Jonah

Jonah - Reluctant Obedience

General Lessons

Conclusion

Self-pity arises out of the heart

of a self-centered person.

• Disobeying God: intentional disobedience by a servant of God can lead to trouble not only for themselves but for those near them.

• Anger: the danger of allowing feelings of anger to supersede reason and being humble before God. Selfish anger leads to errors in judgment and sometimes feelings of depression.

• God’s sovereignty: God shows his sovereignty through nature as well as through uncooperative people.

• God’s purpose for difficult times or pending judgment: God intends for difficult times to turn people to Him and delay in bringing judgment is for allowing people time to repent.

• Repentance: The people of Nineveh demonstrate the type of repentance God desires; acts of remorse and change in behavior.

• Values: selfishness leads us to prefer personal benefit over the salvation of enemies and that sometimes unbelievers show greater value for human life more than believers

Read p. 38, X4

The Disobedience of the Prophet

Jonah 1:1-16

The word of the Lord came...

Jonah 1:17, 2:1-10

And the word of the Lord came...

Disobeying God: intentional disobedience by a servant of God can lead to trouble not only for themselves but for those near them.

The Deliverance of the Prophet...and the people

Read Jonah 3:1-4

Background

Read Jonah 3:5-10

Read p.36, X2

Read p. 37, X3

Hearts Revealed

• Read p.35, X1
• Minor Prophet
• Called by God to preach to Ninevah
• Nineveh: capital city of the Assyrian Empire
• Assyrians: a savage and merciless people known for burning children, impaling victims on stakes, beheading and chopping hands off.
• Worshiped many gods.
• Serious enemy of Israelites

• God's - Read Jonah 4:1-2

• Jonah's - Read Jonah 4:3-4