v.1-4
Ob and In:
1. Repeated words:
a. Go immediately v.2, So Jonah went immediately...in keeping with the LORD's message v.3, Jonah began to enter the city...announcing v.4
(NET) Heb “Arise, go.” The two imperatives without an intervening vav (קוּם לֵךְ, qum lekh; “Arise, go!”), form a verbal hendiadys in which the first verb functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal force: “Go immediately.” This construction emphasizes the urgency of the command
The same commands were given to Jonah in ch1, but he disobeyed at that time. Jonah went immediately to Tarshish. Now, he went immediately to Nineveh according to what the LORD said. There was a change in Jonah's action, and he was obedient. But, with ch 4, we know that he did not have a change in his heart. But, at least he followed the command.
Reflection: Do I ever just do the action without the heart? Shall we even compliment our action of obedience? Do I need to pay attention to student who only obedient in action but not in heart?
b. Nineveh, that large city v.2, Nineveh was an enormous city v.3
Why did the LORD needed to remind Jonah that Nineveh was a large city? To remind him a large number of people were waiting for the message from God??
Reflection: If yes, do we have burden of the unsaved knowing that there is still a large number of people who have never heard about the Gospel?
2. The message to Nineveh
v.2 proclaim to it the message that I tell you (NET) The verb קָרָא (qara’, “proclaim”) is repeated from 1:2 but with a significant variation. The phrase in 1:2 was the adversative קְרָא עָל (qéra’ ’al, “proclaim against”), which often designates an announcement of threatened judgment (1 Kgs 13:4, 32; Jer 49:29; Lam 1:15). However, here the phrase is the more positive קְרָא אֶל (qéra’ ’el, “proclaim to”) which often designates an oracle of deliverance or a call to repentance, with an accompanying offer of deliverance that is either explicit or implied (Deut 20:10; Isa 40:2; Zech 1:4; HALOT 1129 s.v. קרא 8; BDB 895 s.v. קָרָא 3.a). This shift from the adversative preposition עַל (“against”) to the more positive preposition אֶל (“to”) might signal a shift in God’s intentions or perhaps it simply makes his original intention more clear. While God threatened to judge Nineveh, he was very willing to relent and forgive when the people repented from their sins (3:8–10). Jonah later complains that he knew that God was likely to relent from the threatened judgment all along (4:2).
Reflection: Am I glad to see sinners repent? Or I enjoy to see them being judged? For people I have a hard time to forgive I would like them to be judged. However, that is not the heart of God. He had already knew the wickedness of Nineveh in 1:2, but He chose to forgive when people repent. And that's how I entered the grace of God. Who am I that I wanted to see other people's punishment?
v.5-10
Ob and In:
1. Multiple actions were taken by both the people and the king v.5,6, 10
The people believed in God, they declared a fast, and put on sackcloth. They took the words of God seriously. They took action and tried to persuade God not to do that.
The king got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, sat on ashes and issued a proclamation. If the people's actions reflect their faith, their king did more actions and probably reflect his stronger faith.
Finally, God changed His mind v.10 because He saw their actions (and their faith in Him).
Reflection: Our actions did speak loudly. God's punishment and relented from punishment were both related to people's action. Do my repentance reflected in my actions? Do I repent from sin? If yes, what action shall I take to reflect that?
2. The repeated words in v.8-10: Turn
The king told his people, "everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do," then perhaps God may turn/change his mind and He may turn from His anger. As a result, God saw that they turned from their evil way of living and He Himself turned concerning the disaster.
(NET) The verbal root שׁוּב is used four times in vv. 8–10, twice of the Ninevites “repenting” from their moral evil and twice of God “relenting” from his threatened calamity. This repetition creates a wordplay that emphasizes the appropriateness of God’s response: if the people repent, God might relent.
Reflection: The pagan king knew the evil and violence lifestyle of his people and he knew the relationship between the evil/violence and the anger of God. Now, when he heard that his city is going to be judged for that he repented and asked his people to turn as well. Perhaps that will work and make up their relationship with God.
Do I have that awareness like the king? Do I know what my people is doing? Am I aware that this will arose the anger of God. (Of course it would have been better if the king had repented before the announcement of judgement).
Now, the king try to make up with the relationship with God and perhaps God will spare them from the judgment. To Christians, we know that when we repent God will forgive us. That is a blessing.
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