Back to: Jonah: A Deep Dive
In ‘Getting the Message, Doriani defines a problem as a term, phrase, concept, custom, or teaching that eludes ready understanding. He cites three types of problems: obvious, teacher, and hidden.
- Obvious problems are, well… obvious. For example, we question whether or not Jonah was really swallowed by a fish.
- Teacher problems are those anticipated by a teacher about his/her students. The teacher asks, “what does my class know about this topic? And what don’t they know?”
- Hidden problems are those areas of a topic that we think we know, but are now unsure about, after a closer look.
For this session, we’ll focus on some obvious and hidden problems that might confront us in Jonah. However, we won’t cover any of the problems we’ve already mentioned in prior lessons. Feel free to go back and explore those.
Keep in mind that not every problem or question has a definitive answer. The goal is to do our best to exegete and interpret the text as accurately as possible.
Resources
Two resources immediately pop up in my mind, when it comes to solving problems, or asking questions, in the bible.
The Quest Study Bible
This was the bible that was instrumental in driving my faith forward. It asked – and answered – a lot of the same questions I had while growing up in a traditional Baptist home.
I can easily recommend this as a starter bible for someone who is searching for truth, or someone who claims to have been a Christian growing up, but doesn’t read the bible much.
GotQuestions.org
While it isn’t exhaustive, it does a good job of taking on the more popular questions that people have regarding scripture. Head over there and type in ‘Jonah’ in the search bar to see what problems are explored.
Problems by Chapter
Here are some of the questions I came up with as I went through each chapter of Jonah. Again, these don’t include the ones we’ve already mentioned.
Chapter 1 – On the Ship
For starters let’s first look at the significance of Nineveh. Who built Nineveh, and what other events happened around this individual and region?
Nimrod & the Table of Nations
Genesis 10 is often considered the section of scripture that contains the Table of Nations. It is the from the sons of Noah that the first nations of today’s world were formed.
Genesis 11 is the account of the Tower of Babel. Chronologically, it fits within the time span of chapter 10 and provides some insight as to who was at Babel when language and people groups were divided.
Shem, Ham, Japheth: Genesis 10:5,20,31-32 ESV
[Japheth] From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
[20] These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
[31] These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
[32] These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.
Nimrod: Genesis 10:6–12
The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.
The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.
The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”
The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. (ESV)
Trivia: Do you recognize a name in this list?
Genesis 10:4 ESV – The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
ESV Study Bible Notes – “Cush fathered Nimrod” (v. 8).
- This association may seem unusual given that Cush is linked geographically with Africa, and Nimrod with Mesopotamia.
- Nimrod is of particular interest for several reasons. He is linked to the great cities of Babel (i.e., Babylon; see note on 11:9) and Nineveh in Assyria, whose inhabitants at a later stage would descend in destructive power on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
- The military might of the Assyrians and Babylonians may account for the related observations that Nimrod was a mighty man (i.e., warrior) and a mighty hunter (10:8,9).
- These descriptions, one of which is linked with irony to the expression before the LORD (10:9), are probably to be viewed negatively. Nimrod’s aggression as a person runs totally counter to what God had intended when at creation he commissioned humanity to be his vice-regents or representatives.
- Nimrod’s kingdom is the antithesis of what God desired.
- Babel … in the land of Shinar (v. 10). These details link Nimrod with the Tower of Babel episode (see 11:2,9).
Afflictions of Assyria against Israel
The Neo-Assyrian period (935–609 B.C.) brought renewed threats from the Assyrians. God used the Assyrians to chasten wayward Israel. In Nah. 1:12 the Lord tells Judah that “Though I have afflicted you [through the Assyrians], I will afflict you no longer.”
Assyrian Ruler | Reign | Affliction | Significance and Biblical References
Shalmaneser III | 858–824 B.C. | Exacted tribute from “Jehu, son of Omri” | according to the Black Obelisk Defeated at Qarqar in 853 B.C. by a Syrian coalition that included “Ahab the Israelite”
Adad-nirari III | 811–783 | Exacted tribute from Jehoash of Israel | His attacks on Damascus enabled Jehoash to recover Israelite cities lost previously to Hazael (2 Kings 13:25)
Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) | 745–727 | Invaded the land and exacted tribute | To avoid deportation, Menahem paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) (2 Kings 15:19–20); Pul deported the Transjordanian tribes (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chron. 5:26); Pul aided Ahaz of Judah against Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel (2 Kings 16:5–10; 2 Chron. 28:16–21)
Shalmaneser V | 727–722 | Exacted tribute from Hoshea of Israel; took the northern kingdom (Israel) into exile | Hoshea refused to pay tribute and sought Egypt for help, the Assyrians besieged Samaria (2 Kings 17:3–6; 18:9–12)
Sargon II | 722–705 | Took credit for the invasion and exile of the northern kingdom (Israel) that began under Shalmaneser V | Sargon II may be the unnamed king of Assyria in 2 Kings 17:6
Sennacherib | 705–681 | Invaded Judah Sennacherib besieged Lachish and forced tribute from Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13–16); | he besieged Jerusalem and demanded Hezekiah’s surrender (2 Kings 18:17–19:9); the Lord delivered Jerusalem from Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:10–37). See also 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36–37
Esarhaddon | 681–669 | Exacted tribute from Manasseh of Judah | Mentioned at 2 Kings 19:37 as successor to Sennacherib (see also Ezra 4:2)
Ashurbanipal | 669–627 | Exacted tribute Increasing tensions from Babylonia required Assyria’s direct attention. | The increased political freedom of the western city-states is reflected in the reforms instituted by Josiah
Nahum: The Sequel & Conclusion
It only took about 100 yrs before Nineveh deviated from the path of repentance and, once again, fall into rebellion against YHWH. Nahum, like Jonah, was the prophet tasked with proclaiming the coming judgement against the great city. But this time, there would be no mercy granted. Only justice.
From the ESVSB Intro Notes to the Book of Nahum
Nahum’s book is a sequel to, and a dramatic contrast with, the book of Jonah. Jonah’s mission to Nineveh was probably sometime in the first half of the eighth century B.C. He was to warn that large city of God’s impending judgment because of Nineveh’s wickedness. To Jonah’s dismay, the Ninevites heeded his message, repented, and were spared God’s judgment.
This repentance, however, did not last beyond 745 B.C., when Tiglath-pileser III (745–728/727) made his people the leading military power in the Near East. The vast Assyrian Empire was established by bloodshed and massacre, cruelty and torture, destruction, plundering, and exiling such as has seldom been seen in history.
After several campaigns, Tiglath-pileser greatly enlarged the territory paying him homage with annexed land and vassal kingdoms, including the northern kingdom of Israel (reduced in size by the Assyrians) and the southern kingdom of Judah. Succeeding rulers maintained and expanded this empire. In 722 B.C. the Assyrians brought to an end the northern kingdom of Israel.
Sennacherib (reigned 704–681 B.C.) made Nineveh the capital of his kingdom (c. 700). His energetic building program included a splendid palace, water-supply and water-control projects, and a massive wall to surround the expanded city.
Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C., never to be restored, marking the end of Assyria. A small remnant of Assyrians did escape the city, fleeing to Haran and making Ashur-uballit II “king of Assyria.” In 610 B.C., though, Haran fell to the Babylonians and their allies. Ashur-uballit retreated, but in 609 B.C., with Egyptian help, he tried to recapture Haran. That attempt failed, and Ashur-uballit and the Assyrians disappeared from history.
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Chapter 2 – In the Fish
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Chapter 3 – On the Land
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Chapter 4 – In the Sun
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Time to go fish – for your own problems and solutions! What will you learn?