Iain Provan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The book of Jonah provides one of the most effective examples of humour in the Old Testament. \u201cGo to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it,\u201d God commands his prophet (Jonah 1:2)\u2014but \u201cJonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish\u201d (1:3). In the ancient world, this is just about as far as one can go in the opposite direction. \u201cGet up and go,\u201d God tells Jonah in the Hebrew\u2014but Jonah goes down to Joppa, down into the ship (both in v. 3), and down into the ship\u2019s hold (v.5). His lack of piety contrasts starkly with that of the pagan sailors, who end up fearing the Lord greatly (v. 16). They know better than Jonah, who claims to \u201cworship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land\u201d (v. 9), but is trying to escape from him on both. The sovereignty of God over the sea is soon demonstrated, as a great fish astonishingly shows up to rescue Jonah from his watery grave. He thanks God for saving him (2:7-9), but he takes a very different view when God later saves the people of Nineveh, who repent\u2014hilariously and unexpectedly\u2014upon hearing Jonah\u2019s ridiculously brief sermon (3:4). By the end of the book, Jonah\u2014\u201cdispleased and \u2026 angry\u201d (4:1)\u2014is the only creature who has not repented, including the Assyrian cows (3:8)! The humour presses home the message that the people of God are characteristically much less interested in the lost than God is\u2014the God who is \u201cgracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity\u201d(4:2). They prefer judgment to redemption, whereas God\u2019s preferences are the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRead it all<\/a>. Lakewood, CO: Iain Provan is going to be in your neck of the woods next week! Join Iain for an evening lecture at the Davenant Institute. Free admission, RSVP required. Nov. 15, 7 pm. https:\/\/t.co\/udROaVN3JO<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8dGi5cfTkF<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Regent College (@regentcollege) November 8, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n