JONAH

Study 1. Jonah 1–2. Jonah’s Disobedience and Prayer

Purpose: To learn that God seeks us with his grace even in times of disobedience.

Jonah 1:1–2 KJV 1900

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

1. From this text what do you discover about what Jonah is like?

Question 2.

It isn’t necessary to suppose Jonah thought he could actually flee from the Lord.

Sometimes our actions aren’t logical, especially when we try to run away from God’s will.

Jonah simply wanted to get as far away from Nineveh as possible.

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3. Where is the last place you would want to be a witness and why?

a. At your job.

b. In the presence of your friends.

c. At home.

d. At school.

Jonah 1:3–4 KJV 1900

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

4. How is Jonah’s response to the storm (1:5) different from that of the sailors?

Jonah 1:5 KJV 1900

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

The sailors were polytheists and didn’t know whose god had been offended or why.

So in their fear each one cried out to his favorite god.

Throughout this chapter, it is interesting to note how the pagan sailors seem far more concerned about obedience than Jonah is.

It seems as though Jonah had very little concern about the rising storm or did he?

Some people do strange things to callus the things of God little by little until there is no longer any concern.

5. After hearing Jonah’s suggestion, what new tensions and struggles do the sailors experience (1:12–14)?

Jonah 1:12–14 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.

16. In what ways does God use this calamity to demonstrate his grace and mercy (1:15–17)?

God’s grace was not only demonstrated to Jonah by providing a fish to keep him from death, but also to the sailors, who were awed by what they had witnessed.

Their chief god, Baal, was a sky god. Thus, to hear that Jonah’s God was the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land, and to observe how he calmed the sea

They were afraid and did not want to offend God by their action.

Jonah 1:15–17 KJV 1900

So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.