Jonah 1:9-10

Jonah 1:9-Jonah Identifies Himself As A Hebrew Worshipper Of The Lord God Of Heaven, Creator Of Sea And Earth

By way of review, the first of seven scenes in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:1-3. Jonah 1:1 introduces to the reader the principle characters of the book of Jonah, namely, the Lord and Jonah who function in the narrative as protagonist and antagonist. All the other human characters in the narrative are unnamed with the exception of course, of Jonah’s father, Amittai. These unnamed characters are foils to emphasize the relationship between Jonah and the Lord. Interestingly, the word of the Lord begins the narrative and ends it. Therefore, the book of Jonah is concerned with the effects and consequences of the word of the Lord. Next, in Jonah 1:2a, we saw the Lord commanding Jonah to go immediately to the great city of Nineveh. This journey from Gath-Hepher, Jonah’s hometown to Nineveh is approximately 500 miles east, which would be a rugged journey. Then, in Jonah 1:2b, the Lord commands Jonah to announce judgment against the Ninevites because of their wickedness. Jonah 1:3 records Jonah disobeying the Lord’s command to go immediately to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants because of their wickedness. Instead of going to Nineveh, the prophet heads in the opposite direction and boards a merchant ship at Joppa heading to Tarshish. Jonah 1:1, “Now, a message from the Lord was communicated to Jonah, the son of Amittai, 2 ‘You must go immediately to Nineveh, that great city and then announce judgment against it because their wickedness has come to my attention.’ 3 However, instead Jonah arose in order to flee to Tarshish from the commission of the Lord. Specifically, he traveled down to Joppa and then found a ship, which was heading to Tarshish. Next, he paid for her services. Then, he went down into her in order to head to Tarshish with them from the commission of the Lord.” (My translation) Jonah 4:1-2 reveals that Jonan disobeyed the Lord because he knew full well that the Lord wanted him to issue a proclamation of impending destruction of Nineveh and its inhabitants in order to elicit a response from the Ninevites, namely that they would repent so He could not execute this judgment. So Jonah hated the Ninevites so much that he was willing to travel all the way across the Mediterranean Sea to get away from them. He is out of the “geographical” will of God meaning Jonah is not in the geographical location that the Lord has directed him to be in. He is out of this geographical will of God because he does not want the Ninevites to get saved. He has a great prejudice

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 against the Ninevites and the nation of Assyria as a whole because they were a great enemy of Israel. Jonah is also going against the “directive” will of God meaning he is disobeying a direct command from the Lord. The Lord is permitting Jonah to disobey Him, which is the “permissive” will of God. However, Jonah will soon experience the “overruling” will of God in that the Lord will “overrule” Jonah’s bad decision and will use a storm and a great fish to “overrule” his bad decision. The second scene in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:4-16. Jonah 1:4 records the Lord responding to Jonah’s disobedience by hurling a powerful wind on the sea that threatened to break up the ship. Jonah 1:4, “However, the Lord caused a great wind to be hurled against the sea so that there was a great storm upon the sea. In fact, the ship’s captain and crew were made to think they were being broken to pieces.” (My translation) In Jonah 1:5, we see each of the crew members crying out to their gods and flinging the ship’s cargo overboard in an attempt to save it while Jonah is sound asleep down below the ship’s deck. Jonah 1:5, “Consequently, the sailors were terrified so that each individual crew member cried out for help in distress to his own god. Then they hurled the cargo, which was in the ship into the sea in order to ease the burden upon them. However, Jonah went down into the inner most recesses of the ship. Then, he lay down and then fell into a deep hypnotic sleep.” (My translation) This verse contrasts the frantic efforts of the crew to save their ship and their lives with that of Jonah’s indifference. Undoubtedly, he must have been exhausted not only because of the journey to Joppa and seeking out a ship going to Tarshish but also he must have been exhausted and thus psychologically depressed by his determination to rebel against the command of the Lord to go to Nineveh. Then, in Jonah 1:6, we see that each of the crew members cries out to their gods and hurls the ship’s cargo overboard in an attempt to save it while Jonah is sound asleep down below the ship’s deck. Jonah 1:6, “Next, the captain of the crew advanced toward him and then he posed a question to him, ‘what are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Cry out for help to your god! Perhaps, your god will desire to act favorably for the benefit of himself and all of us so that we will by no means die.” (My translation) The ship’s captain’s conduct stands in stark contrast with Jonah’s since the former demonstrates great concern for his crew whereas Jonah has no concern at all. The storm presented a great opportunity to witness to the heathen crew of this Phoenician vessel. However, Jonah shows no desire to evangelize them. He is wasting a great opportunity to tell these men about the Lord.

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The captain also recognizes his need for divine intervention in this terrible storm that threatens the lives of himself and his crew whereas Jonah is dead to the world. The heathen captain uses prayer whereas the man of God sleeps. The captain’s demand for prayer from Jonah is a rebuke as indicated by the fact that he uses the same language that the Lord used in commanding him to go to the Ninevites and announce judgment against that great city’s inhabitants. Next, in Jonah 1:7, the crew casts lots to determine which individual on the ship was responsible for bringing this disastrous, life-threatening storm upon the ship and they discover that Jonah is fault. Jonah 1:7, “Then, each individual crew member spoke to his mate, ‘Come, let us cast lots in order that we may know on whose account, against whom this disaster has taken place against us.’ Consequently, they cast lots and as a result the lot fell on Jonah.” (My translation) Like Jonah 1:4, this verse emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty over Jonah’s life, i.e. his circumstances. It stresses with the reader that the Lord will exercise that sovereignty and omnipotence to change the prophet’s mind about obeying His command to go to the great city of Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants. Jonah 1:7 also emphasizes the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God. It emphasizes that God is in control of Jonah’s life and the life of the heathen crew. It stresses with the reader that the Lord controls the circumstances of our lives, right down to the lot that fell to Jonah. It emphasizes that it was no accident that Jonah’s shard with his name on it was chosen. Jonah has learned the principle taught in Numbers 32:23 that his sin of disobeying the Lord has found him out. He thought he could hide it from the crew that he disobeyed the Lord and was the reason the storm came upon the ship. Numbers 32:20, “Then Moses replied, ‘If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight. 23 But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out.’” (NET Bible) Lastly, Jonah 1:8 records the crew interrogating Jonah. Jonah 1:8, “Then, they interrogated him, ‘Please for our sake tell us now on whose account, against who has this disaster taken place against us? What is your occupation? In fact, where do you come from? Specifically, from where in the world are your people?’” (My translation)

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Jonah 1:8 records the crew interrogating Jonah by asking him five questions. The answer to the first question was simply soliciting a confession from Jonah since Jonah 1:10 records that before the storm Jonah had told the crew that he was disobeying his commission from the Lord. Also, the fact that the lot fell to Jonah also indicated that the crew already knew the answer to the first question. Therefore, the question was simply designed to get Jonah to admit his guilt. The prophet does not answer the second question because he has already told the crew that he was a prophet as implied by the fact that he admitted to fleeing from the commission from the Lord. The last three questions are concerned with Jonah’s origin since by determining his nationality, they could figure out which god is responsible for the storm since nationality and religion went together in the ancient Near East. The Lord is using the crew now to deal with Jonah’s disobedience. First he used the storm. Then, he used the captain and then the drawing of lots and now he uses the questions of the crew to get Jonah to face up to his guilt and disobedience in refusing to go to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants. So the Lord is closing in Jonah and is about to put in a vice! Next, we will study Jonah 1:9, which records Jonah responding to the crew’s interrogation of him by identifying himself as a Hebrew worshipper of the Lord God of heaven, who is the Creator of the sea and the dry land. Jonah 1:1, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 4 The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.’ 7 Each man said to his mate, ‘Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.’ So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?’ 9 He said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.’” (NASU)

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Jonah 1:9 is the first time in the narrative that we see Jonah speak to anyone whether to God or man. Not translated by the NASU is the sequential use of the conjunction waw ( ) (wa), which is prefixed to the qal imperfect form of the verb ʾā·mǎr, “ said .” It functions as a marker of a sequence of closely related events indicating that the next sequential event that took place on board this ship heading for Tarshish. Namely, Jonah responded to the crew’s interrogation of him by identifying himself as a Hebrew worshipper of the Lord God of heaven, creator of sea and dry land. We will translate the word “ then .” “Said ” is the third person masculine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb ʾā·mǎr ( ) (aw-mar), which means “to answer, i.e. respond to a question” and is used here of Jonah responding to the crew’s questions about himself by answering their questions. As we noted, Jonah does not answer since Jonah 1:10 records that before the storm he had already told the crew that he was disobeying his commission from the Lord. The prophet does not answer the second question because he has already told the crew that he was a prophet as implied by the fact that he admitted to fleeing from the commission from the Lord. The last three questions are concerned with Jonah’s origin since by determining his nationality, they could figure out which god is responsible for the storm since nationality and religion went together in the ancient Near East. These questions Jonah answers. The qal stem of the verb ʾā·mǎr is fientive expressing an action on the part of Jonah. The active voice indicates that Jonah as the subject performs the action of responding to the three of the crew’s questions about himself by answering them. The imperfect tense speaks of this action of Jonah as taking place in past time from the perspective of the writer. ”. he answered “ , א We will translate the expression “To them ” is composed of the preposition ʾě l ( ) (al), “ to ” and the third person masculine plural pronomial suffix hē·mā(h) ( ), “ them .” The pronomial suffix hē·mā(h) , “ them” refers of course to the crew of the ship and is the object of the preposition ěl, which is a marker of direction indicating that Jonah directed his answers to the crew. Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:9: “So, he answered them…” Jonah 1:9, “He said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.’” (NASU) “I am a Hebrew ” is composed of the first person singular form of the pronoun ʾānˊ·ḵ î ( ) (aw-no-kee), “ I am ” and the masculine singular form of the proper name ʿiḇ· rî ( ) (ib-ree), “ a Hebrew .” The pronoun ʾānˊ·ḵ î is the longer form of the first person singular pronoun occurring more than two hundred times in the Old Testament. In Jonah 1:9, the

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5 word is used in answering a question for pragmatic antithesis involving psychological emphasis expressing Jonah’s deep self-consciousness that he belonged to the Hebrew race in contrast to the Gentile races. It is expressing his national pride. Therefore, we can translate it “ I myself am .” There are three titles used in Scripture for the racial descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: (1) Hebraios ( (Ebrai o$ ) (heb-rah-yos), “Hebrew ” (2) Ioudaios ( )Ioudai~o$ ) (ee-oo-dah-yos), “Jew” (3) Israelite (’ Israhlivth$ ) (is-rah-ale-ee-tace), “Israelite .” The term ʿiḇ· rî , “Hebrew ” appears first in Scripture in Genesis 14:13 where it is used to describe Abram after rescuing his nephew Lot from the Eastern Mesopotamian Kings. Genesis 14:13, “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.” This term designated that Abram was a legitimate and well-known descendant of Shem through Eber and was therefore, in the Messianic line, or the Promised Seed of Genesis 3:15. It denotes Abram’s nationality in contrast with other nationalities in the land of Canaan (cf. Gen. 43:32; Ex. 1:15; 2:11; 21:2) and the contrast in Genesis 14:13 is with the Amorites who inhabited the land of Canaan. The word distinguishes a Hebrew-speaking Jew from a Greek-speaking one and this is illustrated by Paul when describing his pre-salvation distinctions in Philippians 3:5. Philippians 3:4-5, “Although I myself having confidence in the flesh, if anyone of the same race (i.e., Jewish) claims to have confidence in the flesh and some claim to have confidence in the flesh, I more. With respect to circumcision: eighth day, descended from the nation of Israel, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew (speaking Jew) from Hebrews (Hebrew speaking parents), legalistically: a Pharisee, zealously persecuting the church, self-righteously religious: I conducted myself irreproachably! Nevertheless, what pre-salvation distinctions were assets for me, these I have come to regard as a liability because of the Christ .” The second title, “ Jew ” distinguishes a Jew from a Gentile and denotes nationality. The third title, “ Israelite ” speaks of the fact that the Jew is a member of a theocracy and is the heir of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whose name was later changed by the Lord to “ Israel .” Paul employs this term in Romans 11:1. Romans 11:1, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite , a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”

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Prior to the first century, the most common terms used for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were “Hebrew” and “Israelite.” However, by the first century, the term “Jew” had become the most common designation for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “Jew ” is from “ Judah ,” (“praise”) and was one of the twelve tribes descended from Jacob’s son Judah and was also a designation for the southern half of Solomon’s kingdom after his death. From the time of the Babylonian captivity, the whole race bore this title. James Orr commenting on the term, writes, “‘Jew’ denotes originally an inhabitant of Judah (2 Kings 16:6 applies to the two tribes of the Southern Kingdom), but later the meaning was extended to embrace all descendants of Abraham. In the Old Testament the word occurs a few times in the singular. (Esther 2:5; 3:4, Jeremiah 34:9; Zechariah 8:23); very frequently in the plural in Ezra and Nehemiah, Esther, and in Jeremiah and Daniel. The adjective in the Old Testament applies only to the ‘Jews language’ or speech (2 Kings 18:26, 28 parallel Nehemiah 13:24; Isaiah 36:11, 13). ‘Jews’ (always plural) is the familiar term for Israelites in the Gospels (especially in John), Acts, Epistles, etc. ‘Jewess’ occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:18; Acts 16:1; 24:24. In Titus 1:14 note a warning is given against ‘Jewish fables’ (in Greek the adjective is found also in Galatians 2:14). The ‘Jews’ religion” ( Ioudaismos ) is referred to in Galatians 1:13-14. (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia) In heathen writers ` Israel is never used for the Jewish people either past or present, nor should we expect since Israel is a specifically Jewish term which is not based primarily on nationality or external factors. Also, the client nation of Israel did not come into existence until the Exodus in 1241 B.C. in Egypt. Thus, the Greeks of Homer and the fifth century B.C. would have no use for the term. The name Israel (Hebrew: Yishra’el ) is formed from the noun ` el , “ God ,” and a verbal predicate. The name first appears in Genesis 32 in the context of the story of Jacob ( Iakob ) wrestling with God prior to his reunion with Esau. So in Jonah 1:9, the ʿiḇ· rî , “Hebrew ” is used by Jonah to describe himself as a legitimate and well-known descendant of Shem through Eber who was the progenitor of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The term denotes Jonah’s nationality distinguishing the Israelites from the Gentiles (cf. Gen. 43:32; Ex. 1:15; 2:11; 21:2). It was a term commonly used by the Israelites to describe themselves to foreigners like these sailors on this ship to Tarshish. Reed Lessing commenting on this term writes, “The adjective and substantive is nearly transliterated by its meaning in English, ‘Hebrew.’ It is formed by עִבְרִ י It refers to people .( עֵבֶר ) ’to the name ‘Eber ( ◌ִ י ) adding the gentilic ending descended from Eber (Gen 10:24), who was a progenitor of Abraham (Gen 11:15– 26). Thus ‘Hebrew’ distinguishes that people from whom the Israelites would

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7 come from other Semites in Syria-Palestine. It occurs thirty-four times in the OT, first in Gen 14:13, which describes Abram as a ‘Hebrew.’ While all descendents of Eber logically would be eligible to be called ‘Hebrews,’ the OT uses the term only for those who belong to the seed of Abraham. From the patriarchal era into the is the customary term when Israelites identify ( עִבְרִ י ) ’early monarchy, ‘Hebrew themselves to foreigners (as here) or when foreigners identify Israelites (see GKC, § 2 b, for a full listing of relevant passages). Joseph and his brothers were called ‘Hebrews’ while in Egypt (Gen 39:14; 43:32), and the Israelite slaves in Egypt likewise were called ‘Hebrews’ (e.g., Ex 1:16, 19; 3:18). This usage continues until they free themselves from Philistine control (e.g., 1 Sam 4:6, 9; 13:19; 14:21; 29:3). An Israelite who is forced into debt slavery is also referred to as a ‘Hebrew’ (Deut 15:12; Jer 34:9). The term is frequently identified as a cognate of the Akkadian ḫabiru /apiru , which refers to landless persons who stand outside of עִבְרִ י settled civilization and law. This identification is disputed, yet most interpret to denote someone who resides outside of his own land. This expresses Jonah’s status exactly. He is fleeing from his own land and his own God.” (Concordia Commentary: Jonah; page 108) Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:9: “So, he answered them, ‘I myself am a Hebrew…” Jonah 1:9, “He said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.’” (NASU) “And ” is again the sequential use of the conjunction waw ( ) (wa), which is employed with the proper noun Yahweh , “Lord” to form a disjunctive clause is explanatory. The word is introducing a clause that explains in greater detail the implication of Jonah being a Hebrew. We will translate the word “ specifically .” “I fear the Lord God of heaven ” is composed of the first singular form of the an-ee), “ I” and the masculine singular qal active) ( א ) personal pronoun ʾǎnî yaw-ray), “ fear ” and the preposition ʾēṯ) ( א)(participle form of the verb yā·rē(ʾ -oath) and the masculine singular form of the proper noun Yahweh ( ) (yeh) ( א) ho-vaw), “ the Lord ” and the masculine plural form of the noun oun ʾělō·hîm el-o-heem), “ God ” and the articular masculine plural form of the noun) ( א) šā·mǎ· yim ( ) (shaw-mah-yim), “ of heaven .” The pronoun ʾǎnî is the shorter form of ʾānˊ·ḵ î occurring hundreds of times in the Old Testament. There is no functional difference between the two. In Jonah 1:9, the word is used in answering a question for pragmatic antithesis. It involves psychological emphasis expressing Jonah’s deep self-consciousness that he worshiped the Lord God of heaven, creator of the sea and dry land in contrast to those questioning him who were heathen idolaters. It is expressing his national pride and his hypocrisy since he is not obeying the Lord at this time. Therefore, we can translate it “ I myself am .”

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The verb yā·rē(ʾ) means, “to have reverence and respect for, to worship” the Lord God expressing the fact that Jonah had “reverence” and “respect” for the Lord, or in other words, he “worshipped” Him. Since Jonah is not worshipping the Lord by disobeying Him, his description of himself as a worshipper of the Lord God of heaven, creator of the sea and dry land expresses his national pride and his hypocrisy. That Jonah describes himself as worshipping the Lord God of heaven is an implicit acknowledgement of his personal responsibility for the disaster that has come upon this ship to Tarshish. yare’ ) has a ) יָרֵ א The NET Bible has the following note, they write, “The verb broad range of meanings, including “to fear, to worship, to revere, to respect” (BDB 431 s.v.). When God is the object, it normally means ‘to fear’ (leading to obedience; BDB 431 s.v. 1) or ‘to worship’ (= to stand in awe of; BDB 431 s.v. 2). Because the fear of God leads to wisdom and obedience, that is probably not the sense here. Instead Jonah professes to be a loyal Yahwist – in contrast to the pagan Phoenician sailors who worshiped false gods, he worshiped the one true God. Unfortunately his worship of the Lord lacked the necessary moral prerequisite.” Simon Uriel writes, “This is not an empty declaration that Jonah worships the Lord (‘fear’ or ‘awe’ in the conventional meaning of fealty and obedience, as in ‘your servant revered the Lord’ [2 Kings 4:1]). It is rather implicit acknowledgment of his personal responsibility for their predicament because he falls under the direct jurisdiction of the Lord (cf. ‘your children might prevent our children from worshipping the Lord’ [Josh. 22:25], which refers to religious affiliation only) and the punitive action—the storm—is clearly directed against him.” (JPS Torah Commentary: Jonah; page 12) In Jonah 1:9, the qal stem and the active voice of this verb are stative describing the state or condition of Jonah being a worshipper of the Lord. The participle form of this verb is attributive describing Jonah. We will translate the verb “ who worship .” Worshipping the Father is the appropriate response by men to the manifestation of His character and nature in creation and in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Warren Wiersbe defines worship, “Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are –mind, emotions, will and body-to what God is and says and does. This response has its mystical side in subjective experience and its practical side in objective obedience to God’s revealed will. Worship is a loving response that’s balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better” (Real Worship, 26). Psalm 95:6-7, “Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.”

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Worship is adoring contemplation of the Lord and is the act of paying honor and reverence to Him and affection for Him and flows from love and where there is little love, there is little worship. It is the loving ascription of praise to the Lord in gratitude and appreciation for who and what He is, both in Himself and in His ways and in His work on the Cross for us. It is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before the Lord. Psalm 2:11-12, “Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 29:2, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array.” Worship of the Lord involves “reverence” for Him, which is an attitude of deep respect and awe for Him. Worship of the Lord also involves “respect” for Him, which is to esteem the excellence of His Person as manifested through His attributes such as love, faithfulness, mercy, compassion, justice, righteousness, truth, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, immutability, and sovereignty. Worship of the Lord involves “awe” of Him, which means we are to possess an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration for Him. Worship of the Lord also involves “wonder” towards Him, which refers to being filled with admiration, amazement and awe of Him and reaches right into our hearts and shakes us up and enriches our lives and overwhelms us with an emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for Him. Warren Wiersbe writes, “True wonder reaches right into your heart and mind and shakes you up. It not only has depth, it has value; it enriches your life. Wonder is not cheap amusement that brings a smile to your face. It is an encounter with reality, with God, which brings awe to your heart. You’re overwhelmed with an emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear-and love. You’re not looking for explanations; you’re lost in the wonder of God” (Real Worship, page 43, Baker Books). Worshipping the Lord is adoring contemplation of Him as He has been revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures and is also the loving ascription of praise to Him for what He is, both in Himself, His Work on the Cross and in His ways and is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before Him. The believer is to worship the Father spiritually by means of truth, i.e. the Word of God. John 4:23-24, “But an hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers, will worship the Father spiritually, yes, by means of truth. In fact, the Father intensely desires such worshippers of Himself. God, as to His

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10 nature, is spirit and those worshipping Him must worship spiritually, yes, by means of truth.” The Church’s destiny is to worship the Lord, as revealed in Revelation 4-5. Revelation 4:8-11, “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.’ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’” Revelation 5:11-14, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.” In Jonah 1:9, the preposition ʾēṯ is not translated but functions as a structural marker of the case of the direct object. It is the primary particle of the accusative case in Hebrew and here it is used to mark the proper noun Yahweh , “ Lord ” as the direct object of the verb yā·rē(ʾ). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, “The Tetragrammaton YHWH, the Lord, or Yahweh, the personal name of God and his most frequent designation in Scripture, occurring 5321 times (TDNT, III, p. 1067) in the ot (KJV and ASV, the Lord, or, in those contexts where the actual title ‘Lord’ also occurs, GOD, except KJV, Jehovah, in seven passages where the name is particularly stressed (Ex 6:3; Ps 83:18 [H 19]; Isa 12:2; 26:4] or combined with other elements, such as Jehovah Jireh [Gen 22:14; cf. Ex 17:15; Jud 6:24; ASV, consistently Jehovah]).” The proper noun Yahweh is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with man’s salvation and emphasizing God’s authority over Jonah and that he had a personal covenant relationship with God. The word also reminds the reader of the “immanency” of God meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men. Thus, it reminds the

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11 reader of the foolishness of Jonah in that he is attempting to flee from the presence of God who is transcendent of His creation and creatures. It tells the reader that God is intervening in the life of Jonah and the crew. The noun Elohim , “ God ” emphasizes the transcendent character of God. Thus, the word emphasizes that Jonah’s God is transcendent of His creation and creatures and thus superior to the gods of the crew and the Gentiles. The noun šā·mǎ· yim , “ of heaven ” can either refer to the earth’s atmosphere, the stellar universe or both as well as referring to the abode of God. In Jonah 1:9, it speaks of the abode of God or the dwelling place of God, the location of His government with the implication that Jonah’s God was superior to their gods. Like Elohim , it speaks of Jonah’s God א as transcendent and superior to the gods of the crew. Therefore, the expression , “ God of heaven ” emphasizes that Jonah’s God is transcendent and superior to the gods of the crew. Bewer commenting on this expression “God of heaven” writes, “This was a common title of Yahweh in postexilic times, as not only the documents in the book of Ezra but also the Jewish Aramaic papyri of Elephantine show. Yahweh’s omnipotence and transcendence are expressed in this appellation.” (A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Jonah; page 36) Uriel writes, “The epithet “the God of heaven” is found almost exclusively in books written during the Persian period (outside of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and 2 Chronicles, it appears only in Gen. 24:3 and 7 and in Ps. 136:26). Like “a Hebrew,” it is used mainly in contexts of interaction with gentiles, whether addressed to (e.g., Ezra 5:11 and Neh. 2:20) or spoken by them (e.g., 2 Chron. 36:23 and Ezra 6:9–10).” (JPS Bible Commentary: Jonah; page 12) The NET Bible has the following note on this expression “God of heaven” they .shamayim , ‘heavens’) always appears in the dual form ) שָׁמַיִם write, “The noun Although the dual form sometimes refers to things that exist in pairs, the dual is often used to refer to geographical locations, e.g., ( yérushalayim , efrayim , ‘Ephraim’), and ( mitsrayim , ‘Egypt,’ but see’ ) א ,(’Jerusalem‘ IBHS 118 §7.3d). The dual form of does not refer to two different kinds of heavens or to two levels of heaven; it simply refers to ‘heaven’ as a location – the dwelling place of God. Jonah’s point is that he worships the High God of heaven – the one enthroned over all creation.” Douglas Stuart has the following comment, he writes, “The epithet ‘God of was a convenient way for the Israelites to describe Yahweh’s ( א ) ’Heaven identity to syncretistic, polytheistic foreigners. The sounds in the name Yahweh meant little to non-Israelites. This was an age in which hundreds of different deities were worshiped in various areas of the fertile crescent and Mediterranean. Later, in the Persian period, the Jews in foreign lands would be well served by this convenient application of an old (Gen 24:3, 7) title. It answered the question

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‘Yahweh—what’s he god of?’ very nicely and simply, while having the additional merit of implicitly suggesting that Yahweh was at least chief of all the gods. To the Sumerians and Babylonians, for example, Anu was the god of heaven, the progenitor and at least titulary ruler of all the gods, since their dwelling place was heaven. The ‘God of Heaven’ was logically the supreme deity. We find the term thus commonly used after the exile (2 Chr 36:23; Ezra 1:2; Neh 1:4, 5; 2:4) by Jews and Persians (in their dealings with Jews) alike. The term had its reflex also e.g., Dan 2:18; Ezra 5:11; 7:12). The formulation had a ; א א ) in Aramaic parallel as well in the name of the Canaanite-Phoenician deity Ba al-šam m (O. Eissfeldt, “ Ba ˓alšam ēm und Yahweh,” ZAW 57 [1939] 1–31 = Kleine Schriften 2:171–98).” (Word Biblical Commentary, volume 31: Hosea-Jonah; page 461) Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:9: “So, he answered them, ‘I myself am a Hebrew, specifically, I myself am one who worships the Lord God of heaven…” Jonah 1:9, “He said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.’” (NASU) “Who made the sea and the dry land ” is composed of the relative particle aw-shar), “ who ” and the third person masculine singular qal active) ( א) ʾǎšěr perfect form of the verb ʿā·śā(h) ( ) (aw-saw), “ made ” and the object marker ʾēṯ ,(oath) and the articular masculine singular form of the noun yām ( ) (yawm) ( א) ( א) the sea ” and the conjunction waw ( ) (wa), “ and ” and the object marker ʾēṯ“ (oath) and the articular feminine singular form of the noun yǎb·bā·šā(h) ( ) (yab-baw-shaw), “ the dry land .” The relative particle ǎšěr, “ who ” refers of course to the Lord God who is Jesus Christ. The verb ʿā·śā(h) means “to produce” in the sense of causing the sea and dry land to exist and have their present form. It summarizes the Holy Spirit’s work in creating, restoring, producing and modeling during the six days of restoration, which was in response to the commands of God the Son and in accordance with the will of the Father. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Corrected translation of Genesis 1:1, “In eternity past, God created out of nothing the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 refutes (1) Atheism because God created the universe. (2) Pantheism for God is transcendent to that which He created. (3) Polytheism for one God created all things. (4) Materialism for matter had a beginning. (5) Dualism because God was alone when He created. (6) Humanism because God, not man, is the ultimate reality. (7) Evolutionism because God created all things. “In the beginning ” refers to eternity past when there was only the Trinity and no creation or creatures.

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“Created ” is the verb bara ( ar*B*), “to create something out of nothing” which is in Genesis 1:1 and is not used until the introduction of animal and human life, in the fifth and sixth days indicating that the six days are an account of a divine restoration. The other verbs which are used to describe the work of the 6 days such as “made ,” ( asah ), “ form ” ( yatsar ) “ divide” ( badhal ), and “ set” ( nathan ) are used elsewhere of work done with existing materials, thus clearly indicating that something tremendous and terrible happened to the initial creation. “Creation” is different from “restoration” since the former is making something out of nothing whereas the latter is fixing something up after it has been destroyed. God the Father planned the restoration, God the Son gave the commands to create and restore (Gen. 1:21, 27; Heb. 1:2) and God the Holy Spirit executed God the Son’s commands to restore and create (Gen. 1:2b-20). Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Evolution is taught in our schools as an alternative to the creation account that is taught in the Bible, but it takes more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe the Biblical account of creation. There are three essential areas into which evolution cannot move and which evolution cannot solve: (1) It cannot bridge the gap from nothing to something. (2) It cannot bridge the gap from something to life. (3) It cannot bridge the gap between life and humanity-that is self-conscious human life with a volition. The Scriptures teach that the second member of the Trinity, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator. Genesis 1:1, “In eternity past, God created out of nothing the heavens and the earth.” John 1:1-4, “In eternity past the Word has always existed and the Word has always existed face to face with the God (the Father) and the Word has always existed as God. He was in eternity past face to face with God. All things came into existence through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into existence that has come into existence. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” Colossians 1:15-17, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

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As we all know, evolution is taught in our schools as an alternative to the creation account that is taught in the Bible, but it takes more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe the Biblical account of creation. There are 3 essential areas into which evolution cannot move and which evolution cannot solve: (1) It cannot bridge the gap from nothing to something. (2) It cannot bridge the gap from something to life. (3) It cannot bridge the gap between life and humanity-that is self-conscious human life with a volition. We know that through the law of cause and effect, that the law requires an adequate cause for every effect. Now I think it is safe to say that creation is a pretty big effect and therefore demands a Creator with eternal power and divine nature. Robert Jastrow, an astrophysicist and director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, as saying, “Now we see how the astronomical evidence supports the biblical view of the origin of the world....The essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same. Consider the enormousness of the problem: Science has proved that the universe exploded into being at a certain moment. It asks what cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter and energy into the Universe? And science cannot answer these questions....For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been there for centuries.” William Cullen Bryant eloquently spoke:

My heart is awed within me, when I think Of the great miracle, which still goes on, In silence, round me-the perpetual work Of thy creation, finished, yet renewed Forever. Genesis 1:2a, “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep.” Corrected translation of Genesis 1:2a, “However the earth became an empty desolation, and darkness was upon the surface of the raging ocean depths.” Genesis 1:2 begins with a “ waw -disjunctive construction” (conjunction-noun- verb), which indicates a contrast between Genesis 1:2 and 1:1 and that the original creation underwent a catastrophic judgment. Now, we know that God is perfect and His creation of the heavens and the earth was perfect, thus what we read in Genesis 1:2 indicates that something happened to God’s perfect creation.

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“Was ” is the verb hayah , which is in the perfect tense referring to the present state of the earth that is the result of a preceding situation, namely, the judgment of the fallen angels and should be translated “ became .” “Formless and void ” is composed of 3 Hebrew words: (1) “ Formless ” is the noun tohu . (2) “ And ” is the conjunction waw . (3) “ Void ” is the noun bohu . The noun tohu signifies “desolation, that which is desolate, a chaos, a ruin” whereas the noun bohu means “emptiness,” or “that which is empty.” Tohu and bohu always refer to a confused, chaotic state, inevitably the result of some cataclysm, and usually one that has been brought on by divine judgment. Isaiah 45:18, “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place ( tohu ), but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.” Jeremiah 4:23, “I looked on the earth, and behold, it was a ruin ( tohu ) and a desolation ( bohu ); And to the heavens, and they had no light.” In Genesis 1:2, the nouns tohu , bohu express the concept of chaos on the earth and a comparison of Scripture with Scripture indicates that this was the result of God’s judgment of the Satanic rebellion. Genesis 1:1-2:3 along with a comparison of Scripture with Scripture (cf. Isa. 45:18; Jer. 4:23-25; Ezek. 28:12-18; Isa. 14:12-14) clearly indicates that the earth and all of creation have already undergone 3 phases: (1) Creation (Gen. 1:1). (2) Chaos (Between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2; cf. Isa. 14:12-14; 45:18; Ezek. 28:12-18; Job 4:18). (3) Restoration and Creation of Mankind (Gen. 1:2b-2:4). The six days recorded in Genesis 1:3-31 are a record of the restoration of the original creation that was judged by God for the rebellion of Satan and this restoration was accomplished in 6 literal 24-hour days: (1) first Day: The Lord restored light to the earth (Gen. 1:3-5). (2) second Day: The Lord restored the atmosphere (Gen. 1:6-8). (3) third Day: The Lord restored the dry land by causing the flood waters to gather into one place (Gen. 1:9-11). (4) fourth Day: The Lord restored the stellar universe (Gen. 1:14-19). (5) fifth Day: The Lord created animal life (Gen. 1:20-21). (6) sixth Day: The Lord created man (Gen. 1:26-28). The presence of the heavens and earth already in place at Genesis 1:3 shows this is restoration. Three major events took place between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2: (1) The rebellion of Satan in eternity past, which is noted in Job 4:18, Isaiah 14:12-14, 45:18 and Ezekiel 28:12-18. Job 4:18, “He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error.” Ezekiel 28:12, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, you had the seal of perfection, full

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16 of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared.” The fact that Satan was in the garden of Eden before he sinned and rebelled against God indicates that the garden of Eden that Adam was placed in was a restored one and if a restored one then the account of the six days of Genesis 1 are that of a restoration rather than one of creation. Ezekiel 28:14, “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you. 19 All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; You have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.” Isaiah 14:12, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” The fact that Satan desired to ascend to heaven indicates that he was not satisfied with his position on planet earth in the garden of Eden and if he was in the garden of Eden, then the garden of Eden that Adam was placed into was a restored one and if it was restored, then the account of the six days in Genesis 1 are an account of a restoration and not of creation. (2) The Supreme Court of Heaven’s decision to sentence Satan and the fallen angels to the Lake of Fire for their rebellion as noted in Matthew 25:41. (3) The appeal of the sentence by Satan, which is indicated by the following: (a) Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2), (b) he deceives it (1 Jn. 5:19), (c) he has access to heaven and accuses believers (Job 1-2; Zech. 3:1-3; Rev.

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12:10), (d) his sentence to the lake of fire has not been executed as of yet and won’t be until the end of human history (Rev. 20:10). Genesis 1:2, “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” The earth enshrouded in darkness indicates that the earth was judged by God since darkness in the Bible is always associated with judgment, sin and evil (cf. Is.5:30; 8:22; Ezek.32:7-8; Acts 13:11; Ex.10:21-29; cf. Ps.105:28; Matt.27:45-54; Rev.19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8). The earth being completely flooded with water indicates that the earth was judged by God since water is commonly associated with judgment (Gen. 6-9; cf. 2 Pet.2:5; 3:5-7). As a result of Satan's activities on the original earth, God judged the original created world and the earth was cursed by association with Satan's sin (just as the restored earth would later be cursed for its association with Adam's sin (Gen.3:17- 19; Rom. 8:19-22). At the end of Genesis 1:2, we have the Holy Spirit anticipating the command from the Lord Jesus Christ to restore physical light to the stellar universe and planet earth, which would indicate the restoration of the presence and glory of God and that God granted Satan and the fallen angels there appeal. Genesis 1:2, “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” Corrected translation of Genesis 1:2b, “Now, the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. “Was moving ” is the piel stem of the verb rachaph ( [j^r*), which is used as an anthropopathism where God the Holy Spirit is depicted as hovering over the raging ocean depths of planet earth like a mother eagle hovering over her chicks in order to convey God’s attitude of concern for His creation, which was judged because of the Satanic rebellion. The word speaks of the mercy and grace of God who as to His nature is love. Genesis 1:3, “Then God (the Son) said (` amar , “to command ”), "Let there be light"; and there was light.” In response to the command given to Him by God the Son, God the Holy Spirit restored physical light to the stellar universe and planet earth, which signifies the presence of God just as darkness indicates the absence of God’s presence. 1 John 1:5 states that “ God is light ,” which is a figure for the holiness of God and John 4:23-24 teaches that “ God is spirit ” and thus invisible. Psalm 104:2 teaches that God covers Himself in light as a garment and 1 Timothy 6:16 states that He “dwells in unapproachable light.” Therefore, a comparison of these

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18 passages indicates that God who is holy choosing to manifest Himself by a great display of light. In Genesis 1:3, light is used literally for physical light, whose source is the manifestation of the presence and glory of God. Nowhere is Scripture is light said to be bara , “created out of nothing,” but it is said to be yatsar , “to formed out of existing material, i.e. restored.” Isaiah 45:7, “The One Who forms ( yatsar , “to form out of existing material” and not bara ) light and the Creator ( bara , “to create out of non-existing material” ) of darkness, the Maker of prosperity and the Creator of misfortune, I, the Lord, the One who performs all these things .” Light was formed or crafted out of existing material in order that God might manifest His presence before angels and men. We do not have a full manifestation of light in creation at the present time because of the presence of sin and evil in both heaven and earth. There will be a full manifestation of light in the new heavens and the new earth, whose appearance will be subsequent to human history, which will end when the appeal of Satan is complete (Rev. 21). There will be no darkness in the new heavens and new earth because all remembrance of angelic and human sin and rebellion will not be present but will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 21). This restoration of physical light to the stellar universe and planet earth indicated that God was graciously granting Satan his appeal. Genesis 1:4, “God (the Son) saw that the light was good; and God separated ( badhal , “to cause a division”) the light from the darkness.” “Saw ” is the verb ra’ah , which means, “to observe” in the sense that the Lord Jesus Christ considered carefully the restoration of light to the stellar universe by the Holy Spirit was picture perfect. Ra’ah is used in an anthropopathic sense meaning that the human action of seeing is attributed to infinite eternal God in order to communicate to our finite human frame of reference God’s acceptance and approval of the restoration of light to the stellar universe, which would fulfill His purposes in granting Satan his appeal. “Good ” is the predicate adjective tov , which is used to describe the work of Holy Spirit in restoring physical light to the stellar universe from the standpoint of “exactly fitting the needs of the Trinity and purpose” in granting Satan his appeal. The restoration of physical light to the stellar universe by God the Holy Spirit was: (1) Excellent, complete, beyond practical or theoretical improvement. (2) Exactly fitting the needs and purpose for the appeal trial of Satan. (3) Without any flaws or shortcomings. (4) Correct in every detail.

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The division of physical light from darkness and day from night is symbolic of what has taken place in the spiritual realm in the angelic conflict between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan. Genesis 1:5, “God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” “Called ” is the verb qara , which expresses the Lord Jesus Christ “absolute sovereignty” over creation and the restored creation. Psalm 93:1, “The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.” The phrase “ and there was evening and there was morning, one day ” refers to a literal 24-hour period since Genesis was written by Moses to Israel, which marked time by literal 24-hour periods. Israel was taught that God rested on the seventh day and according to Exodus 20:8-11 she was commanded by God to obey the Sabbath every seventh day, thus, for the children of Israel, all 7 days represent days of 24 hours in length. Now, in closing, each day of restoration that is recorded in Genesis 1 typifies some part of the work of redemption of man. When I say, “typify” I’m referring to “typology,” which is from the Greek word for form or pattern, which in biblical times denoted both the original model or prototype and the copy that resulted. Biblical typology involves an analogical correspondence in which earlier events, persons, and places in salvation history become patterns by which later events and the like are interpreted. A type is a specific parallel between 2 historical entities; the former is indirect and implicit, the latter direct and explicit. Therefore, historical event of the Lord restoring light to creation parallels the incarnation of the Son of God who is the Light of the world. The first day of restoration where the Lord restores light to creation typifies the incarnation of the Son of God who is the light of the world. Genesis 1:6-8 records the second day of restoration. Genesis 1:6, “Then God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’” Corrected translation of Genesis 1:6, “Next, God commanded, ‘let there be an atmosphere in the middle of the waters, and let it be a cause of division between waters from waters.’” “An expanse ” is the masculine singular form of the noun raqia (pronounced: rah-kee’ag), which refers to the earth’s atmosphere. The noun raqia literally refers to “an expansion of plates meaning broad plates beaten out.”

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In the Old Testament, the noun raqia refers to the canopy over the cherubim under the throne in Ezekiel’s vision (1:22, 26), the stellar universe (Gen. 1:14-17; Dan. 12:3; Ps. 19:1; 150:1), or the earth’s atmosphere (Gen. 1:6; 1:20). In Genesis 1:6, the noun raqia in Genesis 1:6 refers to the earth’s atmosphere. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Creator of both heaven and earth created 3 levels of heaven according to the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit restored them: (1) first heaven: Earth’s atmosphere. (2) second heaven: Stellar universe. (3) third heaven: Abode of God, the angels and the dead believers. The original languages of Scripture teach that there are three levels of heaven. This multiplicity of heavens is indicated in Hebrews 4:14 where our Lord at His ascension is said to have “ passed through the heavens ” (accusative masculine plural noun ouranos ). The first and second heaven are not specifically mentioned but the third heaven is. 2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven .” Logically speaking, it is evident that there cannot be a third heaven without also a first and second heaven. “Waters ” is the noun mayim refers to the mass of water that flooded and enveloped the earth. “Separate ” is the verb badhal , which in the hiphil (causative) stem means, “to cause a division” between the waters. Genesis 1:7, “God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the atmosphere from the waters which were above the atmosphere; and it was so.” NASU Corrected translation of Genesis 1:7, “Consequently, God restored the atmosphere and thus caused a division between the waters, which were beneath the atmosphere and the waters, which were above the atmosphere, thus it came to pass as previously described.” Genesis 1:7 records that as a result of the division of the flood waters that there was a transparent water vapor canopy above the earth’s atmosphere and of course waters below this atmosphere. The waters “ above ” the earth’s atmosphere was a vast blanket of water vapor above the troposphere and possibly above the stratosphere as well, in the high temperature region now known as the ionosphere, and extending far into space. They could “not” have been the clouds of water droplets, which now float in the atmosphere, because the Scripture says they were me’al laraqia , “ above the atmosphere .” Furthermore, there was no “ rain upon the earth ” in those days according to Genesis 2:5, nor, was there any rainbow in the clouds (Gen. 9:13). Both of which

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 21 must have been present if these upper waters represented merely the clouds that populate the earth’s atmosphere. This vast water canopy above the earth’s atmosphere evidently must have been transparent in order for the stars and planets of the stellar universe to “ give light upon the earth ,” and to “ be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years ” (Gen. 1:14-15). This vapor canopy would serve as a greenhouse maintaining an essentially uniform pleasant warm temperature all over the world since water vapor has the ability both to transmit incoming solar radiation and to retain and disperse much of the radiation reflected from the earth’s surface. Great air-mass movements would be inhibited and windstorms would be non- existent with uniform temperatures all over the earth. The earth would not only have uniform temperatures but also would also have comfortable uniform humidity by means of daily local evaporation and condensation like dew, or ground fog in each day-night cycle. The combination of warm temperature and adequate moisture all over the earth would be conducive later to extensive lush vegetation all over the world with no barren deserts or ice caps. This vapor canopy would be highly effective in filtering out ultraviolet radiations, cosmic rays, and other destructive energies from outer space. Many of these are the source of both somatic and genetic mutations, which decrease the viability of the individual and the species, respectively, thus, the canopy would contribute effectively to human and animal health and longevity. This vast water canopy above the earth’s atmosphere would provide one of the sources (the other, the water underneath the earth) from which God would send the Great Flood. The content of water vapor in the “present” atmosphere, if all precipitated, would cover the earth only to a depth of about 1 inch. Even though the waters above the earth’s atmosphere were condensed and precipitated during the Flood, they will be restored during the Millennium thus providing once again perfect environment and longevity of life for man. Psalm 148:4-6, “Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens ! Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree, which will not pass away.” The waters underneath the earth’s atmosphere constituted a shoreless ocean since the dry land did not appear until the third day. Genesis 1:7, “God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.” NASU “Made ” is the verb ‘ asah (pronounced gah-sah), which means, “to restore” in the sense that God the Holy Spirit reconstructed out of existing material the

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 22 atmosphere and brought it back to its original condition prior to God’s judgment of the Satanic rebellion. Genesis 1:8, “God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” NASU The Lord Jesus Christ does not employ tov , “ good ,” after the second day of restoration as He does after the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days since Satan and the fallen angels inhabit the earth’s atmosphere. Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places .” An invisible war is taking place in the church age between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness throughout the earth’s atmosphere as part of the angelic conflict (Dan. 10:20; Eph. 2:2; 6:11-17) and will visibly manifest itself during the Tribulation period (Rev. 6-19). The insertion of the atmosphere that ‘divided” the mass of water that flooded the earth into two bodies of water (the ocean in Scripture is used in a figurative sense for the mass of humanity on earth-Rev. 17:1, 15) typified Christ’s cross which divides the human race into either believers or unbelievers. The record of the restoration of the third day appears in Genesis 1:9-13, and records the “shoreless” ocean gathered into one place so that the dry land underneath might appear. Genesis 1:9, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear’; and it was so.” NASU “Waters ” is the noun mayim , which refers to the flood waters that were underneath the earth’s freshly restored atmosphere that constituted a shoreless ocean before the dry land appeared on the third day. Causing the dry land to appear caused tremendous geological changes in the surface of the earth. Surveys of the ocean floor and the mid-Atlantic rift indicate that all the continents were once joined together in a super continent, which corresponds to what the Scriptures states here in Genesis 1:9. The Noahic flood broke this single landmass apart resulting in our present geological and topographical make up of the present day earth. Genesis 1:10, “God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.” NASU The Lord Jesus Christ owns the earth since He created it. Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” NASU The earth was never to stop its productivity. Genesis 8:22, “while the earth stands, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

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The earth is not an independent, self-contained mechanism, for “the Lord reigns ” as He “sits on the vault of the earth .” Isaiah 40:22, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” NASU There will be no oceans in the new earth that God will create. Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.” Since Satan and the fallen angels will not be residing in the new heavens and new earth but rather will be in the lake of fire for all of eternity and the fact that there will be no oceans in the new earth we can conclude that the fallen angels are incarcerated underneath the oceans. Genesis 1:11, “Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.” NASU “Vegetation ” is noun deshe (deh-sheh), which refers to all plant life on planet earth. The context indicates that the noun deshe , “ vegetation ” is a broad term, which encompasses both “ plants producing seed ” and “ fruit trees producing fruit .” Vegetables and fruit were to be the diet of Adam and the woman and for the Antediluvians to follow them but this changed after Noah came out of the ark with his family (Gen. 9:1-4). “Plants ” is the masculine singular noun ` esev (eh-sev), which is a very broad term referring to plant life of all types. “Yielding ” is verb zara (zaw-raw), which is in the hiphil (causative) stem emphasizing the process of yielding or producing seed in plant life whereas “ seed ” is the noun zera (zeh-reh), which refers to the product produced by plant life. The noun peri , “ fruit ” (per-ee) refers to fruit of all types and the noun ` ets (ates), “ trees ” in the singular form is used of fruit trees collectively. “Bearing ” is the verb ` asah (gah-sah), “to reproduce” and is used of the reproductive function of fruit trees. “After their kind ” means that each organism was to reproduce after its own order or species or family, not after some other order, family or species. Genesis 1:12 records the result of God the Holy Spirit executing the God the Son’s command to let the earth produce vegetation of all types. Genesis 1:12, “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.” NASU Genesis 1:13, “There was evening and there was morning, a third day.” NASU

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Each day of restoration that is recorded in Genesis 1 typifies some part of the work of redemption of man. The third day typifies the resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:20, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” Genesis 1:14-19 records the fourth day of the restoration of planet earth and the stellar universe from the judgment it received as a result of the Satanic rebellion. Genesis 1:14, “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.’” “Lights ” is the noun ma’or (pronounced: mah-ore), which literally means, “light-givers, generators of light” and refers to the stellar universe, which is the second heaven and is composed of various luminous bodies such as moons, stars, suns and planets that generate light. The spiritual application is that the believer is reflecting the Light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ when he is in fellowship with God by obeying the Father’s will as it is revealed by the Spirit through the communication of the Word of God. Philippians 2:14, “Continue performing all activities without murmurs resulting from doubts so that you might demonstrate yourselves to be uncensurable and uncontaminated, students of God (the Holy Spirit), virtuous in the midst of a corrupt and depraved generation.” Philippians 2:15, “Among whom you yourselves continue appearing as luminaries in the cosmos by all of you continuing to exhibit the Word of life as a boast for me on the day of Christ because I have not run in vain, nor have I worked diligently in vain .” On the first day of restoration, the Lord said, “ Let there be light (‘ or )!” but on the fourth day of restoration, He said, “ Let there be lights (‘ ma-or , “light-givers).” So first of all, we have “intrinsic” light restored to the original creation that was judged for the Satanic rebellion, which found its source in the manifestation of the glory and presence of God and then here on the fourth day we have generators of light restored. These luminaries were to serve a 5-fold purpose according to Genesis 1:14: (1) To divide the day from the night (2) Signs (3) Seasons (4) Days (5) Years. Genesis 1:14, “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.’” Genesis 1:15, “and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.” Genesis 1:16, “God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.” NASU

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“Made ” is the verb ‘ asah (pronounced gah-sah), which means, “to restore” in the sense that God the Holy Spirit reconstructed out of existing material the sun and the moon and brought them back to their original condition prior to God’s judgment of the Satanic rebellion. “The two great lights ” refers to the earth’s sun and moon. In relation to the planet earth, the sun and the moon are greater in size in comparison to the rest of the luminaries residing in the stellar universe. In relation to planet earth, the sun and the moon appear larger than the rest of the luminaries residing in the stellar universe although in reality they are not. The sun is greater than the moon in the sense that it generates light whereas the moon simply reflects the sun’s light. “The greater light ” refers to the earth’s sun. The sun generates light and the moon reflects the sun’s light, thus the sun is greater and the moon lesser of a light- giver. “The lesser light ” refers to the earth’s moon. “He made the stars also ” refers to the stars of the stellar universe. Genesis 1:17, “God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.” In the fourth day’s work our Lord’s ascension is typically suggested. " Two great luminaries " typify Christ and His church. The sun speaks of "the Sun of righteousness " (Malachi 4:2), and the moon speaks of the church. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun so the church reflects the light of Christ meaning the church is to reflect the character of Christ. Just as the sun and the moon are “ to be a cause of illumination upon the earth ” (v. 17), and secondly, they are “ to rule over the day and over the night ” (v. 18) so it is with Christ and His people. During the present interval of darkness, the world’s night, Christ and His people are “ the light of the world ,” but during the Millennium they shall rule and reign over the earth. Thus in the first four days’ work in Genesis 1, we have foreshadowed the four great stages or crises in the accomplishment of the work of redemption. The incarnation, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are respectively typified. In the light of this how precious are those words at the close of the six days’ work: “ Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made ” (Gen. 2:1, 2). The work of Redemption is completed, and in that work God finds His rest!

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The fifth day of restoration is recorded in Genesis 1:20-23. Genesis 1:20, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.’” “Teem ” means, “to abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile.” This is an excellent choice by the New American Standard Updated version since it accurately conveys the meaning of the Hebrew verb sharats . “The waters ” refers to the mass of water that formed the seas that surrounded the super continent. “Living ” is the noun nephesh (pronounced: neh-phesh), which denotes soul life. “Creatures ” is the noun chayyah , which is a designation for all kinds of marine life: vertebrate, invertebrate and reptiles. The fact that animals have soul life does not mean they are on a par with mankind. The soul life of animals is completely different from the soul life of human beings since mankind was created in the image of God and marine life and animal life and the birds were not. As with the soul of men, the soul of marine and animal life and the birds were bara , “created out of nothing or non-existing material.” The “physical bodies” of animal and marine life and the birds as well as mankind was yatsar , “created out of existing material, constructed out of existing material,” namely, the earth. A comparison of Genesis 1:21 with Genesis 2:19 indicates that marine and animal life and the birds are composed of soul life, which is created out of non- existing material and physical life, which is created out of existing material, namely, the earth, the dust of the ground. The verb bara in Genesis 1:21 indicates that the soul of marine and animal life and the birds was created out of non-existing material whereas the verb yatsar in Genesis 2:19 indicates that the physical bodies of marine and animal life and the birds were created out of existing material, namely, the earth. Genesis 1:20, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.’ 21 God created ( bara ) the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” NASU Genesis 2:19, “Out of the ground the LORD God formed (yatsar , “to create out of existing material”) every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. NASU

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Genesis 1:21, “God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” NASU “Created” is the verb bara , which means, “to create out of nothing.” This word expresses the concept of “bringing an object into existence out of non-existent material.” Genesis 1:1, “In eternity past, God created out of nothing (bara ) the heavens and the earth.” In Genesis 1:21, it indicates that the souls of all marine life, animals and the birds were “created out of nothing.” “The great sea monsters ” refers to the dinosaurs. In Genesis 1:21, the adjective gadhol , “great” is used of extended dimension to describe the “size” of the tannin , “monsters.” The word tannin can denote a “large reptile” or simply some “large animal.” The context in which the word is used will determine what kind of large reptile or large animal is in view. Now, in Genesis 1:21, many of the English translations translate the noun tannin “ sea monsters, creatures of the sea .” But tannin does not specifically refer to a creature that lives in the water. Now, in the Hebrew Old Testament, the word is used in some contexts referring to “snakes, serpents” (Ex. 7:9-12; Deut. 32:33). Sometimes in the Hebrew Old Testament, tannin can refer to the “crocodile” that infested the waters of the Nile River in Egypt (Ezek. 29:3). Many times the word refers to a “jackal,” which was a scavenger that roamed about the ruins of abandoned cities and was always used to symbolize God’s judgment (Job 30:29; Psalm 44:19; Isa. 35:7; 43:20; Jer. 9:11). Also, the noun tannin is used for the “whale” (Job 7:12; Ps. 148:7; Ezek. 32:2). One of the reasons why many of the English translations translate the word “ sea monsters, sea creatures ” in Genesis 1:21 is that they connect it to the following relative clause, which is incorrect to do since the adjective gadhol , which modifies this noun tannin completes an independent statement. The “adjunctive” use of the relative we plus the primary particle ` eth , which follow ` eth-hattanninim haggedholim serves to mark a new statement that is independent from the previous one. This statement at the beginning of Genesis 1:21 indicates that the tannin are in a category all their own. So the noun tannin denotes a “large reptile,” or some kind of “large animal.” It is modified by the adjective gadhol , “great, large, massive,” or “big.” Understanding the meaning of the adjective gadhol in Genesis 1:21, which is modifying the noun tannin , “large reptile, large animal” is critical to determining

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 28 what type of large reptile or animal is in view here. The adjective gadhol describes the massive size of these already large reptiles or animals. Therefore, together the noun tannin , “monsters” plus the adjective gadhol , “great” denotes a large or massive reptile or animal. Thus, it refers to none other than the dinosaurs, which were reptiles. Also, further indicating that these massive reptiles were the dinosaurs is the definite article ha preceding the noun tannin . The article serves to indicate that these massive reptiles were in a class by themselves. The definite article ha is “generic” meaning that it marks out a particular class or category of massive reptiles that were unique and determined in themselves. British anatomist Sir Richard Owen coined the word “dinosaur” in 1842. The term was derived from the Greek words deinos , meaning “marvelous” or “terrible,” and sauros , meaning “lizard.” The dinosaur is one of a group of extinct reptiles that lived during the Antediluvian period meaning prior to the time of the flood of Noah and were destroyed by this flood. The fossil remains of these creatures are with us today in various graveyards around the globe. The entombment of such numbers of such great creatures literally demands some form of catastrophic action. The great catastrophe that took place on the earth that was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaur was the flood of Noah. Genesis 1:21, “God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” NASU Genesis 1:21 classifies these living creatures into three categories: (1) Those which crawl upon the earth according to these species (2) Those which swarm in the water according to their species (3) The birds according to their species. “That moves ” is the articular participle form of the verb ramas (pronounced: raw-mas), which is used of living creatures in general that crawl about the earth and is not restricted to movement in the water. A survey of this verb’s usage in the Hebrew Bible reveals that except for one instance in Psalm 69:34, the verb ramas is always used of living things that creep “on the earth .” “After their kind ” indicates that each organism was to reproduce after its own order or species or family, not after some other order, family or species. Genesis 1:22, “God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ 23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.” NASU “Blessed ” is the verb barakh (pronounced: bah-rach), “to bless.” To bless in the Hebrew Old Testament means, “to endue with power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.” Therefore, the verb barakh in Genesis 1:22 indicates that these living creatures residing in the sea, on the land and in the air were

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 29 endued with power or in other words, provided the capacity by the word of the Lord to execute His command to be fruitful and multiply on the face of the earth. This power from the word of the Lord to be fruitful and multiply on the face of the earth continues today. “Be fruitful ” is the verb parah , which is pronounced paw-raw and means, “to be fruitful” in the sense of to reproduce. “Multiply ” is the verb ravah is intransitive and means, “to multiply, to increase” in number or quantity. Basically this word connotes numerical increase. It refers to the process of increasing numerically. The fifth day typifies the new creation, which has the life of God in it. Five is the number of grace in Scripture. Four is the number of creation and the world, and then it represents the weakness and helplessness and impotence of both the angels and men and vanity. But four plus one is significant of Divine strength added to and made perfect in that human and angelic weakness and impotence. It is significant of divine omnipotence combined with the impotence of the earth, of the divine grace uninfluenced and invincible. 2 Corinthians 12:9: “And He has said to me for my benefit and it still has application at the present time, my grace is as an eternal truth sufficient for you, for my power as an eternal truth finds its consummation in human impotence. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” It is well known to Bible students that in Scripture "waters" symbolize peoples, nations (cf. Revelation 17:15). In its typical application then, Genesis 1:20-23 signifies life being manifested in unregenerate humanity. This typifies the Christian experience where the believer by experiencing identification with Christ in His death and resurrection manifests the life of God in the midst of the spiritually dead. Philippians 3:10, “that I come to know Him experientially and the power from His resurrection and the participation in His sufferings by my becoming like Him with respect to His death. 11 If somehow (by becoming like Him with respect to His death), I may attain to the exit-resurrection, namely, the one out from the (spiritually) dead ones.” Genesis 1:24-31 contains the record of the sixth and final day of restoration. Genesis 1:24, “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind’; and it was so.” “Cattle ” is the noun behemah is incorrectly translated since it is too narrow of a term for this very broad term in the Hebrew and refers to all types of “domestic animals,” because of its manifest contrast in Genesis 1:24 with the “ wild beasts of the earth ” (Hebrew: wechay etho-`erets ), thus it would include cattle.

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It refers to a particular category of living creature that is four footed and whose habitat is on land as opposed to the other two classes of living creatures that exist either in the air, the birds (Gn. 1:20-23; 6:7) or in the sea (marine life in Gen. 1:20- 23). They also are different from the other living creatures that reside on the earth such as insects, small reptiles, most amphibians and small mammals called “creeping things ” in Gen. 1:24 and 1 Kgs. 4:33, and “( wild) beasts of the earth ” mentioned Gen. 1:24. “Creeping things ” is the noun remes , which refers to insects, small reptiles, most amphibians and small mammals or in other words, every animal with the exception of the larger domestic and non-domestic animals. “Beasts ” is the noun chay (pronounced: khah-ee) referring to wild or undomesticated animals, which would include large mammals such as lions and elephants, large extinct reptiles known as dinosaurs. Genesis 1:25, “God made ( ‘asah pronounced gah-sah, which is used of God “producing” from the earth the physical bodies for the souls of the living creatures whose habitat would be on the land ) the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” The verb bara in Genesis 1:21 indicates that the soul of marine and animal life and the birds was created out of non-existing material whereas the verb yatsar in Genesis 1:24 and 2:19 and the verb ` asah in Genesis 1:25 indicates that the physical bodies of marine and animal life and the birds were produced out of existing material, namely, the earth. Genesis 2:19, “Out of the ground the LORD God formed (yatsar , “to construct out of existing material”) every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. NASU Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make ( ‘asah pronounced gah-sah and means, “to model” in the sense that the soul of mankind is a “copy” of God and is “patterned” after God’s invisible essence, thus man as to his essence is the shadow image of God who is invisible, thus the essence of man is invisible, i.e. the soul ) man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (NASU) The verb bara in Genesis 1:27 indicates that the soul of mankind was created out of non-existing material whereas the verb yatsar in Genesis 2:7 indicates that the physical body of man was created out of existing material, namely, the earth. Genesis 1:27, “God created ( bara ) man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” NASU

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Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed (yatsar , “to create out of existing material”) man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. NASU The verb yatsa , “to produce out of existing material” in Genesis 2:7 refers to the physical body of Adam. Therefore, we have the “dichotomy” of mankind meaning that he is composed of body ( soma ) and soul ( psuche ). Regenerate human beings meaning human beings who are saved are “trichotomous” meaning they are composed of body ( soma ), soul ( psuche ) and spirit ( pneuma ). 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Prior to the Fall, Adam and the woman had fellowship with God based upon the perfection of their soul life and not by utilizing eternal life since eternal life is received through regeneration, which is the Holy Spirit’s ministry on behalf of sinners who have exercised faith alone in Christ alone. Adam and Ishah were “dichotomous” (Gen. 2:7) and not “trichotomous” since eternal life is not imputed to a human spirit until the spiritual birth or regeneration. In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul’s statement that the first Adam, “ became a living soul ” clearly indicates that God did not create Adam with a human spirit since if He did create him with a human spirit, the Scriptures would not have called him a “living soul ” but rather a “spirit” as the Scriptures state of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45, “So also it is written, ‘The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man (` adham , generic sense rather than personal name-“mankind”) in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” “In Our image ” means that humanity was modeled according to the invisible image or likeness of God meaning that humanity was to reflect God’s invisible essence, thus man as to his essence is the shadow image of God who is invisible, thus the essence of man is invisible, i.e. the soul. “Let them rule ” indicates that the Lord delegated authority to Adam and the Woman to rule over every living creature in the sea, in the air and on the land, which was another way that he would reflect the image of God who is sovereign over creation. Therefore, the sphere of Adam’s dominion was five-fold: (1) Fish (2) Birds (3) Domestic and non-domestic land animals (4) The earth itself (5) Creepers-crawlers

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(insects, small reptiles, most amphibians, small mammals). In a broader sense, Adam’s dominion was three-fold: (1) Sea (2) Land (3) Air. Genesis 1:27, “God created ( bara , “to create out of nothing ”) man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (NASU) Genesis 1:27 contains three statements about man: (1) “ God created out of nothing the essence of man in His own image ”: Mankind is the direct result of the creative activity of God and that as to his essence, he is the shadow image of God who is invisible and the essence of man is his soul. (2) “ In the image of God, He created him out of nothing ”: Mankind is unique among God’s creatures in that he was created in the image of God. (3) “Male and female, He created them out of nothing ”: The soul of both the male and the female were created out of nothing according to the image of God and that mankind was created as two individuals (male and female) who were to form a unit and were to be united. Genesis 1:28, “God blessed ( barakh , which is pronounced: bah-rach and means, “to endue with power for success, prosperity” ) them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful ( parah , which means, “to be fruitful” in the sense of to procreate, to have sex ) and multiply ( ravah , which is pronounced rah-vah and refers to population increase or growth ), and fill ( male , which is pronounced mah- leh ) the earth, and subdue ( kavash pronounced kaw-vash, which refers to harnessing the potential built into the earth by the Creator for his own comfort and prosperity and well being ) it; and rule ( radhah , which is pronounced: raw-daw, expresses that Adam would reflect the image of God who is sovereign by exercising sovereignty over every living creature in the sea, in the air and on the land) over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” NASU Genesis 1:28 teaches us that God’s omnipotence is exercised by blessing us through His Word. Marine and bird life and land animals were commanded to multiply but only marine life was told to “fill” something and that being the waters. Bird life and land animals were never commanded to “fill” the earth and the reason for this is that mankind was commanded to fill the earth since the earth was given to man and not land animals and the birds. Psalm 115:16, “The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, but the earth He has given to the sons of men .” The reason why bird life and those creatures whose habitat is the earth were never commanded to “fill” the earth is that mankind was created and designed to dominate his habitat, which would be on land and not the bird kingdom and creatures whose habitat is on land.

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Genesis 1:29, “Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.” NASU Genesis 1:29 and 30 teaches us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Gracious Provider of food not only for the human race but also each and every living creature on the earth. Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that He had made ( `asah , pronounced gah-sah, which means, “to do” since it summarizes the Holy Spirit’s work in creating, restoring, producing and modeling during the six days of restoration, which was in response to the commands of God the Son. ), and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” NASU “Very Good ” describes the “absolute perfection” of the Holy Spirit’s work in creating, restoring, producing and modeling during the six days of restoration, which was in obedience to the commands of God the Son as well as in accordance with the Father’s will, purpose and plan. The adjective tov appears seven times in each of the six days recorded in Genesis 1, which is significant since seven is the number of “spiritual perfection.” The adjective tov is used seven times in Genesis 1 emphasizing the “perfection” and “completion” of the Holy Spirit’s work in creating, restoring, producing and modeling during the six days, which was in obedience to the commands of God the Son and in accordance therefore, with the Father’s will, purpose and plan. The phrase “ there was evening and there was morning ” appears in Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23 and 31. Evening always precedes morning for several reasons: (1) God is working in the midst of darkness in restoring creation, which in turn typifies God’s work of redeeming first of all mankind and then the earth itself, which was brought under a curse because of Adam’s disobedience to the Lord in the Garden of Eden. (2) It typifies God’s work in our lives where at the moment of salvation we have been called out of the spiritual darkness of Satan’s cosmic system and transferred into God’s kingdom, the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13). (3) God is dealing with His creatures and His creation in love, mercy and grace. (4) We can do nothing without Him and that He is working in our lives that have been filled with spiritual darkness. (5) God is revealing to us a spiritual principle that God’s omnipotence finds its consummation in not only the impotence of creation but also the impotence in our lives as human beings. 2 Corinthians 12:9: “And He has said to me for my benefit and it still has application at the present time, my grace is as an eternal spiritual truth sufficient for you, for my power as an eternal spiritual truth finds its

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 34 consummation in human impotence. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” Genesis 1 teaches us that out of death, God gives life through the Word of His power and that out of the suffering of creation, God blesses. The sixth day is significant since six is the number of man and of his imperfection meaning he is destitute of God, without God, without Christ. Man was created on the sixth day, and thus he has the number six impressed upon him. Moreover, six days were appointed to him for his labor, while one day is associated in sovereignty with the Lord God, as His rest. Six, therefore, is the number of labor also, of man's labor as apart and distinct from God's rest. True, it marks the completion of God's work in creating, restoring, producing and modeling, and therefore the number is significant of secular completeness. The sixth and final day emphasizes mankind’s importance to the plan of God and in the resolution of the angelic conflict. It marks the period where mankind has achieved prominence in the plan of God since mankind would resolve the conflict between Himself and Satan. God has defeated Satan through the death, resurrection and session of the God- Man, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:6-9; Phlp. 2:6-11). The sixth day typifies the completion of the new creation while the seventh day typifies the eternal rest. Genesis 2:1, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed ( kalah , which is pronounced kaw-law, which means, “to complete a process and expresses the fact that the “process” of creating out of nothing, producing out of existing material, and restoring was “finished” or “completed” by the seventh day”) , and all their hosts ( tsava , “organizations and systems” ).” (NASU) “The heavens and the earth ”: (1) first heaven (earth’s atmosphere) (2) second heaven (stellar universe) (3) third heaven (abode of God). “Hosts ” is the noun tsava , which refers to the systems and organizations, and orderly arrangement of all that God has created, produced, formed, built and restored during the six days that are recorded in Genesis 1:3-31. “Organization” refers to the “formation into a whole of interdependent and coordinated parts for harmonious and united action” on behalf of God.” “System” refers to the “assemblage of inanimate and animate objects forming a complex whole” that is under the authority of God. If you recall, in Genesis 1:2b, we saw that the heavens and the earth were a chaotic disorder after God’s judgment of the Satanic rebellion but after the six days they are a vast, complex organization or orderly arrangement of animate (living creatures) and inanimate objects. “And all their hosts ”: Refers to the totality of animate and inanimate objects that are contained in the first, second and third heavens and the earth: (1) Stars, satellites, and planets that compose the stellar universe. (2) Earth’s sun and moon.

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(3) Vegetation on the earth (4) Marine life (5) Bird life (6) Terrestrial life (7) Human beings. Genesis 2:2, “By the seventh day God completed, His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (NASU) “His work ” is a reference to the activities performed by the Spirit during the six days, which were in response to the commands of God the Son and were in accordance with the Father’s will, purpose and plan. The fact that Genesis 2:1-2 says that God has completed His work does not mean that God does not continue to work but rather it means that He has completed this particular work. “By the seventh day ” emphasizes that a “special sacredness,” and “marks the totality of a process completed” and lastly, it “marks a time of rest.” The seventh day stamps God’s work of the previous six days with perfection and completeness. Of time, the seventh day tells of the Sabbath, and marks off the week of seven days. The Sabbath was an ordinance given to the nation of Israel and not the church. Exodus 20:8, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.” Although the church was not given the ordinance to observe the Sabbath, they are commanded to enter into God’s Sabbath rest meaning to rest in the promises of God and one’s union with Christ. Hebrews 4:1, “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.” Ancient Jewish and Christian writers proposed a six thousand year history of the world with a final millennium of peace based on the six days of restoration and the final seventh day of rest—the Sabbath. Six is the number of man and 6000 years of human history represents mankind operating without God (6000 is a multiple of 6). In relation to history or time, it appears that the seventh day (the Sabbath) is a “type” of the seventh millennium (the millennial reign of Christ). A 7000-year plan of God is an inference from typology and is not explicitly stated in the Bible. Typology is from the Greek word for form or pattern, which in biblical times denoted both the original model or prototype and the copy that resulted.

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Biblical typology involves an analogical correspondence in which earlier events, persons, and places in salvation history become patterns by which later events and the like are interpreted. A type is a specific parallel between 2 historical entities; the former is indirect and implicit, the latter direct and explicit. So the seventh day spoken of in Genesis 2:2-3 “typifies” the millennial reign of Christ. The millennial reign of Christ will be the greatest period of Israel’s history since she will be head of the nations and the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ will rule in Jerusalem. Christ will literally reign in Jerusalem and Israel will be the head of the nations. There will be a perfect world government under the rule of Christ (Isa. 11:1-2; Zech. 14:9). All of creation will be at peace during the Millennium (Rom. 8:19-20) and there will be no war for 1000 years during the Millennium. The Scriptures make clear that the world government during the millennium will be under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 2:2-4; 9:3-7; 11:1-10; 16:5; Dan. 2:44; 7:15-28; Obad. 17-21; Mic. 4:1-8; 5:2-5; Zeph. 3:9-10; Zech. 9:10-15; 14:16-17). Genesis 2:3, “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (NASU) “Blessed ” is the verb barakh (pronounced: bah-rach), which means, “to bless” in the sense that God blessed the seventh day in that He attached special significance to it because He brought to completion His work of the six days of restoration. He also blessed the seventh day in the sense that He attached special benefit to it for mankind since it would be a day of rest and would typify the millennial reign of Christ and the eternal state and the defeat of Satan. Therefore, the seventh day would be a blessing to mankind in that it typifies the millennium, which would be a thousand years of peace under the rulership of Christ and the thousand-year imprisonment of Satan and the fallen angels. Also, the seventh day would be a blessing to mankind in that it typifies the eternal state where there would be perpetual peace and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth. Finally, Satan and the fallen angels’ sentence would be executed and they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and reside there forever and ever. So the fact that God blessed the seventh day is His guaranteeing that He will be victorious over Satan and that Satan’s sentence will be executed and that there will be peace forever for the entire human race that are saved. Genesis 2:3, “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (NASU) “Sanctified it ” means that the seventh day was sanctified in the sense that it was set apart from the other days of the week in order to fulfill God’s purposes for mankind entering His eternal rest.

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“He rested ” is the verb shavath (pronounced: shaw-vath), “to cease” and is used of God’s activity during the six days. The fact that God is said to have “ceased” from His activity does not mean that He was tired but simply that He was satisfied with His work, which He had brought to completion by the seventh day. It means that there was nothing He could add to what He already accomplished during the six days, thus, it was perfect in every detail. Genesis 2:3, “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (NASU) “Created ” is the verb bara , “to create out of nothing” and is used in relation to the following “creative” activities during the six days. “Made ” is the verb `asah , which means, “to restore” and is used of God’s “restorative” activities during the six days. Restoration is a return of something to a former, original, normal or unimpaired condition. The earth was returned to its former, original, normal, and unimpaired condition that it was in prior the judgment of the Satanic rebellion by God. There were creative activities taking place during this time of restoration. Mankind was created on the sixth day in order to resolve the angelic conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. The second chapter of Genesis 2 gives us more details concerning the third, fifth and six days, or in other words Genesis 2 complements Genesis 1, thus, indicating that some of the work that took place in Genesis 1 is also recorded in Genesis 2. The first chapter of Genesis was “chronological” and emphasized a doctrine of a sovereign, transcendent, yet personal God in relation to mankind whereas, the second chapter of Genesis is “topical” and gives us a doctrine of humanity in relation to God. Genesis 2 is giving us more details surrounding the restoration and creation of mankind. Genesis 2:4b-6 refers back to the third day of restoration, which is recorded in Genesis 1:9-13 and Genesis 2:7 gives us more details concerning the creation of mankind on the sixth day, which is recorded in Genesis 1:24-31. Genesis 2:4, “This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.” “This is the account” is the plural use of the demonstrative pronoun ` elleh (hL#a@) and the feminine plural form of the noun toledhoth (pronounced: toh-led- aw) ( tw{dl@w{T ). This Hebrew expression appears ten times in the book of Genesis and is always used as a heading or title for what is to follow and never does it refer to what precedes and provides the outline or framework to the book of Genesis. It is always used in a “transitional” sense meaning it is not used as a conclusion to what precedes but rather it is used as an introduction to what follows.

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In Genesis 2:4, the expression ` elleh thol edhoth serves as an introduction to what follows in the remaining portion of Genesis 2. The phrase “ this is the account of the heavens and the earth ” does not mean “this is how the heavens and the earth came to be” but “these are the events, which happened after the creation of the heavens and the earth.” Moses is through dealing with the heavens and the earth in general and will now focus on the details of the restoration in relation to the creation of mankind. “When they were created ” is the preposition be ( B+), “after” with the infinitive construct of the niphal (passive) form of the verb bara ( ar*B*), “to create out of nothing.” The preposition be with the infinitive construct of the verb bara denotes the temporal proximity of the original creation with the restoration and indicates the events that Moses records in Genesis 2 took place “after” the creation of the heavens of the earth. Thus implying that what is mentioned in Genesis 2:4b-6 is related to the third day of restoration and Genesis 2:7, the sixth day, both of which took place after the original creation recorded in Genesis 1:1. Therefore, we could translate Genesis 2:4a: “These are the events proceeding after the heavens and the earth were created out of nothing .” “In the day ” is the preposition be ( B+), and the noun yom ( sw{y ). The noun yom , “day ” does not refer to a literal 24 hour period as it did in Genesis 1, but rather, it refers to a “period of time,” namely, the six days of restoration recorded in Genesis 1:3-31. “In ” is the preposition be is used in a temporal sense and means, “during.” “Made ” is the infinitive construct of the verb `asah ( hc#u*), “to restore,” which together with the preposition be denotes that Moses is referring to the events that took place “during” the restoration of the heavens of the earth. Thus implying that what is mentioned in Genesis 2:4b-6 is related to the third day of restoration and Genesis 2:7, the sixth day, both of which took place after the original creation recorded in Genesis 1:1, which is mentioned at the beginning of Genesis 2:4. In Genesis 1, the noun Elohim , “ God ” was used alone emphasizing God’s omnipotence in creation and restoration but in Genesis two, the word is used with Yahweh , “ Lord ” emphasizing God’s personal attention to the creation of Adam and the Woman. Corrected translation of Genesis 2:4: “These are the events proceeding after the heavens and the earth were created out of nothing, during the period of time the Lord God restored the heavens and the earth .” Genesis 2:5, “Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 39 earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground 6 But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.” Genesis 1:11-12 tells us that on the third day God caused the earth to produce vegetation whereas Genesis 2:5-6 reveals that God caused the earth to produce vegetation by causing a mist to come up from the earth that watered the earth, which in turn caused the vegetation to grow. Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” “Formed ” is the verb yatsar ( rx^y*), “to construct something out of existing material,” which is used in reference to the physical body of Adam, or in other words, his biological life. “From the ground ” indicates that the preincarnate Christ constructing from the elements of the ground, Adam’s physical body, his biological life. The physical body of Adam was constructed from the elements in the dust of the ground whereas his soul according to Genesis 1:27 was created out of nothing in the image and likeness of God. The physical body of Adam was not created in the image of God but rather his soul, which is invisible just as God is invisible. The verb bara in Genesis 1:27 indicates that the soul of mankind was created out of non-existing material whereas the verb yatsar in Genesis 2:7 indicates that the physical body of man was created out of existing material, namely, the earth. The verb bara in Genesis 1:27 teaches us that the soul of Adam was “created out of nothing” whereas the verb ` asah in Genesis 1:26 indicates that the soul of Adam was “modeled” according the likeness and image of God Himself. Therefore, we have the “dichotomy” of mankind meaning that he is composed of body ( soma ) and soul ( psuche ). Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” “Breathed into ” is the verb naphach ( jp^n*), which has as its subject, the Lord Jesus Christ, thus teaching that the Lord Jesus is responsible for a person becoming a human being. “Breath ” is the noun neshamah ( hm*v*n&), which means, “soul” and refers to the breath of God, which generates human life. “Life ” is the masculine “plural” form of the noun chayyim ( syY!j^), which means, “life,” and specifically human life. Together, these two words literally mean, “breath of lives, a soul having life, i.e. human life.”

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In Genesis 2:7 the plural noun chayyim is an “abstract” noun, which is frequently expressed by a plural signifying a quality or state. The “abstract” plural noun chayyim refers to the state of Adam meaning God breathed into his nostrils “soul life.” Although the word is plural in Genesis 2:7, it should be translated into the English in the singular form since the plural form of the word is referring to the state of Adam possessing soul life. Therefore, Adam was “dichotomous” meaning he was composed of physical or biological life, and soul life and not “trichotomous” meaning, body, soul and spirit. The believer receives a human spirit at the moment of salvation through regeneration, thus making him “trichotomous.” In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul’s statement that the first Adam, “ became a living soul ” clearly indicates that God did not create Adam with a human spirit since if He did create him with a human spirit, the Scriptures would not have called him a “living soul ” but rather a “spirit” as the Scriptures state of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45, “So also it is written, ‘The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Genesis 2:7 teaches that Adam did “not” become a living soul until God imputed soul life to his biological life, thus, indicating that life does not begin until God imputes soul life to biological life. Soul life is created by God and imputed at physical birth as the means of transmitting the human soul. Biological life + soul life = a physically alive human being or biological life animated by the invisible immaterial attributes of the soul. In Jonah 1:9, the preposition ʾēṯ is used twice and is not translated but functions as a structural marker of the case of the direct object. It is the primary particle of the accusative case in Hebrew and here it is used to mark the nouns yām ( ) (yawm), “ the sea ” and yǎb·bā·šā(h) , “ the dry land ” as the direct object of the verb ʿā·śā(h) . The conjunction waw is used to connect the nouns yām, “ the sea ” and yǎb·bā·šā(h) , “ the dry land .” The latter means “dry land” and speaks of the major surface of the earth in contrast to the sea or other bodies of water. The fientive qal stem of the verb expresses an action on the part of Jonah’s God. The active voice indicates Jonah’s God, as the subject performs the action of being creating, restoring, producing and modeling the earth and sea. The perfect tense is past perfect (pluperfect) signifying a resulting state in time that is past relative to the speaker. It speaks of the resultant state at the time Jonah spoke to the crew of his God being the maker of the sea and dry land in the past relative to Jonah and the crew. who “ , א א א Therefore, we will translate the relative clause produced the sea as well as the dry land .”

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This relative clause emphasizes with the crew that Jonah’s God is the Lord of all creation and thus in control of the weather and the ultimate cause of this storm that has threaten those on board this ship bound for Tarshish. It emphasizes with the crew that the Lord is cause of this storm and is an implicit admission of guilt. Completed corrected translation of Jonah 1:9: “So, he answered them, ‘I myself am a Hebrew, specifically, I myself am one who worships the Lord God of heaven who produced the sea as well as the dry land.” To summarize, Jonah 1:9 records Jonah’s response to the crew’s interrogation of him recorded in verse 8. In this verse, he identifies his God as the source of the storm and implicitly that he is responsible for the Lord causing this great storm to come against the ship and thus endangering the entire crew and its captain. His description of himself expresses his national pride. The statement “ I myself am a Hebrew ” denotes Jonah’s nationality distinguishing the Israelites from the Gentiles. It was a term commonly used by the Israelites to describe themselves to foreigners like these sailors on this ship to Tarshish. The disobedient prophet describes himself as a worshipper of the Lord God, which indicates that he has a personal covenant relationship with God who is immanent and transcendent. Jonah identifies his God as the creator of the earth and all that is in it. He is saying that his God is superior to the gods of the crew. This implies of course that his God has caused this disaster that has come upon the ship. Consequently, he also has implicitly admitted his guilt. So Jonah’s description of himself in verse 9 coupled with his admission recorded in verse 10 that he was fleeing his commission from the Lord indicated to the crew that the disaster that presently engulfed the ship and threatened the lives of every one on board is the result of his disobedience to the Creator of the sea and dry land. Thus, Jonah has admitted his guilt. This confession is the central feature in the narrative that appears in verses 4-16 since it is the center of a literary chiasmus that begins in verse 4 and extends through verse 16 (Constable, Thomas L., Notes on Jonah-2009 Edition, page 13; copyright 2009; Published by Sonic Light: http://www.soniclight.com/ ).

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Jonah 1:10-The Crew Now Realizes That God’s Disciplining Jonah Since Previously He Admitted To Fleeing From His Commission From The Lord

By way of review, the first of seven scenes in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:1-3. Jonah 1:1 introduces to the reader the principle characters of the book of Jonah, namely, the Lord and Jonah who function in the narrative as protagonist and antagonist. All the other human characters in the narrative are unnamed with the exception of course, of Jonah’s father, Amittai. These unnamed characters are foils to emphasize the relationship between Jonah and the Lord. Interestingly, the word of the Lord begins the narrative and ends it. Therefore, the book of Jonah is concerned with the effects and consequences of the word of the Lord. Next, in Jonah 1:2a, we saw the Lord commanding Jonah to go immediately to the great city of Nineveh. This journey from Gath-Hepher, Jonah’s hometown to Nineveh is approximately 500 miles east, which would be a rugged journey. Then, in Jonah 1:2b, the Lord commands Jonah to announce judgment against the Ninevites because of their wickedness. Jonah 1:3 records Jonah disobeying the Lord’s command to go immediately to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants because of their wickedness. Instead of going to Nineveh, the prophet heads in the opposite direction and boards a merchant ship at Joppa heading to Tarshish. Jonah 1:1, “Now, a message from the Lord was communicated to Jonah, the son of Amittai, 2 ‘You must go immediately to Nineveh, that great city and then announce judgment against it because their wickedness has come to my attention.’ 3 However, instead Jonah arose in order to flee to Tarshish from the commission of the Lord. Specifically, he traveled down to Joppa and then found a ship, which was heading to Tarshish. Next, he paid for her services. Then, he went down into her in order to head to Tarshish with them from the commission of the Lord.” (My translation) Jonah 4:1-2 reveals that Jonan disobeyed the Lord because he knew full well that the Lord wanted him to issue a proclamation of impending destruction of Nineveh and its inhabitants in order to elicit a response from the Ninevites, namely that they would repent so He could not execute this judgment. So Jonah hated the Ninevites so much that he was willing to travel all the way across the Mediterranean Sea to get away from them. He is out of the “geographical” will of God meaning Jonah is not in the geographical location that the Lord has directed him to be in. He is out of this geographical will of God because he does not want the Ninevites to get saved. He has a great prejudice against the Ninevites and the nation of Assyria as a whole because they were a great enemy of Israel.

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Jonah is also going against the “directive” will of God meaning he is disobeying a direct command from the Lord. The Lord is permitting Jonah to disobey Him, which is the “permissive” will of God. However, Jonah will soon experience the “overruling” will of God in that the Lord will “overrule” Jonah’s bad decision and will use a storm and a great fish to “overrule” his bad decision. The second scene in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:4-16. Jonah 1:4 records the Lord responding to Jonah’s disobedience by hurling a powerful wind on the sea that threatened to break up the ship. Jonah 1:4, “However, the Lord caused a great wind to be hurled against the sea so that there was a great storm upon the sea. In fact, the ship’s captain and crew were made to think they were being broken to pieces.” (My translation) In Jonah 1:5, we see each of the crew members crying out to their gods and flinging the ship’s cargo overboard in an attempt to save it while Jonah is sound asleep down below the ship’s deck. Jonah 1:5, “Consequently, the sailors were terrified so that each individual crew member cried out for help in distress to his own god. Then they hurled the cargo, which was in the ship into the sea in order to ease the burden upon them. However, Jonah went down into the inner most recesses of the ship. Then, he lay down and then fell into a deep hypnotic sleep.” (My translation) This verse contrasts the frantic efforts of the crew to save their ship and their lives with that of Jonah’s indifference. Undoubtedly, he must have been exhausted not only because of the journey to Joppa and seeking out a ship going to Tarshish but also he must have been exhausted and thus psychologically depressed by his determination to rebel against the command of the Lord to go to Nineveh. Then, in Jonah 1:6, we see that each of the crew members cries out to their gods and hurls the ship’s cargo overboard in an attempt to save it while Jonah is sound asleep down below the ship’s deck. Jonah 1:6, “Next, the captain of the crew advanced toward him and then he posed a question to him, ‘what are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Cry out for help to your god! Perhaps, your god will desire to act favorably for the benefit of himself and all of us so that we will by no means die.” (My translation) The ship’s captain’s conduct stands in stark contrast with Jonah’s since the former demonstrates great concern for his crew whereas Jonah has no concern at all. The storm presented a great opportunity to witness to the heathen crew of this Phoenician vessel. However, Jonah shows no desire to evangelize them. He is wasting a great opportunity to tell these men about the Lord.

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The captain also recognizes his need for divine intervention in this terrible storm that threatens the lives of himself and his crew whereas Jonah is dead to the world. The heathen captain uses prayer whereas the man of God sleeps. The captain’s demand for prayer from Jonah is a rebuke as indicated by the fact that he uses the same language that the Lord used in commanding him to go to the Ninevites and announce judgment against that great city’s inhabitants. Next, in Jonah 1:7, the crew casts lots to determine which individual on the ship was responsible for bringing this disastrous, life-threatening storm upon the ship and they discover that Jonah is fault. Jonah 1:7, “Then, each individual crew member spoke to his mate, ‘Come, let us cast lots in order that we may know on whose account, against whom this disaster has taken place against us.’ Consequently, they cast lots and as a result the lot fell on Jonah.” (My translation) Like Jonah 1:4, this verse emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty over Jonah’s life, i.e. his circumstances. It stresses with the reader that the Lord will exercise that sovereignty and omnipotence to change the prophet’s mind about obeying His command to go to the great city of Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants. Jonah 1:7 also emphasizes the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God. It emphasizes that God is in control of Jonah’s life and the life of the heathen crew. It stresses with the reader that the Lord controls the circumstances of our lives, right down to the lot that fell to Jonah. It emphasizes that it was no accident that Jonah’s shard with his name on it was chosen. Jonah has learned the principle taught in Numbers 32:23 that his sin of disobeying the Lord has found him out. He thought he could hide it from the crew that he disobeyed the Lord and was the reason the storm came upon the ship. Numbers 32:20, “Then Moses replied, ‘If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight. 23 But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out.’” (NET Bible) Jonah 1:8 records the crew interrogating Jonah. Jonah 1:8, “Then, they interrogated him, ‘Please for our sake tell us now on whose account, against who has this disaster taken place against us? What is your occupation? In fact, where do you come from? Specifically, from where in the world are your people?’” (My translation)

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Jonah 1:8 records the crew interrogating Jonah by asking him five questions. The answer to the first question was simply soliciting a confession from Jonah since Jonah 1:10 records that before the storm Jonah had told the crew that he was disobeying his commission from the Lord. Also, the fact that the lot fell to Jonah also indicated that the crew already knew the answer to the first question. Therefore, the question was simply designed to get Jonah to admit his guilt. The prophet does not answer the second question because he has already told the crew that he was a prophet as implied by the fact that he admitted to fleeing from the commission from the Lord. The last three questions are concerned with Jonah’s origin since by determining his nationality, they could figure out which god is responsible for the storm since nationality and religion went together in the ancient Near East. The Lord is using the crew now to deal with Jonah’s disobedience. First he used the storm. Then, he used the captain and then the drawing of lots and now he uses the questions of the crew to get Jonah to face up to his guilt and disobedience in refusing to go to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants. So the Lord is closing in Jonah and is about to put in a vice! Then, Jonah 1:9 records Jonah responding to the crew’s interrogation of him by identifying himself as a Hebrew worshipper of the Lord God of heaven, who is the Creator of the sea and the dry land. Jonah 1:9, “So, he answered them, ‘I myself am a Hebrew, specifically, I myself am one who worships the Lord God of heaven who produced the sea as well as the dry land.” (My translation) This verse records Jonah’s response to the crew’s interrogation of him recorded in verse 8. In this verse, he identifies his God as the source of the storm and implicitly that he is responsible for the Lord causing this great storm to come against the ship and thus endangering the entire crew and its captain. His description of himself expresses his national pride. The statement “ I myself am a Hebrew ” denotes Jonah’s nationality distinguishing the Israelites from the Gentiles. It was a term commonly used by the Israelites to describe themselves to foreigners like these sailors on this ship to Tarshish. The disobedient prophet describes himself as a worshipper of the Lord God, which indicates that he has a personal covenant relationship with God who is immanent and transcendent. Jonah identifies his God as the creator of the earth and all that is in it. He is saying that his God is superior to the gods of the crew. This implies of course that his God has caused this disaster that has come upon the ship. Consequently, he also has implicitly admitted his guilt. So Jonah’s description of himself in verse 9 coupled with his admission recorded in verse 10 that he was fleeing the commission from the Lord indicated to the crew that the disaster that presently engulfed the ship and threaten the lives of

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 46 every one on board is the result of his disobedience to the Creator of the sea and dry land. Thus, Jonah has admitted his guilt. This confession is the central feature in the narrative that appears in verses 4-16 since it is the center of a literary chiasmus that begins in verse 4 and extends through verse 16 (Constable, Thomas L., Notes on Jonah-2009 Edition, page 13; copyright 2009; Published by Sonic Light: http://www.soniclight.com/ ). Next, we will study Jonah 1:10, which records the crew rebuking Jonah after coming to the realization that he was being disciplined by God. Jonah’s description of himself in verse 9 coupled with the fact that before the storm he admitted to fleeing from his commission from the Lord indicated to the crew that the disaster that presently engulfed the ship was the result of his disobedience to the Creator of the sea and dry land. Jonah 1:1, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 4 The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.’ 7 Each man said to his mate, ‘Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.’ So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?’ 9 He said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.’ 10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” (NASU) “Then ” is the sequential use of the conjunction waw ( ) (wa), which is prefixed to the third person masculine plural qal active imperfect form of the verb yā·rē(ʾ) yaw-ray), “became frightened ” to form a result clause. The conjunction is a) ( א) marker of result indicating that the crew became even more afraid “as a result of” Jonah’s response to their questions and the fact that prior to the storm hitting the ship he had admitted to them that he was fleeing his commission from the Lord.

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This word denotes that the crew’s fear was the “direct consequence of” Jonah identifying himself and his admitting to them prior to the storm that he was fleeing from his commission from the Lord. Therefore, we will translate the word “consequently .” -en) ( א ) The men ” is the articular masculine plural form of the noun ʾĕ nôš“ oshe), which refers to the crew and emphasizes their weakness, mortality and impotence as human beings reminding the reader of man’s transience and his dependence upon the omnipotent, transcendent God. The articular construction of this word denotes that these individuals are of a particular class. It marks these men as a particular class of persons, namely they are the crew of the ship. We will translate the word “ the men .” “Became extremely frightened ” is composed of the third person masculine yaw-ray) and the) ( א ) (plural qal active imperfect form of the verb yā·rē(ʾ feminine singular form of the noun yir ·ʾā(h) ( ) (yir-aw), which is modified by the feminine singular form of the adjective gā·ḏ ôl ( ) (ga-dol). This is the third time that we have seen the verb yā·rē(ʾ) in the book of Jonah. In Jonah 1:5, the verb is used intransitively and means “to be terrified” as a result of a threat to one’s life. It refers here to being in a state of great distress and anxiety and deep concern of losing one’s life due to an adverse circumstance. Jonah 1:4, “However, the Lord caused a great wind to be hurled against the sea so that there was a great storm upon the sea. In fact, the ship’s captain and crew were made to think they were being broken to pieces. 5 Consequently, the sailors were terrified so that each individual crew member cried out for help in distress to his own god. Then they hurled the cargo, which was in the ship into the sea in order to ease the burden upon them. However, Jonah went down into the inner most recesses of the ship. Then, he lay down and then fell into a deep hypnotic sleep.” In this passage, the verb refers to the terror in the hearts of the crew as a result of considering that the ship was about to be broken in pieces by this great storm caused by the omnipotence of the Lord. In Jonah 1:9, it is used in a completely different sense meaning, “to have reverence and respect for, to worship” the Lord God expressing the fact that Jonah had “reverence” and “respect” for the Lord, or in other words, he “worshipped” Him. Jonah 1:8, “Then, they interrogated him, ‘Please for our sake tell us now on whose account, against who has this disaster taken place against us? What is your occupation? In fact, where do you come from? Specifically, from where in the world are your people?’ 9 So, he answered them, ‘I myself am a Hebrew, specifically, I myself am one who worships the Lord God of heaven who produced the sea as well as the dry land.”

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Now, in Jonah 1:10, the verb yā·rē(ʾ) again is used intransitively and means “to be terrified” as a result of a threat to one’s life. It refers here to being in a state of great distress and anxiety and deep concern of losing one’s life due to an adverse circumstance. Here it refers to the terror in the hearts of the crew as a result of Jonah’s identification of himself and recalling that prior to the storm he admitted to fleeing from his commission from the Lord. yaw-ray) and means) ( א ) (The noun yir ·ʾā(h) is derived from the verb yā·rē(ʾ “fear.” Andrew Bolling commenting on this word, writes, “The usages of this noun are similar to those of the verb. It may refer to the emotion of terror or fear (Ps 55:5 [H 6]; Ezk 30:13). This terror may be put into men’s hearts by God (Ex 20:20; Deut 2:25). Isaiah 7:25 uses the term for an unemotional anticipation of evil. When God is the object of fear, the emphasis is again upon awe or reverence. This attitude of reverence is the basis for real wisdom (Job 28:28; Ps 110:10; Prov 9:10; 15:33). Indeed, the phrase sets the theme for the book of Proverbs. It is used in 1:7: recurs in 9:10 and twelve other verses. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (8:13), is a fountain of life (14:27), it tendeth to life (19:23), and prolongeth days (10:27). Numerous passages relate this fear of God to piety and righteous living: it motivates faithful living (Jer 32:40). Fear of God results in caring for strangers (Gen 20; 11). Just rule is rule in the fear of God (II Sam 23:3). Fear of the Almighty does not withhold kindness from friends (Job 6:14). Economic abuses against fellow Jews were contrary to the fear of God (Neh 5:9). The fear of the Lord turns men from evil (Prov 16:6).” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, page 401) In Jonah 1:10, the noun yir ·ʾā(h) refers here to being in a state of great distress and anxiety and deep concern of losing one’s life due to an adverse circumstance. Here it refers to the terror in the hearts of the crew as a result of Jonah identifying himself and recalling that prior to the storm he admitted to fleeing from his commission from the Lord. The word functions as a cognate accusative meaning that it has the same root as the verb yā·rē(ʾ). The cognate accusative amplifies its cognate verb. Thus, this noun is amplifying the meaning of the verb yā·rē(ʾ) and emphasizing it. Reed Lessing writes, “The narrator of Jonah shows a predilection for cognate accusative constructions: one here in 1:10; three in 1:16; and one each in 4:1 and Qal third masculine plural imperfect with waw) יָרֵ א Here the verb .4:6 fear.’ The same cognate‘ , יִרְ אָה consecutive), ‘to fear,’ has as its object the noun accusative construction (“they feared a great fear”) occurs in 1:16, though there it has the nuance ‘the men worshiped Yahweh with great worship.’” (Concordia Commentary: Jonah; page 110)

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The adjective gā·ḏ ôl is modifying this noun yir ·ʾā(h) and denotes the intensity of this fear of the crew or in other words it indicates that as a result of hearing Jonah’s identification of himself and recalling that he admitted to fleeing his commission from the Lord, the crew’s fear “intensified.” This adjective obviously implies that the crew was in a state of terror and living in fear of their lives prior to Jonah’s response to their interrogation. The qal stem and the active voice of this verb yā·rē(ʾ) are stative describing the state of mind of the crew as a result of Jonah confessing. The imperfect tense of this stative verb with the energic waw mark the emergence of a state, namely the intensification of the crew’s fear. the men became even more “ , א א ג We will translate the statement terrified .” So the crew of this ship has finally put two and two together. The storm is discipline from Jonah’s God who the prophet declares is the God of heaven and Creator of the sea and dry land. Jonah’s God is punishing him for his disobedience. In verse 9, he identifies himself as a Hebrew worshiper of the God of heaven, the creator of the sea and dry land, which implies that Jonah’s God is superior to the gods of the crew and transcendent and sovereign over creation. Later on in verse 10, as we will note, prior to the storm Jonah admitted to the crew that he was fleeing from his commission from the Lord. Therefore, they have put it altogether and now realize that Jonah is being judged by his God. They don’t know that it is discipline that is derived from his God’s love for him. The crew does not have this conception of God. They believe that Jonah’s God is going to kill him and them if Jonah or they don’t do something to appease from their perspective this God of Jonah’s. The crew finds themselves caught in the middle of a dispute between Jonah and God. No wonder they became even more terrified. Simon Uriel writes, “The intensification of their emotion expressed by the internal accusative helps convey the fact that their initial fear of the storm (v. 5) was magnified when they learned that they were in the power of a mighty Deity from whom there is no escape (cf. “If a man enters a hiding place, do I not see him?—says the Lord. For I fill both heaven and earth—declares the Lord” [Jer. 23:24]; also Amos 9:2–4). The juxtaposition of the gentiles’ ‘great fear’ to Jonah’s ‘I fear’ is not meant to cast the fugitive prophet’s fear of heaven in a ridiculous light (as many hold), but to define by contrast their respective positions at this moment: he recognizes the sovereignty of the Lord but is not afraid to disobey Him; whereas they fear His mighty hand but do not recognize His sovereignty.” (The JPS Bible Commentary: Jonah; page 12)

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From this heathen crew’s perspective, Jonah was not only foolish and stupid to disobey and run away from a god who created heaven and earth but they also thought that this was suicidal. John Hannah writes, “Perhaps too they sensed, superstitiously, that Jonah’s God was holding them responsible as accomplices in Jonah’s ‘crime.’” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, volume 1, page 1466) Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:10: “Then, the men became even more terrified…” Jonah 1:10, “Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” (NASU) “And ” is the wa ( ) (wa), which is prefixed to the qal imperfect form of the verb ʾā·mǎr, “ said ” to form a waw -sequential construction. It functions as a marker of a sequence of closely related events indicating the next sequential event that took place on board this ship heading for Tarshish, namely the crew miffed with Jonah and posed the rhetorical question, “how could you do this?” We will translate the word “ then .” “Said ” is the third person masculine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb ʾā·mǎr ( ) (aw-mar), which means “to question” since it is used of the crew posing a rhetorical question to Jonah. The qal stem of the verb is fientive expressing an action on the part of the crew of this merchant ship asking Jonah why, in the world would he disobey his God who is the sovereign creator. The active indicates that the crew as the subject performs the action of posing this rhetorical question to Jonah. The imperfect tense speaks of this action of the crew as taking place in past time from the perspective of the writer. “To him ” is composed of the preposition ʾě l ( ) (al), “ to ” and the third person masculine singular suffixed form of the pronoun –hû ( ) (who), “ him .” The pronomial suffix refers of course to Jonah and is the object of the preposition ěl, which is a marker of direction indicating the crew posed their question in the direction of Jonah. then, they questioned “ , א א Therefore, we will translate the expression him .” Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:10: “Then, the men became even more terrified. Then, they questioned him…” Jonah 1:10, “Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” (NASU) “How could you do this ?” is composed of the interrogative pronoun mā(h) ( ) (maw), “ how ” and the second person masculine singular qal active perfect form of

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 51 the verb ʿā·śā(h) ( ) (aw-saw), “ could you do ” and the feminine singular form ”. zothe’), “ this) ( א) of the demonstrative pronoun zʾṯ The interrogative pronoun mā(h) is a marker of a rhetorical question. The verb ʿā·śā(h) means “to do” and the demonstrative pronoun zʾṯ means “this.” Together these two words refer to Jonah fleeing his commission from the Lord. This For “ , א א indicated by the causal clause the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them .” The demonstrative pronoun emphasizes the foolishness of Jonah’s act. The qal stem of the verb is fientive expressing an action on the part of Jonah. The active voice indicates that Jonah as the subject performs the action of the verb. The imperfect tense speaks of this action in past time from the perspective of the writer. Simon Uriel writes, “Literally ‘What [is] this [that] you have done?!’ Once again strong reproof overtakes the prophet who himself refuses to utter a reproof. The deictic zot , ‘this,’ gives greater force to the interrogative mah , ‘what’; the phrase mah zot is frequent in rebukes (e.g., Gen. 12:18 and 29:25; Judg. 2:2). The fact that the sailors say merely ‘have you done’—and not ‘have you done to us’ (which is the usual practice of rebukers: e.g., Gen. 26:10; Exod. 14:11; Judg. 15:11)—adds another admirable trait to their collective image: they are not protesting the catastrophe he has brought upon them, but expressing their shock at the very act of running away from a God who cannot be escaped!” (The JPS Bible Commentary: Jonah; page 12) This question that the crew poses to Jonah is rhetorical expressing their extreme horror that Jonah would disobey the sovereign creator. The purpose of this question was not to gain information from Jonah but rather to tell him something with passion, namely the extreme terror they all felt that he would disobey the sovereign creator for any reason. They are not asking him why he would do such a thing since it would never enter into their minds to disobey for any reason a god who is the sovereign, transcendent creator. The crew posed this rhetorical question to Jonah to express how astonished and terrified they were that he would disobey a god who is the sovereign creator. The reason for this question is given in the casual clause to follow, which they states that the prophet had already told the crew prior to the storm that he was fleeing his commission from the Lord. We will translate this question “ how could you do this ?” Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:10: “Then, the men became even more terrified. Then, they questioned him, ‘how could you do this?” Jonah 1:10, “Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” (NASU)

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“For ” is the explanatory conjunction kî ( ) (kee), which introduces an explanation as to why the crew asked this rhetorical question to express their horror. We will translate the word “ for you see .” ( א ) The men knew ” is the articular masculine plural form of the noun ʾĕ nôš“ (en-oshe), “ the men ” and the third person masculine plural qal active perfect form of the verb yā·ḏǎʿ ( ) (yaw-dah), “ knew .” The noun ʾĕ nôš refers once again to the crew and emphasizes their weakness, mortality and impotence as human beings reminding the reader of man’s transience and his dependence upon the omnipotent, transcendent God. The articular construction of this word is anaphoric indicating that the word was used in the previous waw consequential clause prior to the rhetorical question. The verb yā·ḏǎʿ means “to know” in the sense of possessing vital information and is used of the crew. The qal active form of the verb is stative indicating that the crew existed in the state of possessing information about Jonah’s situation, which caused them to react with such horror to his identification of himself that he was a Hebrew worshipper of the God of heaven, the creator of the sea and dry land. The perfect tense of the verb signifies a present state that implicitly came about through an earlier situation. It indicates that prior to the storm and the question they posed Jonah, the crew was informed by him that he was fleeing his commission from the Lord and this has brought about the effected state that the crew was aware of Jonah’s disobedience. “That ” is the conjunction kî ( ) (kee), which this time introduces a direct object clause that presents what information the crew possessed that caused them to react with such horror to Jonah’s identification of himself as a Hebrew worshipper of the God of heaven, who is the creator of the sea and dry land. “He was fleeing ” is composed of the third person masculine singular form of the pronoun –hû ( ) (who), “ he ” and the masculine singular qal active participle form of the verb bā·rǎḥ ( ) (baw-rakh), “ fleeing .” The pronoun –hû refers of course to Jonah and the verb bā·rǎḥ which once means as it did in Jonah 1:3, “to flee, run away, escape, i.e. make linear movement away from something.” Here it refers to Jonah “fleeing” from his commission from the Lord to go immediately to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants. The qal active stem is stative indicating that Jonah existed in the state of fleeing from his commission from the Lord. The participle form of the verb indicates simultaneous action with the perfect form of the verb yā·ḏǎʿ . Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:10: “Then, the men became even more terrified. Then, they questioned him, ‘how could you do this? (For you see, the men knew that he was fleeing…”

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Jonah 1:10, “Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” (NASU) “From the presence of the Lord ” is composed of the preposition min ( ) (meen), “ from ” and the preposition le ( ) (le) and the masculine plural construct form of the noun pā·ně(h) ( ), “ before ” and the masculine singular proper noun Yahweh ( ) (yeh-ho-vaw), “ the Lord .” The proper noun Yahweh is the “Lord ” is the personal name of God emphasizing that He is the redeemer of mankind and is used in His relationship to His covenants or contracts with men whereas Elohim emphasizes the transcendent character of God. So the term Yahweh , “ Lord ” is used alone in Jonah 1:3 and not Elohim , “ God ” or Yahweh Elohim , “ Lord God .” This is significant since the term Yahweh , “Lord ” is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with man’s salvation and emphasizing that Jonah was rejecting God’s authority over him and rejecting the personal relationship that Jonah had with God. It also reminds the reader of the “immanency” of God meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men whereas Elohim , “God ” emphasizes the transcendent character of God. Thus, it reminds the reader of the foolish of Jonah in that he is attempting to flee from the presence of God who is transcendent of His creation and creatures. The word is the object of the preposition min , which indicates a location or state from which something moves away from. Here it denotes that Jonah is attempting to move away from the presence of the Lord. The noun pā·ně(h) refers to being in the presence of the Lord and the preposition le is a marker of location indicating that Jonah is fleeing from the Lord’s presence. To stand in the presence of someone is often used in the sense of acting as one’s official minister. (Cp. Gen. 41:46; Deut. 1:38; 10:8; 1 Sam. 16:21f. 1 Kings 17:1; 18:15; 2 Kings 3:14, etc.). This phrase does not mean that Jonah was hiding from the Lord since Jonah knew full-well that God is omnipresent meaning that He is everywhere present but rather it means Jonah fled from his service-commission as a prophet which he received from the Lord Himself. To flee from His presence means that Jonah refused to serve the Lord in his office as prophet. He was in effect going AWOL meaning Absent Without Official Leave. Therefore, we will translate the prepositional phrase milliphne y ehway ( ), “ from the commission of the Lord .” Corrected translation thus far of Jonah 1:10: “Then, the men became even more terrified. Then, they questioned him, ‘how could you do this? (For you see, the men knew that he was fleeing from the commission of the Lord…”

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Jonah 1:10, “Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, ‘How could you do this?’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” (NASU) “Because he had told them ” is composed of the causal conjunction kî ( ) (kee), “ because ” and the third person masculine singular hiphil active perfect form ( ) naw-gheed), “ he had told ” and the preposition ʾě l) ( ג) of the verb nā·ḡǎḏ (al), “ to ” and the third person masculine plural pronomial suffix hē·mā(h) ( ), “them .” The causal conjunction kî introduces the reason why they knew Jonah was fleeing from his commission from the Lord. The verb nā·ḡǎḏ means “to tell” and is used of Jonah’s act in conveying to the crew that he was fleeing from his commission from the Lord. The pronomial suffix hē·mā(h) , “ them” refers of course to the crew of the ship and is the object of the preposition ěl, which is a marker of direction indicating that Jonah directed this information that he was fleeing from his commission from the Lord. The perfect tense represents a situation that occurred in the recent past indicating that this information about Jonah fleeing from his commission from the Lord occurred recently implying that it was before the storm. The active voice indicates that Jonah as the subject performed the action of previously revealing to the crew he was fleeing from his responsibilities as a prophet of God. The hiphil stem is used in a declarative sense simply expressing the fact that prior to the storm Jonah had revealed he was fleeing from his commission from the Lord. We will translate this causal clause “ because he had previously told them .” Completed corrected translation of Jonah 1:10: “Then, the men became even more terrified. Then, they questioned him, ‘how could you do this? (For you see, the men knew that he was fleeing from the commission of the Lord because he had previously told them.)” The question arises as to why he would tell the crew. He was not obligated to tell them. Purchasing the services of the crew for the trip to Tarshish would not involve being told the motivation to do so. Rather, all the captain and the crew would care about is that they got paid. Therefore, it appears that Jonah was burdened with a great sense of guilt. He is festering guilt and it became an emotional burden for him. It left him severely depressed. This is why he fell into a deep sleep. He had failed to confess the sin and obey the Lord and this prompted a guilt reaction. This produced great anguish in Jonah’s soul. Anxiety is always self- induced. Adversity is inevitable in life, but stress is optional. Adversity is what life does to you, but stress is what you do to yourself. Jonah learned this truth. So Jonah tells the crew he is fleeing from his commission from the Lord because he has a guilty conscience.

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Conscience is our awareness of ourselves in all the relationships of life, especially ethical relationships. We have ideas of right and wrong; and when we perceive their truth and claims on us, and do not obey, then our souls are at war with itself and with the law of God. It is that process of thought which distinguishes what it considers morally good or bad, commending the good, condemning the bad, and so prompting to do the former and avoid the latter. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines conscience, “A person’s inner awareness of conforming to the will of God or departing from it, resulting in either a sense of approval or condemnation.” Franklin P. Jones wrote that “Conscience is a small, still voice that makes minority reports.” Someone once said, “Conscience is also what makes a boy tell his mother before his sister does.” The conscience is that aspect of the soul that evaluates one’s actions and distinguishes between right from wrong. Warren Wiersbe writes, “Wherever you go, you find people with an inner sense of right and wrong; and this inner judge, the Bible calls ‘conscience.’ You find among all cultures a sense of sin, a fear of judgment, and an attempt to atone for sins and appease whatever gods are feared.” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, page 520). A. W. Tozer writes, “Conscience singles you out as though nobody else existed. God has given us a faithful witness inside of our own being...It is able to single a man out and reveal his loneliness, the loneliness of a single soul in the universe going on to meet an angry God. That’s the terror of the conscience. Conscience never deals with theories. Conscience always deals with right and wrong and the relation of the individual to that which is right or wrong. Remember the conscience is always on God’s side! It judges conduct in the light of the moral law, and as the Scripture says, excuses or accuses.” Barclay commenting on the conscience, writes, “The instinctive knowledge of right and wrong. The Stoics said that in the universe there were certain laws operative which a man broke at his peril—the laws of health, the moral laws which govern life and living. The Stoics called these laws phusis , which means nature, and urged men to live kata phusin , ‘according to nature.’ It is Paul’s argument that in the very nature of man there is an instinctive knowledge of what he ought to do. The Greeks would have agreed with that. Aristotle said, ‘The cultivated and free- minded man will so behave as being a law to himself.’ Plutarch asks, ‘Who shall govern the governor?’ And he answers, ‘Law, the king of all mortals and immortals...which is not written on papyrus rolls or wooden tablets, but is his own reason within the soul, which perpetually dwells with him and guards him and never leaves his soul bereft of leadership.’”

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John A. Witmer writes, “Conscience is an important part of human nature, but it is not an absolutely trustworthy indicator of what is right. One’s conscience can be ‘good’ (Acts 23:1; 1 Timothy 1:5, 19) and ‘clear’ (Acts 24:16; 1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3; Hebrews 13:18), but it can also be ‘guilty’ (Hebrews 10:22), ‘corrupted’ (Titus 1:15), ‘weak’ (1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12) and ‘seared’ (1 Timothy 4:2). All people need to trust the Lord Jesus Christ so that the ‘blood of Christ’ might ‘cleanse [their] consciences’ (Hebrews 9:14).” (Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament Edition, page 446). Immanuel Kant wrote, “Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe…: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” Warren Wiersbe writes, “Conscience is that inner faculty that indicates to us whether our actions are right or wrong, according to the standards within our hearts…Conscience is not the law; conscience bears witness to the law. Conscience is not the standard; conscience bears witness to the standard. In different parts of the world there are different standards. Let me illustrate this. When the British took over India as part of their empire, they found some practices that simply had to be abolished. One of these practices was to burn the widow of a deceased man on the funeral pyre. The British issued a law abolishing this practice. One of the religious leaders among the Indian people came to a British leader and said, ‘Our conscience tells us that the widow must be burned.’ And he responded, ‘And our conscience tells us that if you do it, we’ll hang you!’ That gives the difference, doesn’t it? Conscience can guide us aright if we have the right standard.” (Real Peace, pages 92-93). The conscience is that aspect of the soul and psychological faculty that approves when we do right and accuses when we do wrong. On the subject of conscience Martin Luther declared before the court of the Roman Empire at Worms in 1521, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God. ... I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self.” Billy Graham wrote concerning the importance of a clear conscience, “To have a guilty conscience is a feeling. Psychologists may define it as a guilt complex, and may seek to rationalize away the sense of guilt, but once it has been awakened through the application of the law of God, no explanation will quiet the insistent voice of conscience.” Webster defines “conscience” as the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good. Oswald Chambers wrote, “The conscience is that innate faculty in a man’s spirit that attaches itself to the highest that the man knows.”

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In addition to an innate awareness of God’s law, men have a warning system that activates when they choose to ignore or disobey that law and it is this instinctive, built-in sense of right and wrong that activates guilt. All mankind has an innate inner sense of right and wrong, which Scripture refers to as “conscience.” Sociologists have encountered in all cultures a sense of sin and fear of judgment which leads that culture to make some attempt to appease whatever gods are feared and this built in discernment of right and wrong is what Paul alludes to in Romans 2:15. Romans 2:13-15, “For you see, the hearers of the Law are, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely never righteous before God but rather the doers of the Law will, as an eternal spiritual truth, be justified. Since, whenever Gentiles, who, as a fact of history, do not possess the Law, obey, at any time, instinctively the principles belonging to the Law, although, these, as a fact of history, do not possess the Law, they, as an eternal spiritual truth, manifest that they possess inherently, a law, which belongs to them who, indeed by virtue of their obedient character, demonstrate, as an eternal spiritual truth and fact of history, the conduct produced by obedience to the Law as written on their hearts. During which time their conscience does confirm the testimony, namely, their thoughts alternately, at any time, making an accusation or else, at any time, making a defense.” Conscience is like an inner judge that accuses and condemns us when we have done wrong and approves and commends us when we have done right. The conscience varies in sensitivity, depending on the degree of one’s knowledge of and feeling about right and wrong. The person who has considerable knowledge of God’s Word will have a more sensitive conscience than someone who has never had opportunity to know Scripture. Furthermore, repeated sinning hardens the conscience so that it becomes “seared ” like scar tissue (1 Timothy 4:2). To continually reject God’s truth causes the conscience to become progressively calloused, hardened and less sensitive to sin, as if covered with layers of unspiritual scar tissue. To have a “clear conscience” does not mean that we have never sinned or do not commit acts of sin but rather it means that the underlying direction and motive of life is to obey and please God, so that acts of sin are habitually recognized as such and confessed to God the Father (1 John 1:9). 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does at any time confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins and purifies us from each and every wrongdoing.” The believer is to examine himself in order to determine if he needs to confess any known sin to the Father so that he might be restored to fellowship.

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1 Corinthians 11:23-32, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.” The apostle John teaches in 1 John 3:18-22 that the heart, which contains the conscience will convict when we do not love our fellow believer by means of deed and truth. 1 John 3:18-22, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments.” Obeying the command to love one another by means of deed and truth “will set at ease our conscience” when we stand in the presence of the Lord at the Bema Seat since obedience cast out fear of discipline. This is illustrated in 1 John 4:17- 18. 1 John 4:17, “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment ( Bema Seat where the believer’s works will be “evaluated” to see if they merit rewards or not ); because as He is, so also are we in this world.” 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 3:20, “in whatever ( hoti , “ in view of this fact”: if our conscience condemns us ) our heart ( kardia , “ heart ” emphasis upon the conscience ) condemns us; for ( hoti , “in view of this fact”: having a guilty conscience for previous failures to love one another ) God is greater than our heart ( conscience ) and knows all things ( God’s omniscience ).”

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John is saying that even if our conscience condemns us for previous failures, we can rest assured that God the Holy Spirit will convict us when we sin and will deal with us fairly since He has omniscience. Jeremiah 17:10, “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” John is making provision for his readers who might beat themselves up for past failures to love their fellow believer and yet fail to remember all the times that they did succeed in loving their fellow believer. In 1 John 1:5-2:6, the apostle John taught his readers what to do when they sin by failing to love their fellow believer. 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light ( figure for the holiness of God, which refers to the absolute perfection of His character, which does not tolerate sin and evil) , and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness (“walk in the darkness” refers to being out of fellowship with God due to disobedience to the Word of truth and living according to the standards of Satan’s cosmic system, which is sin and hate) , we lie and do not practice the truth 7 but if we walk in the Light (refers to fellowship with God from the standpoint of living according to the standard of God’s holiness, which is met by obedience to the command to love one another as Christ loved in John 13:34) as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin (reference to the indwelling sin nature, which through the function of the believer’s volition produces personal sin-mental, verbal and overt) , we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we (indicates John is speaking to believers since John who is a believer of course, is including himself.) confess (homologeo , used of admitting guilt in a court of law and has no emotional connotation attached to it whatsoever) our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If we confess our sin of not loving our fellow believer, then God forgives us the “guilt” of our sin, therefore, the believer should not feel guilty for past failures. Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; And You forgave the guilt of my sin . Selah.” When a believer commits sin it does “not” change his eternal relationship with God but it “does” affect his fellowship with God. Therefore, there is a distinction between the believer’s “eternal relationship” with Jesus Christ and “fellowship” with Him.

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Fellowship with God is made possible because one has an eternal relationship with God and can be lost due to sin but recovered through confession of sin and maintained by obedience to the Word of God. For example, I was born into the Wenstrom family, when I disobeyed my dad, I lost fellowship with him by being sent to my room, but I was not disowned by him and when I acknowledged my disobedience to my dad, I was restored to fellowship with him and I maintained that fellowship with my dad by obeying him. In the same way, when we sin we have lost fellowship with our heavenly Father and yet still remain in His family and when we acknowledge our disobedience to Him, we are restored to fellowship and we maintain that fellowship by obeying Him. 1 John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:3-6 addresses the importance of obeying the Lord’s commands in order to maintain fellowship with God. 1 John 2:3, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments . 4 The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God ( theos , “God” is an objective genitive receiving the action implicit in the verbal idea of agape , “love”; therefore, it should be translated “love for God”) has truly been perfected ( i.e., accomplished ). By this we know ( in the sense of confirm ) that we are in Him. 6 The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” Steps to restoring and maintaining fellowship with God: (1) Confess the sin (2) Forget the sin (3) Obey God’s Word after confession of sin. 1 John 3:21, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” 1 John 3:21 teaches us that if our conscience does not condemn us because we do love our fellow believer by means of deed and truth, then we can have confidence before the Father. The first manifestation in history of the function of the conscience was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and the Woman disobeyed the Lord’s command and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-17). The function of the conscience is further illustrated with Joseph’s brothers who were convicted by their collective conscience for selling him into slavery when he was seventeen years of age (Genesis 42).

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The first manifestation in history of the function of the conscience was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and the Woman disobeyed the Lord’s command and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:1-8, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'? The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.’” Adam and his wife hid in fear since according to Genesis 2:17, the Lord had warned Adam that if he disobeyed His command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then he would surely die. Genesis 2:17, “but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” The fact that Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden demonstrates the function of the conscience of each one. Adam and his wife’s actions after disobeying the Lord are an implicit admission of guilt. Genesis 3:9, “Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” The Lord knew that Adam and his wife had disobeyed Him since He is omniscient meaning He knows perfectly, eternally and simultaneously all that is knowable, both the actual and the possible and thus has all knowledge of every event in human and angel history. The Lord asked Adam where He was because He wanted Adam to confess his guilt and to make Adam aware of his need for forgiveness and a Savior. Notice that the Lord initiated a reconciliation by seeking out Adam and his wife and not vice versa, which is a demonstration of God’s love. Romans 3:11, “THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.”

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The Lord not only sought out the first two sinners in the human race but He seeks out the entire human race without exception and distinction since He desires all men to be saved (John 3:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). Genesis 3:10, “He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’” Adam, like all sinners, is fearful being in the presence of God since his conscience condemns him before a holy God as guilty. Adam, like all sinners, is estranged from God and seeks to avoid contact with Him since his conscience convicts him. This is the natural result of spiritual death. Adam response that he hid himself because he was naked was a lie but rather he hid himself because he felt guilty since his conscience accused him of disobeying the Lord’s prohibition. Therefore, Adam is not being honest with the Lord who because He is omniscient can see right through his lie. The fact that Adam does not come clean with the Lord and confess that he disobeyed results in a guilty conscience. The application for us as believers is that we must confess our sins so that we might not be wracked with guilt that is the natural result of sin. Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.” Genesis 3:11, “And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’” The divine interrogation continues in order to bring Adam to an admission of guilt so that he might be restored to fellowship. Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” The Lord’s first question is designed to draw attention to the fact that something must have happened to make Adam aware of his nakedness and that he must have done something to make him aware of his nakedness. As soon as Adam’s thoughts have been led to see that this admission is inevitable, the Lord’s next question is a direct one designed to drive Adam to still a more inescapable admission of his guilt. The Lord’s is convicting Adam of his guilt in order that he might see his need of a Savior and forgiveness. Genesis 3:12, “The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’” The function of the conscience is further illustrated with Joseph’s brothers who were convicted by their collective conscience for selling him into slavery when he was seventeen years of age. Genesis 42:1, “Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why are you staring at one another?’ 2 He said, ‘Behold, I

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 63 have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.’ 3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, ‘I am afraid that harm may befall him.’ So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. 6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, ‘Where have you come from?’ And they said, ‘From the land of Canaan, to buy food.’ 8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.” 9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, ‘You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.’ 10 Then they said to him, ‘No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.’ 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies. 12 Yet he said to them, ‘No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!’ 13 But they said, ‘Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.’ 14-15 Joseph said to them, ‘It is as I said to you, you are spies, by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!’ 16 Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you.” But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies. 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days. 18-20 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, ‘Do this and live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.’ And they did so.” The fact that Joseph decides to release all of his brothers except for one reveals that his intention for incarcerating them for three days was so that they could examine their collective conscience in the matter in which they treated him. Joseph placed all of the brothers in confinement together as opposed to solitary confinement in order to cause them to reflect upon the meaning of what was taking place in their lives and to cause them to examine their collective conscience, which they did since in Genesis 42:21 they acknowledge their cruel treatment of Joseph. This was not punishment, but it was preparation, just as his confinement had been and it served to intensify the brothers’ comprehension of the gravity of the situation.

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The three day imprisonment would invoke any rivalries as a result of their awareness that only one could return to Canaan and that the fate of all the others would depend on that one. Joseph’s new proposal to his brothers that he release all of them except for one is designed to make his brothers relive their actions against him some twenty years before and his brothers recognize the parallels and consider it retribution from God. Joseph’s brothers are now faced with two threats to their lives, the famine and now with Joseph if they do not bring back Benjamin to Egypt. Both threats contribute to Joseph’s brothers confronting their sin against Joseph leading to reconciliation and fellowship. Genesis 42:21, “Then they said to one another, ‘Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.’” The purpose for which Joseph imprisoned his brothers for three days was accomplished in that Joseph’s brothers recognized the justice of their predicament and confessed their collective guilt in the way they treated Joseph over twenty years before. The statement “ We are guilty concerning our brother ” was a collective confession of guilt and demonstrates the function of the conscience of each brother. It also demonstrates that Joseph’s brothers did “not” blame each other but rather each takes personal responsibility for their own personal guilt in the matter of Joseph. The prison experience and Joseph’s verdict brought about the first indication of conviction of sin in the lives of these men. Their discussion amongst themselves is not only a summary of Genesis 37:12-30 when they sold Joseph into slavery but also gives us graphic details concerning their treatment of Joseph in that it reveals Joseph’s reaction to having been thrown into the pit by them and their lack of compassion. The brothers equate their present distress with Joseph’s some twenty years before demonstrating their awareness of the providence of God in their lives, overruling their lives and requiring restitution. They recognize that under God’s authority they have reaped what they have sowed. Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” In this moment of great adversity, where their lives are at stake and those of their families, the tortured consciences of the brothers are manifested by their confession of guilt in their treatment of Joseph. The brothers saw divine retribution in what had happened to them and confessed their guilt in dealing with Joseph as

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 65 they had done in his hearing. However, Joseph wanted to assure himself that they had also borne the fruits of genuine repentance meaning that they had taken a different course of action with Benjamin and Jacob and so he did not reveal himself to them at this time. Genesis 42:22, “Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” Reuben statement to his brothers “ Did I not tell you, ‘do not sin against the boy’ and you would not listen ” is a reference to his attempt to talk them out of murdering Joseph (See Genesis 37:21-22). This statement along with the statement “Now comes the reckoning for his (Joseph’s) blood ” clearly reveals that Reuben like his father believed that Joseph was murdered by his brothers indicating that his brothers did “not” tell him that they sold him into slavery. The phrase “ reckoning for his blood ” is a reference to the biblical idiom “cover up his blood ” that is used by Judah in Genesis 37:26. Since the time of Cain, the blood of a murder victim was said to “cry out” for justice, thus uncovered blood served as a constant reminder of a crime and as an incitement to revenge. Therefore, Judah’s use of the idiom and Reuben’s reference to it reveals their respect for the laws of God, which prohibit murder according to Exodus 20:13 and according to Genesis 9:6 is to be punished through capital punishment. Genesis 42:23, “They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.” Joseph’s weeping was not only an expression of his love and affection for his brothers but also an expression of gratitude towards the Lord for bringing his brothers to a confession of their guilt leading to reconciliation with them. A “clear conscience” consists in being able to say that there is no one (God or man) whom I have knowingly offended and not tried to make it right (either by asking forgiveness or restoration or both). Kenneth Osbeck commenting on the conscience, writes, “The conscience has been described as the ‘rudder of the soul’ or the believer’s ‘principle within.’ One of the prime responsibilities of Christian living is to keep the conscience clear as to the things of God so that we might live worthy lives before our fellowmen. But the conscience must be continually enlightened and developed by an exposure to God’s Word if it is to serve as a reliable guide for our lives. A conscience that is allowed to become hardened and insensitive to sin will ultimately lead to spiritual and moral disaster. We must allow God to develop our consciences and then our consciences are able to develop us.” (Osbeck, K. W. Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Kregel Publications)

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Jonah 1:4-10 records Jonah under divine discipline, which is an expression of God’s love for His children. The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ becomes a child of God at the moment he exercised faith alone in Christ alone. John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” God the Father expressed His great love for us by making us His children at the moment of salvation. 1 John 3:1, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” There are two categories of divine discipline that are an expression of God’s love: (1) Negative: God expresses His love for His children by disciplining them in the sense that He “punishes” them when they are disobedient to His will. (2) Positive: God expresses His love for His children by disciplining them in the sense of “training” them when they are obedient to His will and in fellowship. Both categories of divine discipline are designed to keep the believer on track in executing the Father’s will by becoming like Christ. The Word of God is employed in both positive and negative categories of discipline. Hebrews 4:12, “The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and the marrow, and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” The Holy Spirit disciplines the disobedient child of God by rebuking them with the Word of God as it is communicated by the pastor-teacher in the local assembly and the purpose of such rebuke is to conform the believer to the will of his heavenly Father, which results in blessing and true happiness. Jeremiah 32:33, “They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction.” The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the pastor-teacher who is the delegated authority in the local assembly, to reprove and rebuke the children of God from the pulpit with the Word of God as an expression of His love. 2 Timothy 4:1-4, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, preach the word; be ready in season and out of season;

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 67 reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” God disciplines His disobedient children by permitting adversity, trials, and irritations to come into their lives that are beyond their capacity to handle in order to get their attention and to focus upon their number one priority in life as children of God, which is to conformity to the Father’s will. God disciplines His disobedient children by permitting them to reap the fruits of their bad decisions so that they might learn that conformity to His will is the only way to true joy and happiness and blessing in life (Ezek. 16:43; Gal. 6:7-8). There are three categories of divine discipline (punishment) for the disobedient child of God: (1) Warning (Rev. 3:20; James 5:9) (2) Intense (Ps. 38:1; 2 Th. 2:11). (3) Dying (Jer. 9:16; 44:12; Phlp. 3:18-19; Re. 3:16; Ps. 118:17-18; 1 Jo. 5:16). God disciplines His “obedient” children through adversity and underserved suffering in order to build the believer’s confidence in his relationship with God and to get him to depend on God for his security and protection rather than money and human relationships. God disciplines His “obedient” children through adversity and underserved suffering in order to demonstrate to the believer the sufficiency of God’s Word in handling any problem or difficulty in life. The Lord Jesus Christ disciplines the believer in the sense that He rebukes, punishes and trains the believer because He personally and affectionately loves the believer (Revelation 3:14-19). Revelation 3:19, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” “Love ” is the verb phileo ( filevw ), which means, “to personally and affectionately love someone” and expresses the Lord Jesus Christ’s personal affection, care and concern for the believer by disciplining him whether for training when obedient or punishment when disobedient. “Reprove ” is the verb elencho ( e)levgxw ), “to reprove, chasten” and “convict” of sin in order to “instruct” the believer and restore him to fellowship. “Discipline ” is the verb paideuo ( paideuvw ) and was commonly used in Greek literature to mean the “upbringing” and “teaching” and “disciplining” of children. Such “upbringing” consisted of teaching general knowledge and various kinds of training aimed at developing discipline and character. The Lord reproves us because He is trying to develop His character in us. Revelation 3:20-22 teaches that the Lord disciplines us not only because He loves us and but also because He wants to reward us. Just as any good father

2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 68 disciplines his children because he loves them, so God the Father disciplines His children because He loves them. If God did not train us when we are obedient and punishes us when we are disobedient, then we would be illegitimate children, thus divine discipline in the sense of punishment and training is the mark of a child of God. Hebrews 12:1-13, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin and you have forgotten the exhortation, which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM. FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:10 teaches us that ultimately, God disciplines us because He wants us to share in His character and integrity, which is meant by the phrase “ share His holiness .” We are not to get angry or bitter when God disciplines us through the Word, or adversity and underserved suffering but rather we are to listen to what God is trying to say to us and to learn the lesson that He is teaching us so that we might acquire the character of our heavenly Father. Ecclesiastes 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider -- God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him.”

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In order to receive discipline without getting bitter and complaining, the believer must recognized and submit to the authority of the Word of God, the delegated authority of the pastor-teacher and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ who controls history and therefore our circumstances. Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof, for whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” Job 5:17-18, “Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.” Proverbs 15:32-33, “He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.”

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