Jonah 1:1-4:11

Jonah

• Background:

  • Written about 780 B.C. Among the first of the minor prophets to be written.

  • Matthew 12:39-40 – Jesus refers to the story of Jonah as a historical event. It is not allegorical.

  • The story of Jonah shows that God is Lord over the whole earth. He is anxious to save all if they will repent.

• Overview of the book:

  • God gave a command. Jonah ran away from God.

    • Jonah 1:2

    • Jonah 1:7 – Lots were cast by men, but the decision was from God.

  • Jonah ran to God and was vomited out by the fish.

    • Jonah 2:1-10 – Jonah prays from inside the fish.

  • Jonah ran with God in warning the Ninevites (Jonah 3:1-10).

    • Assyria was at a low point in its history at this point. They also had somehow heard about Jonah being in the fish.

    • Matthew 12:41 – Ninevah repented!

  • Jonah ran ahead of God (Jonah 4:1-11).

    • Jonah had a strong prejudice. He didn’t want these people to be saved.

• Four miracles in the book of Jonah:

  • Jonah surviving the fish.

  • The sea immediately calming after Jonah was thrown in.

  • Overnight growth of the plant (Jonah 4:6).

  • Overnight death of the plant (Jonah 4:7).

• Lessons for us:

  • God’s love and mercy are for all people.

  • The evil of prejudice.

  • National sin requires national repentance.

  • We can know of the resurrection of Jesus because Jonah was a type of Jesus’ resurrection.

  • God created all and all is at His disposal.

  • God does not want us to be like Jonah.

  • Man cannot run away from God.

  • The necessity of faith that obeys.

• Paraphrase of JW McGarvey: “The ability to accept a miracle depends on whether or not one spells his god with a capital G.”