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Week 5: Jonah

Week 5: Jonah

Objective: 

  • Jonah’s Disobedience

  • Jonah Thrown into the Sea

  • Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance

  • The Ninevites' repentance

  • Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness

Resources:

Activity for every week: Can you recite the 12 minor prophets?

Reading:

  • Jonah 1-4

Key verse(s):

“I have been cast out of Your sight, Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

NOTE TO SERVANT:

  • Please plan to ask and review these questions every week:

    • Who are the minor prophets? Can you recite them?
    • The theme for last week's minor prophet
    • Highlight Messianic prophecy

Minor Prophets introduction:

  • The Major and Minor Prophet division of the Holy Bible does not denote the importance or rank of the writing prophets, but the length of the Holy Books which bear their prophecies.

    • Ex: Jonah 4 chapters - Isaiah 66 chapters
  • There are 12 minor prophets and 4 major prophets (5 books including Lamentations)
  • In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), all these books were listed under "prophets". In the Septuagint and Vulgate translations, this classification of major and minor was mentioned.
  • The prophet in the OT was someone who passed God's message to the people. A prophet in the NT is also someone who passes God's message or news (God's love and salvation for all mankind).
  • In the OT, there were many prophets (Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, etc.), but when we refer to the "Prophets", we refer to the ones who recorded their prophecy. 
  • All prophecies had one goal: Repentance!
  • Recorded prophecies were split into three groups: Before, during, and after the exile.
    • Before: Repent so God doesn't bring the exile
    • During: Repent so God can end the exile and take us back to our land
    • After: Repent because the Messiah is coming
  • The books of the prophets are rich with Messianic prophecies. All were fulfilled by Our Lord.
  • All books have different themes. All books have the same message (repentance).
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Minor Prophets

Before Assyrian Captivity


Directed to the North Kingdom

After Assyrian and before Babylonian captivities


Directed to the South Kingdom

After Captivity

1.     Hosea

2.     Joel

3.     Amos

4.     Obadiah (Edom)

5.     Jonah

6.     Micah

7.     Nahum (Nineveh)

8.     Habakkuk

9.     Zephaniah

10.  Haggai

11.  Zechariah

12.  Malachi

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Comments:

Theme of Joel: The Lord's mercy and forgiveness
Messianic Prophecy: Jonah is a type of Jesus Christ (He came out alive after three days and the Ninevites were saved. Our Lord rose on the third day and delivered His people)

Background

  • Jonah storyis a book that shows God's greatest love and forgiveness.
  • Many people pinpoint Jonah's arrogance and his escape from God, but we shall meditate on his strong faith and repentance.
  • At his time, prophets like Hosea, Joel, and Amos strongly urged the people to understandrepent Obadiah:

    before the Assyrian captivity came as a punishment.
  • Ninevah was the capital of Assyria. Jonah hesitated to go because he knew the Assyrians were coming to destroy his people and take them captive.
  • For Jonah, it did not make sense to preach about this 'extremely bad nation' who is coming to rule over his nation.
  • God knew their hearts and knew they would repent.
  • This generation that Jonah evangelized to repent. But the following generation was bad and they started to head towards Israel to take them to exile.
  • We will see later that Nahum prophesied against Ninevah (The Assyrians) as they exiled God's people. He prophesied the Assyria would be punished by Babylon.
  • In summary:
    • Hosea,
      • The Book contains condemnation against EdomJoel, and prophesiesAmos: theirtold totalthe destruction because of their persistent oppositionpeople to God’srepent chosen people.
        • Edomites aligned withlest the ChaldeansAssyrians come to defeat and destroy the IsraelitesNorth Kingdom (Israel)
        • TheyMinor assistedprophets and the Assyrian captivity:
          • (Before) Jonah: Went to evangelize to the Assyrians
          • (During) Micah: Prophesied to the South Kingdom (Judah). His message to them was to repent or the Babylonians onwill howpunish toJudah
            • enter
          • (After) andNahum: takeProphesied downagainst the KingdomAssyrians. (2Babylon Kingswill 25)
            • punish
          • Their Joy in seeing Israel taken to captivity is like the devil rejoicing in seeing God's people look defeated
          • Two years later, Nebucednazzer came and destroyed them. The devil is a cheater has no alliance with anyone
          • Psalm 137 "By the rivers of Babylon" talks about this incident.
          • Obedaiah directed his prophecy toward the Edomites and told them "As you have done, it shall be done to you."Assyria
      • ObadiahIn the Jewish Tradition, Jonah is thought to be the shortestson bookof the widow whom Elijah arose from the dead (1 Kings 17)
      • Some people doubt Jonah is a symbolic story and not real. However, our Lord pointed out this story in Matthew 12 and Luke 11.
      • Jonah is also mentioned in 2 Kings 14
      • Jonah 1
        • Everything and everyone obeyed, except Jonah (Sea, ship, wind, mariners, fish)
        • The mariners:
          • They knew from experience what happened in the OTsea withwas onlyabnormal. 21Most verseslikely due to someone’s sin/fault
          • ObadiahThey meansprayed “Worshiperto their gods before doing any actions (throwing cargo)
          • They made sure everyone prays (life of Yahweh”fellowship)
            • or
          • They “Servantdid ofnot Yahweh”agree initially to throw Jonah into the sea as they cared about him
          • They rebuked Jonah for not obeying his God
          • They prayed to Jonah's God and feared Him
          • They offered sacrifices and took vows to Jonah's God
      • Jonah 2
        • Jonah is God's man
        • The Bookfirst dealsthing withhe did was pray and praise in the bittermiddle rivalryof betweenhis Edom,hardships
        • His deep faith is highlighted in Jonah 2:4
          • "I will look again toward Your holy temple" - He was in the descendantsbelly of Jacob’the fist when he said that!
          • Jonah 2:7 - "And my prayer went up to You" He is sure God is listening to him
          • God didn't prevent Jonah from service. He accepted Jonah and returned him to his service. Similar to St. Peter after the Cross at the Sea of Tiberias (Jonah 21)
      • Jonah 3
        • The people didn't question Jonah but believed right away
        • They instantly offered true repentance
        • This chapter shows that repentance does not need a long period of time, but a true repentant heart
        • Jonah didn't tell them what to do. He only said they would be destroyed.
          • The people's twinfaith led them to understand that repentance will allow God to not relent (3:9)
      • Jonah 4
        • Jonah was not happy they repented and God accepted them
          • He was like the older son who didn’t like the return of his younger brother
            • Esau,
          • The plan is like the Jews who grew but went astray from God and the peopleNinevites of Israel.
          • Thoughare the shortestGentiles of the Old Testament books, Obadiah carries one of the strongest messages of judgment.
          • Because of the long history of opposing God’s people, Edom’s fate is sealed, and there is no possibility of deliverance.whom God willcared bring total destruction upon Edom, and there will be no remnant.
          • V.2-4: Thatfor their pride should be humbled.repentance.
          • V.5-7: That their wealth should be plundered.
        • V.8-9: That their wisdom should be taken.
        • V.10-16: That their spiteful behavior towards God’s Israel should be avenged.
        • V.17-20: Gracious promises to Israel; that they shall be restored and reformed, and shall be victorious over the Edomites, and become masters of their land and the lands of others of their neighbors.
        • V.21: The kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up by the bringing in of the great salvation.
        • The prophetic theme of the day of the Lord is prominent in verses 15-21. As in the prophecy of Joel, this day brings both judgment and deliverance. For Edom, this is a pronouncement of judgment (V.15-16), but for Judah it will bring deliverance as they experience blessing and restoration to their land (V.17–21).

      Review/recap questions:
      **Servant may add more questions

      1. Why did Jonah run from God?
      2. What iseffect did God stirring and stilling the shorteststorm Bookhave on the sailors?
      3. How do you see Jonah’s prayer: a cry for help, for forgiveness or for thanksgiving?
      4. Give verses showing Jonah’s assurance of the deliverance of God.
      5. What was the Ninevites' reaction to Jonah’s message?
      6. Mention four commands in the OT?decree Howgiven manyby chapters/verses?the king.
      7. WhatShow doesJonah’s selfishness through this Holy Book.
      8. After reading the nameBook Obadiahof mean?
        9. Jonah,
      9. Whatprove willthat happensalvation comes from the Lord to theeveryone Housewho of Esau?
      10. What deceived Edom?believes.

      Homework:
      **Servant may add more questions

      1. WhatThe didLord Edomasked doJonah to deservego to:
        a) Tarshish b) Nineveh c) Joppa
      2. What was Jonah doing when the wrathstorm ofstarted? God?
        a) praying b) eating c) sleeping
      3. "ForJonah was in the _______belly of the LORDfish uponfor:
        a) forty days b) one week c) three days and three nights
      4. While in the belly of the fish Jonah was:
        a) praying b) singing c) crying d) all of these
      5. How many days did the nations is ________; as youNinevites have done,before itthe shallcity bewas _________overthrown? to
        a) you;three yourb) reprisalten shallc) returnforty
        6. upon
      6. When yourthe ownNinevites ________."heard Jonah’s message they:
        a) proclaimed a fast b) believed God c) put on sackcloth d) all of these
      7. The Houseplant ofwas Jacobdamaged shallby: be
        a) fire b) a _______,worm andc) thewind housed) ofrain
        8. ________
      8. How amany flame;people Butlived thein HouseNineveh? of
        a) Esau20,000 shallb) be200 stubble;c) They shall kindle them and devour them, And no __________ shall remain of the House of Esau," For the __________ has spoken."120,000
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