Biblical and Theological Context
Jonah 4 in the Canon
While the words of Jonah 4 are not directly quoted elsewhere in Scripture the message of Jonah 4 is bedrock for much of the message of the New Testament. In most prophetic literature the judgment of God upon Israel appears to be related more or less to their fidelity to the Mosaic covenant. The post-exilic community sought to reform this behavior behind leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah. By the time of events recorded in the New Testament the Jews are depicted as very zealous for the ways of YHWH and the Mosaic covenant. It appears that Jesus‟ condemnation of his people is basically a way of telling them “You can‟t win for trying.”
Yet Jonah 4 shows that the problem that Jesus sought to address was already apparent even before the return from exile. Jonah is the Jews par excellence. He boasts in his relationship with YHWH. He sees himself as loyal to the God of the temple. He even sings Psalms (see Jonah …show more content…
Yet he refuses to announce to the pagan world that YHWH is a God of mercy and grace for all people.
Below we will reference a small handful of those passages but it is sufficient to say that the Book of Jonah provides an important historical and hermeneutical key to understanding the New Covenant context, the New Testament message, and the Gospel of Jesus. If one reads the Gospels or passages like Romans 9-11 with Jonah in the other hand one can see the root of the problem that Jesus and others were
Jonah 4 in the Canon
While the words of Jonah 4 are not directly quoted elsewhere in Scripture the message of Jonah 4 is bedrock for much of the message of the New Testament. In most prophetic literature the judgment of God upon Israel appears to be related more or less to their fidelity to the Mosaic covenant. The post-exilic community sought to reform this behavior behind leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah. By the time of events recorded in the New Testament the Jews are depicted as very zealous for the ways of YHWH and the Mosaic covenant. It appears that Jesus‟ condemnation of his people is basically a way of telling them “You can‟t win for trying.”
Yet Jonah 4 shows that the problem that Jesus sought to address was already apparent even before the return from exile. Jonah is the Jews par excellence. He boasts in his relationship with YHWH. He sees himself as loyal to the God of the temple. He even sings Psalms (see Jonah …show more content…
Yet he refuses to announce to the pagan world that YHWH is a God of mercy and grace for all people.
Below we will reference a small handful of those passages but it is sufficient to say that the Book of Jonah provides an important historical and hermeneutical key to understanding the New Covenant context, the New Testament message, and the Gospel of Jesus. If one reads the Gospels or passages like Romans 9-11 with Jonah in the other hand one can see the root of the problem that Jesus and others were