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Week 1- Jonah Chapter 1 As We Begin to Study the Book of Jonah, It's Jonah Week 1- Jonah Chapter 1 As we begin to study the book of Jonah, it’s important that we take the time to properly establish the context of this story. Doing so will help us rightly understand and apply the word of the Lord to our lives. The questions below are given as a guide to help us to think through each passage and lead our weekly discussions. Set aside some time each week to read the Scripture, answer the corresponding questions, and consider the application section. Our prayer is that God will use this study in a mighty way as He works in and through us. Jonah 1:1-3 ESV ​ ​ ​ ​ “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” - How is Jonah identified in verse 1? What do we know about Jonah from the rest of Scripture (2 Kings 14:25)? - What does the Lord tell Jonah to do? What do we learn about Nineveh in verse 2? What else do we know about Nineveh (Genesis 10:8-11, Jonah 3:3, 4:11)? - How does Jonah respond to the Lord’s call? Where is Tarshish in relation to Nineveh? - Numerous times in verse 3, we see that Jonah went to Tarshish to flee from the presence of the Lord. Is this even possible (Psalm 139:7-10)? Wouldn’t Jonah have known this (Jonah 1:9)? If so, why was Jonah trying to get away from God? What does this teach us about the nature of sinful rebellion? - Why was Jonah so opposed to going to Nineveh (Jonah 3:10-4:2)? What does this teach us about Jonah? Jonah 1:4-6 ESV ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”” - How does God respond to Jonah’s rebellion? What do verses 4 & 5 teach us about the severity of the storm? - How do the mariners react to the storm? What do we learn about their religious beliefs from these verses? - Meanwhile, where is Jonah and what is he doing? How can he sleep in a time like this? What might this communicate about Jonah’s current mental state? - What does the captain entreat Jonah to do? How do we see great irony in this? Jonah 1:7-10 ESV ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.” ​​ - What do the mariners decide to do in verse 7? What is the outcome? - Is it simply a coincidence that the lot fell on Jonah? What do we learn about God through this circumstance (Proverbs 16:33)? - When the lot reveals Jonah to be the cause of the storm, the mariners obviously have a few questions for him. How does Jonah respond to their questions? Does he answer them fully? - How does Jonah describe God in verse 9? How does this explain the men’s reaction? Jonah 1:11-17 ESV ​ ​ ​ “Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. 17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” ​ - What do the men ask Jonah in verse 11? What is their concern? - How does Jonah respond to the men’s question in verse 12? How does he know what will happen when they throw him overboard? How does Jonah know that he is the cause of this storm (Jonah 1:7)? What does Jonah resolve himself to here (Jonah 2:3-5)? - How do the men respond to Jonah in verse 13? Why were they unable to get back to land (Jonah 1:9, 4)? - Who do the men call out to in verse 14? Why is this significant (Jonah 1:5-6)? - What does the mariners’ plea in verse 14 communicate about their understanding of the Lord? How have they come to this understanding? - What do we see the men doing in verse 16? What is significant about the timing of their faith, sacrifice, and vow? - What happens when Jonah is hurled into the sea? How do we see the Lord’s grace and mercy at work in verse 17? Application - At the beginning of chapter 1, we see God giving Jonah a command to go to Nineveh. The rest of the chapter consists of Jonah trying to escape God’s command by running in the opposite direction. If we were truly honest, we would probably say that we are often more like Jonah than we would like to admit. We know what the Lord has commanded but we willfully go in the opposite direction. How are you currently doing this in your life? What does your willful disobedience say about what you are choosing to believe is true? What would it look like to follow the Lord’s commands in this area where you are currently walking in disobedience? Another principle that we see in Jonah’s plight is that his rebellion did not just affect him. It threatened the lives of everyone else onboard the boat. Sin never just affects you. How is your sin affecting the lives of those around you? How does your spouse, children, or christian community suffer because of your rebellion? How might they be helped by your humble repentance and recommitment to obedience? - In Jonah chapter 1, we see two different stories of salvation. The more obvious one is Jonah’s rebellion, casting off, and salvation through the great fish; however, we also see the eyes of the pagan mariners become opened to the power, glory, and majesty of God. Even through His prophet’s disobedience, God is working to draw men unto Himself from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Like Jonah, how are you currently failing to walk in obedience to the mission that God has called you to? What is your Nineveh? Are you moving towards it or are you fleeing to Tarshish? What would it look like to repent and move towards the mission God has given you? How is the example of God working through Jonah’s disobedience an encouragement to you as you set out on mission but stumble and fall along the way? If God can work through our disobedience to draw people to Himself, why should we strive to walk in obedience (Ephesians 2:8-10, Galatians 6:7-10, James 1:22-25, 2:14-17)? How should the sovereignty of God motivate us to mission (John 10:1-4, 14-16, Romans 10:14-17)? - What do we learn about God from Jonah 1? What does God’s power over and purpose in the storm teach us about His nature and character? How do we see God’s relentless pursuit of Jonah in verses 4, 11, and 13? How is this good news for us? How should we respond to the power of the Lord displayed in the storm? How do we see the sovereignty of God at work in this chapter? What do we see the Lord’s control over and what does this teach us about His sovereignty? - Through most of the book that bears his name, Jonah stands as a negative example for us.
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