NSBT Gracious Compassionate God, A: Mission, Salvation and Spirituality in the Book of Jonah

The book of Jonah is full of surprises, and this is no less true for us today than it was for its original readers. How is it possible that a city like Nineveh would repent? Why does Jonah seem so out of touch with the God who calls him to act as a prophet? The end of the book asks readers the same question that God poses to Jonah: to what extent is their character truly in accord with that of the God whom they claim to serve?

Despite its brevity, Jonah raises challenging theological questions regarding mission and religious conversion; and it centres on the grand theme of the Bible: the manifestation of God’s unmerited grace to those who have sinned against him.

In this stimulating biblical-theological study, Daniel Timmer examines the book’s historical backgrounds (in both Israel and Assyria), discusses the biblical text in detail, and pays special attention to redemptive history and its Christocentric orientation. He explores the relationship between Israel and the nations – including the question of mission – and the nature of religious conversion and spirituality in the Old Testament.