Jonah 2:8

Jonah 2:8

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

a. ASV: They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.

b. YLT: Those observing lying vanities their own mercy forsake.

d. Amplified Bible: Those who pay regard to false, useless, and worthless idols forsake their own [Source of] mercy and loving-kindness.

e. Septuagint: [In the Septuagint Jonah 2:8 is listed as Jonah 2:9]: They that observe vanities and lies have forsaken their own mercy.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings [In the Stone Edition of Jonah, Jonah 2:8 in our Bible is Jonah 2:9]: They watch false vanities, they forsake their kindness.

1. “They that observe lying vanities…”

a. They that observe [Strong: 8104 shâmar, shaw-mar'; a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).]

b. lying [Strong: 7723 shâvᵉʼ, shawv; or שַׁו shav; from the same as H7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain):--false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.]

c. vanities [Strong: 1892 hebel, heh'bel; or (rarely in the abs.) הֲבֵל hăbêl; from H1891;  emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain, vanity.]

1). Annotated Bible Notes: Lying vanities, this means both idols and all other professed sources of help and happiness which draw men away from God, and deceive those who trust in them.

2). A perfect contemporary example of a “lying vanity” is the term “sexual orientation” a phrase used to categorize an imaginary scientific spectrum of sexual behaviors. I use the word imaginary because it is not science. Sexual orientation is a term relatively recent in its coinage, its sole purpose is to classify and embrace aberrant sexual behavior as normal to the human condition. The exact number of “sexual orientations” is not really known to those who champion it because the list is growing and it depends who is giving the number. Previously the three most accepted were: homosexual (comprising both male and female attracted to their same sex), bi-sexual (attracted to both sexes), and heterosexual (attracted to the opposite sex). Now transgender (someone who identifies as a different gender they were born, males born with male genitals but who think they are female, or females born with female genitals but think they are male), is also now accepted. In the coming years we will see the list to include pedophiles (adults who are sexually attracted to children) and many other sexual perversions. Under the term sexual orientation, sexual perversions are classified as normal.

3). The sexual behaviors of men with men and women with women are not sexual orientations; they are, according to Scripture in Romans 1:26, “vile affections”. The Apostle Paul described their feelings this way in Romans 1:27, these men “burned in their lust one toward another”. The Greek word for “burned” is ekkaio and according to Zodhiates Word Study Dictionary it means “to burn, light, set fire to, to cause to burn or flame up, to kindle”. In the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament it is used of an actual fire in Exodus 22:6 and Judges 15:5. It is also used metaphorically for the anger of the LORD in Deuteronomy 29:20; Psalm 2:12 and Jeremiah 4:4. The Greek word for “lust” is orexis and according to Zodhiates, it means, “to desire…appetite, lust or concupiscence. It is always the reaching out after an object with the purpose of drawing it to oneself and appropriating it.”  Paul goes on to say in Romans 1:27, “…men with men working that which is unseemly.” The Greek word for “working” according to Zodhiates is katergazomai and it means “to work, to bring about, to carry out a task until it’s finished”. The phrase, “that which is unseemly” is the Greek word aschemosune and it means “indecently, obscenity, nakedness”. In the Septuagint it is used in Exodus 20:26 and Leviticus 18:6, 7 to mean the sexual private parts of male and female. The complete phrase, “men with men working that which is unseemly” is a discreet way of saying, “men engaging in actions with the sexual private parts of another man.” When all the grammar and definitions of Romans 1:27 are put together this is the sum, “the enflamed desire and appetite and lust of a man to appropriate or seize upon and engage in actions with the private sexual parts of other men.” What the world calls ‘homosexual orientation’, Paul calls a “vile affection”.

4). On two separate occasions the Apostle Paul warned us not to be deceived about homosexual behavior. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, of which I will comment on more in a later chapter, Paul writes, “…Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (NASV). And again in Ephesians 5:5, 6 “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man…has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (KJV). The Greek word for “whoremonger” is ‘pornos’. It is #4205 in the Strong’s numbering system. I consulted 4 different Greek dictionaries and found the following: Strong’s: male prostitute; Thayer: male prostitute; Zodiates: male prostitute; Bullinger: sodomite.  So there is no doubt that this is referring to homosexual behavior.

5).  According to Scripture, all the arguments defending homosexuality are nothing but “vain words” we are not to be deceived by, including all the deception of sexual orientation. Remember the exhortations of Paul, “DO NOT BE DECEIVED”, “LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU WITH VAIN WORDS”, it can’t be clearer!

2.  “…forsake their own mercy.”

a. forsake [Strong: 5800 ʻâzab, aw-zab'; a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.:--commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, X surely.]

b. their own mercy [Strong: 2617 cheçed, kheh'-sed; from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

1). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of God’s mercy that we can not only be forgiven of all our sins but also be delivered from every bondage that plagues mankind, including sexual immorality in every form. This of course includes homosexuality. Same sex desire is not an orientation, but it is a lust of the flesh that we can be delivered and set free from by the power of God given to us through the born again experience. The Apostle Paul declared this during his ministry to the Corinthian church, within the city of Corinth where sexual immorality was common.

a). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 [NIV] Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 

6:10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  

6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.