Caleb Fankhauser

caleb.fankhauser@usw.salvationarmy.org

BI 134-Old Testament Survey 3

Bible Study– Jonah

Target Audience: Men‟s Fellowship

April 25, 2010

The Book, The Man 12:39-42)

Weather you believe in it‟s historical

Today‟s Study of Men of the Bible looks at accuracy or not, it‟s message can still speak to our

Jonah. Your probably familiar with at least some modern hearts.

aspect of this story. Maybe you sang the songs in Jonah was a prophet. The role of a prophet

Sunday School of Jonah “way down in the middle was to speak to the people the messages of God.

of the Ocean.” If you attended Vacation Bible These messages were direct and personal. Often

School as a child there is a good chance you heard times they confronted people with conviction of

the story, or maybe even watched a Christian their sins. The life of a prophet was not an easy

Children's Cartoon about it. Even if this story one, as a prophets message was not always re-

seams familiar to you there are many aspects to ceived with gladness.

the story that maybe you„ve missed in the past, or Jonah had prophesied about “the

even if you noticed, bear repeating. restoration of the border of Israel during the reign

There are some who would tell you that the of Jereboam II.” (Varughese, p 352) As a prophet

story is just that, Story. Some scholars believe it to Israel, Jonah would have been aware of the bad

to simply be a whale of a tale, but Jesus himself blood between the Israelites and the Assyrian

spoke to its validity as a historical narrative. (Matt peoples to the north.

MEN OF THE BIBLE Bible study–JONAH Page 1
The Prophet Receives the Message, and bolts! The capitol of Assyria, the enemies of Israel to the

north .

In verse one we see that Jonah received a Jonah, not wanting anything to do with the

message from God. We don‟t know exactly how Assyrian people decides to quit his job as God‟s

God relayed this message, but we know that Jonah prophet and run away. Sailing in the opposite direc-

heard God clearly. This is an essential element to tion, Jonah heads off to Tarshish.

the role of a prophet. If you can‟t clearly hear the Reread verse three. Did you catch that. It

message of God, how are you supposed to relay that says Jonah went to Tarshish to “flee from the Lord.”

message to others? He tried to run away from God. We along with

We also know that Jonah heard God clearly Jonah will soon find out that trying to run from God

because it turns out to be a message Jonah does not is never a good idea.

wish to hear. God tells Jonah to preach to Nineveh.

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 Is sleep ever easy when you your feeling Finally when nothing they do works, they

Guilty? Somehow, Jonah was able to sleep even decide to leave Jonah to fate, and toss him into the

though he must have known what he was doing was sea. The Sea immediately grows calm, and the men

wrong. When the Captain of the ship comes and on the boat now believe in Jonah‟s God, and

wakes him up, Jonah awakes to a huge storm, worship him.

tearing the ship apart. He is immediately convicted

and knows the storm is his fault.

Jonah owns up to his sin. He tells the crew

that he is responsible for the storm. His actions are

now effecting those around him. He tells the men to

throw him overboard. But rather than allow Jonah to

accept his punishment they try to help him run.

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God is a God of Second Chances Jonah still has to go through a little pain

A big fish comes along and swallows Jonah. though. Verse 10 tells us that the fish, “vomited

Most often we hear this as a tale of Jonah and the Jonah onto dry land.” God is a God of second

whale, but we actually have no idea what kind of chances, and will restore us, but sometimes that

fish it was. The point is Jonah, having run from restoration is going to be painful. When we own up

God, is now being swallowed by his mistakes. His to our sin, we often go through difficult situations to

actions and choices led him to the belly of the big restoration. It takes time for people, friends and

fish. Jonah realizes what he has done, and confesses those we hurt to trust us again. Our lies must be con-

his sin, asking for forgiveness from God. fronted with the truth. Our shameful acts must be

God is faithful. He gives Jonah a second brought to light. These uncomfortable situations are

chance even though he does not deserve one. often the only way we can be truly restored.

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The Prophet Restored Assyrians turn from their evil ways and repent!

God, the God of second chances, sees their

Did you catch that in verse one? God‟s
repentance, has compassion and decides not to
message came again to Jonah. God had restored him
destroy their wicked city, for it‟s people have
to his position as Prophet. Jonah now received the
decided to give up their wicked ways.
message of God and this time followed the
It‟s the perfect ending. Joy and Happiness
command to take that message to Nineveh.
prevail, right? Many retellings of this story do end
Jonah goes and declares the message, it‟s a
here, and if this were a Hollywood movie we would
message of Destruction! Rather than treating this
probably stop here too, but there is more to the book
outsider as bad or worse that he may have been
of Jonah. We see that in chapter 4 there is still a les-
treated if he gave this message at home, the
son for Jonah to learn.

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 Wait, that’s how it ends?

Those VBS classes, and Sunday school songs

probably didn‟t mention that last part did they?

Jonah preaches the word, the people repent, then

Jonah gets mad that they actually listened to him!

Jonah, just doesn‟t get it. He goes out to

watch God destroy the city. God even provides him

a shelter from the hot sun, but Jonah still doesn‟t get

it! He waits for the wrath of God to fall. Well God‟s

wrath arrives, but not to destroy the city, it comes as

a worm that destroys the shade that Jonah has set

himself under. Loosing this shade makes Jonah wish

he had never been born!

Jonah, the man who ran from God, got swal-

lowed by a big fish, and who God gave a second

chance to, doesn‟t get that God is willing to give a

second chance to the Assyrians as well. He is more

worried about a little shade, then he is the lives of

thousands of people.

Jonah just didn‟t get it. The book ends with

us never finding out, if he ever does.

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 Do your “Get It?”

The Book of Jonah ends with a question.

God asks Jonah, “Should I not be concerned with

that great city?” We never hear Jonah‟s answer. If

we believe that God is a God of second Chances,

shouldn‟t we believe that to be true for everyone. If

we do, does it change how we serve God?

We may not understand the will of God. We

may not understand why God gives second chances

to those who don‟t deserve them. But God does not

ask us to understand the why, only to understand the

fact that he provides them a second chance, just as

he did to us.

Jonah may not seam like the type of man we

would want to emulate as Christians today. Yet he

did ultimately obey God, and follow the duty God

had planned for him.

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 Works Cited/ Artwork used from:

Branson, Robert. Discovering the Old Testament. Ed. Alex Varughese. Kansas City:

Beacon Hill, 2003.

Burns, Jim. Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang Your Message on. U.S.A.: Gospel

Light, 1997.

Information on Historical accuracy of Jonah taken from Class notes, I 134-Old Testa-

ment Survey 3, April

Jonah picture taken from www.biblical-art.com

Nurse clip art from MS Publisher

All Scripture taken from New International Version