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The Books of Obadiah and Jonah

Key Verse: Obadiah 1:4

“Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down."

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Referring back to Genesis, we see the twin brothers Jacob and Isaac going their separate ways, but their descendants would continue to clash as the Israelites and the Edomites.

This book, probably written just after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians is short and to the point. God is angry because of Edom’s gloating over the invasion of Jerusalem and Edom’s participation in the sacking of the city. Their arrogance would bring about their destruction. And, in the final verses, God once again provides hope that his people will again return to their own land and also will occupy the lands of Edom and Philistia.

Key Verse: Johah 4:2b

“… I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”

Jonah, son of Amittai, prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel and the book was probably written around 760 BC. This book strongly shows that God can use people who don’t want to be used by him.

God came to Jonah and asked him to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. Jonah, fearing that God, in His mercy, would show compassion on an evil people, ran away and fled in the opposite direction.

After he boards a ship bound for Tarshish, the Lord brought a great storm and all the sailors were afraid. They cast lots to find that Jonah was the cause of it all. They queried him about his purpose there and asked “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” Jonah told them the best thing to do would be to throw him overboard, but at first they declined and tried to row to shore without success. Then, having no other choice, they called out to God for forgiveness and threw Jonah into the sea where he was swallowed by a “great fish.” The sea then grew calm.

Jonah was inside the fish for three days and spent the time praying to God. God listened and caused the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. Here, God again asked him to go to Nineveh and proclaim his message. Jonah now obeyed, although, he didn’t really want God to spare the cruel Assyrians. The Ninevites heard the message and believed. They declared a fast and sat in sackcloth and ashes. The king issued a proclamation that no one was to eat or drink and should remain in prayer for the repentance of the people and the compassion of God.

Jonah, knowing God’s habit of forgiving evil people, railed out against the Lord. He went out of the city, sat down in the shade and waited to die. In the last few verses, God shows Jonah the value of his compassion by using a vine and a worm as illustrations.

Ruth’s Comments: Somehow I see, in the illustration of the vine and the worm, a second, almost ignored parable from the book of Jonah. But, I guess the truth of God’s divine providence is easier to see in his use of the great fish than it is in the use of the tiny worm and the withering vine.

References: The NIV Bible
The Bible Handbook © 1995 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Next week: Micah and Nahum