Jonah Challenge - The story of the big fish or Big God?

[GoldenEagle]

Challenge:

1. What is the story of and what is the significance of the Book of Jonah? Try doing this by memory without reading the book first.

2. Pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you through this book. Re-read (or read for the first time) the book of Jonah with fresh eyes. Now either edit your post or write a new post with what God has shown you. What is the story of and what is the significance of the Book of Jonah?

The Book of Jonah

[missmuffet]

Jonah's fear and pride caused him to run from God.He does not want to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people.Jonah boards a ship for Tarshish which is the opposite direction of Nineveh.Their is a huge storm.The crews casts lots and throw him overboard and he is swallowed by a whale or a great fish.He is in the belly of this fish for 3 days and 3 nights.At this time he repents of his sin and the fish vomits him onto dry land.Jonah then makes his trip to Nineveh and leads the city to a great revival.

 

1. We can not hide and run from God.

2.It is best if we submit to God's plan rather than work against Him.

 

During my studies I found this interesting.

Matthew 12:40-41 Jesus declares that He will be in the grave the same amount of time Johah was in the whales belly.The Pharisse's and teachers of the law who rejected Jesus were rejecting one who is far greater than Jonah.

[alphaparticle]

1. I remember two things striking me when I first read this in particular. The first was that Jonah was extremely reluctant, but God made His will happen anyway. And the second thing was, Jonah was saddened by the fact that people repented and weren't destroyed. What kind of response is that? The people listen and devastation is averted, so I'm going to sulk? I remember thinking, here is Jonah, kind of a jerk, yet God uses him anyway, hope for the rest of us.

[nebula]

Jonah is an awesome story about redemption.

 

Jonah ran away because he didn't want Ninevah redeemed. Yet, when his disobedience threatened the lives of his shipmates, his shapemates risked their lives trying to save him. Think there was a lesson there for Jonah?

 

The story ends with the Lord having to teach Jonah again about redemption through the example of the vine.

 

God wants to redeem mankind.

 

That I believe is the central theme to Jonah.

 

(And how convenient that Jonah spent 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the fish, just as Jesus did in the belly of the Earth.)

[GoldenEagle]

Approaches to the book of Jonah

A. Treat it is a parable

B. Historical Narrative (I believe it reads it this way) and Jesus refers to it in a historical context in Matthew 12:38-39

C. Treat it as fiction

[missmuffet]

Approaches to the book of Jonah

A. Treat it is a parable

B. Historical Narrative (I believe it reads it this way) and Jesus refers to it in a historical context in Matthew 12:38-39

C. Treat it as fiction

It should be taken as all of the Bible should be taken literally as much as possible.

[alphaparticle]

Approaches to the book of Jonah

A. Treat it is a parable

B. Historical Narrative (I believe it reads it this way) and Jesus refers to it in a historical context in Matthew 12:38-39

C. Treat it as fiction

D. mild indifference to which it is of the above . I don't know how much I care if Jonah literally spent 3 days in a fish or not. It doesn't change anything for me or how I read it.

[GoldenEagle]

1. I remember two things striking me when I first read this in particular. The first was that Jonah was extremely reluctant, but God made His will happen anyway. And the second thing was, Jonah was saddened by the fact that people repented and weren't destroyed. What kind of response is that? The people listen and devastation is averted, so I'm going to sulk? I remember thinking, here is Jonah, kind of a jerk, yet God uses him anyway, hope for the rest of us.

 

I agree with you brother.

Jonah was indeed reluctant. I think thre raeson for this can be explained further in chapter 4...

Jonah 4:1-3

4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. ³ Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

 

Jonah was very displeased and angry... This indicated that Jonah had a conversation with God as to why he didn't want to go to Nineveh... In essence Jonah was saying "The reason I didn't want to go was because you God are merciful, slow to anger, an abounding in love."

Jonah's attitude to me could be the result of a few options...

A. Jonah didn't want to look dumb

B. God's going to do whatever he wants (Calvinism)

C. Jonah didn't love the people of Nineveh

 

Thoughts?

 

Also what stood out to you when you read the book again?

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

Jonah's fear and pride caused him to run from God.He does not want to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people.Jonah boards a ship for Tarshish which is the opposite direction of Nineveh.Their is a huge storm.The crews casts lots and throw him overboard and he is swallowed by a whale or a great fish.He is in the belly of this fish for 3 days and 3 nights.At this time he repents of his sin and the fish vomits him onto dry land.Jonah then makes his trip to Nineveh and leads the city to a great revival.

 

1. We can not hide and run from God.

2.It is best if we submit to God's plan rather than work against Him.

 

During my studies I found this interesting.

Matthew 12:40-41 Jesus declares that He will be in the grave the same amount of time Johah was in the whales belly.The Pharisse's and teachers of the law who rejected Jesus were rejecting one who is far greater than Jonah.

 

I think your first point is really something most of us forget. When Jonah didn't go to Nineveh it was not what Jonah was going to (Tarshish) but what he was running away from...from the Presence of God. You can't be in Gods presence without obeying God's commands. (Heart issue: obedience)

 

It is truly best if we submit to God's plan and instead be working against God.

Thoughts?

 

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

Jonah is an awesome story about redemption.

 

Jonah ran away because he didn't want Ninevah redeemed. Yet, when his disobedience threatened the lives of his shipmates, his shapemates risked their lives trying to save him. Think there was a lesson there for Jonah?

 

I agree!

Some thoughts on Jonah chapter 1...

Jonah 1:4 

⁴ But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

 

Vs 4 God could've chosen to use someone else. God could've killed Jonah. But The Lord was pursuing Jonah.

 

⁵ Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

⁶ So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

 

Vs 5-6 Sailors don't get frightened too often. They live on the ocean with their boats or ships and so must have been at least somewhat used to storms. It was so bad they started to throw away all the cargo and cry out to their gods in desperation (and since their gods were fake to no avail). And where was Jonah? Asleep. A heathen captain had to remind Jonah to pray to God.

 

⁷ And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”

 

Vs 7-8 They casts lots and the lot fell on Jonah. Then the heathens (remember who cried out to the false gods) ask about who Jonah is, what he does, where he comes from.

 

⁹ So 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.”

 

Vs 9 Don't miss the irony of this statement... I fear The Lord God of Heaven who made the sea and dry land. But oh yeah I'd rather disobey God than follow his instructions to me.

 

Inconsistency... Who I am and what I do... Story: When my wife's laptop screen broke (on accident but still really annoying) so I had to take into the Apple store. And of course I went in there knowing that neglect (dropping the laptop and shattering the screen) wasn't covered under warranty. There to greet me was a young lady who was very happy. I wasn't in the mood to deal with happy people. I wanted actually to find a grumpy person and talk to them perhaps about my grumpiness. She started talking to me and asking questions... What do I use the laptop for... What do I do... So eventually I told her about myself, what I did, and Who I served. I had to have a true attitude check. I think Jonah had to have had an attitude check at that moment. What was Jonah's response?

 

 ¹² And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” 

  

Vs 12 Jonah basically said throw me overboard. Ironic and satiric... Jonah was still trying to be disobedient and flee God's command - Jonah preferred death than obedience to God. Yet God later on we read made a way with a big fish.

 

I see so much of myself in Jonah at times. Don't you sometimes?

 

¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. ¹⁴ Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” ¹⁵ So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

 

Vs 14-16 Ultimately God got the glory. This was foreshadowing of what He was going to do in Nineveh... The sailors didn't want to kill Jonah and continued to row through the storms. The heathen sinners/sailors prayed to God to not count, threw Jonah overboard, the seas calmed down (ceased from its raging), and the heathens sacrificed and turned to God. God made His name known and used for good what Jonah meant for rebellion.

 

Thoughts?

God bless,

GE