Before beginning the study, it’s best to read through this short book and get an overview of the whole story. Questions in the lessons appear in bold print. They can be used for personal study or for group discussion. As you go through this study, read the section of scripture first, then answer the questions before you look at my comments. We always learn best when we try to figure things out for ourselves before consulting others’ opinions.

The book of Jonah is one of the shortest in the Bible, and yet it has some deep lessons for us when we find ourselves in a "whale of a mess." Most of Jonah’s troubles were a result of his bad attitudes and his poor choices based on his wrong thinking patterns. As we study this short book, we will examine these attitudes in our lives, and see if we can learn from Jonah’s mistakes how God wants us to conduct ourselves as Christians.

1. For what purpose(s) did God call Jonah to preach to Nineveh?

God gives Jonah two commands. The first is in 1:2, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." So the first reason God gives is the great wickedness of the city. After Jonah tried to run from God’s first command and he is rescued from the big fish, God tells Jonah in 3:2, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." In this verse God gives his second purpose – he had a message for Nineveh. God gives his third reason, and real purpose, for sending Jonah in 3:10, "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened." It was God’s plan all along to show his mercy toward them. It was his desire that they would turn away from their evil ways, and turn to the living God. This was the real purpose God sent Jonah to Nineveh, and the purpose why he is commanding us to go and proclaim his message. He does not want to condemn anyone. He wants all to turn from their evil ways, and turn back to their Creator. But we must be willing to take the message to them.

2. What other reasons (besides what Jonah said) do you think there were for Jonah not to want to go to Nineveh?

It seems there might have been a number of reasons for Jonah to not want to go to Nineveh. That city was notorious for its persecution of foreigners It was considered to be the center of a heartless empire. Jonah may also have had personal prejudices against the Assyrians. Perhaps he thought they were unworthy of God’s message. He also may have perceived that God intended to show his mercy toward the city. In Jonah’s mind, Nineveh was the enemy. He hated them. He wanted to have no part in seeing God’s blessing on them. As he told God in 4:2, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."

3. Name some things that God has asked you to do that you didn’t want to do? Have you ever tried running from responsibility?

I had a pastor when I was younger who once related about when he felt called into the ministry. He knew God wanted him to preach, but he was afraid God wanted him to be a missionary in a foreign land. That’s the one thing he never wanted to do. So he battled it for a long time. Finally, he realized that there was no fighting God’s plan for his life, and prayed that God would reveal to him in which country he was supposed to be a missionary. To his surprise, God told him he didn’t want him to be a missionary – he only wanted him to be willing to be obedient!

Many believers try to run away from responsibility. They know God is asking them to do something, but they don’t want to be bothered or they have some of the same negative attitudes that Jonah had about serving others. If we try to run from responsibility, we will discover that we cannot hide from God. He will eventually confront us with our attitude of disobedience.

4. In what places did Jonah hide from God or go off to himself? Why do you think he did this?

First Jonah hid from God in a ship going in the opposite direction. Next he hid in his room in the ship. Then God hid him in a big fish to get his attention. And even after preaching to Nineveh, Jonah still was hiding. First he asks God to take his life. And then he hides under the shelter of the vine. This shows to me that Jonah still maintained his bad attitude throughout this story. It is only at the end that God teaches him a very important lesson. We often carry grudges and bitterness like Jonah did. Let us learn from his example that we cannot hide or run away from ourselves.

5. Have you ever gotten into a mess because you tried to hide from God or didn’t listen to him?

How many people have made matters worse by hiding from God and from obeying him! When we take matters into our own hands, we only make a worse mess of our life. As long as Jonah was unwilling to obey God, his circumstances became worse and worse – first a storm, then the casting of lots, then being thrown overboard, then being swallowed by a great fish. Have you ever felt like Jonah – nothing seems to be going right? Perhaps you need to examine your attitude toward God. Are you willingly serving him and following his commands, or are you running from him and trying to hide in your own stubbornness?

6. What about Jonah’s personality would cause him to get angry (in chapter 4)?

It seems Jonah was a strong-willed person with a real stubborn streak. When he didn’t like God’s instructions, he took matters into his own hands. It seems Jonah had a bad attitude toward the Ninevites, and he did not want to see God’s mercy extended to them. After trying to run from God and being given a second chance, he was obedient in his preaching. But he was not happy with the results. He didn’t want to see God show compassion to the people. He was still very self-centered and filled with his own prejudices.

7. What in Jonah’s personality do you see in your own life?

Too often, Christians are unwilling to reach out to those who are unlovely, who are poor, who have a bad appearance, or who act differently than they do. We need to learn that God loves all people. We must be willing to reach them all for Christ. Let us not allow our attitudes and our prejudices prevent us from sharing the gospel message with those whom we consider Ninevites – those we despise, those who are our enemies, those who look different than we do.

8. How many times did Jonah want to die? Have you ever wished you could die? Explain.

It seems Jonah would rather die than obey God. First, during the mighty storm instead of praying for deliverance, he falls asleep. Then, when the sailors discover he is the cause of their torment, he suggests they throw him overboard. The sailors refuse, and try to save Jonah and the ship. When Jonah sees the Ninevites repenting, he asks God to take his life. When the vine is eaten by a worm, he asks God to let him die. And finally when God asks him if his anger is justified, Jonah replies he’s angry enough to die! Jonah is not a happy person. The reason for this is he still is clinging to his self-destructive attitudes. When you are filled with bitterness and hate, life will not be worth living, even though you are obedient to God.

Pastor Dave Humpal

Footnotes:

This study on Jonah © 1998 by David Humpal. All rights reserved.

All scriptures unless otherwise noted are from the New International Version © 1971, Zondervan Bible Publishers

Questions are based on both the New International Version and the King James Version