2 ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 3 BAND OF BROTHERS SUMMER 2021 May 10, 2021 Dear brother in Christ, I’m going to assume you’re somewhat familiar with the story of Jonah and the whale. So, you may be wondering why I’ve chosen to do a whole summer series on a children’s Sunday School story. But there’s far more going on in the book of Jonah than the tale of a runaway prophet being swallowed by a supersized fish. The author has managed to cram this relatively short book with a wide range of theological and historical insights that will require every one of the seven weeks we’ve set apart to study it. And while the book of Jonah is filled with fanciful descriptions of seemingly fictional encounters, it is not a fairy tale. It is a divinely inspired part of God’s Word – His written revelation of Himself. And as we work our way through the pages of this story, we will get a greater glimpse of God and His redemptive plan for mankind. Like a tiny piece of colored glass in a majestic stained-glass window, the book of Jonah joins with the other 65 books of the Bible to form a breathtaking image of God’s matchless character. We will glimpse His glory, greatness, sovereignty, power, grace, mercy, and steadfast love. Included in these pages are your weekly homework, as well a copy of Devotionary™, a daily devotional that I just completed on the book of Jonah. It will be part of your weekly reading. I’m excited you’ve chosen to join us on this exciting journey through the book of Jonah. It’s going to be a great series and I look forward to sharing it with you. In Him, Ken Miller Minister to Men / Christ Chapel Bible Church ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 4 ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 5 BAND OFSERIES’ BROTHERS SCHEDULE SUMMER 2021 SUMMER SCHEDULE WEEK 1 – Once Upon a Time ......................................................................................... Jonah 1:1-2 WEEK 2 – At Odds with God .......................................................................................... Jonah 1:3-7 WEEK 3 – A Dim Bulb ................................................................................................... Jonah 1:8-17 WEEK 4 – Salvation Belongs to the Lord ..................................................................... Jonah 2:1-10 WEEK 5 – A Grave Misunderstanding ........................................................................... Jonah 3:1-5 WEEK 6 – The Ninevites vs the Israelites .................................................................... Jonah 3:6-10 WEEK 7 – Misplaced Priorities ..................................................................................... Jonah 4:1-11 ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 6 CONTENT WEEK 1 Homework ............................................................................................................... Page 7 WEEK 2 Homework ............................................................................................................... Page 9 WEEK 3 Homework ............................................................................................................. Page 11 WEEK 4 Homework ............................................................................................................. Page 13 WEEK 5 Homework ............................................................................................................ Page 15 WEEK 6 Homework ............................................................................................................. Page 17 WEEK 7 Homework ............................................................................................................. Page 19 DEVOTIONARY™ on the book of Jonah .............................................................................. Page 21 ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 7 HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 1 – Once Upon a Time BAND of BROTHERS 2021 • Take a few minutes to read the book of Jonah. - What would you say is the main theme or lesson in the book? - How would you characterize Jonah? - What does the book reveal about God? • Read pages 25-29 in Ken’s Devotionary™ on Jonah. - Write down how reading “Once Upon a Time” might have changed your perspective on the book of Jonah. • Go back and re-read Jonah 1:1-2, then to gain a better understand who Jonah was, read 2 Kings 14:23-27. - What was Jonah’s job description? - To better understand the job of an Old Testament prophet, read the following quote from the Lexham Theological Wordbook: In the OT, a prophet is a person, either male or female, who functions as God’s spokesperson and is commissioned by him to deliver his word, either to individuals or to groups. The prophet receives the word of God through various means, including dreams, ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 8 visions, and theophanies. In the NT, a prophet is one whom God has equipped, alongside apostles, pastors, and teachers, to lead the church through the edification and encouragement of believers.1 - According to Jonah 1:1-2, what did God tell Jonah to do? - Now, to better understand the nature of God’s command, read the following summaries of the city of Nineveh: Nineveh (Nineve), Ninevite. One of the capitals of the Assyrian empire and at the height of that empire one of the great cities of the world. Nineveh was situated in what is now northern Iraq and is represented today by the mounds of Kouyunjik and Nebi Yunus to the east of the Tigris River and opposite the main part of the city of Mosul.2 Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire during a period of Assyrian dominance throughout the ancient Near East (ca. 703–612 BC). For this reason, it figures prominently in biblical literature. From the ninth century until Assyria’s fall to the Babylonians in 612 BC, Nineveh was an important Assyrian city. The Bible frames Nineveh as a thoroughly evil city and an enemy of Israel. The book of Jonah describes Nineveh, its inhabitants, and its king as so evil that Yahweh threatens to completely destroy them if they do not repent. The Israelite prophet, Jonah, despises Nineveh and is disappointed when the people repent and Yahweh spares them. The book of Nahum describes Nineveh’s destruction at the hands of the Babylonians in graphic detail. It also describes Nineveh as a city of bloodshed.3 - Consider the following quote from an Assyrian king, then share how you would respond if God sent you to deliver a message condemning his wickedness. “I flayed as many nobles as had rebelled against me [and] draped their skins over the pile [of corpses]; some I spread out within the pile, some I erected on stakes upon the pile … I flayed many right through my land [and] draped their skins over the walls.”4 1 Fenlason, A. C. (2014). Prophets. D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. 2 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Nineveh (Nineve), Ninevite. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, pp. 1553–1554). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. 3 Sieges, A. (2016). Nineveh. In J. D. BarrY, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. 4 Albert Kirk GraYson, AssYrian RoYal Inscriptions, Part 2: From Tiglath-pileser I to Ashur-nasir-apli II (Wiesbaden, Germ.: Otto Harrassowitz, 1976), p. 124. ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 9 HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 2 – At Odds with God BAND of BROTHERS 2021 • Read Jonah 1:3-7. - Based on your readings yesterday, what do you think was Jonah’s motivation for running from God? - Where do you see God at work in this passage? • Read pages 31-35 in Ken’s Devotionary™ on the book of Jonah. - What is the significance of the author’s use of the two different names for God throughout his book? - If Jonah is meant to be a representation of the people of Israel, what is so significant about his decision to run away? • Now, read pages 37-42 in Devotionary™. - Three different times in the opening chapter, Jonah is described as attempting to flee from God’s presence. What does this reveal about Jonah’s view of God? - Why do you think it is so dangerous for God’s people to have a less-than-accurate understanding of who He is? ©2021 KEN MILLER BAND of BROTHERS 10 - Consider the following quote by A. W. Tozer, then write down your thoughts about it. “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. ... Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.”5 - Write down any ways in which Jonah showed low or high thoughts of God. • Look closely at verse 6. In what ways does the captain of the ship, an idolater, show more respect for and hope in divine intervention than Jonah does? • Verse 7 describes the sailors deciding to cast lots. Read the following quotes concerning this practice: A means of determining the will of God, prior to the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The casting of lots was also used by pagans for the same purpose. Such use reflects the belief that nothing occurred by chance.6 One of the advantages of the casting of lots was the impartiality of the choice. It was held that the Lord directed the lots (Prv 16:33). 7 - According to the passage, what were the sailors hoping to discover? - What is the significance that “the lot fell on Jonah” (Jonah 1:7 ESV)? • What is your honest impression of Lot at this point in the story? • What has the narrative revealed about God so far? 5 Tozer, A. W. (1961). The knowledge of the holy: The attributes of God: their meaning in the Christian life. Harrisburg,