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It’s time to begin the Book of Jonah!!!

I am so excited to begin our study of Jonah with you! If you do not have the optional Journal yet – it’s available on Amazon  but it will take a few days to ship – so if you want it right now – you can buy the printable/digital version at half price  —> here and get it right away!

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Overview of Jonah ~

The Book of Jonah is considered one of the twelve books of the Minor Prophets and yet it is unlike any of the other prophetic books. Rather than a series of messages from God, the book of Jonah is a short story of Jonah’s attempt to run from God.

God called Jonah to take his message of judgment to Nineveh and he refused.  This resulted in him being swallowed by a great fish! After three days, the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land and only then did Jonah obey the Lord and deliver God’s message to the Ninevites.

The book of Jonah not only illustrates Jonah’s disobedience and repentance but contrasts the immediate repentance of the Ninevite people to the stubborn rebellion of Israel and Judah. While Jonah was carrying God’s message to Nineveh, prophets were also sent to Israel and Judah calling them to repentance. The Ninevites immediately repented in sackcloth and ashes, calling for a 3-day fast of all men and animals, while God’s people stubbornly turned a deaf ear to God’s warning. God’s response to both Jonah’s and Nineveh’s repentance is love, mercy, and grace.

The Purpose:

The book of Jonah tells the story of Jonah’s futile attempt to run and hide from God, but it also carries an important lesson for us today. We may try to run from God, but we cannot hide from him. No matter where we go, God sees us, and he will not stop reaching out to us with his love, as long as we live.

This book teaches us important lessons of grace, mercy, second chances, and listening to God’s call.

The Author: Jonah

Time Period: Between 793-758 B.C.

Key Verse: Jonah 1:17

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The Outline:

The Outline:

1. Jonah Flees from God (1)
A great fish swallows Jonah (1:17)

2. Jonah in the Belly of the Fish (2)
       Jonah Prays to God and Repents (2:2-9)
       The Fish Spits Jonah Out onto Land (2:10)
 
3. Jonah Delivers God’s Word (3)
       The Ninevites Repent (3:5-9)
       God Relents and Spares Nineveh (3:10)
 
4. Jonah is Angry (4)

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For an even more in-depth Introduction to this week’s reading, watch this video. It is a great explanation of Jonah!

NOW LET’S GET STARTED!

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This Week’s Bible Reading Plan:

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This week’s Reflection & Discussion Questions

(Leaders: Copy and paste these into your groups.  If you do not have a group, use these for a personal time of reflection.)

Jonah 1:1-3

Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet called to a pagan, Gentile nation. At the time of Jonah, Nineveh was the capitol city of the Assyrian empire and the largest city in the world. The Assyrians were seeking world domination and were cruel to the cities they conquered. The wickedness of this nation was so great that God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and call them to repentance.

Jonah deeply disliked them. They had attacked Israel numerous times and were one of his most dreaded enemies. Because Jonah was a prophet of God, he knew that if they repented, God would show them mercy and not judge them for their wickedness. He did not want to risk this happening, so instead…he chose to run.

Jonah tried to run from the presence of God but that is not possible! In Psalm 139:7-8, King David says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

Have you ever tried to run from God? Perhaps like Jonah, you did not want to do what God was asking or maybe you did not feel capable of obeying. Jonah’s story reminds us that though we might try to run from God, he will always find us.

Is there something you know God is calling you to, but you have been reluctant to obey? Write about it below. How does remembering that God enables those he calls encourage you today?

Jonah 1:4-6

This must have been a storm of supernatural proportions, because the mariners on the ship were experienced seamen. They had likely been through many storms and were not easily frightened by waves and wind. Yet, this storm made them so afraid that each man cried out to his god and even began throwing cargo overboard – the cargo that was to be for their income.

Yet in all of this, where do we find Jonah? He is asleep at the bottom of the ship. It is surprising to see how Jonah, a prophet of God, could be so unaware of the consequences of his own sin. He is sleeping peacefully and so soundly, not wakened by the horrific storm, that the captain had to wake him up and tell him to pray that God would save them.

Though not every storm in life is the result of disobedience, this is what often happens when we fail to follow through with what God has told us to do. The enemy puts blinders on our eyes so that we are unaware of the true consequences of our sin. We may personally experience those consequences, but we can’t identify them for what they are. This is why disobedience to God is so serious, it opens the door for the enemy’s deception in our lives.

Is there an area in your life right now where you are not fully obeying God? Why is this happening? Take a moment and surrender that area to him.

Jonah 1:7-10

God chose to reveal Jonah’s hidden sin when the seamen cast lots to determine who had caused the trouble. We see many places in the Bible where casting lots is used to determine a matter. This happened mostly in the Old Testament, and we don’t see this practice used after the Day of Pentecost when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.

When the lot fell on Jonah, the men asked him a series of questions to which he replied that he feared the Lord. What a contradiction to his actions! He said he feared the Lord, but he was running from the Lord.

The men called him out when they cried out in great fear, “What is this that you have done!” It would almost seem that they had a greater fear of God in that moment than Jonah.

When we believe we can get away with disobedience to the voice of the Lord, we fail to recognize our own hypocrisy. With our mouth we declare the greatness of God, but our actions say something else.

God’s desire is that we live lives of integrity, where our actions declare to the world that we truly fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. Pause and consider, is there an area in your life where your actions don’t show that you fear the Lord?

Jonah 1:11-16

As if the storm was not bad enough, it continued to grow more intense, and the mariners asked Jonah what they could do to make the sea calm again. They did not want to throw Jonah overboard. They tried to sail against the storm to dry land, but God would not allow it. The harder they sailed, the greater the storm grew in intensity until their only option was to throw Jonah into the sea.

Fearing what might happen to him, and that the Lord might judge them for their actions, they prayed that God would not judge them and then threw Jonah overboard. Miraculously, the sea calmed; and when the men saw the hand of God, they feared him.

It could not have been easy for Jonah to agree to be thrown into the sea. Surely, he thought it would be his death sentence to be thrown overboard during a storm of this magnitude. His disobedience had placed his own life, and the lives of every person on that ship, in mortal danger and the only thing left to do was to sacrifice his life to save theirs. And yet, God would be glorified, even in this. Through the storm these men’s eyes were opened to see the greatness of God.

God used Jonah’s brokenness to open the eyes of the sailors to see the greatness of God. He wants to use your brokenness to show His glory to a lost and dying world, too.

Is there anything in your life that causes you to struggle to see how God can use you? How does remembering that God wants to use even the hard parts of our story for his glory encourage you?

Jonah 1:17

While many depictions of the story of Jonah, including children’s Sunday school stories, depict this fish as a whale, the Bible doesn’t tell us what kind of fish swallowed Jonah. All we know is that Jonah survived being in the belly of this fish for 72 hours. This verse tells us that God prepared a fish for the very purpose to swallow Jonah, so perhaps this was a fish that God created just for this event.

In Matthew 12 and Luke 11, Jesus compares his death, burial, and resurrection to Jonah when he declared that no sign would be given to that generation except the sign of Jonah. He was referring to how he would be in the grave three days and rise again, just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish and came out alive and well. Then Jesus said this, “Something greater than Jonah is here”.

Sadly, we will see a great difference in the response of the Ninevites compared to the Jews who lived and walked with the Son of God. Many people today look for signs that God is real and still active. Even Christians eagerly search for signs that God is still working.

True faith does not demand a sign. His works are all around us and his word tells us of the great works that he has done. The greatest work of all is that he sent his only son to die for our sins. Unlike Jonah, he really did die but he rose again on the third day, defeating death, hell, and the grave so we can live eternally with him! What more of a sign do we need?

If you have never received Christ as your savior, you can do that right now. Acknowledge your sin to him and your need for salvation and then purpose to live for him alone from this day forward. He loves you and he’s ready and waiting to accept you into his family! For those who are saved, how has your life been transformed by God’s great power?

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This Week’s Verses of the Day:

(Leaders: You can use these images in your groups by using right click and “save as” or screen shoting them.)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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Here’s the Printable Bible Bookmark for Jonah.

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☕️ 📖 ✍️ Now, let’s get started!  Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite drink and open your Bible and SOAK it in! Be sure to leave at least 15-20 minutes for your reading each day. 

Bible Coloring  Bookmark:

Click HERE to Print the full page Coloring Chart
or Click HERE for the Bookmark Coloring Chart

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I commend you for committing to study this book with us! If you want to go deeper in your study, I encourage you to use on-line commentaries and Bible Study tools.

🙌 I can’t wait to see how God reveals himself personally to each of us, as we read the book of Jeremiah together. 

Have a wonderful week in God’s Word – I’ll see you back here on the blog this Friday as we go deeper into God’s Word together!  Don’t forget to join me every weekday morning out on Facebook!

Keep walking with the King,

COURTNEY

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The Jonah Journal is available on Amazon!

If you’d like to purchase a printable-digital copy
(so you have it right away) at half the price
click HERE.

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