What Was The Purpose Of Jonah In The Book Of Jonah

In conclusion, Jonah is summed up in these four headings: Jonah flees from God (conceals His message), Jonah prays (made humble), Jonah travels to the city of Nineveh (message of annihilation), and Jonah’s anger at the Lord’s compassion (“God is more concerned with saving souls"). (Goos) The book of Jonah has no stated author, but the most logical or sensible choice would be “Jonah,” ("Jonah." Intro to. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.) despite Jonah being referred to in the third person in the story. Jonah was written during a period of time after the Babylonian Exile of Israel (the 2nd exile). This stage in time can be titled the age of Jewish exclusivity. Jonah inherited traits and beliefs from this age. The purpose of Jonah depends on the nature of the book and on the person’s individual exegesis. …show more content…
Jonah was commanded to go and preach to Nineveh; the capital of Assyria. Assyria was the lone empire to “repent after hearing God’s warning and Jonah was the one prophet to hide God’s warning message,” (Flurry) meaning God was going to use Assyria in the future to discipline His child, Israel, for being disobedient. This disciplinary event happened after Tiglath-pileser III seized Assyria and followed up with a campaign of expansion. Jonah precisely took place in the period of Assyrian instability between the “death of Adad-nirari III and the seizing of the Assyrian throne by Tiglath-pileser III.” (Gaebelein, Jonah Section) There is clear historical evidence of this fact. This was a sensitive time for Nineveh; the people realized they could be taken over soon. Their willingness to believe Jonah’s message is