In this message we will consider the book of Jonah. Among the books of the Minor Prophets, Jonah stands alone.
Jonah 1:1-2 is the introductory word to this book.
Jonah in Hebrew means “dove” (v. 1). This signifies that God wanted Jonah to go out as a dove to preach the gospel of peace.
The time of Jonah’s ministry was about 862 B.C., at the time of the prophet Elisha (896-838 B.C.).
The object of his ministry was the people of the great city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.
The place of his ministry also was Nineveh.
The subject of Jonah’s ministry was that Jehovah’s salvation reached even to the Gentile city Nineveh.
The central thought of the book of Jonah is that God cared for and saved even the most evil Gentiles in His pity on men and cattle.
In the book of Jonah, the revelation concerning Christ is in Jonah’s being a type of Christ.
Christ is revealed in Jonah’s typifying Christ preaching the gospel of peace to the Gentiles (3:2; Matt. 12:41). Jonah was a prophet who turned from Israel to the Gentiles. In this he was a type of Christ, who turned from Israel to the Gentiles (Luke 4:25-27; Matt. 21:43).
Christ is revealed also in the type of Jonah’s staying in the great fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). This typifies Christ’s staying in the heart of the earth three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40). Christ died and entered into the heart of the earth. He came forth from there in resurrection, and in resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b) for the preaching, the spreading, of the gospel to all the Gentile nations, as seen in the book of Acts.
The book of Jonah has five sections: the introductory word (1:1-2); Jonah’s fleeing from Jehovah’s commission (1:2-17); Jonah’s repenting (ch. 2); Jonah’s preaching (ch. 3); and Jonah’s prejudice (ch. 4).