
Major Wisdom from the Minor Prophets
Week 8: Jonah
Scripture: Jonah
Background: Jonah is a prophet from the Northern Kingdom, Israel who prophecies between 785 and 760 B.C.. He is the most unique prophet in that he rebels against God’s command to go and preach. He is a stubborn, confused, depressed, discontent, reluctant, angry, selfish prophet of God who has the most successful prophetic ministry than all of the other 11 minor prophets with 120,000 people repenting and turning back to God (see Jonah 4:11). We can find hope in this story because we’ve all found ourselves wrestling with these mental and emotional issues.
Insights:
Excellent Bible Project video overview of Jonah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIabZc0O4c
Jonah is from Gath-hepher which is 65 miles east of Joppa. (2 Kings 14:25)
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria in Old Testament times. Today it is located just outside of modern day Mosul, Iraq which is located about a 4.5 hour drive northwest of Baghdad, Iraq.
The Ninevites were known as being evil and ruthless. Interested article about the background of the city of Nineveh: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/related-articles/nineveh-as-sin-city
Questions:
Go around the circle and have people share a time when they had some sort of ‘crisis of faith.’ This is when our thinking doesn’t line up with what God says in the Bible or what we thought he had promised us in the bible.
Read Jonah 1:1-3 and Jonah 4:2.
Describe the crisis of faith Jonah was having as described in these verses.
Did Jonah have good reason for the Ninevites to receive God’s punishment? (see article above under “Insights” concerning the city of Nineveh.)
Read Psalm 139:1-8. According to these verses, where can we go to get away from God? Is this good or bad? Why?
Read Jonah 1:4-16.
Retail the story beginning with the phrase, “A storm is stirred up by God and the ship comes close to breaking a part. The sailors cried out to their gods for help. What happened next?”
After someone tells what happened next, ask again, “And then what happened?” until the entire story of Jonah 1 is told.
Read Jonah 1:17 and Jonah two as a group–take turns reading it outloud.
Did Jonah repent of his disobedience? If “yes”, why do you say that? If “no”, why do you say that?
Do you believe Jonah lived three days in the belly of the fish or do you think he died? Read specifically Jonah 2:2 before answering.
Read Matthew 12:38-42.
Do you have a different opinion or is it the same when it comes to whether Jonah died or not? (There’s no right or wrong answer on this topic, just interesting.)
Read Jonah 3:1-7.
How big was Nineveh?
What were all of the words we have recorded of Jonah’s sermon? (see 3:4)
What was the Ninevites response to Jonah’s message?
What was God’s response to the Ninevites? (3:10)
Read Jonah 4:1-11.
How many times in the book of Jonah, did Jonah want to escape life by just either taking his own life or wish that he would just die?
What was Jonah’s highest priorities for his life?
Did Jonah have a right to be angry about the plant?
What was God most concerned about? (4:11)
Did Jonah ever fully understand and accept God’s mercy for the Ninevites?
CHALLENGE:
This week, think of something you know God is asking you to do or say. Ask yourself why you have the reaction you do toward what it is God is wanting you to do. Share this situation with someone and have them pray for you.