Bible Study Notes in Jonah- Chapter 4

Jonah 4

-The original reluctant prophet, who became the willing and revived messenger, inexplicably now becomes the angry prophet. Instead of rejoicing in the fact that Nineveh, his nation’s sworn enemy, had come to repentance and faith in the Living God, He becomes displeased and angry (Jonah 4:1). He knew God. In contrast the people, like the sailors and the king and people of Nineveh, did not know the LORD. They thought in terms of “perhaps” the LORD would be gracious and compassionate if they turned to Him (Jonah 1:6; 3:9). Their faith was guess work, but Jonah explains in verse two that he knew from the beginning that “You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and One who relents concerning calamity.” This is a constant and consistent theme in God’s revelation to us in His Scriptures (Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 86:15, Daniel 9:9, Hosea 2:23, Joel 2:13, Micah 7:19, Nahum 1:3, Matthew 9:13, 36, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 2:21, Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9, Hebrews 4:16, James 5:11, 1 Peter 5:10, Revelation 22:21 to name a few). But instead of following the nature of God, Jonah becomes hard headed, unmerciful, ungracious, and wanting to die (Jonah 4:3, 8).

-God asks the question, “Do you have good reason to angry (Jonah 4:4)?” In the text there is no response from the frustrated prophet. Instead, he goes out from the city towards the east and sits there eventually making a shelter for himself in the shade from the sun until he would see what would happen in the city (Jonah 4:5). God “appointed” a plant, just like He had “appointed” a storm and the great fish (Jonah 1:4, 17; 2:10), and it blossomed out to the point of giving Jonah shade and needed comfort from the intense heat of the sun. Jonah was “extremely happy” about this plant that the LORD had provided (Jonah 4:6). But, to teach a point, God now “appointed” a worm when dawn came the next day to attack the plant and make it wither up to nothing (Jonah 4:7). Now, when the sun came up, the LORD made matters more dire when He “appointed” a scorching east wind, which, with the sun beating down as well, made Jonah faint and desperate with all his soul to just pass from this world (Jonah 4:8). A short discourse then ensues. God wisely asks again, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” This time we hear Jonah’s response in the text, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death (Jonah 4:9).” Then the LORD sums up His point in this short prophetic book, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals (Jonah 4:10-11)?” We are left to wonder if Jonah ever came around and accepted God’s wisdom as the narrative now abruptly ends.

-*Application* If we know God and His love, grace, compassion, and mercy, which He has abundantly provided for us, we should never be reluctant to go where He sends or unwilling to be excited over the fact that He sheds His benefits on others, even when they may appear to us to be undeserving and vile. We, like Jonah, can unfortunately develop a “big head” or cockiness with our understanding and knowledge of God and His awesomeness when asked to share, or distribute, it. God is more merciful than we could ever imagine (John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9). Be willing to give others a chance to participate in His goodness and be grateful for His sovereign pleasure in averting calamity upon those who turn unto Him and away from their sin. He is the God of a second chance; are we being that gracious?

Verses to Memorize: Jonah 4:2, 11

Bible Study Notes in Jonah- Chapter 3

Jonah 3

-The LORD speaks to Jonah again now that he has had his encounter with the depths of the sea and the great fish, which revived, renewed, and altered his desire to comply with the Living God. This time Jonah accepts the call to arise and go to Nineveh with the prophetic proclamation that he was to deliver. The size of Nineveh is detailed here. It takes three days of walking to cover this exceedingly great city. By the end of the first day of Jonah’s prophetic ministry there, things begin to quickly take place that signal awakening, repentance, and salvation. As Jonah cries out that they have 40 days before their overthrow by the LORD, “the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them (Jonah 3:1-5).

-Word soon reached the king of Nineveh. He arose from his throne of power, laid aside his royal robe from his body and covered himself in humility and repentance signified by sackcloth and ashes (or possibly he just sat on the dust of the ground from the Hebrew word 'epher used here) along with the rest of the Ninevites. He issued a formal proclamation declaring, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish (Jonah 3:6-9).” This was a serious deal, and the people of Nineveh were taking strong action in belief and faith. They wouldn’t even take water during this fast. They came to the LORD on His terms and were contrite of heart, even down to their animals. Their pride vanished, and they genuinely wanted to change their wicked and violent ways. They acknowledged His sovereignty much like the sailors in the boat earlier in the book and were resigned to their fate according to God’s desire (Jonah 1:6,14). Their hope for salvation to avert perishing rested in Yahweh. “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented (nacham- to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion) concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it (Jonah 3:10).”

-*Application* When a king and his country decide to go all the way in obedience to the LORD and His direction, things change. God wants to bring our nation back to Himself and purify it, but He cannot work with pride. If we as believers in this modern generation will humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, pray earnestly, and seek His face, He will hear us, take pity on us, forgive us with compassion, and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14, Jonah 3:8-10). Nineveh is a case that it is never too late for God to move a large populace to repentance and redirection. When Jonah denied the LORD and went his own direction, a storm resulted, but when he obeyed the LORD and went His way, salvation for an entire city occurred. If God is calling you to be a Jonah to this culture, act in boldness with love to see what God can do. Follow God and proclaim His prophetic message that He gives you earnestly and sincerely.

Verses to Memorize: Jonah 3:9-10

Bible Study Notes in Jonah- Chapter 2

Jonah 2

-This chapter gives us a glimpse into Jonah’s prayer while in the sea and in the belly of the great fish. He prays from the stomach of the fish in his distress, and the LORD heard and answered him as he cried for help from the depth of Sheol (the underworld, a place of death, the abode of the dead, Jonah 2:1-2). Scholars speculate if Jonah was near death or if he actually died and then became resuscitated. The point is mute, because he is given a second chance by the gracious King of kings. He had been cast into the deep, the very heart of the seas, and the current of death had engulfed him. The currents and breakers passed over him (Jonah 2:3). He was expelled from the sight of God and His goodness, but he looked toward the holy Temple, the place of God’s presence which he had formerly run from (Jonah 1:3,10). His heart was changing in the right direction. Water encompassed him to the point of death as the great deep engulfed him, and sea weeds were wrapped around his head (Jonah 2:4-5). He descended to the roots of the mountains that were under the sea, and in poetic language he relates this place to the earth’s prison with bars around him forever. There was no escape. But, the LORD brought up his life from the pit with His power and authority alone (Jonah 2:6). While he was fainting away, he remembered the LORD and prayed to Him. God’s presence came and it was so real that Jonah knew all who regarded vain idols, like those he would minister to in Nineveh, forsake their faithfulness in worshipping false, temporary, and powerless things (Jonah 2:7-8). Jonah now makes his declaration. He would sacrifice to the LORD God of heaven and earth with a voice of thanksgiving. That which he vowed, he would pay for “salvation is from the LORD (Jonah 2:9).” The conversion was complete. “Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land (Jonah 2:10).”

-*Application* When we get down in the pit of despair with distress all around, look up to Jesus who hears and answers us in our deepest times of need. He is waiting for you to come into His presence and thank Him for the deliverance only He can provide. His Temple is the Holy Spirit within us who have believed, and He is always readily available for all who call upon Him (Romans 8:11; 10:13). His faithfulness endures forever and is real. He is not vain like idols are. Remember Him for redemption and salvation. Prayer is powerful when we cry out to the Living God.

Verses to Memorize: Jonah 2:2, 6, 9

Bible Study Notes in Jonah- Chapter 1

Jonah 1

-Introduction: Jonah, the son of Amittai, is a Jewish prophet who is asked by the LORD to deliver a message of repentance to the nation of Israel’s avowed rival, the Assyrians, somewhere around the year 785 B.C. Jonah is also mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 as a prophet during the time of Jeroboam II, who was the most powerful and influential king of the northern kingdom of Israel. 2 Kings 14:25 also tells us that he was from Gath-hepher (Modern day Arab village of El Meshed), which is just 3 miles northeast of Nazareth on a hill. Tradition maintains that he is buried near that location. Jonah quite possibly could have been a member of the prophets at Bethel mentioned in connection with Elisha’s ministry from 2 Kings 2:3. The purpose of this book of Holy Scripture was to show the extent of God’s grace, mercy, and compassion as a message of salvation for ALL people. This short historical narrative is unique to prophetic literature in the Bible because it is not centered on the prophecy as much as the story of the prophet who was: 1) reluctant to answer his call, 2) revived by the LORD’s mercy, 3) renewed by his own second chance, and then 4) angry with God’s actions in giving Nineveh a second chance. This book is themed around some very important biblical concepts including: 1) God’s sovereignty, 2) God’s redemptive message to the entire world, 3) God’s offer and call to repent or turn, and 4) God’s amazing compassion on the transgressor. This book is also mentioned by Jesus, the Messiah, as a picture of His death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 12:38-41). There is sure to be personal application as we immerse ourselves with the man and message of Jonah, so enjoy the journey!

-Chapter 1: The word of the LORD came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, telling him to arise and go to Ninevah, which was around 500 miles to the north and east of Israel where Jonah lived. All God told him was that he would cry out against this great city of Assyria because their wickedness had come up before the LORD, and He was displeased. Nahum gives us more detail into the condition of this pagan and idolatrous culture in later times. They contrived evil plots against God (Nahum 1:9), they exploited the helpless (Nahum 2:12-13), they were known for cruelty in war (Nahum 3:3), and they participated in idolatry, prostitution, and witchcraft (Nahum 3:4). Jonah did arise, but with this knowledge of how vile his audience was and probably fear of them to at least some degree with national disdain for his enemy, he went in the opposite direction “from the presence of the LORD (Jonah 1:1-3a).” He went south and west to the Mediterranean port city of Joppa (Modern day Jaffa just south of Tel Aviv) and bought a ticket for Tarshish, which was some place unknown to scholars but to the west and an important city by its own right (1 Kings 10:22; 22:48, Psalm 72:10, Isaiah 2:16; 23:14, Jeremiah 10:9, Ezekiel 27:12). Jonah boarded the vessel again “from the presence of the LORD (Jonah 1:3b).” As they set sail somewhere out in the Mediterranean Sea, “the LORD hurled a great wind” upon the waters and a great storm occurred to the point of the ship threatening to break apart. The sailors rationally became very afraid as this was happening, and every man cried out to his own god for relief and deliverance. They threw the cargo overboard to keep the ship from taking on water and sinking. However, Jonah was sleeping down in the hold of the ship oblivious to the situation above somehow. The captain of the vessel approached him asking, “How is it that you are sleeping?” Then he implored the sleepy passenger to “Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish (Jonah 1:4-6).” Lots were then cast to see if they could determine who was at fault for all this calamity upon the sea. Of course, providentially the lot fell on Jonah. After they questioned him about why these things were happening, what his occupation was, where he was from, what his country was, and what people he was from, he informed them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land (Jonah 1:7-9).” This intensified the frightened state of these men and they exclaimed, “How could you do this?” The text says that these men now knew that “he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them (Jonah 1:10).” Now that he had their undivided attention due to the circumstances, they asked, “What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?” The storm was increasing in intensity and something needed to happen quickly or they would indeed perish. Jonah, knowing that he had disobeyed God and had probably come to the end of his rope offered the suggestion of throwing him overboard. He confessed that it was on his account that this great storm had come upon them, and he predicted that the waters would calm down immediately if he were gone thus ensuring the safety of the sailors (Jonah 1:11-12). Instead of heeding his advice, initially the men renewed their efforts to save the entire body of people on the boat. They “rowed desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them (Jonah 1:13).” At that point they called on the LORD God of heaven and earth confessing, “We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased (Jonah 1:14).” After acknowledging the sovereignty of God Almighty, they threw Jonah overboard, as he had recommended, into the sea, and “the sea stopped its raging (Jonah 1:15).” “Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows (Jonah 1:16).” As this was happening, the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. He went into the stomach of this huge animal for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).

-*Application* Sometimes God has to do extravagant and incredible things to get our attention. He sees all; everything comes before Him. And often He will work circumstances, and even the animals, to carry out His over-arching will and purpose to the fulfillment of His glorious desires. He does as He pleases. Fortunately, the LORD is a God of love, grace, mercy, and compassion. His patience is everlasting, and His call is designed to bring us back to Him. I love the fact that God used Jonah’s disobedience to share His power and goodness with the sailors in this narrative. They went from calling on their gods to worshipping the true and living God through this course of events. They were pursued and the truth hit them like BAM!!! Right in the face!!! In this world with many frightening things going on, it is a reality that we can call upon the LORD and truly be delivered from our distress, no matter what it may be.

Verses to Memorize: Jonah 1:2, 17