Tag: Jonah

Nahum: Comfort (III)

The End (3:1-19)

Neal Pollard

Nahum: Comfort

The End (3:1-19)

Neal Pollard

Actually, Nahum three continues the judgment against Nineveh, but the whole of the chapter spells the ultimate end of the Assyrian Empire and its dominance. The chapter appears to break down into three major sections, verses 1-7, verses 8-11, and verses 12-19. While all three sections deal with the doom of this heathen nation, there are different ways to break down the content. Consider James Smith’s good outline (concerning Nineveh):

1) Evil declared (1-3)

2) Evil described (4-7)

3) Evil defeated (8-13)

4) Evil disparaged (14-18)

5) Evil destroyed (18-19)

(OT Survey Series, 397-400).

While I agree that sin was the cause of their end, this chapter seems most focused on the end itself. Sin is always the reproach and ruin of any nation that entrenches itself into it (Prov. 14:34; Dan. 4:17). Yet, Nahum, foretelling Nineveh’s demise, helps us see at least three things about their end. It serves as a warning to any who follow their foolish pathway.

Why their end was coming (1-7). Nahum pronounces “woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage” (1). His words depict what that would look like, all sights and sounds of the carnage of invasion and military defeat (2-3). Nineveh had played the part of a harlot, and she would be abused and mistreated like one (4-6). She would be so defiled and disgraced that all would distance themselves from her, and no one would mourn or comfort her.  At the very end of the book, the prophet briefly states what history repeatedly chronicled. The Assyrians were brutal taskmasters and oppressors (19); they would get a full dose of their own medicine. 

How their end was coming (8-11). They would go the way of Thebes. Nahum uses that Egyptian city whose overthrow was prophesied by both Jeremiah (46:25) and Ezekiel (30:14ff). Thebes had the advantage of the Nile, a seemingly impregnable position, and powerful allies, but none of these things saved them (8-9). Nahum compares Nineveh’s end to Thebes in these ways (cf. 2:8). Like Thebes’ inhabitants became exiles (10), so would Nineveh’s (11). They would go into captivity, staggering and searching for refuge (11). 

When their end was coming (12-19). Nahum doesn’t deal in terms of time, but rather gives predictions which history shows fulfilled. The Bible Knowledge Commentary shares 12 specific prophesies of Nahum’s, showing their historical fulfillment (chart is at the bottom of this study). Many of those prophesies are in the final chapter. Nahum depicts Nineveh as ripened fruit, ready to be picked. This was about to happen. They would be oblivious and unprepared. It would be too late when it overtook them. 



Nahum’s PropheciesHistorical Fulfillments
1. The Assyrian fortresses surrounding the city would be easily captured (3:12).1. According to the Babylonian Chronicle the fortified towns in Nineveh’s environs began to fall in 614 B.C. including Tabris, present-day Sharif-Khan, a few miles northwest of Nineveh.
2. The besieged Ninevites would prepare bricks and mortar for emergency defense walls (3:14).2. A.T. Olmstead reported: “To the south of the gate, the moat is still filled with fragments of stone and of mud bricks from the walls, heaped up when they were breached” (History of Assyria. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951, p. 637).
3. The city gates would be destroyed (3:13).3. Olmstead noted: “The main attack was directed from the northwest and the brunt fell upon the Hatamti gate at this corner … Within the gate are traces of the counter wall raised by the inhabitants in their last extremity” (History of Assyria, p. 637).
4. In the final hours of the attack the Ninevites would be drunk (1:10; 3:11)4. Diodorus Siculus (ca. 20 B.C.) wrote, “The Assyrian king … distributed to his soldiers meats and liberal supplies of wine and provisions … While the whole army was thus carousing, the friends of Arbakes learned from some deserters of the slackness and drunkenness which prevailed in the enemy’s camp and made an unexpected attack by night” (Bibliotheca Historica 2. 26. 4)
5. Nineveh would be destroyed by a flood (1:8; 2:6, 8).5. Diodorus wrote that in the third year of the siege heavy rains caused a nearby river to flood part of the city and break part of the walls (Bibliotheca Historica 2. 26. 9; 2. 27.3). Xenophon referred to terrifying thunder (presumably with a storm) associated with the city’s capture (Anabasis, 3. 4. 12). Also the Khosr River, entering the city from the northwest at the Ninlil Gate and running through the city in a southwesterly direction, may have flooded because of heavy rains, or the enemy may have destroyed its sluice gate.
6. Nineveh would be destroyed by fire (1:10; 2:13; 3:15).6. Archeological excavations at Nineveh have revealed charred wood, charcoal, and ashes. “There was no question about the clear traces of burning of the temple (as also in the palace of Sennacherib), for a layer of ash about two inches thick lay clearly defined in places on the southeast side about the level of the Sargon pavement” (R. Campbell Thompson and R.W. Hutchinson, A Century of Exploration at Nineveh. London: Luzac, 1929, pp. 45, 77).
7. The city’s capture would be attended by a great massacre of people (3:3).7. “In two battles fought on the plain before the city the rebels defeated the Assyrians … so great was the multitude of the slain that the flowing stream, mingled with their blood, changed its color for a considerable distance” (Diodorus, Bibliotheca Historica 2. 26. 6–7).
8. Plundering and pillaging would accompany the overthrow of the city (2:9–10).8. According to the Babylonian Chronicle, “Great quantities of spoil from the city, beyond counting, they carried off. The city [they turned] into a mound and ruin heap” (Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, 2:420).
9. When Nineveh would be captured its people would try to escape (2:8)9. “Sardanapalus [another name for king Sin-shar-ishkun] sent away his three sons and two daughters with much treasure into Paphlagonia, to the governor of Kattos, the most loyal of his subjects” (Diodorus, Bibliotheca Historica, 2. 26. 8
10. The Ninevite officers would weaken and flee (3:17).10. The Babylonian Chronicle states that “[The army] of Assyria deserted [lit., ran away before] the king” (Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, 2:420).
11. Nineveh’s images and idols would be destroyed (1:14).11. R. Campbell Thompson and R.W. Hutchinson reported that the statue of the goddess Ishtar lay headless in the debris of Nineveh’s ruins (“The British Museum Excavations on the Temple of Ishtar at Nineveh, 1930–1,” Annals of Archeology and Anthropology. 19, pp. 55–6).
12. Nineveh’s destruction would be final (1:9, 14).12. Many cities of the ancient Near East were rebuilt after being destroyed (e.g., Samaria, Jerusalem, Babylon) but not Nineveh.

 Johnson, Elliott E. “Nahum.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 1495. Print.

Nahum: Comfort (II)

Nations tend to think, when they are a superpower, that it will always be so. Up to this point, it has never been so. Assyria was one of the earliest superpowers the world ever knew. What can we learn from Nahum’s message to her?

Nineveh Would Flee (2:1-13)

Neal Pollard

Nahum gets to the heart of the matter in chapter two. He shares the pending judgment of Assyria in stark and horrific detail. If any of the Assyrians chose to believe God’s Word, this was nightmare news for them. Yet, every word of condemnation against Nineveh was comfort and consolation to Judah in the face of their menacing threat. We see at least three major ideas in this chapter. 

The devastating devastators will be destroyed (1-6). In words of comfort to “Jacob” (“Israel”), Nahum says that though they had been devastated and their vineyards destroyed they would see the tables turned on Nineveh (2). The “devastators” are warned to arm themselves for battle (1) only to overrun and devastated by an invading army. Who is it? Ezekiel 23:14 points to Babylon, though commentators also throw out the possibility of the Medes. Both could be right, as the decisive battle in the overthrow of Assyria (612 B.C.) involved an alliance between Medes, Babylonians, and lesser nations against Assyria and later Egypt (for an intriguing historical read, I found this interesting: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/abc-3-fall-of-nineveh-chronicle/). The invaders of Assyria rush the capital city (4) and set siege to it (5) and flood it (6). The intimidating Assyrians get a taste of their own medicine.  

The desolation is done (7-12). Nahum switching tenses, now looking at the events as if they have already occurred. God says, “It is fixed” (7). The Hebrew word is found 73 times throughout every genre of Old Testament literature, meaning stand, establish, erect, and in charge. The message is that this is done and cannot be undone by Assyria or anyone else. The description is vivid with details: stripped, carried away, crying, and beating their breasts (7). They flee (8), they are plundered (9), they are emptied (10), and they are anguished (10). Nahum describes their “desolation and waste” (10) with the imagery of lions who tear their prey and feed it to their young (11-13). Many people had been the victim of Assyrian cruelty. Surely, the memory of this filled the minds of the armies that exact vengeance on this empire prime for a fall. 

The divine declaration (13). Though implicit in verse seven, Nahum states it explicitly in the last verse of this chapter. God identifies Himself as Assyria’s antagonist. Though he would use the armies of men, He reveals that He was lighting the fire, bearing the sword, and cutting them off. Are there more sobering words than “I am against you” when spoken by the Creator of the heavens and the earth?

Nineveh was on the pinnacle of prosperity and power, yet it gave itself the credit and glory. Israel was one of its pitiful victims. Nahum says God is turning the tables. He had used them to punish His disobedient people, but now the tool in His hand no longer served His purpose. It was time for them to receive the due reward of their own deeds. 

Nahum: Comfort

Vengeance (1:1-15)

Neal Pollard

Nahum is not really a sequel to Jonah, but it does constitute a Paul Harvey-like “rest of the story.” Achtemeier rightly observed that this short prophetic book “has been almost totally ignored in the modern church” (Nahum–Malachi. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1986. Print. Interpretation). Quick. Name one thing you know from this short book! Why is that this book is so vague and mysterious to us? Maybe it is because it sits almost dead center in the middle of one of the least known sections of the Bible–the Minor Prophets. Yet, in this book is a beautiful, powerful picture of God.  Assyria, to whom God showed unexpected grace in Jonah’s time, is now in the crosshairs of God’s judgment in Nahum’s time. 

Written probably in the middle of the seventh-century B.C., by which we are clued in through two events which Nahum mentions, the first the fall of Thebes (663 B.C.) which Nahum speaks of in past tense in Nahum 3:8-10 and the second the fall of Nineveh (612 B.C.) which is the subject of the book itself. That is a pretty plausible explanation for when. The author, Nahum, gives us no biographical information. His name means “comfort.” Jerome puts Elkosh, his hometown, as a village in Galilee while Pseudo-Epiphanius says it is in the territory of Simeon 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem (Migne, 409; Catchart, 38). His message is one of comfort, not for Assyria but for Judah. Remember that Assyria attempted to conquer Judah as they did Israel, but they were repelled by God Himself (Isa. 37; 2 Ki. 19). Now, God through Nahum foretells the total downfall of this Gentile nation. As to the why, Kenneth Barker says it well that “Nahum’s message is essential and timeless: the Lord reigns and will have the final word against evil. This means hope and deliverance by God for God’s people” (NAC, Vol. 20, 137). 

Chapter one is devoted to God’s vengeance against the evil of Nineveh and Assyria. It is an “oracle” (burden) of Nineveh. It is a vision of Nahum. In these opening words, we glean so much insight and appreciation into the amazing nature and character of God.

“The Lord is avenging and wrathful” (2-3). This is perhaps the overriding theme not only of this chapter, but the whole of this brief book. He used Assyria to punish His disobedient people of the northern kingdom (Isa. 9:8; 10:5), but He watched both their cruelty and their callous wickedness. Nahum says God will take vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies. They would pay for their own guilt! The prophet depicts the power and splendor that are demonstrated as He exhibits these attributes (3b).

“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power” (3-6). This is a blessed combination! As it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31), it is wonderful to remember that the Lord is patient and slow to distribute judgment (2 Pet. 3:9). Yet, His deliberate dispensation of divine decrees is often mistaken for indulgence or indifference. Didn’t Solomon say, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil” (Ecc. 8:11). Think about His power, as recounted by Nahum–rebuking seas and drying up rivers (4), withering blossoms (4), and shaking and dismantling even the earth (5). Nahum rhetorically asks who can stand before such indignation, burning anger, and fiery wrath (6)? We must have a balanced view of God, perfectly holy, patiently holding out, but also powerfully honorable! 

“The Lord is good…” (7ff). Nineveh could attest to this, if they remembered Jonah’s visit. He delayed their overthrow for 150 years! For comparison, we would look back to the administration of Ulysses S. Grant! That’s a long time. Now, this message is for Judah in the midst of a sermon about Assyria’s impending doom. His goodness is demonstrated in a variety of ways. He gives us strength in our troubled times (7). He has a relationship with us as we hope in Him (7). He avenges His enemies on our behalf, if our enemies are His enemies (8-11). He cuts them off and destroys them utterly (12-14). He gives us gospel preaching, repeating that beautiful promise, “Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace!” (15a; Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15). He invites His restored people to commune with Him in worship (15b). He promises protection for His people from their enemies (15c). When we are struggling, we may lose sight of God’s goodness (cf. Rom. 11:22). Yet, it is in His nature to show His goodness to His people (Psa. 23:6)! 

Jonah: Successful Mission, Struggling Messenger (IV)

Are there people you know who you feel don’t deserve God’s grace? Does that keep you from sharing the fact of that grace with them? What happens when we don’t like God’s commands? What if we obey, but only begrudgingly and resentfully? It’s then we need to see Jonah.

A Calloused Resentment (4:1-11)

Neal Pollard

When called to preach to Gentiles, Jonah panicked. When swallowed by the fish, Jonah prayed. When spit up from the fish, Jonah preached. When God spared Nineveh, Jonah pouted. Our introduction to the prophet is unfavorable, but our last glimpse of him is even worse. It pleased God to save believers through preaching (1 Cor. 1:21), but God’s choice to save these believers displeased the preacher! Unfathomable, but undeniable. 

Audaciously, Jonah is angry with God! His prayer is a protest. He begs to know why God would put him to such trouble, calling him from his own country when he was going to do this to a notoriously wicked people. While he appeals to the oft-quoted passage concerning God’s character and nature, first spoken by the Lord to Moses in Exodus 34:6 and repeated throughout the Old Testament, it is in neither praise or thanksgiving. It is more accurately a complaint (2). He does not want God to relent and spare the Assyrians.

Why would Jonah react this way? I like the concise of explanation of Smith and Page: “At the very worst we see a prophet with a shocking disregard for human life and a bitter hatred toward those who had experienced mercy. At the very best he was a prophet who misunderstood God’s mercy and had a limited view of God’s plan for the redemption of his own people. While there may have been some reasons for Jonah’s displeasure, it is sad to see him place limits on the same grace that saved him” (NAC, 272). 

Notice how different the contents of this prayer are from the prayer he prayed concerning himself in chapter two. He had benefited from the grace of God personally, but he begrudged others enjoying it. He is so unwilling to accept God’s decision that he pouts and asks that his life be taken from him (3). He’d rather die than see the Assyrians live. But as God had compassionately appealed to the hearts of the people of Nineveh, He appeals to the heart of Jonah. It is remarkably like the parable of the Prodigal Son, with Jonah reminding us of the elder brother.

Isn’t the main point the question Jonah asks twice? “Do you have good reason to be angry?” (4,9). Apparently, between hearing that question a first and second time, Jonah has prepared his reply. Bitterly, when asked again, Jonah says, “I have a good reason to be angry, to the point of death” (9b). In between these questions, Jonah left the city to sit in the apparently sweltering heat to await the fate of the city (still hoping he’d see God destroy it?)(5). God enhances Jonah’s makeshift shade with a miraculously rapid growing plant that brings him great comfort (6). The next day, God appoints a worm to wither the plant and He appoints a scorching east wind along with a baking sun that brought Jonah to the point of despair and desiring death (7-8). God wants to know if Jonah had a right to be angry about the plant, and Jonah emphatically confirms that he did (9). 

God brings home the point of this dramatic object lesson to try and reach the prophet’s heart one last time. Jonah didn’t create, plant, or grow the plant. It “came up overnight and perished overnight” (10). Yet, it bothered him to see the plant die because of how it affected him. God wishes Jonah to understand that these 120,000 men, women, and children have eternal souls, are made in His image, and were destined to spend eternity somewhere. He wanted them saved (Ezek. 18:23; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9)! 

Maybe it is hard to see ourselves in Jonah. We are baffled at Jonah’s prejudice and see clearly God’s point of view. But how often do we want for our sinful selves what we do not want for others whose sinfulness may be viewed as greater than ours in some way? Do we have less patience for their sin struggles than we want God to have for our own? Do we ever rebel against the mission God gives us, choosing our own way over His? Are we ever unhappy with following God’s plan, especially when we do not understand it? This is not a Jewish problem. This is a human problem. Christians are not exempt from a Jonah-like spirit. Even when it is difficult, we must openly share God’s gracious invitation to “whosoever will” (Rev. 22:17)! That is our mission (Matt. 28:18-20). 

Jonah: Successful Mission, Struggling Messenger (III)

A recently vomited-out foreigner comes walking through your massive city, uttering five words repeatedly. They are frightening, threatening words. There are 120,000 of you and one of him. What would you do?

A Complete Repentance (3:1-10)

Neal Pollard

We do not know if the Lord cleaned up Jonah’s body from the effects of being in the stomach of a fish for three days and nights (1:17).  If not, the bleaching effects of the gastric juices of that creature might have given the prophet a harrowing appearance! Nonetheless, he comes to Nineveh with a bold, unapologetic message. God gives Jonah a second chance, sending him to Nineveh to preach. The prophet dutifully obeys, preaching the message God gave him (2). 

The city is described as a large, massive place, even by modern standards. Hannah notes, “the city was surrounded by an inner wall and an outer wall. The huge inner wall (50 feet wide and 100 feet high) was about eight miles in circumference while the outer wall encompassed fields and smaller towns (viz., Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen; cf. Gen. 10:11–12). The words “great city” probably included the city of Nineveh proper and its administrative environs” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1468).

You can imagine the intimidating task faced by Jonah, walking through the bowels of this wicked city with a message of rebuke. Even given his distaste for these people, it would have been difficult to do this job. So far as inspiration records it, Jonah’s sermon consisted of but eight words in English (five in Hebrew and five in Akkadian, the language of the Assyrians). Can you imagine merchants stepping out of their shops, slaves walking along the streets, men, women, and children stepping out of the doors of their homes, soldiers huddled together, officials on their way to meetings, all seeing and hearing this Jewish prophet proclaiming over and over again, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (4). Something about the exercise not only reached the people’s ears, it touched their hearts.

The People Believed (5). Jonah flatly reports as much. Faith came by hearing the word of God (cf. Rom. 10:17). Their faith would be demonstrated by their “deeds” (10). 

The People Repented (5-10). Notice the words in the text that prove this. They called a fast (5), they adorned themselves with sackcloth (5), they called on God (8,10), and they turned from wickedness and violence (8). They looked into their lives and saw with sincerity and humility the sin that characterized them, and from the heart turned away from it (cf. Rom. 6:17). 

The People Trusted (8-10). They acted with hope and belief that God would “relent and withdraw His burning anger” (8). They understood that the God Jonah preached had such power and had made such determination against them. They simply threw themselves on His mercy (9). Please notice that God saw it, and it caused Him to relent “concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it” (10). It is possible for believing, penitent people who submit to God to change His mind and alter the course of their future! They throw themselves on the mercy of God, and they find Him abundantly merciful (cf. Luke 1:78; Jude 21)! 

Perhaps Jonah found perverse delight in discharging such a dire message, but the next chapter reveals he is not surprised that God responds so favorably toward the Assyrians. He’s sorely disappointed, but not at all shocked. It is incredible that, once again, the unwilling prophet enjoys unparalleled success at reaching the hearts of pagan, Gentile people. First the sailors, now the entire population of Nineveh–120,000 (4:11). As with all of this book, this chapter is about God’s heart and His character. Nineveh finds Him just, but also gracious. Anyone who looks honestly at His person makes the same discovery (Psa. 86:15)!

Jonah: Successful Mission, Struggling Messenger (II)

At his lowest point (literally), he reaches his greatest height in recorded Scripture.

A Crying Request (2:1-10)

Neal Pollard

The second chapter may have been the physical, literal low for Jonah, but it was undoubtedly his spiritual high. He turns from God in chapter one, but he turns to him here. He complains to and about God in chapter four, but he gives Him praise and thanksgiving here. He maintains an attitude of defiance toward God throughout much of the rest of the book, but here he is full of humble submission. None of us should invite disaster, but it can certainly be a means of refining our heart and character. 

Chapter two, as pointed out by John Hannah, has several parallels with chapter one. The sailors have a crisis on the sea (1:4), pray to God (1:14), are delivered from the storm (1:15), and sacrifice and vow to God (1:16). The prophet has a crisis in the sea (2:3-6), prays to God (2:2,7), is delivered from drowning (2:6), and sacrifices and vows to God (2:9)(BKC, 1467). As we observe Jonah at his finest, let us notice more closely why that is.

He was extremely theocentric. In other words, he was very God-centered. Five times in the short prayer, he speaks of God in second-person in address (“You”). Additionally, he speaks the Lord’s name four times in the prayer (six times in the chapter). As he cites the prayer (1) and once in the prayer (6), Jonah refers to “the Lord my God.” He is self-centered in chapter one and four and when his focus is on the Assyrians it is full of contempt. Here, in the refinery of the fish’s belly, Jonah is hyper-focused on God! He especially notes God’s omnipotence, what He had done and what He can do. How often is my life so self-centered that prayer is far from my mind? How often when I pray is my prayer so self-centered that I lose sight of the omnipotent one who alone possesses the power I need for my life? 

He was transparent. Notice how freely he confesses his need of God. He speaks freely to God about his dire circumstances, his distress (2), depths (2,3), expelled (4), engulfed and encompassed (5), descent (6), bars (6), and fainting (7). The self-reliance that moved him to board the boat had given way to supplication and thanksgiving. While there is no confession of sin either here or elsewhere in the book, there is a unique humility and honesty. It is foolish to be anything less than transparent when appealing to the omniscient God who not only already knows everything about our lives but who also has a clearer, more perfect view of them?

He was thankful. This is seen in his acknowledgement of what God had done for him (6). It is apparent as he refers to his own “voice of thanksgiving” (9) and in his determination to worship and praise God (8-9). His prayer is full of recognition regarding all the ways God answered his prayers, particularly in the fish saving him from death. He saw it as an answer and being heard (2). He knew his predicament was his fault and death was deserved, but he expressed gratitude that he was given better than he deserved. Unfortunately, this attitude was not very discernible whenever Jonah was not inside the stomach of the fish. But we see it here. As I read Jonah’s prayer, I am reminded of my need to thank God even when circumstances are adverse and difficult. Why? Because God is still at work for my betterment and improvement. Because He can still be glorified through my trials, if I am faithful to Him. Because He is worthy of trust. 

When you find yourself in the depths of difficulties, even those you bring on yourself, take a page from the patriotic, proud prophet who came near to God in unimaginable circumstances. Then, when delivered, keep up a fervor and faithfulness in prayer (Phil. 4:6; 1 Th. 5:17; Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 2:1). 

Jonah: Successful Mission, Struggling Messenger (I)

Can God use weak and sinful people to accomplish His overarching purpose, while not endorsing or being responsible for the faults of such people? An intriguing book reveals a man’s success doing God’s will despite his fighting Him the whole way.

A Commission Rejected (1:1-17)

Neal Pollard

The book of Jonah begins with the prophet explicitly crediting God as the source of the command to him to go to a heathen nation, preaching against the wickedness of Nineveh and Assyria. What follows is a very brief book, just over twice the length of Obadiah. Yet, the prophet is better known that any of his cohorts among the Minor Prophets. Though the fish is only mentioned in three verses of the book, it (often called a whale) is a fixture in the minds of those with the least of biblical knowledge. It is written in narrative style, different from the poetry, oracles, and visions so often characteristic of his counterparts in this section of the Old Testament library. 

He is one of the few Minor Prophets we read about outside of the book he authors. 2 Kings 14:25 tells us where he is from, a city in the tribe of Zebulun called Gath Hepher. That passage also helps us precisely date the book, around the time of Jeroboam II (the beginning of the 8th Century, B.C.). Billy Smith and Franklin Page write, “The prophet Jonah, a successor of Elisha, then promised that these victories would continue for Jehoash’s son Jeroboam II, whom the Lord would enable to restore Israel’s ancient boundaries. But Israel’s successes, the author of Kings explains, came not as a result of their faithful obedience but rather the Lord’s compassion” (NAC, 204). This idea of the Lord’s compassion is central to the book of Jonah, as God extends this not just to Israel but to a heathen nation. 

The Running Prophet (1-3). God had an express, specific, and meaningful task for Jonah. He told Jonah where, to whom, and why to go (2). “But Jonah” signals the man’s disobedience (3). He went the exact opposite direction, going due west to the Mediterranean Sea away from Nineveh, which was northeast of Israel. Twice, Jonah notes of himself that this move was “from the presence of the Lord.” What a subtle proof of divine inspiration, as a man would not report such sin against himself.

The Roaring Sea (4-6). As Jonah runs, the Lord pursues. He hurls a great wind and mighty tempest (4). The ship was imperiled and seasoned seafarers were afraid (5). In their misguided devotion and ignorance, they prayed to their various gods (5). These mariners are incensed that Jonah would sleep rather than cry out to his God (6). This is the first of several instances of piety from the pagans while the chosen acts callously against his Creator.

The Responsible Party (7-10). The sailors cast lots and determine that Jonah is the reason for the “evil” they suffered (7). Evil (translated wickedness, calamity, displeased, and discomfort in the NASB in seven verses of the book) is a key word in Jonah. It might be moral (1:2), natural (1:7-8), emotional (4:1), physical (4:6), or spiritual (3:10; 4:2). Jonah tells them why the storm is his fault (8-9). They were flabbergasted that Jonah would treat his omnipotent God so flippantly (10). 

The Restored Calm (11-16). After identifying the source of the storm, the mariners want the prophet to teach them God’s will to resolve this problem (11). The unwilling prophet preaches to them and accurately shares the answer (12). He confesses his wrong and is willing to sacrifice himself to save these pagans (12). The men show their high regard for human life (13), but further witnessing God’s power turn their hearts to Him (13-14). They even pray to Him (14), then serve and worship Him (15). Jonah converts his first of many Gentiles, despite his unmatched prejudice against them.

The Rescuing God (17). Graciously, He saves Jonah with a fish (17). He had also saved the sailors (15-16). What God does in mercy for Jonah is a type of what Christ in grace and mercy would do for the lost and rebellious of all mankind (cf. Matt. 12:38-41). 

The Praying Sinner?

Dale Pollard

Does God Hear The Sinners Prayer? 

It’s not as if an all-powerful and all-knowing God doesn’t hear the sinner, but He won’t respond or act on their requests or the content of those prayers in a desirable way. 

However, there’s at least two exceptions: 

  1. He will answer prayers that lead one to salvation. 
  2. A “sinner’s” prayer that furthers God’s Will in the world. 

For Example: 

God, in accordance to His plan to bring the gentiles into the fold, heard the prayer of the unsaved Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31). 

“DOES HE HEAR THE PRAYERS OF SINFUL SAINTS?”

Quick Answer: 

God will answer a particular kind of prayer. A prayer to guide the lost back home or to lead one to Salvation. This applies to sinners in both camps— the wayward Christian and the non-Christian (Matt. 6:33). 

THE NOT-SO-QUICK ANSWER 

God hears the prayer of the one(s) who leave His presence— but seek forgiveness or direction. 

EXAMPLES & EVIDENCE 

What about Jonah? 

“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry” (Jonah 2.1-2). 

What about Israel? 

“The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 

But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them” (Judges 3.8-9). 

ANSWERED PRAYERS ARE CONDITIONAL 

  1. God won’t answer prayers that are lifted up by those with selfish motivations 

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2-4).

  1. God won’t hear the prayers of the man who isn’t living peacefully with his wife 

“You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (I Peter 3:7). 

Scripture Teaches Us How To Pray With Constant Success 

Live righteously. The righteous have a more potent prayer (James 5:16). 

Wise up. The one who doesn’t know how to make it through a trial is guaranteed wisdom if he asks God for it (James 1.5). 

Second Chances

Travis Harrison

It’s a new year. For many it’s an opportunity at a new beginning – a fresh start, a second chance. I want to begin tonight with a lighthearted story about how a couple of second chances helped me.

When I was about 5 or 6 my older brother unintentionally tried to kill me, at least twice. The first time, we were outside playing, and we found these large bushes, pokeweed. These plants and the berries are poisonous, but we didn’t know that. I read that if you cook the leaves and berries properly, you can eat them. However, what you shouldn’t do, especially as a small child, is convince your younger brother to eat a handful of these berries. I googled for curiosity’s sake how many berries were dangerous, and it said that as few as 10 would make the average adult sick with all kinds of symptoms or some reports even said death. We went to the house and my mother knew exactly what I had done, the evidence was smeared all over my hands and my face. She called poison control, and they told her to give me this syrup that would make me sick to my stomach and I’d throw up the berries. Sure enough about 45 mins later – no more berries.

The second time was a little more serious. We had this storage building out back, it had a small lean-to shed on the back side. One of the sides was perfect for climbing on. Since we were expert climbers my brother had the idea – let’s get up on that roof so we can see everything better. We shimmied our way up the side and made it up onto the roof. If that had been the end of the story that would’ve been great…but wait, there’s more. My brother noticed something coming from the side of the building. He was referring to the electrical service, and the power lines that were coming off the pole and into the side of the storage building. “I wonder what happens if you touch those?” Listen guys I’m smart it just hadn’t kicked in yet. So yeah, I walked over and grabbed them and believe me when I say they grabbed me right back. I’ve told this story 100 times and everyone seems shocked and surprised, but I can assure you, not nearly as much I was!!

Second chances are given to us all the time and come in a variety of ways. They happen in our everyday lives, our careers, our marriages, relationships with our families our friends, and our relationship with God. God gives us second chances because he loves us, and he knows us and knows we need them.

God is a God of second chances. Throughout the Bible we study about people who have sinned or made mistakes, altered their courses in life but are still given a second chance by God.

1.     For example, Jonah had fled from what God had commanded him to do yet was given a second opportunity to go to Nineveh and spread His word to the people. (Jonah 3:1-10).

2.     David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he turned away from Him when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, had Uriah killed, then his son died because of the evil he had done (II Samuel 11 and 12) but still God loved him, and he was a great king. 

3.     Rahab was a prostitute. She didn’t live a wholesome life, but she changed the course of her life when she did something for good. She hid the spies in Jericho. When the city was destroyed, she was rewarded. Only she and her family were saved. (Joshua 6:22-23)

4.     Paul once was a persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:1-3). He was converted into a Christian and baptized (Acts 9:18). He became one of the most influential missionaries, authors, and apostles of the first century. 

5.     Onesimus was once deemed useless. After being given a second chance Paul describes him as beloved servant, and brother to him. He was willing to do anything for him, even pay his debts. (Philemon 11-17)

The list could go on and on. The point is that God’s love, his mercy, and by His grace through faith, we can all be saved (Eph. 2: 4-8). God forgives our sins and gives us a fresh start. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) Every day we wake up is another chance to make changes. God’s steadfast love never ceases, his mercies never come to end, they are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)  

As important as it is that we don’t forget about God giving us second chances, Let’s not forget we are to extend second chances to others. We all have family, friends, coworkers, even sometimes church family that we don’t always see eye to eye with. We don’t need to settle for division, we need to strive for unity. (1 Peter 3:8) As Jesus taught, we are to forgive others as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). We are also encouraged to show kindness, love, and grace to others – just as God has shown us (Ephesians 4:32).

God’s second chances are such a blessing to us. We need them, he knows that we do. He’s not a mean God, “He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalms 103:10). He doesn’t want us to fail, but second chances aren’t meant to be free passes for us to keep returning to sin. (Romans 6:23) “ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  He sent his son to die for us so that we could have as many chances as we need to make things right and grow closer to him before its too late.    

Each new morning the sun rises, God is giving us a second chance. A chance to improve our lives, mend broken relationships, work on those New Year’s resolutions – that I hope we haven’t already broken. This year let’s not squander our second chances, but instead savor them. Let’s make the most of those opportunities to do good, to do things that glorify God, and that will help us walk closer to him.  If 2023 just wasn’t the year for whatever reasons, then begin this year on the right foot. Let 2024 be your second chance. 

Favor To A Faithless People (2 Kings 14:22-29)

Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

The writer of 2 Kings is constantly diverting his attention from Israel to Judah and vice versa. So, he introduces us to Azariah, also known as Uzziah, anointed king over Judah at age 16. We will read much more about him in 2 Kings 15, but he seems to be referenced here only to give us the chronology for when Jeroboam II is anointed king of Israel. It is in the 16th year of Uzziah’s reign that Jeroboam comes to the throne. This will be the next-to-last generation in the dynasty of Jehu, but his son, Zechariah (29), will be murdered after six months. When he ascends to the throne, Israel only has about 70 years left before they are destroyed by the vicious Assyrians. God has been patient with Israel for almost 150 years, as king after king behaves just as Jeroboam will behave: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin” (24). 

He will reign 41 years over Israel, an evil king over a wicked and disobedient people. But, these are God’s people, Abraham’s descendants and once part of the United Kingdom. If we do the impossible and try to put ourselves in God’s place, can we imagine giving to and doing for a people who are continually unappreciative, rebellious, and unfaithful? How long could we go before we ran out of patience? How many times could we be betrayed and hated by the recipients of our generosity before we gave up on them? Or, having God’s power, how long before we destroyed them all? God will go over 200 years, restraining Himself as His people served other gods and gratified their flesh. 

Isn’t it amazing how much grace and kindness God shows to this faithless people? The Jonah who God graciously sends to the Assyrians to preach repentance (Jonah 1:1) is also sent to Israel (25). Despite Jonah’s flaws, his ministry seemed to be to extend God’s grace to an unrighteous people. Then, read what the author says about God and Israel next. “For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, which was very bitter; for there was neither bond nor free, nor was there any helper for Israel. The Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash” (26-27). You want insight into the heart of God, as He deals with our sins? He cares when His people suffer. He views us with compassion, sympathy, and concern. He doesn’t want to reject us or let us go. God sent His prophet Hosea to this very people and speaks His mind on this subject: “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled. I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, And I will not come in wrath” (Hosea 11:8-9). 

No one will be able to legitimately say at the Judgment, “God, you were harsh, hasty, and hateful!” No, even in the face of faithlessness, God shows His matchless grace! His patience can be exhausted and His justice will not allow impenitence to go unpunished (read Exodus 34:7). But let no one accuse God of reckless wrath! He is the God of unending love. May this lead us to repentance (Rom. 2:4) and faithfulness (Rev. 2:10)! 

Neal Pollard

The Struggles Of The Righteous

(Pinch Hitting For Brent, Who Is Sick)

(This is from today’s Lehman Learner)

Neal Pollard

Perhaps Jeremiah seemed to be mean, harsh, even unloving, to his brethren. His message is certainly what we could categorize as negative, but we remind ourselves that its source was God. What may get lost in Jeremiah’s challenging message is how it affected him to share it. Chapter nine is full of the struggles he endured in being God’s spokesman with a message of divine judgment.

Jeremiah endured mourning (1). While Judah would be hypercritical and threatening toward Jeremiah for his message, they had him all wrong. He did not relish his unpleasant message. He would have preferred to have kept his mouth closed (20:9). They had no idea of how his mission was wearing on him. He writes, “Oh that my head were waters And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!” He knew that they were hurting themselves by their lifestyle, and he wanted them to escape judgment. It can be heartbreaking work to share God’s word on any number of unpleasant, unpopular subjects. No rational preacher, elder, or teacher is excited to share such a message, but it must be done (2 Tim. 4:2).  Jeremiah is rightly called the “weeping prophet” (8:18; 13:17; Lam. 2:18). Revealing this was an emotional struggle.

Jeremiah endured isolation  (2). The pressures of sharing a message nobody wanted to hear created inevitable isolation. He felt alone and like nobody understood or cared. He longs to escape such disappointing, unrighteous behavior. He wanted to run like Jonah. He felt alone like Elijah. It can go with the business of declaring God’s message. There are times when you may feel like you are standing all alone, but you never will if you are sharing God’s word God’s way. He will never leave you (Mat. 28:20; Heb. 13:6). 

Jeremiah endured disillusionment (3-6). He expected more and better from his brethren. They knew better, but they were guilty of treachery and adultery (2), lies and deceit (3,5-6), ignorance (3), violence (4), slander (5), and general iniquity (5). Have you ever overheard someone you looked up to use foul language or stumbled upon someone doing something sinful? It’s like a punch in the gut. But imagine a congregation full of people doing what God through Jeremiah reports. It had to have been discouraging and caused feelings of hopelessness. 

Jeremiah endured a sinking realization (7-11). What was the cost of this? Sin is not without consequences (Gal. 6:7-8; Hos. 8:7; Prov. 6:26). At the heart of God’s message was this rhetorical question: “Shall I not punish them for these things?” (9). Jeremiah knew what was coming. There would be weeping, wailing, and dirges (funeral songs)(10).  Judah would be ruined and desolate (11). Jeremiah knew this ahead of time. Whatever normalcy he witnessed each morning and evening, he knew that would ultimately change. The fact of judgment looms over the horizon of time. It will be a day of rejoicing for the righteous and prepared, but not for the rest of humanity. The people of Judah were not ready for this judgment, and Jeremiah knew that. 

Jeremiah endured being overwhelmed (12-16). The message gets specific about the nature of what was coming. It was going to be more devastating than any of them had experienced. Because of their stubborn rebellion, they would be scattered and annihilated. Hope belongs to the penitent, but there’s just no good news for those who are determined to oppose God’s way.  

Jeremiah endured unpleasant duty (17-22). God tells Jeremiah to call for mourning, wailing, and tears (17-19). He is help them focus on their shame (19).  The heart of the message was death (20-22). Don’t you think Jeremiah would have loved to have spoken of grace, mercy, lovingkindness, and blessings? But the circumstances did not call for that. Jeremiah had to be faithful to God’s message. Like Micaiah, every faithful spokesman for God should say, “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I shall speak” (1 Ki. 22:14). 

There is a ray of hope starting in 9:23. Amid the folly of idolatry, there will be a reminder of the wonderful, perfect character of God in chapter ten. But even here, there is encouragement for God’s faithful servant. It was a message for the worldly wise, for the mighty man, and for the wealthy (23) not to trust in those things, but to trust in Him. Everyone should boast of knowing and understanding God, that He is “the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things” (24). Punishment was for the spiritually uncircumcised (25-26). It was not for the faithful, like His man Jeremiah. Whatever we have to struggle through for the Savior, may we know that God will be with us through thick and thin. He has not left us alone. He will always be with us, help us, and strengthen us! Declaring His word is right, and He will not let us lose for being unswervingly loyal to it and Him! 

More Than A Fish Story!

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

Dale Pollard

Some times it can feel like our life is a ship on the verge of breaking apart in a violent storm. Maybe we placed too much trust in the now creaking wooden planks that buckle and groan over dark turbulent waters. In a last stitch effort to stay afloat, we madly rush about throwing any non-essentials overboard.

At times we turn to anything or anyone in an attempt to discover some lifesaving advice— perhaps a miracle? If you’re a child of God, you’ve got access to salvation even in the storms. Jonah 1:4-5 depicts chaos, panic, and overwhelming fear. Those sailors on the boat with Jonah had no idea where they should turn for their salvation. With each passing moment their ship threatened to burst into splinters and “each one cried out to his god” (v. 5).

But Jonah? He’s asleep. He has some kind of knowledge and relationship with the Creator, but he doesn’t fully understand how powerful his God really is.

The application, then, is humbling. Today our communities are filled with people whose lives are rocked and they’re looking for a savior with lifesaving power. They turn to the things in which they’ve placed their trust, and to no avail. How many of us hold the answers they need, but at times find ourselves spiritually sleeping— selfishly keeping this message to ourselves?

The Price Of Flight

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

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Dale Pollard

The cost of leaving God’s presence is more than many fully realize. 

It’s interesting how the phrase “away from the presence of the Lord” is used twice in Jonah 1:2-3. 

Leading up to the second mention, the text states that Jonah “paid the fare.” In the very next verse we read of a terrible storm that would end with the beginning of Jonah’s three day stent in solitary confinement within the belly of a great fish. 

He paid the fare— but the price was a little steeper than he thought. It’s expensive to flee from the presence of the Almighty. Too many Christians run away from the responsibilities that God has given us only to discover that the dark waters of sin and separation just aren’t worth it. 

Some discover this when it’s too late, but others are fortunate enough to realize this truth and return to the safety of God’s presence. May we learn from Jonah to go where the Lord leads and not make our own alternative routes. 

“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah‬ ‭1:3‬ 

 
 

THE HEART OF JONAH

TUESDAY COLUMN: “DALE MAIL”

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Dale Pollard

The book of Jonah is a unique book in the Old Testament. Unlike other prophetic books, God chooses to focus on the prophet himself rather than the message being preached by him. While many lessons can be pulled from this four chapter book, there’s one in particular that we can all benefit from hearing from time to time. That lesson is that in order for true change to occur in our lives there must be a genuine transformation of the heart.

The book begins with God’s call to Jonah to preach to the wicked people of Nineveh and then closes with God’s response to Jonah’s anger at the penitent hearts of the Ninevites. Between these two divine speeches you read about the prophet’s incredible experience in the belly of a great fish. Many artist’s have painted pictures of Jonah desperately trying to keep his head above the waves while a terrifying monster breeches the surface with its mouth wide open preparing to swallow him. While this may be the image that comes to mind, Jonah gives us an interesting detail in his prayer. He recalls how the waters closed over him and he eventually reaches the sea floor where he is helplessly tangled in the weeds. While the murky waters cloud his vision his fate seemed very clear. Jonah admits that he called out to the Lord provoked by his great distress and this mental plea was a desperate attempt to preserve his life. God answers this cry by sending him a slippery savior. Jonah, while known to be a little on the dramatic side, will later recall how it was in the moment when his life was fainting away that he “remembered the Lord.” God saved a blatantly rebellious man who in no way deserved that salvation but He also allowed Jonah to reach great depths and come face to face with his own spiritual reality. Jonah was a long way from God, but not geographically.

Before Jonah became soaked by the stormy seas, he was soaked in a sin problem that had taken root in his heart. God allowed Jonah to physically experience rock bottom so that he could acknowledge some spiritual issues that distanced him from God. While Jonah may have desired to run from God, he came to the conclusion that being away from God was not the relief he thought it would be.

As traumatic as this event was, Jonah seems to emerge from the belly of the fish with lingering spiritual issues. Though he preaches to the city of Nineveh, there is still anger and hatred dominating his heart. The last chapter gives us a glimpse of this as he directs this anger towards the very God that saved him. In order for true change to occur, there must be a genuine change of heart. While low points can help us examine our heart health for a moment, relentless determination to live life differently is the key to success. A hopeful reminder for anyone who may find themselves in the depths of sin, there is no place too dark where God is not able to hear your prayers. 

Did James Bartley Live To Tell Being Swallowed By A Sperm Whale?

Neal Pollard

On his tombstone in Gloucester, England, James Bartley had written “A Modern Jonah.”  Bartley was allegedly swallowed by a sperm whale while helping to hunt and kill the giant in 1891.  The whale, as the tale goes, was ultimately subdued and conquered, and when its stomach was hoisted on deck two days later, an unconscious and crazed Bartley was found inside. He was a member of a party sent out to harpoon the beast, and in the melee that ensued Bartley was said to be accidentally ingested.  By the mid-1890s, the story was published and circulated as fact on both sides of the Atlantic.  For over 100 years, the Bartley story has been told by eager apologists to defend the veracity of the biblical account of Jonah.  It has served as a theological pingpong ball vollied back and forth between believers and unbelievers.  Research, particularly by a Bible-believing professor named Edward Davis (http://asa.calvin.edu:80/asa/pscf.html | 19:53:53 Mar 16, 2003), ultimately shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the story is a hoax.  Too many aspects of the story do not stand up to scrutiny.  The alleged ship, “Star of the East,” was not a whaler. There was no fishing off the Falkland Islands in 1891. Bartley’s name never appeared on a manifest of the aforementioned ship. The captain’s wife said that her husband never lost anyone overboard in all their years of marriage, and they were married in 1891.  Atheists and skeptics have rejoiced in such findings, using them to discredit the Bible’s account of the Jonah incident.  Apparently, some less than scrupulous (or, at best, sloppy researching) “Christian Apologists” have taken the Bartley story and run with it in an effort to substantiate that ancient account.  Yet, opponents of Scripture have been as out of bounds in their response, making the nonsensical jump from the fraudulent Bartley story to try to discredit the validity of the book of Jonah.  Because modern man fabricated a story about a man being swallowed by a whale does not mean that the account in Scripture should be rejected.

The account of Jonah is believable for at least these reasons.  First, the Bible does not call Jonah’s captor a whale.  It was a fish (Jonah 1:17). The NAS has “sea monster” in Matthew 12:40, but it is better translated “big fish, huge fish” (Louw-Nida, np). Second, this fish was “prepared” (appointed, NAS) by God for the occasion. We have no record of this “species” prior to or after this special occasion meant by God to persuade His pekid prophet.  Finally, Jesus validates the historicity of the Jonah incident. In the aforementioned gospel account, Jesus refers to Jonah as fact rather than fable. If it was a fairy tale, Christ gives no hint of it.  In fact, He says, “…just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of…” this creature (emph., NP).

Have creationists and “fundamentalists” ever overreached to try and prove their point? Undoubtedly!  Have skeptics and atheists ever overreacted to try and protect their non-theistic bubble? Absolutely!  When such battles as these are being waged, I find my confidence in going back and reading the text.  Seeing what the Bible actually says is powerful in keeping us away from either extreme.