More importantly, Jonah can reflect – “When my life was ebbing away.” (2: 7a) and Jonah can converse with the Lord – “I remembered you, Lord (2:7b). The prayers in the Old Testament were not only conversations between the Lord and people, but they were also self-reflections. Psalm 42:5 – “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The Spirit lives in our hearts and can reflect truthfully – “O my soul…” is actually another way to meet with God. Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” To guard our hearts, we must know our hearts. This is an important aspect of Christian spirituality. Self-reflection is necessary in spiritual formation and growth.

Jonah’s prayer from inside the fish is a thankful prayer. Jonah expressed gratitude for his Saving Lord. Jonah fled from the Lord’s command; it can be said that he lost his direction in life. When he met with the Lord inside the fish, he was able to say “the engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath me barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God” (2:5-6). This was a proclamation of faith. It was when Jonah rediscovered and secured his direction in life. Jonah found comfort in the great sea and salvation in the abyss. He gave “a song of thanksgiving” as a sacrifice to the Lord; salvation comes from the Lord (2:9). Jonah’s response after finding direction in life: No more fleeing, start his journey anew. “What I have vowed I will make good” (2:9). The experience inside the fish led to a turning point in his faith and a return of his heart. This is the ending of the first scene of Jonah.

Jonah’s second scene: the Lord’s message, Jonah’s obedience, the Ninevites’ repentance, the Lord’s change of mind and decision to not bring on the destruction he had promised. “Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry” (4:1). The Lord said to Jonah “‘Have you any right to be angry?” (4:4). In Chapter 4, Jonah’s discontent response to the Lord sharply contrasts with his experience with God and the growth in his life from the first scene of the book of Jonah. It seems Jonah has not improved much. From a spiritual formation and growth standpoint, we can see Jonah’s instability. In fact, we are all similar to Jonah; we might even understand his struggle. Old Testament Scholars Dillard and Longman said: “…Jonah is not a flat, but a complex character. That is, in his spiritual ups and downs he acts like a real person. This roundness of character is one of the reasons that Jonah is such a fascinating and rich book” [Raymond B. Dillard and Tremper Longman III, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), p. 394.]. The Lord asked a person who has a complex character and has spiritual ups and downs (Jonah); “Have you any right to be angry?” The Lord knows Jonah. The Lord pastored Jonah. The Lord’s question was specifically for Jonah. He wanted Jonah to grow; He wanted him to understand how the Lord who is “slow to anger” was patiently pastoring him.

The Lord also asked Jonah: “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” (4:9a). Between the two questions, “the Lord provided a vine…to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort and Jonah was very happy about the vine. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die and said, ‘it would be better for me to die than to live.’” (4:6-8). From anger to happiness to being faint and wanting to die, the Lord was with Jonah. The Lord provided a vine, provided a worm, which chewed the vine, provided a scorching east wind, just as he provided a great fish to swallow Jonah. Each time the Lord provided, the purpose was to pastor this spiritually wavering Jonah. The Lord wanted Jonah to know “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (4:10-11)

If you can cherish this vine, how could I not cherish the Ninevites? You said you are angry enough to die, and to you that is reasonable. You did not tend or grow the vine, but yet you cherish it. When you cherished it, was I displeased? I cherish them; “Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well.” Why are you displeased? Is it right for you to be angry? You have to understand that I cherish the Ninevites just as you cherish this vine. I provided this vine for you to understand my heart, for you to understand your reply from before – “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home?…I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. “ (4:2). The grace and compassion you show to this vine is exactly the path to understanding My heart.

The Lord’s judgment on Nineveh and whether the Ninevites repented was actually just the background of the relationship between Jonah and the Lord. Jonah was the target of the Lord’s message. The different things that the Lord did were to have Jonah repent, be renewed and grow. Jonah was actually a miniature Israel, representing that Israel was not yet able to be a light for the Gentiles and bring the Lord’s salvation. (Isaiah 49:6). The book of Jonah was for the Israelites to repent, be renewed and to grow. This is also the message for us today.

The Book of Jonah did not have any conclusions; it did not record Jonah’s response. The Biblical writer purposely left Jonah silent. The author reserved a space for us to stop and think about Jonah’s response: if we were Jonah, how would we reply? The author’s open ending spurs us to use our lives to finish Jonah’s story.

Old Testament Scholar Walter Brueggemann said, “Israel’s text, and therefore Israel and Israel’s God, are always in the middle of an exchange, unable to come to ultimate resolution. There may be momentary or provisional resolution, but because both parties are intensely engaged and are so relentlessly verbal, we are always sure that there will be another speech, another challenge, another invitation, another petition, another argument, which will reopen the matter and expend the provisional settlement…For Israel and for Israel’s God, there is no deeper joy, no more serious requirement, no more inescapable burden, than to be reengaged in the process of exchange that never arrives but is always on the way” [Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997), pp. 83-84