JONAH: TEACHER'S NOTES

JONAH: TEACHER'S NOTES

I. Jonah's call and flight to Tarshish (his disobedience: running away from God). [1:1-16]

A. Jehovah's charge to go to Nineveh, and the prophet's disobedience. (1-3)
The city of Nineveh is one of the oldest known cities of the civilized world, (Gen. 10:8- 12). It is estimated that Nineveh became a city between 5000-4000 BC. Located on the Tigris River, 250 miles north of Babylon and 500 miles northeast of Jerusalem. For many years it was the capital of Assyria. The city had a history of wickedness and cruelty. At the the time of Jonah, the city was at a low point in its political and military power. Jonah ran from his appointed duty because of his personal patriotism and his fear that Jehovah would spare Nineveh. He ran in the exact opposite direction of Nineveh towards one of the western outposts of the known world Tarshish, located in what is now southwestern Spain. (2000 miles away).

B. The great wind and Jonah's confession. (4-10)
The Storm was an act of God (within nature) as opposed to a miracle, (Ps. 104:4). As the ship began to sink, the sailors lightened the load and called on their gods. The irony is obvious, as the heathen ship master had to rebuke God's prophet and calls on him to pray. Casting lots was a popular OT method of settling issues. The Israelites themselves practiced various forms of lot casting including the God given Urim and Thummin. The only NT incident recorded is in Acts 1:21-26. The result of casting lots in Jonah's case can be neatly summed up by Proverbs 16:33. The sailors immediately demanded a confession from Jonah and he quickly related his circumstances. This is an example of the contrast in Jonah's personality. A coward before God, but brave before these men. Jonah was well aware that Jehovah is the only true object of worship, yet he ran from him.

C. Jonah sacrificed cast into the sea. (11-16)
The sailors were willing to do anything to appease Jonah's God. Jonah shows his brave side again as he volunteers to have himself thrown overboard. Notice how Jonah can be compared and contrasted with the Christ. One contrast involves the words of the sailors here, "do not charge us with innocent blood," with the words of the crowd in Mt. 27:25. The calming of the seas made true believers of Jonah's shipmates. See how God can even use disobedience to glorify Himself.

II. Jonah's miraculous preservation (his prayer: running to God). [1:17-2:20]

A. The fish prepared by Jehovah. (17)
The fish being "prepared" indicates appointment not the construction of some new fish. The miracle was in the fact that Jonah survived the ordeal being swallowed by the fish and living in its belly for three days. To deny this miracle leads to a denial of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, (Mt. 12:38-40). The resurrection is the supreme sign of Christ's deity.

B. Jonah's prayer from the deep. (2:1-9)
Much of chapter two echoes the Psalms. The words of the Psalmists are certainly appropriate to Jonah as he expresses his feelings and cries out to the Lord. Jonah simply realizes that if salvation is to be found, it can only be found in Jehovah. The psalm of Jonah is related in words that indicate it was written after his deliverance. This accounts for the attitude of thanksgiving found where an attitude of petition would be expected. Jonah knew that the sailors were acting as God's instruments. It was God who cast Jonah into the sea. In Jonah's words we can hear both repentance and hope. Hope is always the reward of true repentance. Jonah's physical situation was hopeless, only Divine intervention could prevent his death. Compare Jonah's prayer to Ps. 73:2,17. Following idols or even your own way will lead to destruction. Jehovah is the only source of salvation. Jonah's baptism in the fishes belly signifies his rebirth to do the Lord's will.

C. Jonah's deliverance. (10)
We now nothing concerning the how or where of this miracle. What we do know is that Jonah was spared and returned to fulfill his appointed duty.

**Applications for Today**
A. 1:3 Man cannot flee from the presence of the Lord. He is all-present and all-knowing. Heb. 4:13; Gal. 6:7,8; 2 Cor. 5:10. B. 1:2; 3:1,2 God's message must be preached. 2 Tim 4:2-4; Acts 20:26,27.

III. Jehovah's second call; Jonah goes to Nineveh (his preaching: running [3:1-11]
with God).

A. The call, response, and message to Nineveh. (1-4)
Jonah is again commanded to go to Nineveh and proclaim God's message. Initially, God had told Jonah to "cry against the city," this time to "cry unto it." Even today, the only preaching that will lead to salvation is that preaching which God commands. This time there is no hesitation or argument from Jonah, he obeys God immediately. Nineveh was a huge city. It would take Jonah three days to make his way across the city. The Lord gave Nineveh forty days to repent. Threats against nations by God where generally conditional. If they would repent of their evil, God would not destroy them. (Jer.18:7-10)

B. Repentance and Jehovah's gracious change. (5-10)
From Lu. 11:30 we know that the Ninevites knew of Jonah's experience in the belly of the fish. They listened to his message and believed and repented. Their sorrows concerning their sins was so great that they went into mourning. This act of contrition reached from the king himself to the lowest servant, and even to the beasts.The king commanded his subjects to turn from their evils ways. This shows that he understood that the punishment prophesied to come was for the wickedness that Nineveh had committed as a nation. As the people repented, so did God. It is easy to visualize to true definition of repentance here. It is a turning or change of mind and will. God loves even the most heathen among us. He is willing that all men everywhere should repent so that He can show them His mercy. On the other side of the coin, man cannot ignore God's fierce hatred for sin cruelty and corruption.

IV. A narrow prophet vs. a merciful God (his complaints: running ahead of God). [4:1-11]

A. Jonah's anger at Nineveh's repentance. (1-5)
Jonah has quite a few personal problems including selfishness and a bad case of ethnocentrism. He is actually angry at both God's and Nineveh's repentance! The reason Jonah ran from God in the first place was he was afraid this would happen. Jonah wanted Nineveh destroyed. Contrast the prayer found here to the one in chapter two.Now he wants to die, rather than see Nineveh saved. Jonah leaves the city as a pouting child who takes his bat and ball and goes off to sulk because the game is not being played his way. This narrow, sectarian viewpoint was prominent among the Israelites.They believed Jehovah was their God and He was not to be shared with anyone. This is a similar attitude portrayed by the Prodigal Son's elder brother.

B. The gourd vine and the worm. (6-8)
Here we see the tender love of God and His mercy toward His servant and the loveless and selfish nature of Jonah. God causes the gourd vine to grow so Jonah could be comforted. When the vine appeared, Jonah was glad. We are selfish creatures indeed when we would be happy over a shade vine and sad because thousands of lives would not be taken. Because of this very attitude, God sent the worm and the wind to discomfort Jonah.

C. Jehovah's rebuke and lesson of the gourd vine. (9-11)
Jonah is angry again. And again for no good reason. Here in these last verses we can see the true contrast between man and God. Man is only concerned with that which directly affects him, no matter how trivial, while being totally indifferent to some happening that might have a greater value, but does not touch him personally. Man may cry and complain over some personal aches and pains, all the while praying for the total destruction of his fellow man. If each of us a singularly important to God, why can we not see the importance of thousands of individuals to God? If there were 120 thousand people in Nineveh that were not of an accountable age, then the total population could be estimated at 600 thousand or more. God cares for and is concerned about all of his creation.

**Applications for Today**
A. 3:10 Works of faith are necessary for salvation, Rom 10:17; Eph. 2:10; Jms. 2:14-24. B. 4:5 Those who are spiritual must help the truly penitent bear their burdens, Gal. 6:1-2; Rom. 15:1. We cannot be the elder brother.

Obadiah	Joel	Introduction	Amos	Hosea	Micah
Zephaniah	Nahum	Habakkuk	Haggai	Zechariah	Malachi

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