Topical Bible: Presumption: Jonah

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Introduction

The concept of presumption in the Bible often refers to taking liberties or assuming authority without divine sanction. The account of Jonah, a prophet of Israel, provides a vivid illustration of presumption, as he initially defies God's command and later assumes to know better than God regarding the fate of Nineveh.

Jonah's Call and Flight

The Book of Jonah begins with a clear directive from God: "The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me'" (Jonah 1:1-2). Jonah's presumption is evident in his immediate response. Instead of obeying, he attempts to flee from the presence of the Lord by boarding a ship bound for Tarshish. This act of defiance suggests Jonah presumed he could escape God's will and avoid the task assigned to him.

The Storm and Jonah's Realization

As Jonah sails away, a great storm arises, threatening the ship and its crew. The sailors, recognizing the supernatural nature of the storm, cast lots to determine the cause, and the lot falls on Jonah. Jonah admits his identity and his flight from God, saying, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:9). Here, Jonah's presumption is further exposed as he acknowledges God's sovereignty over creation, yet initially believed he could evade His command.

Jonah's Prayer and Deliverance

After being thrown into the sea and swallowed by a great fish, Jonah prays to God from the belly of the fish. His prayer reflects a change in heart, as he recognizes God's mercy and power: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice" (Jonah 2:2). Jonah's deliverance from the fish after three days and nights signifies God's grace and the futility of presumption against divine will.

Preaching in Nineveh and Jonah's Anger

Upon receiving a second command from God, Jonah goes to Nineveh and proclaims, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!" (Jonah 3:4). The people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, repent, and God relents from the disaster He had planned. Jonah's reaction to God's mercy reveals another layer of presumption. He becomes angry and prays, "O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster" (Jonah 4:2).

The Lesson of the Plant

God's response to Jonah's anger further illustrates the folly of presumption. God causes a plant to grow and provide shade for Jonah, only to wither it the next day. When Jonah laments the loss of the plant, God challenges him, saying, "You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow. It sprang up in a night and perished in a night. So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?" (Jonah 4:10-11). This exchange underscores Jonah's limited understanding and the presumption of questioning God's compassion and justice.

Conclusion

The narrative of Jonah serves as a cautionary tale against presumption, highlighting the importance of obedience to God's will and the recognition of His sovereignty and mercy. Jonah's journey from defiance to reluctant obedience, and his struggle with God's compassion, offers profound insights into the human tendency to presume upon divine authority and the need for humility before God.

Nave's Topical Index

Jonah 4:1-8
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

An Address to a Soul So Overwhelmed with a Sense of the Greatness ...
... yet still, with Jonah, you "look towards his holy temple." (Jonah 2:4 ... Such aggravations
have attended my transgressions, that it looks like presumption so much ...
/.../the rise and progress of religion in the soul/chapter xii an address to.htm

After These Remarks of Celsus, which we have done Our Best to ...
... But you have had the presumption to include in her writings many impious things,
[4822 ... How much more suitable than he would have been Jonah in the whale's belly ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter liii after these remarks.htm

Meditations on the Hindrances which Keep Back a Sinner from the ...
... Had not the Ninevites heard Jonah's preaching, they had never repented (Jonah
3:5 ... The presumption of God's mercy: For when men are justly convinced of their sins ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations on the hindrances which.htm

Freedom.
... not desire to end his slavery; who looks upon the claim of the child as presumption;
who cleaves ... 'Do we not well to be angry?' they cry with Jonah; and, truly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/freedom.htm

Letter cii. (AD 409. )
... shows that these sacred mysteries are celebrated not according to human presumption,
but by ... The last question proposed is concerning Jonah, and it is put as if ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cii a d 409.htm

Psalm LXVI.
... Thence this Psalm is against the presumption and pride of the Jews, for the ... these
things?" [2599] besides that which He had spoken about Jonah [2600] through ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxvi.htm

Perseverance of Saints.
... of this doctrine condemns it; that it tends to beget and foster a carnal presumption
in a ... To this I reply, that in the case of Jonah, it is manifest from the ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture l perseverance of saints.htm

"Am Ia Sea, or a Whale?"
... read just now: "The Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the ... if
our feet were like hinds' feet, we leap upon the high places of presumption. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/am i a sea or.htm

Letter Lxxv. (AD 404. )
... had not done, or, if he did them, had done with inexcusable presumption, reproving
in ... your version, came upon a word in the book of the prophet Jonah, of which ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxv a d 404.htm

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
... What upheld Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah in the whale's belly? ... Faith keeps the
heart from sinking in despair, fear keeps it from floating in presumption. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the best things work for.htm