jonah.

Intro.
Jonah and the Whale. If you grew up in the church learning stories of the Old Testament, than the story of Jonah and the whale may evoke fond memories of felt boards, stale animal crackers, and crafts quickly pieced together to hand to mom as she grabs you from the Sunday school classroom. At least my mind wanders to these thoughts when I think of Jonah. But is there more to this story than Jonah and whale? When did Jonah live in history? Is this important? What was with the city of Ninevah? What was the spiritual climate at this time? There’s more to the story than Ninevah repenting at Jonah’s message? Why is this story so important to be included in our Bible’s today? What is the message for us today?

Historical.
“You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts” (Amos 5:10-13).
“The people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites” (1 Kings 14:24).
During the reign of Jereoboam II, Israel experienced a time of peace as Syria and Assyria were both in a weakened state. The northern borders were expanding nearly to the territory originally under King David and Solomon (2 Kings 14:23-27). But the passages above depict the spiritual atmosphere of the time of Jonah’s adventure to Ninevah. Although to an outsider it could have appeared Israel was flourishing under the reign of Jereboam II, on the inside extensive spiritual decay existed.


jonah: run_whale (pg 3)
overview
Jonah. dove.
The son of Amittai from Gath Hepher in a the territory of Zebulun (2 Kings 14:25). He prophesied during the reign of Jereboam II, the king of Israel from 793-753BC. He brought his message forth just prior to Amos.
Ninevah.
Capital of Assyria, Nineveh was a gentile city founded by the great grandson of Noah. It could possibly have been the largest city in the ancient world. It was a pagan city which repented at the news preached by a complete stranger, Jonah. God’s chosen people, Israel, did not repent even after many of their own prophets spoke God’s words to them. Nineveh exemplifies God’s mercy and compassion bestowed upon a people that is not Israel. God’s love and mercy can extend to any of his creation.

Challenges.
One challenge in understanding this text is deciding if the text should be read as historically true or as an allegory. Three days in the belly of a fish is the main argument for those pushing for the allegorical interpretation. However, the historical interpretation seems to have more support. The prophet is known to have lived during this time period. Also, Jesus referred to Jonah in Matthew 12:38-41; 16:4, and he treated this as an historical event and not a parable.




jonah: run_whale (pg 4)
Study One_running: 1:1-17
Overview.
From the beginning Jonah’s instructions are clear. “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it” (Jonah 1:1). In direct disobedience to God’s command, Jonah flees on a ship to Tarshish. During the ships voyage the Lord sends a storm upon the sea. The sailors do all in their power to keep the ship from capsizing. The captain approaches Jonah as he sleeps through the rough waters and asks Jonah to plea to his god for safety. After continuing in this manner for quite some time, the sailors decide to cast lots to determine why this calamity had struck their ship. When the lot falls to Jonah he tells the sailors, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). When the sailors heard this they are scared and exclaim, “How could you do this?” (Jonah 1:10b). Jonah informs them the only way to stop the storm is to throw him into the sea, because Jonah knows the storm is from God. The men did everything in their power so they wouldn’t have to throw Jonah overboard. However, even their desperate rowing did not make matters better. So they prayed to God saying, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You o Lord, have done as you have pleased” (Jonah 1:14). After this prayer they threw Jonah into the sea. “Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows” (Jonah 1:16). A great fish then swallowed Jonah where he remained three days and three nights.
Key Verses.
”He said the them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah 1:9.
“Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.” Jonah 1:16.



jonah: run_whale (pg 5)
Study One_running: 1:1-17
Questions.
1. Why do you think Jonah flees to Tarshish? (v.10). If he doesn’t want to go to Nineveh, why doesn’t he just stay where he is at? Why do you think he makes the effort to actually leave? Can you flee the presence of the Lord? (Psalm 139:7-12).
2. Why didn’t God stop Jonah before he boarded the ship? What occurred because he was aboard the ship? How did the sailors react? (1:16).
3. . Why did the men not want to throw Jonah into the sea when Jonah first mentioned this as a solution? (use the text to back up answer).
4. Why didn’t God calm the storm at Jonah’s first acknowledgement that the storm was his fault? Would Jonah have been obedient at this point? Why do you think? (Use scripture if you can).
5. How do you think Jonah felt at the outbreak of the storm? Do you think he regretted his decision to flee?

Application:
1. The sailors feared God because they witnessed Jonah’s life. Once they heard Jonah was fleeing from God the sailors were quite alarmed. What implications does this have on the life you live in regard to others?
2. Was Jonah’s solitude within the great fish needed? Why didn’t God just save him through having him wash up on shore? (what do you think and why? No wrong answers).
3. Have you ever blatantly disobeyed God? What was the result? How did you know you had disobeyed?
4. God’s word came directly to Jonah to preach to the city of Nineveh. Is God’s word this clear in our lives today? Why or why not? Support your answer with scripture.

jonah: run_whale (pg 6)
Study Two_Submitting: 2:1-10
Overview
Chapter two records Jonah’s prayer within the whale. After the prayer, the whale regurgitates Jonah upon the land. Within the prayer Jonah acknowledges God’s power over all creation and Jonah’s ultimate submission to the Lord’s sovereignty. The first few verses describes Jonah’s experience being thrown into the ocean and engulfed by a whale. “I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; you heard my voice” (Jonah 2:1). In verse 2 Jonah attributes God as the reason he is tossed into the sea. “For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas.” Jonah continues to describe his peril God allowed him to experience, but the end of verse six is the turning point of the psalm: “But you have brough up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.” Jonah acknowledges God saved him from death. “While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple” (Jonah 2:7). From the acknowledgement of God’s sovereignity over the situation Jonah denounces those who worship worthless idols as he offers sacrifice to the Lord who offers salvation. At Jonah’s proclamation: “Salvation is from the Lord” (2:9), the whale deposits Jonah upon dry land.

Key Verses:
“Those who regard vain idosl forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.” Jonah 2:8-9.







jonah: run_whale (pg 7)
Study Two_Submitting: 2:1-10
Questions
1. What is Jonah’s response once thrown into the sea?
2. What was the basic plea of the prayer?
3. What was Jonah’s fear in verse four? Why did he fear this?
4. How did Jonah know that God heard his prayer? Do you wonder if God hears your prayers? Use scripture to back up your answer if you can.
5. What vow did Jonah commit to paying in verse nine? When did he make this vow?

Application
1. Jonah’s response is to pray after being thrown into the sea and consumed by the fish. Think of a challenge or struggle you face. What is your initial response?
2. Should we fear being expelled from the Lord’s sight as Jonah did in verse four? Use scripture to back up your claim.
3. Describe a time when you felt completely and utterly alone. Did this change how you approached God?
4. Have you made a vow to God in a time of desperation? What were the outcomes of this vow?
5. How have unique experiences of dependence upon God impacted your life?
6. Do you think people cry out to God more fervently in dire circumstances than normal? Why? Do you want this to be true of your life?


jonah: run_whale (pg 8)
Study Three_Fulfilling: 3:1-10
Overview
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time with the same message: “Arise go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you” (Jonah 3:1). Jonah arrived at the big city and proclaimed the message from God: “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed.” Nineveh was a gentile city. It is the only record of a prophet going to a foreign city with a proclamation from God. At the words of Jonah the pagan city dwellers repented. They fasted and put on sackcloth as a sign of humility before God. When the King heard of Jonah’s preaching he himself put on sackcloth and ashes and ordered all in the city to fast and clothe themselves in sackcloth in hopes of deferring the wrath of God proclaimed by Jonah. When God saw the Ninevites repentance and their turn from wicked ways, the eminent calamity was halted and God’s wrath was deferred for the moment. Jonah had fulfilled God’s desire for the proclamation to be heard in Nineveh.

Key Verses
“When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which he had declared He would bring upon them. And he did not do it.” Jonah 3:10

jonah: run_whale (pg 9)
Study Three_Fulfilling: 3:1-10

Questions
1. How did Jonah handle the word of the Lord coming to him the second time? How do you think he received this differently? Do you think his attitude was different? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think God repeated the command a second time? Do you think Jonah would have gone without the second order?
3. What was the message of Jonah’s proclamation? What do you think Jonah expected to happen when he preached this message?
4. What signs of genuine repentance are offered within this chapter or the rest of Scriptures?
5. Why do you think the King of Nineveh thought God would relent and not judge the city? (v. 9).
6. God changed his mind and did not destroy the city as Jonah proclaimed. Why do you think God changed his mind? (Did he change his mind?)
Application
1. Putting on a sackcloth was a sign of mourning. Often times in the Old Testament when one wears a sackcloth it is an indicator of humility and contrition before God. How do we outwardly portray a broken spirit before God? How is one humble and contrite before God? What does this look like?
2. The entire city of Nineveh repented. Could you foresee something like this occurring in your town? Why or why not? What would it take for a revival like this to occur?
3. God had the right to judge the people of this city, but he shows mercy on them. How does God’s mercy impact your life? Why would God extend his mercy to a people not his own (the Israelites)?
jonah: run_whale (pg 10)
Study Four_Questioning: 4:1-11
Overview
Chapter four is the culmination of the previous three chapters. Jonah becomes angry because the city of Nineveh is spared. Jonah claims that he knew God would have compassion and would not destroy the city. Jonah made himself a shelter outside of the city. As he sat and watched the city a plant grew, which God sovereignty appointed, over the head of Jonah. The coolness this shade offered pleased Jonah. But the next day a worm came and ate the plant. This left Jonah quite upset and again Jonah he begged to die. God asks Jonah if he has reason to be angry over the withering of the plant to which Jonah adamantly responds, ‘yes!’ “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” (Jonah 4:10-11). God’s love and compassion for his people is exemplified in this passage.

Key Verses:
“Then the Lord said, “You ha d compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hands as well as many animals?” Jonah 4:10-11.

jonah: run_whale (pg 11)
Study Four_Questioning: 4:1-11
Questions
1. Jonah mentions he fled to Tarshish because he knew God would have compassion upon this city. Do you think Jonah is being honest with his reasons for running? Think back to lesson one when this question was asked. Do you think Jonah is justifying his actions? Support your answer.
2. Why do you think Jonah asks for his life to be taken? Does he really desire this to happen? (He recently had a near death experience).
3. What is the significance of Jonah building himself a shelter in verse 5?
4. Why is Jonah so upset at the plant’s death? What was God’s response?
5. If Jonah knew God was going to have mercy on Nineveh, why did he flee? What was his reasoning?
Application
1. God shows his ability to grow a plant, but then his power to take it away. He had made the plant grow and thus had the authority to take it away as well. How does this concept of God’s authority work within the story of Jonah?
2. What is your response to people that experience God’s compassion and blessing? What is your response when someone becomes a believer who perhaps has not always been the kindest person to you?
3. Nineveh’s fate was as Jonah predicted. Why do you think Jonah did not want to be a part of God’s work within the city of Nineveh? What keeps you from being a part of what God is doing in the world?
4. What are some things you get frustrated which are out of your control? What should the correct response be in these situations?

jonah: run_whale (pg 12)
Conclusion

Often when the book of Jonah is recounted to children the last chapter is not included. Let’s be honest, the story seems to flow better without the confusion of a desert plant dying and causing the bitter Jonah to be angry. But this circumstance is foundational for the book. God’s personal dealing with Jonah reveals God’s interest in the individual. Could God not have left Jonah alone in the dessert? But he chose to use a plant to teach him a lesson. This lesson exemplifies God’s compassion which he bestows upon his people. Jonah preaches to a foreign nation; not Israel. God saves them from destruction. This reveals God’s compassion on those not in the direct line of Abraham. The Ninevites repent at the word of the Lord Jonah brings to them. This contrasts the Israelites lack of response to earlier prophecies. The people of Nineveh repent and humble themselves before God not knowing if he would change his mind. They were dependent upon God’s mercy. Jonah seems to have assumed God’s mercy because he assumed Nineveh would be saved so he fled. Even when it is saved from the coming wrath he is upset.

Questions.
1. What have you learned from this study of Jonah that you did not know before?
2. Name three things which you have been challenged by through this study, and ways you hope to see your life change.
3. What is a good response to God’s mercy and compassion?








jonah: run_whale (pg 13)
Bibliography

Bibliography

Dillard, Raymond. & Temper Longman. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan, 1994.

Hill, Andrew & John Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament 2nd Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

Macarthur, John. The Macarthur Study Bible: NASB. La Habra: The Lockman Foundation, 2006.