OT Jonah

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Hebrew words: Yonah (Jonah) – may mean “dove." 28x in the Bible.

Further study:

• Passages referred to in this podcast
  • 2 Kings 14:25
  • Jonah 1-4
  • Jeremiah 18:1-10
  • Luke 9:52-55
  • Exodus 34:6
  • Romans 12:21, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 1 Peter 2:21
• Even more:
  • Did God resurrect Jonah? Click here.
  • Listen to an entire seminar on Prejudice and Separation, including the Atlanta story. Order here.
  • Of special interest to those in the Restoration Movement, watch the 3-lesson DVD series Friend or Foe.
  • Check out Joel 2:14. The King of Nineveh (3:9) seems to have a better handle on theology than the prophet Jonah!

Some things we learn about God:

• The people of God tend to be insular, whereas God is expansive. They tend to be exclusive, while the Lord surprises us by being so inclusive. This was a scandal for the religious establishment in Jesus’ time, and it is no different today. This is another way of saying that God is love.
• God is not partial. With him there is no prejudice or favoritism.  But we don’t always get it! So…
• God will sometimes go to extremes to get our attention

For kids:

• Check out this link (for younger kids).
• For older children, read sections of the story (esp. ch. 1:1-17, 3:1-5, and 4:1-11) pausing to ask the following questions:
  • Why do you think Jonah ran away?
  • Did God's command to him change between chapter 1 and chapter 3? What does this tell us about the word of God?
  • Does the prophet seem happy when the Ninevites repent?
  • How angry is Jonah about these outsiders being spared? (Several times he shows that he prefers death to God saving the Assyrians!)
  • How should we view those outside the church?

Key verses:

• Jonah 1:3 – Jonah evades his orders to preach to the Gentiles.
• Jonah 1:12 – He would rather die than take the message to the Assyrians.
• Jonah 2:8 – Jonah (hypocritically) looks down his nose at the pagans. He is happy to receive God’s grace, but is unwilling for God to extend his grace to others.
• Jonah 4:1 – Jonah is very upset that God has forgiven the Ninevites. He would rather die (4:3, 4:8, 4:9)!
• Jonah 4:11 – But God cares about all people, even the Gentiles.