JONAH THE
CONTRARY MISSIONARY
INTRODUCTION:
Jonah, whose
name means, “dove” is believed to be the author of the book which bears his
name, written approximately 760 BCE. He is the same Jonah who prophesied during
the reign of Jeroboam the II, king of Israel, from 793-753 BCE (II Kings
14:25). According to the Seder Olam he was the Prophet sent by Elisha to anoint
Jehu (II Kings 9:1). Jonah along with Hosea is the only two Prophets of the
Tanak who were born and raised in the Northern Kingdom of Israel and to have
books by them in the Tanak. Jonah has been called the “Acts of the Old
Testament” due to its allusions to the gospel story and the inclusion of
Gentiles in the redemptive plan. Jonah is a fantastic true tale that has
enthralled religious and non-religious, believer and non-believer alike. In
Judaism this book is traditionally read on Yom Kippur and as we study this book
we will see why. I pray you will thoroughly enjoy reading this commentary as
much as I have enjoyed studying and writing it. All Scripture is taken from the
King James Version unless otherwise noted due to its status as Public Domain.
