Read Jonah 1:1-3
1. We know that Jonah is a prophet from 2 Kings 14:25. In verse 1 we see God giving clear instructions to His prophet. How is this instruction communicated?
a. Does God speak directly to people today?
b. By what means might God speak to you?
2. Though Jonah was a man who had been used by God, he was not a man who saw God and life through the eyes of God. Wiersbe tells us that Jonah had a wrong attitude about four things – things that we also could be seeing incorrectly. Consider Jonah’s attitude toward:
a. The Will of God: Obeying God’s word was not only important for Jonah, but also for the people Jonah served as a prophet of God. Why?
– A high regard for the will of God reflects a high regard for God. What do you know about God that causes a desire in you to walk in obedience to His will?
– In John 4:34, what is the thing that Jesus said nourished him?
– Walking in the will of God brings discernment. See John 7:17.
– In our decision to do God’s will we are assured the strength and ability needed from our Lord.
See Heb. 13:20-21.
– Wiersbe says that it’s in doing the will of God that we grow in grace and become more like Christ. Why is this true?
b. The Word of God: The Word of God came to Jonah, and the Word of God has come to us through the Bible. If Jonah had a high regard for God’s word, disobedience would not have been an option. Is this also true for us? What might keep us from obeying God’s Word?
– How does Luke 6:46 confirm this truth?
– What do these verses tell us about the Word of God? Heb. 4:12, Matt. 4:4, Ps. 119:105, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Eph. 6:17
c. The Circumstances: Sometimes when we see things “going our way” we assume we are in God’s will, but Jonah’s story shows us this is not always true. Consider this quote: He fled to Joppa and found just the right ship waiting for him! He had enough money to pay the fare for his long trip, and he was even able to go down into the ship and fall into a sleep so deep that the storm didn’t wake him up. It’s possible to be out of the will of God and still have circumstances appear to be working on your behalf. You can be rebelling against God and still have a false sense of security that includes a good night’s sleep. God in His providence was preparing Jonah for a great fall.
– Wiersbe Have you experienced this? How might we guard against this?
d. The Gentiles: The people of Nineveh were Assyrians, enemies of God’s people. Jonah’s disobedience may have been motivated by fear, or maybe he didn’t want to be a participant in the blessing of these enemies. Does God love the enemies of God? Does God bless those who are against Him and against His people?
– Consider Rom. 5:8 and Matt. 5:44-45.
– Does your view of the ungodly match up with that of God? Do you view some as past hope of salvation or not worthy of God’s blessing? What would you have done in Jonah’s place?
3. Verse 2 tells us that the wickedness of Nineveh had “come up before” God. What does that mean?
a. Although the people of Nineveh do repent as we will see in Jonah 3, by the next century they had returned to their evil ways. This time it is the prophet Nahum that God sends to Nineveh, but this time the people ignored the warning. We get a picture of the wickedness of Nineveh in Nahum 3:1-4. Describe the city of Nineveh in your own words.
b. Why do you think God allows wickedness to continue for so long? How does 2 Peter 3:8-9 speak to this?
4. Jonah made a great effort to run from God. First he went to Joppa which was 50 miles southwest of Jonah’s hometown of Gath Hepher (2 Kings 14:25). Then he fled to Tarshish. The location of this city is uncertain, but it could be Tartessus on the southeast coast of Spain. This city represents the most distant place known to the Israelites. – NKJV Study Bible. Regardless, Jonah was trying to get as far away from God as possible. We know this is a futile effort. What does Ps. 139:7-8 tell us?
a. Our God is omnipresent. How do the following verses confirm that God is everywhere and that we cannot run and hide from Him: Prov. 15:3, Jer. 23:23-24, Heb 4:13?
b. How does Rom. 8:35-39 deepen your understanding?
5. Can you think of an example of how a person might try to run from God in disobedience? Have you tried it? Were you successful? Were there consequences? Did God remain faithful in mercy, grace, and love?