Read Jonah 1:17 – The Plan of God
1. Consider the phrase “had prepared.” What does this tell you about God’s role in the circumstances in which Jonah finds himself?
2. In the children’s books and movies about Jonah, the belly of the big fish often looks like a large cavity with a campfire, fish to cook, and fresh water to drink. But more likely, Jonah was in a big fish whose insides were much like the inside of any fish – just bigger. Yuck! (Some have called it a “Lifeboat Fish.”) And for 3 days and 3 nights! Wouldn’t 1 or 2 days have been long enough? But both Matthew and Luke record Jesus sharing about “the sign of the prophet Jonah.” What was Jesus talking about?
(See Matt. 12:39-41 and Luke 11:29-32)
Read Jonah 2:1 – And Jonah Prayed
1. Verse 1 begins with the word “Then.” This gives us the idea that it took 3 days in the belly of the fish before Jonah prayed. But in the Hebrew there is no “then,” it simply says, “And Jonah prayed.” What do you think Jonah expected to happen to him when he was thrown off the boat and into the mighty storm?
2. Notice to whom he was praying from the fish’s belly: it was personal. Not to the God of Israel, or to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – though those names represent the same God – but to “the Lord his God.” When you pray, are you praying to God afar off or maybe to the God of your grandmother? As a Christian you have a very personal God to whom you pray. He is your God. He is your Father. Look up Heb. 4:16. Paraphrase it using words that express your understanding of the verse.
Read Jonah 2:2
1. We don’t know how long Jonah had prayed, but by this point, Jonah had received assurance that God had heard his prayer and that he would be saved. And yet, Jonah was still in the belly of the great fish. Does this happen to us? Can we have assurance that God hears and answers our prayers in the midst of our struggle?
a. Though this assurance can come to us directly through the Holy Spirit, it often comes to us through God’s Word. Look up a few of the following verses and share what they confirm: Ps 55:16-17, Ps 120:1, Prov 15:29, Matt. 7:7-8, Matt. 21:22, Mk. 11:24, 1 Jn 5:14-15
b. Is it your habit to pray in the midst of a storm? What might the storms of life look like?
c. Comment on this quote by Wiersbe: Prayer is one of the constant miracles of the Christian life.
2. The will of God is nothing to play around with. Consider this quote: In Chapter 1, he (Jonah) was afraid of the will of God, and rebelled against it, but now he wants God’s will simply because it’s the only way out of his dangerous plight. Like too many people today, Jonah saw the will of God as something to turn to in an emergency, not something to live by everyday of one’s life. – Wiersbe
a. What is your perspective of God’s will? Do your decisions reflect your perspective?
b. Practically speaking, how does one live according to God’s will every day of one’s life?
Read Jonah 2:3-6 – Jonah Recalls His Experience
1. According to verse 3, who was it that cast Jonah into the sea? What does this indicate about Jonah’s understanding of the situation in which he finds himself?
2. What do we learn about the chastening or disciplining of the Lord from Heb. 12:5-11?
3. Jonah’s greatest pain may not have been what he was experiencing physically, but may have been the feeling of separation from God. It is the feeling we get when we walk in disobedience. And though God is still with us, there is a sense of separation as we rebel. In verse 4, Jonah speaks of this feeling of separation. How does he describe this feeling in Jonah 2:4a?
4. Verse 4b is a turning point for Jonah – he turns to his God. What phrase tells us this was a choice, an act of his will, to turn back to God?
a. God, in His omniscience, has given mankind free will. We have the choice to turn back to Him. As Christians, in what other things have we been given a choice?
b. As those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit, describe what it is like to exercise your God given free will.
5. Describe Jonah’s experience from verses 3, 5, and 6.
6. How might Rom. 2:4b support Jonah’s situation?
Read Jonah 2:7-10 – Jonah Remembers the Lord
1. According to verse 7, when did Jonah “remember the Lord”? Look this up in several Bible versions.
2. Verse 8 in the NLT reads: Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. What does this mean?
3. We know in verse 8 that Jonah is not speaking of himself because of the way he begins verse 9. What is the comparison he is making?
4. When Jonah turns to God, God turns to Jonah. How does God respond to Jonah’s declaration?