Review of Previous Posts

The posts in this Jonah Series of the Prophets Section explore meanings for the story of Jonah. The previous post, Number 13 of 14, discussed the implications of the story of Jonah on the prayer Un’taneh Tokef.

Preview of this Post

This is post, Number 14 of 14, is the last post in the Jonah Series of the Prophets Section and discusses the implications of the story of Jonah on a modern-day audience.

Modern-Day applications of the Jonah Story

The story is set in post-exilic Israel, but could be set in the modern world. Place the story of Jonah in modern times. How well do you think Jonah would do in Tehran? In that scenario, Jonah would receive a “call” to go to a modern city, such as Berlin in 1930 or modern-dayTehran, and announce that the city will be overthrown in forty days unless the citizens repent and accept the Israeli God. One wonders how well this would go, or if a modern-day Jonah would even accept such a charge. No wonder, the modern-day Jonah would try to avoid such a perilous, and seemingly impossible task that, if successful might save an enemy that threatens to destroy Israel. Thus, the story may have implications for the modern world as well, beyond the concept of redemption and God’s granting of clean slates as is the usual moral of the story as read on Yom Kippur. Perhaps, the parable aspects of the story also apply to modern times with so many Jews choosing assimilation rather than their religion. Other aspects of the story are explored in Discussion Question post to allow the reader to consider the points raised in the posts of this series.

As discussed in post 11, Jonah may have been chosen because of his ordinariness so that each member of the audience could identify with him. This could apply to a modern-day audience as well. This visualization could apply to both sides of the equation: the modern-day audience as Jonah or as a member of the community being warned by Jonah. Either way, the story is cautionary, and warns the audience to remember the ways of Israel’s God or risk losing the Nation.