The Book of Jonah
The prophet Jonah got the commission from God to warn the heathen and godless people in the city of Nineveh, but he disregarded this command because he did not want God to associate Himself with other despised communities other than the Israelites. Even though he tried to escape to Tarshish, God caught up with him. He sent a storm in the sea that destabilized the ship and the mariners had to cast lots so as to sacrifice one of them. Unfortunately, the lot fell on the prophet and he was thrown into the sea where he spent three days and three nights in the belly of a fish. Finally, the sea creature vomited him in Nineveh according to Gods command.
After all these experiences, Jonah accomplished his mission by preaching about the predicament that was awaiting the people of Nineveh if they did not repent. In the end, they repented and God withdrew his judgment. Thus, in dissimilarity to all the other prophets in the Old Testament, his mission was solely directed to the heathen people of the city of Nineveh and not to the Israelites. He only preached about the doom that was awaiting the inhabitants of Nineveh. Consequently, he is the only prophet in the Old Testament who made the heathen to know about the saving grace of God.
Similar to Jonah, Amos the prophet also carried out his mission during the reign of king Jeroboam II. During this period, the Israelites were very prosperous and the gap between the rich and the poor widened. The Book starts by pronouncing impending destruction to the surrounding nations, which is an indication that in terms of purity, God is no respecter of persons since He puts all people at the same level. His harshest judgment was delivered to the people of Israel. He told the affluent and the powerful about Gods requirements for justice by proclaiming that cultic observances without moral behavior are not right. Like Jonah, he preached that the kingdom of Israel and its neighbors faced impending destruction if they did not repent.
Unlike Jonah, the message of Amos was not very much welcomed by most people. This is because he was considered a foreigner from the southern kingdom. His clear message of doom was totally at odds with the prevailing prosperity that the nation of Israel was enjoying. Amos never tried to evade his mission and he carried it out amidst constant conflicts with the governing authorities, including Amaziah, a priest of Bethel who was loyal to Jeroboam. Amos is a classical prophet, whose message is centered on the welfare of individuals and the sanctity of faith, and he does not proclaim the millennial apocalyptic ideologies of the later prophets, nor does he depend on esotericism or mystical signs.
Like the Book of Jonah, the Book of Hosea portrays the love that God has for the lost (Heschel, 2007). The affiliation that Hosea had with his wife parallels the affiliation between God and the lost. In as much as his wife continued in adultery, he still loved her and forgave her willingly. Similarly, as much as the wicked would continue in sin, God would still send His messengers to warn them. Like Jonah, Hosea warns of an impending destruction for the disobedient. This is metaphorically seen when he sent his wife away. The names of his children, Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi, demonstrate the severed covenant that the people of Israel had with God. However, just as Hosea brought his wife from exile and embraced her, God is able to withdraw His judgment and restore the disobedient to their former status.
Similar to Jonah, the prophet Jeremiah constantly gave out prophecies that were predicting destruction. The messages that he preached for about a quarter century pleaded with the Israelites to turn away from their wicked ways. However, unlike Jonah, his efforts were futile and he witnessed the very destruction he had predicted. Like Jonah, the Book of Jeremiah demonstrates the life of an impetuous prophet who was usually dissatisfied with the role that he had been given. In contrast to Jonah, he was persecuted as he was trying to proclaim his God-given message, for example, at one time he was thrown into a pit and left for the dead. Even though Gods judgment came to pass, He still promised restoration to the people of Israel if they would come back to Him (Heschel, 2007).
According to the Book of Isaiah, the prophet was mainly instructed to issue warning messages to the Kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom was undergoing times of revival and times of rebellion and it was under constant threats from its neighbors. Like Jonah, he preached about repentance in order to avoid the impending destruction. Upon repentance, the nation was spared because of the mercy of God. Unlike Jonah, the prophet Isaiah took his mission seriously and went according to the requirements of God without murmuring. A central theme that is evident in the Book of Isaiah is that Yahweh is the God of all the earth. Just as He sent His servant Jonah to deliver His message to the heathen, He is not only concerned with the Jewish people. He uses them only to draw the attention of the heathen to His statutes. Although Isaiah endured numerous conflicts with governing authorities, it is believed that he was murdered by King Manasseh because of his views.
A unifying theme that is found in the messages of Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, and Isaiah is that disobedience to God leads to destruction. However, the Old Testament prophets also demonstrate that God is merciful and forgives sin when a person repents and turns back to Him wholeheartedly. The five books also point to the salvation that humankind has received through the sacrifice of Christ. For example, the three days and three nights that Jonah spent in the belly of the sea creature is a sign of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Book of Isaiah is also full of illustrations of the mission of Christ on this world.
Categories:
0 comments:
Post a Comment