Jonah's non spiritual journey

[fluke]

I've been studying the book of Jonah lately, and noticed something of literary significance (to us writers anyway) at the end--Jonah has come full circle in attitude. The hero's journey that Jeff writes about in several of his tips of the week seems to end in failure. In chapter 2, it appears that Jonah has seen the light. But the last time we see Jonah, he is once again just as mean spirited and arrogant as the first. From the notes I made this morning:

A running irony in the story is how everything breaks its neck to obey the LORD's commands except the prophet. The fish, the plant, and the worm all obey immediately. The Ninevehites repent of their wickedness when they hear of the coming judgment. Even the sailors obey and then change their hearts (for how long we don't know). Jonah alone ends the tale with the same attitude as he began. If he does change, it is not revealed.

Most commentators speak of the theme of the book being God's mercy in sending missionaries to those who have not heard. I agree that is certainly the case and portrayed in Jonah. However, I believe as writers who construct characters, we may see Jonah as an anti-hero.

[scintor]

This is the type of thing that gives non-believers fits about the Bible when they try to claim it was made up. The people in the bible act like real people, not like heroic archtypes. They often do stupid and petty things that no author would ever have a character do.

Scincerely,

[e-mail]

[Jeff Gerke]

So, fluke, why not write what happened to Jonah after Ninevah repented? You're right: Jonah's had this incredible experience but doesn't seem to have learned from it. Still, what will the world look like through his eyes when he returns home? When he sees other sinful people or groups--or sin in his own life?

Seems to me you've hit on what could be a fascinating character study.

So go write it!

Jeff

[Divides the Waters]

scintor said:

This is the type of thing that gives non-believers fits about the Bible when they try to claim it was made up. The people in the bible act like real people, not like heroic archtypes. They often do stupid and petty things that no author would ever have a character do.

Scincerely,

[e-mail]

Right ... it also completely dispels the "history written by winners" notion...the fact that the scriptures show all these uncomplimentary things about the people demonstrates that the Israelites were not given to, say, Egyptian-style exaggeration.

[strangewind]

We're all anti-heroes in desperate need of an antidote. I sort of wonder if Jonah died waiting for God to rain down judgement on Nineveh.

[fluke]

Strangewind,

We're all anti-heroes in desperate need of an antidote. I sort of wonder if Jonah died waiting for God to rain down judgement on Nineveh.

According to legend, Jonah's tomb has been located at Nebil Junis right outside the ruins of Nineveh. So maybe he did.

Jeff,

So, fluke, why not write what happened to Jonah after Ninevah repented? You're right: Jonah's had this incredible experience but doesn't seem to have learned from it. Still, what will the world look like through his eyes when he returns home? When he sees other sinful people or groups--or sin in his own life?

Seems to me you've hit on what could be a fascinating character study.

So go write it!

Jeff

And part of me wonders why he changed between chap 2 and 4. Was it just human nature? God gave him what he wanted, so he repented of his repentance? Did a Ninevehite wrong him while in the city? Did he just remember the decades of oppression and animosity between the nations?

I'll have to think on that. There is a story in there. Historical because it involves historical figures and settings. Speculative because it involves a part of his life where we have only legend and maybe a tomb. Ah thoughts.

Frank

[torainfor]

When I was a wee lass, a hundred years ago, sitting in Sunday School, Gideon was always held as an example of obedience. I recently re-read Judges, however, and was reminded of "the rest of the story."

After his God-given victory over the Midianites, we get this:

24 And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)

25 They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels' necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. (Judges 7)

And he was one of the better judges. It amazes me the people God chose to use in that book!

[Divides the Waters]

One of the themes of my series is how God uses people where they are. Not only does he bring about healing and change, but also works through various agents, even some evil ones, to bring about his will.

Interestingly, the story of Jonah inspired a rather large role in the second book.

Realistic dealings with God always make for better relationships with him, and--hooray for us--better fiction. Characters must change and grow, but they need not reach perfection.

[mongoose]

In my novels - a modern re-telling of the story of David, I chose to stop short of his settling into the kingship, Bathsheeba, the son that betrayed him, etc. The story would simply have been too long if I had gone there, and the character would have lost his heroic charm, such as he might have had. But I wonder if it might be good to hint at where his heart is going once he is finally given the power and authority originally promised to him? That could be fun.

[myrthman]

Wow. Old thread but it caught my attention. About a year after this last post, I started a story that is a re-imagining of Jonah's story as a space opera. I think I wrote about it over in Blogs, Bios, and Boring Stuff because it became a writing milestone for me (I'm now at 24K words and growing). I've studied the Book of Jonah at length, but I'd love to read some of the extrabiblical legends. fluke or anyone else, do you have any good links to check out? I think I'll start at wikipedia--right now.

Any thoughts on Jonah in space?

[waldenwriter]

The strange thing about Nineveh's repentance in the book of Jonah is that they didn't stay repentant. Later books of the OT -- particularly Nahum, which prophesies punishment for Nineveh -- show this. This is similar to Babylon, which embraced the Hebrew God at certain points, suggested by the commandments to do so in the book of Daniel. However, they didn't stay that way, with Revelations 17-18 talking about the great punishment Babylon will get (although some scholars believe the name "Bablyon" is used symbolically and actually represents either Jerusalem or Rome, probably citing 1 Peter 5:13, where the term "Babylon" is believed to be a euphemism for Rome, where Peter most likely was at the time).

In regards to scintor's comment about people who say the Bible was made up, that reminds me of a History Channel program I recently saw, "Battles of the Bible" I believe it was called. In it, they said that the Israelites could not have been actually enslaved in Egypt, because sources we have from the time (they didn't say what sources) indicate that the Egyptians did not practice slavery at the time normally given for the Exodus. The experts interviewed on the program -- particularly a guy who'd written a book on the ancient military practices of Israel -- believed the Israelites had originally worked as mercenary soldiers (which, they said, would explain the Israelites' fighting prowess before they even formed a formal army) but got conscripted as forced labor - meaning they were paid, taken care of medically, and fed well. I don't know what to make of that. Sorry if it's off-topic.