The story of Jonah is among the best known Bible stories, even outside of Christianity, but also one of the most misunderstood. Who has not heard of Jonah and the great fish that swallowed him up? But did it really happen? And if it did, what does it mean? The book of Jonah is much more than a story about a man who survived three days in a fish's belly. The hero is God, longsuffering and rich in mercy, who chases sinners, beckoning them to repent and turn back to Him. But Jonah is unique among the Bible's prophetic writings in that there is no sermon to Israel inviting their repentance like the writings of Jonah's contemporaries, Amos and Hosea. Instead, the book is dominated with narrative content displaying for its audience a prodigal prophet, a tempestuous sea, surprising sailors, a great fish, the people of Nineveh, a miraculous gourd, a worm, and an east wind. Their actions and reactions were recorded in didactic prophetic narrative, providing an extended object lesson for Israel in the 8th century BC. This volume of the Mission 119 series provides historical context for the book and addresses the debated issues about historicity, genre and interpretation, then provides commentary emphasizing the intended message to the original audience, the Lord Jesus' use and interpretation of the book, and application for the modern audience.

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