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Jona und der unverschämt barmherzige Gott
Jona im Bauch des Fischs – das ist wohl eine der bekanntesten Erzählungen aus dem Alten Testament. Doch kennen wir Jona wirklich so gut, wie wir meinen?
Tim Keller fordert den Leser auf, den zwiespältigen Charakter von Jona noch einmal ganz neu zu entdecken: Ein berufener Prophet, der vor seinem Auftrag und vor Gott wegrennt. Ein Nationalist, für den Israel an erster Stelle steht. Ein Mann, der Gottes Gnade ergreift – oder doch nicht? Und dann sind da noch die Seeleute, die Jona über Bord werfen und dabei den wahren Gott erkennen. Was passierte wirklich, als Jona in Ninive predigte?
Es geht aber nicht nur um Jona, sondern um brandaktuelle Themen: Gottes Leidenschaft für die Ausgegrenzten und sein Kampf für soziale Gerechtigkeit. Aber vor allem geht es in diesem Buch um den unverschämt barmherzigen Gott, der nicht nur Jona, sondern auch uns herausfordert.
Tim Keller fordert den Leser auf, den zwiespältigen Charakter von Jona noch einmal ganz neu zu entdecken: Ein berufener Prophet, der vor seinem Auftrag und vor Gott wegrennt. Ein Nationalist, für den Israel an erster Stelle steht. Ein Mann, der Gottes Gnade ergreift – oder doch nicht? Und dann sind da noch die Seeleute, die Jona über Bord werfen und dabei den wahren Gott erkennen. Was passierte wirklich, als Jona in Ninive predigte?
Es geht aber nicht nur um Jona, sondern um brandaktuelle Themen: Gottes Leidenschaft für die Ausgegrenzten und sein Kampf für soziale Gerechtigkeit. Aber vor allem geht es in diesem Buch um den unverschämt barmherzigen Gott, der nicht nur Jona, sondern auch uns herausfordert.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
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About the author
Timothy J. Keller
396 books5,734 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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August 19, 2019
I'd give it six stars if I could. This is one of Keller's best - so insightful and rich.
October 17, 2018
If people know anything about the prophet Jonah, they know he was swallowed by a big fish. Consequently, because we live in an anti-miraculous age, people tend to dismiss Jonah’s story as just another fish story, the product of an ancient, credulous imagination. That dismissal is a shame, for the Book of Jonah tells a story with a timely message for people who live, as we do, in a moment of resurging nationalism.
The timeliness of that message is evident throughout The Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller. The book grew out of a series of expository sermons Keller preached at various times in his ministry. It reflects evangelicalism at its best: a biblical, Christ-centered, relevant call for conversion, not just in our spiritual lives, but in the totality of our lives.
We first meet Jonah in 2 Kings 14:25, which says that Jeroboam II, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, “restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.” Although Jeroboam II “did evil in the eyes of the LORD” (verse 24), God kept covenant with His people (verses 26–27) and the territorial promises He had made to them. Jonah was the prophet of God’s promise-keeping.
Jeroboam II reigned from 792–751 B.C., a period during which the Assyrian Empire, which had earlier threatened Israel, had stagnated. After his death, however, it resurged and began to threaten Israel once again. In 722 B.C., it conquered Israel, brutalized its victims, and deported the population. Israel never recovered as a political entity. When we read the Book of Jonah, we need to keep the tension between Jonah’s prophecy of territorial expansion and the subsequent history of Israel’s destruction in mind, for it is key to understanding the book’s message.
It explains Jonah’s reluctance to take “the word of the Lord” (Jonah 1:1) to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. Though God instructed Jonah to “preach against” that “great city” (verse 2), Jonah knew that God’s judgment implicitly carried a promise of mercy to the repentant. “I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (4:2). As a patriot, the prophet didn’t want to see good come to his nation’s enemies. But God did, and so He asks Jonah (verse 11): “should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?”
The tension between Jonah’s prophecy and Israel’s destruction also explains the book’s continuing relevance to us. The book ends without an answer from Jonah to God’s question. “The main purpose of God is to get Jonah to understand grace,” Keller writes. “The main purpose of the book of Jonah is to get us to understand grace.” Grace is God’s kindness and compassion to all people, not just our kind of people. Its ultimate embodiment was the incarnation of the Son of God, who died as the substitute for our sins and rose as the harbinger of our eternal life. When we understand this, it not only changes our hearts, but it changes the ways we relate to others. That is why God’s question at the end of Jonah is left unanswered. It is a question those who claim to follow God must answer anew in every generation.
The Prodigal Prophet makes for compelling reading. It explains the meaning of the Book of Jonah in its original context, but it draws out the implications of that meaning for our context. It shows the baleful ways Christians can worship ideological idols, misuse Scripture, and fail to love their neighbors as they should. But it also shows what a gospel-centered mission looks like, as well as how the gospel shapes our relationship with neighbors in our everyday lives. I’ll close this review with Keller’s penultimate paragraph, which itself ends with a question:
"We live in a world fragmented into various “media bubbles,” in which you hear only news that confirms what you already believe. Anyone whose uses the internet and social media or who even watches most news channels today is being daily encouraged in a dozen ways to become like Jonah with regard to “those people over there.” Groups demonize and mock other groups. Each region of the country and political party finds reasons to despise the others. Christian believers today are being sucked into this maelstrom as much as, if not more than, anyone else. The Book of Jonah is a shot across the bow. God asks, how can we look at anyone — even those with deeply opposing beliefs and practices — with no compassion?"
How you answer that question reveals what’s in your heart.
Book Reviewed
Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God’s Mercy (New York: Viking, 2018).
P.S. If you found this review helpful, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon.com review page.
P.P.S. This review is cross-posted from InfluenceMagazine.com with permission.
The timeliness of that message is evident throughout The Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller. The book grew out of a series of expository sermons Keller preached at various times in his ministry. It reflects evangelicalism at its best: a biblical, Christ-centered, relevant call for conversion, not just in our spiritual lives, but in the totality of our lives.
We first meet Jonah in 2 Kings 14:25, which says that Jeroboam II, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, “restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.” Although Jeroboam II “did evil in the eyes of the LORD” (verse 24), God kept covenant with His people (verses 26–27) and the territorial promises He had made to them. Jonah was the prophet of God’s promise-keeping.
Jeroboam II reigned from 792–751 B.C., a period during which the Assyrian Empire, which had earlier threatened Israel, had stagnated. After his death, however, it resurged and began to threaten Israel once again. In 722 B.C., it conquered Israel, brutalized its victims, and deported the population. Israel never recovered as a political entity. When we read the Book of Jonah, we need to keep the tension between Jonah’s prophecy of territorial expansion and the subsequent history of Israel’s destruction in mind, for it is key to understanding the book’s message.
It explains Jonah’s reluctance to take “the word of the Lord” (Jonah 1:1) to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. Though God instructed Jonah to “preach against” that “great city” (verse 2), Jonah knew that God’s judgment implicitly carried a promise of mercy to the repentant. “I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (4:2). As a patriot, the prophet didn’t want to see good come to his nation’s enemies. But God did, and so He asks Jonah (verse 11): “should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?”
The tension between Jonah’s prophecy and Israel’s destruction also explains the book’s continuing relevance to us. The book ends without an answer from Jonah to God’s question. “The main purpose of God is to get Jonah to understand grace,” Keller writes. “The main purpose of the book of Jonah is to get us to understand grace.” Grace is God’s kindness and compassion to all people, not just our kind of people. Its ultimate embodiment was the incarnation of the Son of God, who died as the substitute for our sins and rose as the harbinger of our eternal life. When we understand this, it not only changes our hearts, but it changes the ways we relate to others. That is why God’s question at the end of Jonah is left unanswered. It is a question those who claim to follow God must answer anew in every generation.
The Prodigal Prophet makes for compelling reading. It explains the meaning of the Book of Jonah in its original context, but it draws out the implications of that meaning for our context. It shows the baleful ways Christians can worship ideological idols, misuse Scripture, and fail to love their neighbors as they should. But it also shows what a gospel-centered mission looks like, as well as how the gospel shapes our relationship with neighbors in our everyday lives. I’ll close this review with Keller’s penultimate paragraph, which itself ends with a question:
"We live in a world fragmented into various “media bubbles,” in which you hear only news that confirms what you already believe. Anyone whose uses the internet and social media or who even watches most news channels today is being daily encouraged in a dozen ways to become like Jonah with regard to “those people over there.” Groups demonize and mock other groups. Each region of the country and political party finds reasons to despise the others. Christian believers today are being sucked into this maelstrom as much as, if not more than, anyone else. The Book of Jonah is a shot across the bow. God asks, how can we look at anyone — even those with deeply opposing beliefs and practices — with no compassion?"
How you answer that question reveals what’s in your heart.
Book Reviewed
Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God’s Mercy (New York: Viking, 2018).
P.S. If you found this review helpful, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon.com review page.
P.P.S. This review is cross-posted from InfluenceMagazine.com with permission.
July 18, 2020
Qué viaje me pegué con este libro. El contenido teológico, aplicable y desafiante que tiene es tremendo. El libro de Jonás contado e interpretado como jamás lo habías hecho. Timothy Keller es un genio literario y exegético, su forma de enseñar y de desafiarnos para aplicar lo que pasa en el libro de Jonás a nuestros tiempos actuales, nuestro compromiso con la misión, con la sociedad, con la política, con la misión y el amor a los enemigos, todo visto a través de la lupa de la gracia y la misericordia de Dios. Tremendo!
July 30, 2021
A great book, my Favourite quote, which is from the introduction " So Let's not get distracted by the fish". I have start reading it a second time over.
Well worth a second read
Well worth a second read
March 2, 2022
There is not much I have read from Tim Keller that has not blessed me. In fact a lot of times the blessing starts first with a stretching or a convicting that is uncomfortable but in the end he makes much of Jesus so it all was worth it! I have really enjoyed my time in the book of Jonah and this was the best book on Jonah I read. Highly recommended
June 14, 2019
Keller has me enjoying the story of Jonah more than I ever have before. And NOT because of what I learned from the prophet Jonah, but what I learned about me and my tendency to be just like Jonah at times in my life!
I underlined, marked, and made notes throughout the book. 139 markings in all! In other words, a large swath of this book made an impact on this preacher's heart!
Keller, if you have never read him, writes with a depth that few current authors write with. He almost reminds me of those Puritan writers of yesteryear. In matter of fact, this is the first in a series of books dedicated to an "historic figure." This happens to be dedicated to the Rev. John Newton, of "Amazing Grace" fame. Newton's testimony parallels the life of Jonah the prophet in many ways and has, through his writing & letters, been a tremendous help to the author & his wife throughout the years.
Although Keller introduced some of these overarching truths re: Jonah in his previous book "Counterfeit Gods," he really drills down and spends time digging for truth. And, to God be the glory, we are the beneficiaries!
This book will help any Christian wanting to learn more about the story of Jonah and how it applies to Christians in the 21st century. It will also help pastors, preachers, & teachers regarding attitudes that we often miss within ourselves that need to be exposed. As Keller states in chapter 12 of the book, "One of the messages of this book is that anyone, even a successful prophet (or preacher), can be in the dark about grace."
Another theme that Keller highlights and addresses masterfully is the theme of social justice & the message of God's saving grace. Keller, more than others I have read, rightly divides the tension between both of these themes. Far too often, those who preach a social justice do so minus the truth of God's anger & wrath toward sin. And those who preach God's anger toward wrath & sin often ignore God's desire for justice in society. Keller parses the two and shows from the book of Jonah the proper emphasis for BOTH.
Read this book! I could not put it down (that is why I read it from start to finish in five days) and it challenged me in so many ways.
The following are some favorite excerpts:
"Jonah had a problem with the job he was given. But he had a bigger problem with the One who gave it to him." p. 15
"The classic Old Testament example of these two ways to run from God is right here in the book of
Jonah. Jonah takes turns acting as both the 'younger brother' and the 'older brother.' In the first two chapters of the book, Jonah disobeys and runs away from the Lord and yet ultimately repents and asks for God's grace, just as the younger brother leaves home but returns repentant.
In the last two chapters, however, Jonah obeys God's command to go and preach to Nineveh. In both cases, however, he's trying to get control of the agenda. When God accepts the repentance of the Ninevites, just like the older brother in Luke 15, Jonah bristles with self-righteous anger at God's graciousness and mercy to sinners." p. 20
"The dismaying news is that every act of disobedience to God has a storm attached to it...The Bible does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin - but it does teach that every sin will bring you into difficulty." p. 24
"The lack of mercy in Jonah's attitude and actions toward others reveals that he was a stranger in his heart to the saving mercy and grace of God." p. 42
"While love of country and your people is a good thing, like any other love, it can become inordinate. If love for your country's interest leads you to exploit people or, in this case, to root for an entire class of people to be spiritually lost, then you love your nation more than God. That is idolatry, by any definition." p. 103
"If we feel more righteous as we read the Bible, we are misreading it; we are missing its central message. We are reading and using the Bible rightly only when it humbles us, critiques us, and encourages us with God's love and grace despite our flaws." p. 106
"As long as there is something more important than God to your heart, you will be like Jonah, both fragile and self-righteous." p. 110
"The Bible records Jesus Christ weeping twenty times for every one time it notes that he laughs. He was a man of sorrows, and not because he was naturally depressive. No, he had enormous joy in the Holy Spirit and in his Father (Luke 10:21), and yet he grieved far more than he laughed because his compassion connected him with us. Our sadness makes him sad; our pain brings him pain." p. 124
"God does not just accept Jonah and leave him alone. He does not allow Jonah to remain undisturbed in his foolish, wrongful attitudes and behavior patterns. God sends a storm, a fish, a plant. He commissions him again and again and in the end counsels and debates with him directly. Here we see God's righteousness and love working together. He is both too holy and too loving to either destroy Jonah or to allow Jonah to remain as he is, and God is also too holy and too loving to allow us to remain as we are." p. 132
"Sin always begins with the character assassination of God. We believe that God has put us in a world of delights but has determined that He will not give them to us if we obey Him." p. 138
"One of the main reasons that we trust God too little is because we trust our own wisdom too much. We think we know far better than God how our lives should go and what will make us happy." p. 139
"While we are not all called to be preachers or prophets or missionaries, every believer is called to GO. It means to be willing to leave safety & security in order to share the good news of Jesus with others. This may or may not entail leaving physical & social locations, but it always means risk & vulnerability." p. 186
"Most of us are like Jonah. We must have multiple exposures both to our need for God's grace - which usually comes through experiences of disappointment and failure - and to the gospel message." p. 219
I underlined, marked, and made notes throughout the book. 139 markings in all! In other words, a large swath of this book made an impact on this preacher's heart!
Keller, if you have never read him, writes with a depth that few current authors write with. He almost reminds me of those Puritan writers of yesteryear. In matter of fact, this is the first in a series of books dedicated to an "historic figure." This happens to be dedicated to the Rev. John Newton, of "Amazing Grace" fame. Newton's testimony parallels the life of Jonah the prophet in many ways and has, through his writing & letters, been a tremendous help to the author & his wife throughout the years.
Although Keller introduced some of these overarching truths re: Jonah in his previous book "Counterfeit Gods," he really drills down and spends time digging for truth. And, to God be the glory, we are the beneficiaries!
This book will help any Christian wanting to learn more about the story of Jonah and how it applies to Christians in the 21st century. It will also help pastors, preachers, & teachers regarding attitudes that we often miss within ourselves that need to be exposed. As Keller states in chapter 12 of the book, "One of the messages of this book is that anyone, even a successful prophet (or preacher), can be in the dark about grace."
Another theme that Keller highlights and addresses masterfully is the theme of social justice & the message of God's saving grace. Keller, more than others I have read, rightly divides the tension between both of these themes. Far too often, those who preach a social justice do so minus the truth of God's anger & wrath toward sin. And those who preach God's anger toward wrath & sin often ignore God's desire for justice in society. Keller parses the two and shows from the book of Jonah the proper emphasis for BOTH.
Read this book! I could not put it down (that is why I read it from start to finish in five days) and it challenged me in so many ways.
The following are some favorite excerpts:
"Jonah had a problem with the job he was given. But he had a bigger problem with the One who gave it to him." p. 15
"The classic Old Testament example of these two ways to run from God is right here in the book of
Jonah. Jonah takes turns acting as both the 'younger brother' and the 'older brother.' In the first two chapters of the book, Jonah disobeys and runs away from the Lord and yet ultimately repents and asks for God's grace, just as the younger brother leaves home but returns repentant.
In the last two chapters, however, Jonah obeys God's command to go and preach to Nineveh. In both cases, however, he's trying to get control of the agenda. When God accepts the repentance of the Ninevites, just like the older brother in Luke 15, Jonah bristles with self-righteous anger at God's graciousness and mercy to sinners." p. 20
"The dismaying news is that every act of disobedience to God has a storm attached to it...The Bible does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin - but it does teach that every sin will bring you into difficulty." p. 24
"The lack of mercy in Jonah's attitude and actions toward others reveals that he was a stranger in his heart to the saving mercy and grace of God." p. 42
"While love of country and your people is a good thing, like any other love, it can become inordinate. If love for your country's interest leads you to exploit people or, in this case, to root for an entire class of people to be spiritually lost, then you love your nation more than God. That is idolatry, by any definition." p. 103
"If we feel more righteous as we read the Bible, we are misreading it; we are missing its central message. We are reading and using the Bible rightly only when it humbles us, critiques us, and encourages us with God's love and grace despite our flaws." p. 106
"As long as there is something more important than God to your heart, you will be like Jonah, both fragile and self-righteous." p. 110
"The Bible records Jesus Christ weeping twenty times for every one time it notes that he laughs. He was a man of sorrows, and not because he was naturally depressive. No, he had enormous joy in the Holy Spirit and in his Father (Luke 10:21), and yet he grieved far more than he laughed because his compassion connected him with us. Our sadness makes him sad; our pain brings him pain." p. 124
"God does not just accept Jonah and leave him alone. He does not allow Jonah to remain undisturbed in his foolish, wrongful attitudes and behavior patterns. God sends a storm, a fish, a plant. He commissions him again and again and in the end counsels and debates with him directly. Here we see God's righteousness and love working together. He is both too holy and too loving to either destroy Jonah or to allow Jonah to remain as he is, and God is also too holy and too loving to allow us to remain as we are." p. 132
"Sin always begins with the character assassination of God. We believe that God has put us in a world of delights but has determined that He will not give them to us if we obey Him." p. 138
"One of the main reasons that we trust God too little is because we trust our own wisdom too much. We think we know far better than God how our lives should go and what will make us happy." p. 139
"While we are not all called to be preachers or prophets or missionaries, every believer is called to GO. It means to be willing to leave safety & security in order to share the good news of Jesus with others. This may or may not entail leaving physical & social locations, but it always means risk & vulnerability." p. 186
"Most of us are like Jonah. We must have multiple exposures both to our need for God's grace - which usually comes through experiences of disappointment and failure - and to the gospel message." p. 219
November 11, 2025
Listen. This is a commentary on Jonah, yes, but it’s also a worthy read for anyone, even if you’re not doing a Jonah deep dive. Keller just knows how to answer all the questions the modern reader/listener is asking. I particularly appreciate his perspective on mission, loving (every kind of) neighbor, and facing our idols (even the religious-presenting kind). Keller won’t let us get out of Jonah without taking some deep looks at ourselves, and even more looks at Christ. Top 3 Jonah commentary for me 👍
November 3, 2025
Could be one of my favorite Tim Keller books - this one challenged my view of God's grace quite a lot! 4 stars because it seemed repetitive at times.
"If Jonah was to begin finally to ascend, both in the water and in faith, he had to be brought to the very end of himself. The way up was, first of all, down"
"If Jonah was to begin finally to ascend, both in the water and in faith, he had to be brought to the very end of himself. The way up was, first of all, down"
February 8, 2019
Another very well written book by Timothy Keller – who manages to write Bible based Christian books which are simultaneously concisely readable and powerfully insightful.
This book starts out by setting out Jonah as effectively two almost parallel scenes – which it calls Jonah, the pagans and the sea (Chapters 1-2) and Jonah, the pagans and the city (Chapters 3-4) both of which have three parts: Jonah and God’s Word (God’s Word comes to Jonah, the message he is asked to convey and his response); Jonah and God’s World (a word of warning, the response of the pagans and their leader to that warning and how it compared favorably to Jonah’s response); Jonah and God’s Grace (and how God taught Jonah grace through an animal or plant).
Keller also draws out a theme he will return to at intervals – Jonah foreshadowing new testament ideas: in the introduction he draws in particular on the idea of Jonah effectively playing out in turn in each scene the roles of younger and then elder son (in the Parable of the Prodigal Son) – later of course he draws on Jesus’s own parallels between Himself and Jonah.
Thereafter the book first steps through the story chronologically before in three closing chapters examining in turn, drawing on but not restricted to the Jonah story, the subjects of each of the three parts us and God’s word, us and God’s world and us and God’s grace.
Keller sees Jonah as effectively holding Israel’s national security as effectively an idol; that he was too caught up in his own self-righteous identity as a non-pagan to really understand God’s grace for others. He makes it clear that in human terms, given the atrocities of the Assyrian regime and its active threat to Israel (as well as Jonah’s own role in 2 Kings as prophesying Jeraboam’s restoration of the boundaries of Israel) – Jonah’s actions made sense, but that ultimately he did not trust God (in contrast say to an Abraham). He also examines the importance of a message that combines social justice with God’s judgement and God’s mercy – and of a grace-fuelled Christianity that actively embraces the “other”.
Grace and God’s mercy is the fundamental area that Keller examines in this excellent book.
This book starts out by setting out Jonah as effectively two almost parallel scenes – which it calls Jonah, the pagans and the sea (Chapters 1-2) and Jonah, the pagans and the city (Chapters 3-4) both of which have three parts: Jonah and God’s Word (God’s Word comes to Jonah, the message he is asked to convey and his response); Jonah and God’s World (a word of warning, the response of the pagans and their leader to that warning and how it compared favorably to Jonah’s response); Jonah and God’s Grace (and how God taught Jonah grace through an animal or plant).
Keller also draws out a theme he will return to at intervals – Jonah foreshadowing new testament ideas: in the introduction he draws in particular on the idea of Jonah effectively playing out in turn in each scene the roles of younger and then elder son (in the Parable of the Prodigal Son) – later of course he draws on Jesus’s own parallels between Himself and Jonah.
Thereafter the book first steps through the story chronologically before in three closing chapters examining in turn, drawing on but not restricted to the Jonah story, the subjects of each of the three parts us and God’s word, us and God’s world and us and God’s grace.
Keller sees Jonah as effectively holding Israel’s national security as effectively an idol; that he was too caught up in his own self-righteous identity as a non-pagan to really understand God’s grace for others. He makes it clear that in human terms, given the atrocities of the Assyrian regime and its active threat to Israel (as well as Jonah’s own role in 2 Kings as prophesying Jeraboam’s restoration of the boundaries of Israel) – Jonah’s actions made sense, but that ultimately he did not trust God (in contrast say to an Abraham). He also examines the importance of a message that combines social justice with God’s judgement and God’s mercy – and of a grace-fuelled Christianity that actively embraces the “other”.
Grace and God’s mercy is the fundamental area that Keller examines in this excellent book.
June 13, 2024
I have wanted to read this book for a while because I loved the Prodigal God so much. The book of Jonah has always been intriguing to me because he is so unlike any other prophet we see in the Old Testament. And there’s always so much emphasis on the fish lol.
The first half of the book is more of a dissection of the book, giving a lot more context on Assyria and what Jonah’s attitude likely was toward this nation. I really appreciated the context and the point Keller makes about the prophet’s patriotism being a factor in his unwillingness to go there. God’s forgiveness of a nation that was a severe threat to Israel was beyond what Jonah could imagine. His hope and identity was in his nation, not his God. Keller also compares Jonah’s shortcomings in compassion to Jesus’s compassion for the city.
In Jonah, we see a God who cares for people beyond the nation of Israel and has compassion on a lack of understanding, but upholds justice nonetheless. I liked Keller’s comparison here of “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”(Luke 23:24) to “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:11).
The last half of the book focuses more on lessons we can learn from Jonah: our relation to God’s Word, world, and His grace. Keller makes a huge emphasis on the Christian duty of advocating for social justice and compassion for those we see as “other”, as Jonah saw the Ninevites. “If they value the economic and military flourishing of their country over the good of the human race and the furtherance of God’s work in the world, they are sinning like Jonah”. He makes an argument for Christians to be active in communities and politically. I agree with many of his points, but I wasn’t sure how some of them connected to Jonah. He spends a long time talking about the importance of ministry to the city, which felt a little like Tim just talking about what he wanted to talk about. Knowing that the majority of his ministry was in NYC, this makes sense.
Overall, I love how this book grapples with the multifaceted character of Jonah and of God, the need for compassion for those different than us, and how it all points forward to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“If your compassion is going to resemble God's, you must abandon a cozy world of self-protection, God's compassion meant he could not stay perched above the circle of the earth and simply feel bad for us. He came down, he took on a human nature, he literally stepped into our shoes and into our condition and problems and walked with us.”
Only 4 stars because the last half of the book got a bit repetitive and wasn’t sure how it connected in some areas. But I was still a fan.
The first half of the book is more of a dissection of the book, giving a lot more context on Assyria and what Jonah’s attitude likely was toward this nation. I really appreciated the context and the point Keller makes about the prophet’s patriotism being a factor in his unwillingness to go there. God’s forgiveness of a nation that was a severe threat to Israel was beyond what Jonah could imagine. His hope and identity was in his nation, not his God. Keller also compares Jonah’s shortcomings in compassion to Jesus’s compassion for the city.
In Jonah, we see a God who cares for people beyond the nation of Israel and has compassion on a lack of understanding, but upholds justice nonetheless. I liked Keller’s comparison here of “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”(Luke 23:24) to “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:11).
The last half of the book focuses more on lessons we can learn from Jonah: our relation to God’s Word, world, and His grace. Keller makes a huge emphasis on the Christian duty of advocating for social justice and compassion for those we see as “other”, as Jonah saw the Ninevites. “If they value the economic and military flourishing of their country over the good of the human race and the furtherance of God’s work in the world, they are sinning like Jonah”. He makes an argument for Christians to be active in communities and politically. I agree with many of his points, but I wasn’t sure how some of them connected to Jonah. He spends a long time talking about the importance of ministry to the city, which felt a little like Tim just talking about what he wanted to talk about. Knowing that the majority of his ministry was in NYC, this makes sense.
Overall, I love how this book grapples with the multifaceted character of Jonah and of God, the need for compassion for those different than us, and how it all points forward to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“If your compassion is going to resemble God's, you must abandon a cozy world of self-protection, God's compassion meant he could not stay perched above the circle of the earth and simply feel bad for us. He came down, he took on a human nature, he literally stepped into our shoes and into our condition and problems and walked with us.”
Only 4 stars because the last half of the book got a bit repetitive and wasn’t sure how it connected in some areas. But I was still a fan.
November 9, 2018
The book of Jonah is every bit as relevant today as it was 2500 years ago.
I've been a fan of Timothy Keller since college. The first book of his I read was "The Reason for God." I really admire the work Keller has done pastoring in Manhattan and reaching millions with his books. Another of my favorites was "The Prodigal God," where Keller explores the deeper meanings of the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. "The Prodigal Prophet" is a natural follow-up to that book. Keller emphasizes the fact that Jonah represents both brothers in Jesus' parable, the younger brother in Jonah 1 and 2, the older brother in Jonah 3 and 4.
Kellers latest book and the story of Jonah are extremely timely for our political/religious climate. The story of Jonah, Keller argues, emphasizes topics like nationalism, racism, prejudice, and religious elitism. Jonah reveals the dangers of conjoining religion and patriotism and placing national pride over devotion to God.
Jonah is full of reversals. The prophet of God refuses to pray while the pagan Gentile sailors cry out to their own gods and become worshipers of YHWH. Jonah remains hard-hearted and even violent in his view of the Assyrians while the Assyrians' hearts are softened and they turn from their violent, evil ways. Jonah's biggest issue is not with the Gentiles, it's with God who would offer mercy and forgiveness to his enemies.
I appreciate Keller's honesty and courage to present the truth about justice, grace, mercy, and forgiveness on more than just an individual scale. Through the story of Jonah, God is showing that he cares for all people everywhere, even the pagan, Gentile sailors; even the brutally violent Assyrian Empire. God cares. God wants to show grace and forgiveness. Are we willing to follow a God who wants to show love to those we consider our enemy?
Overall, Keller's latest book is a quick, thrilling read diving into the story of Jonah and its implications for the 21st Century. This would make an excellent series to preach through or teach in a Bible class setting. I'd recommend this book for all church leaders, pastors, and teachers, especially if you are concerned with issues of justice.
I've been a fan of Timothy Keller since college. The first book of his I read was "The Reason for God." I really admire the work Keller has done pastoring in Manhattan and reaching millions with his books. Another of my favorites was "The Prodigal God," where Keller explores the deeper meanings of the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. "The Prodigal Prophet" is a natural follow-up to that book. Keller emphasizes the fact that Jonah represents both brothers in Jesus' parable, the younger brother in Jonah 1 and 2, the older brother in Jonah 3 and 4.
Kellers latest book and the story of Jonah are extremely timely for our political/religious climate. The story of Jonah, Keller argues, emphasizes topics like nationalism, racism, prejudice, and religious elitism. Jonah reveals the dangers of conjoining religion and patriotism and placing national pride over devotion to God.
Jonah is full of reversals. The prophet of God refuses to pray while the pagan Gentile sailors cry out to their own gods and become worshipers of YHWH. Jonah remains hard-hearted and even violent in his view of the Assyrians while the Assyrians' hearts are softened and they turn from their violent, evil ways. Jonah's biggest issue is not with the Gentiles, it's with God who would offer mercy and forgiveness to his enemies.
I appreciate Keller's honesty and courage to present the truth about justice, grace, mercy, and forgiveness on more than just an individual scale. Through the story of Jonah, God is showing that he cares for all people everywhere, even the pagan, Gentile sailors; even the brutally violent Assyrian Empire. God cares. God wants to show grace and forgiveness. Are we willing to follow a God who wants to show love to those we consider our enemy?
Overall, Keller's latest book is a quick, thrilling read diving into the story of Jonah and its implications for the 21st Century. This would make an excellent series to preach through or teach in a Bible class setting. I'd recommend this book for all church leaders, pastors, and teachers, especially if you are concerned with issues of justice.
November 25, 2022
Man the title sure is spot on. I learned so much more about the book of Jonah in an interesting and engaging way. I was also brought to tears at times reflecting on how Keller talks about God’s grace and mercy and was convicted as Keller turned to book of Jonah back on, me, the reader. A great read!
May 25, 2020
This book is a decent introduction to social justice. Keller draws on a lot of moral and biblical principles as to why we must love our neighbors. I think he does a nice job of appealing to all audiences whether they are Christian or not. He makes a lot of good philosophical arguments for why we are called to sacrificialy love others and how ultimately true sacrificial care for one another can only be done from knowing Christ. I believe Keller really challenges the excuses that I make as a Christian to love my neighbors and calls for a radical change in mindset because that is in line with God's character. Specifically, Keller draws on the need for us to care for those in the mission field and in urban settings because God cares for these settings.
Overall a decent book. Not too sure if I'd recommend it to others but if you're a non-Christian who's heard of the Jonah story but want to understand a Christian perspective on it this is not a bad one.
Overall a decent book. Not too sure if I'd recommend it to others but if you're a non-Christian who's heard of the Jonah story but want to understand a Christian perspective on it this is not a bad one.
November 4, 2018
It seems every Keller book is a must-read, and this one is another winner.
Being a lazy reviewer, I’m just going to drop in a couple of quotes:
“Jonah’s whole problem was the same as ours: a conviction that if we fully surrender our will to God, he will not be committed to our good and joy. But here is the ultimate proof that this deeply rooted belief is a lie. A God who substitutes himself for us and suffers so that we may go free is a God you can trust.”
“When Christian believers care more for their own interests and security than for the good and salvation of other races and ethnicities, they are sinning like Jonah. If they value the economic and military flourishing of their country over the good of the human race and the furtherance of God’s work in the world, they are sinning like Jonah.”
Being a lazy reviewer, I’m just going to drop in a couple of quotes:
“Jonah’s whole problem was the same as ours: a conviction that if we fully surrender our will to God, he will not be committed to our good and joy. But here is the ultimate proof that this deeply rooted belief is a lie. A God who substitutes himself for us and suffers so that we may go free is a God you can trust.”
“When Christian believers care more for their own interests and security than for the good and salvation of other races and ethnicities, they are sinning like Jonah. If they value the economic and military flourishing of their country over the good of the human race and the furtherance of God’s work in the world, they are sinning like Jonah.”
January 29, 2019
Another excellent work by Keller, where he displays some of his most central contributions to 21st century Christianity, including the centrality of the Gospel of grace, Jesus as the true and better Jonah, tackling our idols, and popular apologetics for establishing the plausibility of Christianity against secular worldviews. In addition to these, his insights into the text are excellent. Keller has a way of seeing what's going on at a deep level and yet explaining it in accessible terms. Perhaps more unique in this volume is Keller's treatment of nationalism. Drawing on C.S. Lewis, Keller tackles the subject of patriotism - both the good form of national pride and the dangerous enticement to national supremacy. It is a much needed word in our current day.
October 10, 2020
No one - and this is not an exaggeration - speaks to the modern heart and soul and situation like Keller.
This is a philosophical, rhetorical, intellectual triumph of writing. But, of course, it’s true victory is in clearly communicating understandings of Jesus Christ and his love for his people.
At the core of Christianity, there is the concept of grace. Grace, a great mystery, is not something we can understand simply or quickly. We may never fully comprehend God’s use of it. But we can draw closer to the mystery and Keller’s book is one more stepping stone toward that end.
If a nonbeliever were interested in any Christian commentary, I would recommend this book (I think) above all others.
This is a philosophical, rhetorical, intellectual triumph of writing. But, of course, it’s true victory is in clearly communicating understandings of Jesus Christ and his love for his people.
At the core of Christianity, there is the concept of grace. Grace, a great mystery, is not something we can understand simply or quickly. We may never fully comprehend God’s use of it. But we can draw closer to the mystery and Keller’s book is one more stepping stone toward that end.
If a nonbeliever were interested in any Christian commentary, I would recommend this book (I think) above all others.
January 20, 2019
When Keller sticks to exegesis and explaining how Jonah typifies Christ, this book is awesome.
As soon as Keller takes his conclusions and applies them to social justice and politics it starts to go off the rails.
Though social justice, racial reconciliation, and being balanced in your politics have their place and are important, I think that calling that the point of the book of Jonah is a stretch.
As soon as Keller takes his conclusions and applies them to social justice and politics it starts to go off the rails.
Though social justice, racial reconciliation, and being balanced in your politics have their place and are important, I think that calling that the point of the book of Jonah is a stretch.
October 12, 2018
This is the best book I’ve read this year. If you want to be blown away by a story that feels familiar, yet is so deep; read this book.
August 25, 2025
I feel like its become kind of a counter cultural position to like Tim Keller. But I absolutely loved this work. Jonah is one of the felt board stories that we all remember from Sunday School. Jonah the reluctant prophet who ran from God, spent three days in the belly of a fish, and eventually saw Nineveh repent. But Keller insists that if that’s all we see, we’ve missed the deep currents of grace, mission, and God’s unsettling mercy running through the book.
Keller has a way of holding together biblical exposition, cultural analysis, and pastoral application in a way that feels both deeply Reformed and broadly accessible. His central point is that Jonah is not just about a prophet’s failure but about God’s relentless mercy to the outsider and how scandalous that mercy is to the insider. It is a story that exposes our own tribalism, prejudice, and reluctance to see the nations as God sees them.
What I found especially striking is how Keller situates Jonah in the larger story of Scripture. He shows that Jonah’s downward trajectory into the ship, into the sea, into the fish is more than disobedience; it is a picture of Israel’s failure to live out her calling as a light to the nations. And yet, God does not leave Jonah there. He points us forward to the One who was cast into the storm of God’s wrath not for His own sins but for ours. In Christ, Jonah’s failures, Israel’s failures, and our failures are taken up and redeemed. And in this and because of this, Keller insists that we absolutely must take a literal interpretation of Jonah.
Reading Keller here, I was reminded of how necessary it is for us in Dallas, and in the broader American church, to confront the ways we treat God’s mission as inconvenient when it doesn’t align with our preferences. Jonah isn’t just an ancient story, it's a mirror.
Keller is at his best when he exposes the idols of our culture. And here he has shown us those of Jonah’s anger and despair. And at the end of the day, I find myself all too often sitting with Jonah beneath that wilting tree, waiting for God to do something I know he never will. Instead of rejoicing in the overabundance of mercy he lavishes on his saints.
Keller has a way of holding together biblical exposition, cultural analysis, and pastoral application in a way that feels both deeply Reformed and broadly accessible. His central point is that Jonah is not just about a prophet’s failure but about God’s relentless mercy to the outsider and how scandalous that mercy is to the insider. It is a story that exposes our own tribalism, prejudice, and reluctance to see the nations as God sees them.
What I found especially striking is how Keller situates Jonah in the larger story of Scripture. He shows that Jonah’s downward trajectory into the ship, into the sea, into the fish is more than disobedience; it is a picture of Israel’s failure to live out her calling as a light to the nations. And yet, God does not leave Jonah there. He points us forward to the One who was cast into the storm of God’s wrath not for His own sins but for ours. In Christ, Jonah’s failures, Israel’s failures, and our failures are taken up and redeemed. And in this and because of this, Keller insists that we absolutely must take a literal interpretation of Jonah.
Reading Keller here, I was reminded of how necessary it is for us in Dallas, and in the broader American church, to confront the ways we treat God’s mission as inconvenient when it doesn’t align with our preferences. Jonah isn’t just an ancient story, it's a mirror.
Keller is at his best when he exposes the idols of our culture. And here he has shown us those of Jonah’s anger and despair. And at the end of the day, I find myself all too often sitting with Jonah beneath that wilting tree, waiting for God to do something I know he never will. Instead of rejoicing in the overabundance of mercy he lavishes on his saints.
December 7, 2023
Overall a great book. The first part of the book is basically an in-depth commentary on the book of Jonah. Keller starts each chapter with a passage from Jonah, and then further breaks it down in the chapter. The points he makes are usually pretty easy to grasp on a surface level and apply, but I appreciate that there are many areas that can be looked at on a deeper level. All in all the book was pretty easy to read as well, which I appreciated because this is the first book I've read in a few years. I would recommend this book to anyone, it was a fantastic book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2024
Man.
I thought this was one of those throwaway books a pastor writes out of sermons.
It was indeed written from sermons.
But dangggggg. It’s good.
I thought this was one of those throwaway books a pastor writes out of sermons.
It was indeed written from sermons.
But dangggggg. It’s good.
February 3, 2024
It is grace! It is all grace!!! Grace that pursues us and grace that changes us! Thank you Jesus!
November 14, 2025
I think this is my favourite Keller book so far. Enjoyed the way it dug deep into the book of Jonah (lending itself to devotional style reading) and then offering practical application and encouragement.
June 26, 2022
Classic Keller! Really insightful and some thoughtful analysis of our contemporary culture. Much easier to read than others because it is relatively short with small font! Very good on chapter 4 of Jonah!
But, classic Keller, not so brilliant at exegesis throughout. Unconvinced by some of his conclusions and doesn’t get to the bottom of the text.
But I praise God for this godly man who has given so much to the church!
But, classic Keller, not so brilliant at exegesis throughout. Unconvinced by some of his conclusions and doesn’t get to the bottom of the text.
But I praise God for this godly man who has given so much to the church!
March 4, 2025
Mostly good, and when it is, Keller as usual is such an incredibly insightful teacher.
June 17, 2024
Keller exegetes Scripture, exegetes culture, and exegetes people with his typical crystal clarity. He is thus able to apply the enduring wisdom of the Bible squarely to you and me today.
This is also a format I could use more of! It is essentially the book product of multiple sermon series which Keller preached on the book of Jonah. It moves deliberately and pastorally: interested first in understanding the ancient story itself, then, in unearthing the gospel from its pages, and eventually, in challenging us to understand God’s grace anew.
This is also a format I could use more of! It is essentially the book product of multiple sermon series which Keller preached on the book of Jonah. It moves deliberately and pastorally: interested first in understanding the ancient story itself, then, in unearthing the gospel from its pages, and eventually, in challenging us to understand God’s grace anew.
February 28, 2019
Solid, in many ways vintage Keller. Wrestles well with mercy and atonement, and clearly presents Jonah as a type of Christ, leading to a presentation of the gospel.
Interesting format, where after the main commentary, he uses several different lenses to race through the book again in the last several chapters.
His well-intentioned desire to make applications to racism often feels forced, especially when he jumps at the key moment to another text (ie, Good Samaritan), rather than clearly rooting these concerns in the text of Jonah.
The focus on Jonah and his heart storms as an individual were clearly drawn straight from the text, but could have been helpfully augmented by some covenantal background, considering Jonah as a representative of Israel, both in his prophetic vocation and in light of Israel's subsequent history with Assyria.
Interesting format, where after the main commentary, he uses several different lenses to race through the book again in the last several chapters.
His well-intentioned desire to make applications to racism often feels forced, especially when he jumps at the key moment to another text (ie, Good Samaritan), rather than clearly rooting these concerns in the text of Jonah.
The focus on Jonah and his heart storms as an individual were clearly drawn straight from the text, but could have been helpfully augmented by some covenantal background, considering Jonah as a representative of Israel, both in his prophetic vocation and in light of Israel's subsequent history with Assyria.
December 31, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Rev. Keller does a great job of breaking down the book of Jonah, then compares him to the prodigal son and to Jesus himself. He does a great job breaking down the message of the book and applies it well to New Testament passages and to how we as Christians can relate and apply it to our lives today. He further applies that teaching in his chapters on our relationship to God's Word, to God's world and to God's grace. It was thought-provoking, leading me to examine my own heart and the biases I didn't even realize I had. Good book! I recommend!
December 1, 2021
Tim Keller has written another excellent book on how the truth of Scripture leads us to awe inspired worship at the immensity of God's grace and mercy towards those who do not deserve it. In this book, Keller explores the book of Jonah and how the prophet who refused to preach repentance to an evil city was used by God to show the mystery of God's grace on a fallen people. I was greatly impressed with how Keller worked through the short book in such a way to show how all of us are Assyrians in a way. That all of us are evil and in desperate need of a savior and how God comes down to us and shows us mercy and grace without us first making any changes or movement towards Him. It is a humbling experience to realize who you are before God brings His saving grace to you through Jesus Christ. How you are utterly lost and depraved until the God of heaven reaches down to rescue you and even the people who the world may see as the absolute worst are not outside God's reach. That is what Jonah learned and what we need to remember. Everyone needs the gospel, even those we see has completely lost. They are never lost from God if He so chooses to show grace.
The reason why I gave only 4 stars to this book was due to one aspect that Keller included as a means of application for the reader. Keller interjects race into his analysis of Jonah's heart and attitude towards the Assyrians. While that is certainly a possibility as race does often play in the motivations and behavior of an individual, I felt that Keller failed to properly incorporate the concept into the text. Whenever you introduce such a complex sociological concept, such as race, you need to provide the context of the time in which the events are taking place. Keller did not do this, resulting in the reader being left to apply their own modern lenses on how race may have played into the text. It makes it natural for us then to see Jonah as the prejudiced white man looking down on the Assyrian "colored people". When in reality that may have been reversed. The Assyrian people were the dominate people group in the region at the time and they would have had racial animosity towards Israel, but that is never discussed by Keller. Also, Keller failed to link how at the time one's religion and racial identity would have very much been intertwined. For Jonah to announce that he was a Hebrew would have more been an announcement of the God who he served and not a racial identity. This also isn't discussed at all by Keller. Still I loved this book and would recommend it to others. But would recommend a discerning heart in regards to the sociological concept of race.
The reason why I gave only 4 stars to this book was due to one aspect that Keller included as a means of application for the reader. Keller interjects race into his analysis of Jonah's heart and attitude towards the Assyrians. While that is certainly a possibility as race does often play in the motivations and behavior of an individual, I felt that Keller failed to properly incorporate the concept into the text. Whenever you introduce such a complex sociological concept, such as race, you need to provide the context of the time in which the events are taking place. Keller did not do this, resulting in the reader being left to apply their own modern lenses on how race may have played into the text. It makes it natural for us then to see Jonah as the prejudiced white man looking down on the Assyrian "colored people". When in reality that may have been reversed. The Assyrian people were the dominate people group in the region at the time and they would have had racial animosity towards Israel, but that is never discussed by Keller. Also, Keller failed to link how at the time one's religion and racial identity would have very much been intertwined. For Jonah to announce that he was a Hebrew would have more been an announcement of the God who he served and not a racial identity. This also isn't discussed at all by Keller. Still I loved this book and would recommend it to others. But would recommend a discerning heart in regards to the sociological concept of race.
July 7, 2023
Great read and highly recommended!
This book delves into the story of Jonah, unearthing layers of meaning that go far beyond what most of us initially grasp. While many are familiar with Jonah's encounter with the whale and his subsequent release three days later, there is a depth to this tale that surpasses the simplicity of that popular narrative.
Timothy Keller, with his masterful storytelling and insightful analysis, places the story of Jonah within its proper context. He takes us on a full journey, unraveling the complexities of Jonah's experiences and shedding light on the true essence of God's grace and mercy. You will come to understand that the story of Jonah is a testament to God's relentless pursuit of all humanity, displaying His boundless love and desire for reconciliation.
The book not only challenges our preconceived notions but also offers a rich exploration of divine mercy and forgiveness. Keller's ability to artfully guide us through the nuances of the narrative allows us to grasp the profound theological and spiritual implications hidden within Jonah's story.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of God's grace and the profound nature of His pursuit. It is an engaging and enlightening read that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for God's mercy and a fresh perspective on the power of His divine love.
This book delves into the story of Jonah, unearthing layers of meaning that go far beyond what most of us initially grasp. While many are familiar with Jonah's encounter with the whale and his subsequent release three days later, there is a depth to this tale that surpasses the simplicity of that popular narrative.
Timothy Keller, with his masterful storytelling and insightful analysis, places the story of Jonah within its proper context. He takes us on a full journey, unraveling the complexities of Jonah's experiences and shedding light on the true essence of God's grace and mercy. You will come to understand that the story of Jonah is a testament to God's relentless pursuit of all humanity, displaying His boundless love and desire for reconciliation.
The book not only challenges our preconceived notions but also offers a rich exploration of divine mercy and forgiveness. Keller's ability to artfully guide us through the nuances of the narrative allows us to grasp the profound theological and spiritual implications hidden within Jonah's story.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of God's grace and the profound nature of His pursuit. It is an engaging and enlightening read that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for God's mercy and a fresh perspective on the power of His divine love.
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