Getting to Know the ProphetsSample

Jonah

It’s fitting that there is some question surrounding the authorship of Jonah because Jonah was a questioning prophet. A resident of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, circa 786 BC (approx. 150 years into the divided kingdom), Jonah is the only recorded prophet who was told to deliver a message from the Lord outside the nation of Israel. You might think he would have been eager to travel and see the world (yes, please), but Jonah’s assignment was less than desirable. He was called to deliver a message of impending doom in the Assyrian capital, Nineveh.

Jonah knew the Assyrians were a fierce enemy, often impaling and skinning their captives. In fact, only decades later, Assyria utterly destroyed Northern Israel. But don’t jump to any conclusions here. We’ll see in tomorrow’s reading that Jonah didn’t run from God because he was afraid of the Ninevites. Jonah’s rebellion in boarding a ship to Tarshish (the opposite direction from Nineveh) was a result of being sinful, not scared. He admits as much in Jonah 4.

1. Can you remember a time in your life when you clearly felt God telling you to do something? Did you obey?

Prayer: God, thank you for speaking to me. Teach me to hear your voice and obey your calling.