A Strange Dove

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 5min
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It is not only divine names that have meanings; there is also meaning in human names, at least in Scripture history. Sometimes they were expressive of the faith of those who conferred them; Eve, Noah and Joseph are examples of this. Sometimes new names were given as marks of lordship or proprietorship. Thus Pharaoh renamed Joseph (Gen. 41:4545And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:45)), Nebuchadnezzar did the same to Daniel and his friends (Dan. 1:77Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. (Daniel 1:7)), and the Lord Jesus granted the surname Cephas to Simon the fisherman (John 1:4242And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:42)). And what shall we say of the Savior’s own name and the meaning of it? “Thou shalt call His name Jesus [Jehovah the Savior]; for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)).
Was Jonah Like His Name?
Jonah means “dove.” What was in the minds of his parents when they named him is not recorded, but we are reminded that it was in a bodily form like a dove that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Man Christ Jesus (Luke 3:2222And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22)). This lovely emblem of purity, gentleness and peace perfectly suited Him upon whom it came. But with Jonah, where do we discover anything dove-like in his attitude to the people of Nineveh? Surely his cruel talons are suggestive of a very different bird!
We cannot help contrasting our prophet with Joses the Levite of Acts 4:36-3736And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:36‑37). So kindly were his deeds and so gracious was his ministry that the apostles surnamed him Barnabas, which being interpreted, means “son of consolation” or “son of encouragement.” Barnabas deserved his name before he received it; Jonah received a sweetly suggestive name that he never seems to have deserved at all!
Nineveh Repented
Nineveh repented; king, nobles and people fell low together at the feet of their justly indignant Creator. Heaven was thus filled with rejoicing, as the Lord teaches us in Luke 15. But while heaven rejoiced, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry” (Jonah 4:11But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. (Jonah 4:1)). Alas, what is man! What an exposure of the narrowness and selfishness of the human heart, even in a divinely chosen and specially favored servant of Jehovah! He would have preferred the whole population of a vast city to perish than that his own reputation as a prophet should suffer! He was amazed that he should have gone through the streets of Nineveh announcing judgment within 40 days, only to find the divine sentence withdrawn! Yet why should God have given 40 days’ notice, unless He desired to give time for repentance? Does not Peter tell us that He is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9))? Did He not say, long before Peter’s day, “I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; therefore turn yourselves and live ye” (Ezek. 18:3232For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. (Ezekiel 18:32)).
Jonah’s Behavior
Had Jehovah dealt with Jonah’s own nation as he would have liked Him to deal with Nineveh, not an Israelite of any tribe would be found on earth today. Jonah’s behavior reminds us of the churlish elder son of Luke 15:2525Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. (Luke 15:25), who “was angry and would not go in,” because the father was lavishing grace upon a returning sinner.
The disappointed prophet prayed that he might be allowed to die. If death was so desirable, why had he ever asked to be released from the fish’s belly! Elijah also once asked that he might die, because his testimony was not prospering as he expected (1 Kings 19:44But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. (1 Kings 19:4)). Happily God intended for him a triumphant translation, without passing through death at all. A similar wonderful departure is the proper hope of all Christians today.
Although as wrong as he could be spiritually when he prayed his peevish prayer, Jonah had not lost all sense of his true relationship with God. Thus he addressed Him as “Jehovah” and said, “I pray Thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil?” (Jonah 4:22And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. (Jonah 4:2)). If he really knew all these delightful things about God, it should have been his joy to proclaim them to sinners everywhere. We now know God more intimately than Jonah. The cross of Calvary has revealed grace and mercy such as Jonah could not have imagined. Is it our joy to proclaim it to young and old? If we are to be a true testimony of God, our hearts must be in tune with the great compassionate heart of God. We must develop a yearning over the perishing, and it should be our prayer and labor that we may “by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:2222To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:22)).
W. W. Fereday (adapted)