Key Thought: Jonah’s heart wasn’t in the right place, and consequently suffered from a lack of rest and peace. But God did not desert him, but led him to have more confidence in God.
September 18, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Jonah 1:15-17.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. Where did Jonah think he was going to find rest and peace from God?
3. Personal Application: Have you ever tried to avoid doing something for God that you knew that He wanted you to do? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “If we are called to do something for God, and we choose not to do it, would God reach out to us like Jonah? If we didn’t do the task, who would miss out on the blessings the most: the people affected by our lack of action, or us for not doing it?” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Jonah 3:1-10.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How did Ninevah respond to Jonah’s preaching? Was it a surprise?
3. Personal Application: What lessons can we take for this ourselves in our attempts to witness to others? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “What is repentance and why is it such an important part of being a Christian? Is repentance a one-time event or a continual action?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Jonah 4:1-11.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What was Jonah’s problem? What can we learn from his character flaws?
3. Personal Application: How can we learn to have the kind of compassion and patience that God has for others? How can we reflect it in our lives? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Was Jonah right about not wanting to preach to Ninevah? They were very evil and cruel and God eventually destroyed them anyway. It’s like today, why waste your time preaching to those who hate us, want to kill Christians, and live only to make other people miserable with their evil thoughts and deeds?“ How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Jude 20-23.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. How are these verses similar to Jonah’s experience with Ninevah?
3. Personal Application: When witnessing to others, have you felt like it was similar to snatching one out of the fire? Have you felt the importance of being saved or lost in a person’s life based on the gospel message?” Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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Jonah’s flight from God was not without problems. His short-lived “rest” was disturbed when God miraculously intervened with the storm. Jonah is saved from a watery grave by God, who orders a fish to save Jonah.

However, it is only when Jonah finds himself in a forced three-day rest in the stomach of the big fish that he realizes how very dependent he is on God. Sometimes we have to be brought to the place where we don’t have anything that this world offers to lean on in order to realize that Jesus is who we really need.

Read Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish (see Jonah 2:1-9). What does he pray about?

Image © Kim Justinen from GoodSalt.com

Though he was there in the deep, in a very dangerous situation, Jonah, in his prayer, prays about the sanctuary. He will look toward “Your holy temple.”

What is going on here?

The temple forms a focal point of this prayer, and it should be the central point of prayer in general. There is primarily only one place in the Old Testament where God can be found. He is in the sanctuary (see Exodus 15:17, Exodus 25:8). The sanctuary is the central point of prayer and communion with God.

Yet, Jonah is not referencing the Jerusalem temple. Rather, he is talking about the heavenly sanctuary (Jonah 2:7). That’s where his hope exists, because that’s where God and the salvation He offers truly come from.

Jonah finally understands this important truth. He has experienced God’s grace. He has been saved. As the big fish spits him out, he understands firsthand about God’s love for him, a runaway prophet. He certainly has learned (even if not without some detours on the way) that the only safe course for any believer is to seek to be in God’s will.

So, now he decides to do his duty and obey God’s orders, finally heading for Nineveh, no doubt on faith, as he is heading toward an exceedingly wicked city whose citizens might not like this foreign prophet telling them just how bad they are.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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