STUDY GUIDE
SUMMIT VIEW CHURCH
INTRODUCTION
Regardless of one’s upbringing, almost all individuals
are somewhat familiar with the book of Jonah. Whether
HOW TO USE THIS
it’s a story they’ve been told from their children’s GUIDE
Bible, or they’ve seen pop culture references, Jonah
is one of the most recognized books of the Bible, and This guide has been specifically
is definitely the best known of the minor prophets. prepared with you in mind. This
While the book itself is only forty-eight verses, it has guide will help life groups grow
demanded a lot of attention. While most remember deeper together in relationship with
the story of the great fish, the work of our great God God and one another.
often gets overlooked.
Each week, there are a few
The story of Jonah is a historical record of something
that happened. He is the only prophet God sent to a conversation starters to help get
foreign people. But there is far more to the book. Jonah things rolling, followed by questions
is a satirical comedy. It tells the story of a prophet who for discussion based on the text.
fails in every single task given to him. God tells him
to go east, and he heads west. God says go preach, Each week wraps up with personal
and Jonah falls asleep. God saves lost people, and the applications and weekly challenges
prophet pouts in response. to help stretch you spiritually.
AUTHOR Obviously, you are more than
welcome to pull in other resources,
In 2 Kings 14:25, “Jonah son of Amittai” appears as
someone prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam or highlights from the sermon the
II (782-753 B.C.). Jonah’s ministry as a prophet had past week. But our hope is that by
already served Israel well, as his message allowed the participating in this study, you will
nation to prosper. get a firmer grasp on the Scriptures
and a deeper connection with Christ.
D AT E
While the book contains no time stamp within the text,
many scholars believe the events that take place in
the book of Jonah occurred in the eighth century B.C.
Many estimate the book of Jonah was written anywhere
between the eighth century and the end of the third
century. The book was most likely written between the
sixth and fourth centuries based upon the language
and descriptions used in the book.
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NINEVEH
Jonah’s call was to head north and east, yet he attempted to head south and west. Jonah was called to go
to Nineveh, in the heart of Assyria (modern day Iraq). Instead, he fled to Tarshish, a location potentially in
Spain or in the Mediterranean near Italy—the opposite direction!
At the peak of Nineveh’s prosperity, it was surrounded by a wall nearly eight miles in length. The people
of Nineveh were everything opposite of what God’s people held dear. The Ninevites were known for their
cruelty, killing men, raping women, ripping babies from wombs, and crushing children’s heads against
rocks. They often skinned their victims and impaled their bodies, leaving them to die. They often forced
parents to watch their children get burned alive before murdering the parents. They also buried victims
up to their necks in sand and left them to die of hunger, thirst, or wild animal attack. Entire cities would
commit suicide rather than fall into the hands of the
Ninevites.
OUTLINE OF JONAH
I. First Commissioning - Jonah at
Sea (Chapters 1-2)
a. Jonah’s Initial Call (1:1-3)
b. Jonah’s Rebellion and
Subsequent Consequences
(1:4-16)
c. Jonah’s Deliverance (1:17-2:10)
II. Second Commissioning - Jonah
at Nineveh (Chapters 3-4)
a. Jonah’s Second Call (3:1-3)
b. The People of Nineveh’s
Response (3:4-10)
c. The Angry Prophet’s Response
(4:1-10)
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MAJOR THEMES WITHIN JONAH
PURPOSE
Grace & Mercy OF JONAH
God’s grace and mercy is on full display in the book of Jonah.
Within this book, God shows grace and mercy upon the pagan
Ninevites, the pagan sailors, and the rebellious prophet Jonah. God’s grace is much
bigger than we can
Love of “Others” comprehend, and much
What’s remarkable about the book of Jonah is the great care
for others that is on display. It’s clear from reading Jonah that
more expansive
God had an interest in expressing this love to others (Jonah than what we are
4:2), yet God’s chosen instrument did not share in that senti- comfortable with.
ment. It appears he couldn’t care less about the sailors in the
boat or the citizens of Nineveh; he was far more concerned
with his own comfort and preferences. Yet the sailors (1:14), their captain (1:6), and the king of Nineveh
(3:9) expressed a deep concern, care, and love for others. This serves as a subtle rebuke toward those
who know God; challenging them to think outside of themselves.
Mission
When grace, mercy, and love for the outsider meet, we find mission. While Jonah’s heart appears small,
unmerciful, and uninterested towards unbelievers, we find that God is the opposite! God breaks down
walls and leads people out into the world with good news and forgiveness. The book of Jonah highlights
the mission of God to reconcile people back to him.
The Sovereignty of God
Throughout the book of Jonah, God’s supreme authority and control are on display. In Jonah,
we see God control the storms (1:4), the lot (1:7), the great fish (1:17), the plant (4:6), the worm
(4:7), and the winds (4:8).
S U P P L E M E N TA L R E S O U R C E S
Helpful Article: The Bible in One Verse by Dustin Messer
Book: The Children’s The Bible Project Right Now Media –
Prodigal Prophet Book: Man on – Jonah The Book of Jonah by
by Tim Keller the Run by Tim Eric Mason
Augustyn
JONAH STUDY GUIDE - 3
JONAH CHAPTER 1
INTO THE STORM
INTRODUCTION
Jonah is often spoken of as if he was a “hero” in the Bible. But as we
“
Most of us
will read and study in the coming weeks, Jonah doesn’t actually have
many qualities that we would want to emulate. In Chapter 1, we see like what God
God call Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn them of coming wrath of says, until we are
God. Instead fulfilling his calling, Jonah runs in rebellion, causing called to action.
grave consequences not only for himself, but also for others in
his presence.
– Eric Mason
MAIN IDEA: It is impossible to run from God.
C O N V E R S AT I O N S TA R T E R
Q . Can you think of a time when God has prompted you to do something difficult or
inconvenient? How did you respond?
READ & DISCUSS JONAH CHAPTER 1
Q . What do God’s initial call and Jonah’s response tell us about Jonah? What do they tell us about God?
Follow Up: Is there someone in your life that incites the same feeling that Jonah had? If they were to
show up at church this Sunday, would their presence make you want to flee? Follow Up: What do we
reveal about ourselves when we fail to love the “unlovable” in the way God has loved us?
Q . In the midst of the storm, the men on the boat cried out to their “gods.” Instead of calling out to the
true and living God, Jonah was fast asleep. When storms hit in your life, do you cry out to God, or attempt
to rely on something else? Follow Up: Jonah is surrounded by pagans seeking deliverance while he is
asleep at the bottom of the boat. Do you see any correlation between Jonah’s actions and yours as you
interact with unbelievers on a day-to-day basis?
Q . In verse 9, Jonah describes God as the one who “made the sea and the dry land.” In light of that, his
attempt to flee seems quite foolish. Can you think of a time when you acted in a way that now seems
foolish, considering what you know about God?
Q. Verse 13 is a key verse in this passage. Amid the storm, the sailors reached a point where they re-
alized they could not save themselves, and turned to the Lord in verse 14. What storms are you facing?
What is God breaking apart to wake you up spiritually? Where do you need to cease from trying to save
yourself?
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JONAH CHAPTER 1
I N T O T H E S T O R M ( C O N T. )
PERSONAL REFLECTION
A N D A P P L I C AT I O N
Q. Do you picture God as a God of the nations,
or just your own little world? Is God’s grace limit-
ed to only good people?
Q . How are you running from God today?
W E E K LY
CHALLENGE
The instruction from the Lord
came to Jonah in a pretty clear
and concise way. It wasn’t that
Jonah didn’t understand, or as
if God left it muddy for him to
misunderstand. His problem
was that he simply didn’t
want to do it. This is often our
problem as well.
What would it take for us to
commit ourselves this week
to follow and obey where God
leads us?
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JONAH C HAPTER 2
DIVINE INTERRUPTION:
GOD SPEAKS IN A FISH
INTRODUCTION
Jonah’s rebellion has finally caught up to him and
he’s starting to realize it. In this passage, Jonah cried Some men are
out to God from the belly of a great fish. Here we brought to God by
aren’t simply reading a newspaper article reporting
gentle means—they are
“
what happened, we get a glimpse into the human
experience and personal struggle.
drawn by soft but mighty
bonds. Still, a much larger class
MAIN IDEA of persons remains. They must not
be handled softly but must be dealt
We are never far from the presence of God. with heavily. The picklock will never
He always hears the prayers of His people. open their hearts—there must be the
crowbar, or even the battering ram.
Some hearts can never be
captured for God and for
C O N V E R S AT I O N S TA R T E R truth except by storm.
Q . Can you think of an unpleasant
time in your life where God used it to – Charles Spurgeon
refocus your attention back to him?
READ & DISCUSS JONAH CHAPTER 2
Q. According to verse 2, how does God respond to Jonah’s prayer of desperation?
Q. Why is it so important that we understand both our need for forgiveness (i.e., due to our sinfulness)
and the immense breadth of God’s love (salvation comes from the Lord)? What happens if you neglect to
acknowledge either of these?
Q . Verse 9 can be viewed as a theme of the entire Bible. Jonah declares, “Salvation belongs to the
Lord.” What do you think he means by this?
Q . In this passage, God saves Jonah from an inward struggle before delivering him from external
difficulties. Would you rather have God save you from an outward circumstance, or from an internal
struggle of sin? Would we rather be comfortable or holy?
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JONAH C HAPTER 2
DIVINE INTERRUPTION:
G O D S P E A K S I N A F I S H ( C O N T. )
PERSONAL REFLECTION
A N D A P P L I C AT I O N
Q . Prayer is not simply receiving things that we
want from God. Prayer is more about aligning our
hearts, minds, and wills with God. How can we
keep the focus of our prayers on God’s will?
Q . What is your biggest prayer need? Take
plenty of time to pray for each other.
W E E K LY C H A L L E N G E
Jonah’s prayer in this chapter is a psalm of thanksgiving.
Jonah thanks God for using the fish to save him from
drowning. Take some time this week to compose your
own psalm of thanksgiving. This could be about a time
God delivered you from trouble, brought you to Jesus, or
some other miraculous thing He has done for you.
Other examples you can look at:
Psalms 30, 34, 66, 73, 105-106, 111-118
If you feel comfortable, consider sharing it with someone
close, or your group next week.
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JONAH C HAPTER 3
OUR GOD IS A GOD
OF SECOND CHANCES
INTRODUCTION
What’s the worst sermon you’ve ever heard
preached? My guess is that it’s probably not
even close to being as bad as the one Jonah
preached to Nineveh.
After being vomited ashore, Jonah marches to
Nineveh to proclaim the message he has been
sent to preach: repent or be destroyed. Yet it
wasn’t the quality of Jonah’s message, but the
quality of his God that turned the city back to
Him.
The biggest miracle in the story of Jonah isn’t
that he survived in a fish, but that an entire
city repents! Here we see a city – a people who
were far from God – repent of their sins. God
relented from destroying them.
MAIN IDEA
God is one of second chances. He forgives the
repentant.
C O N V E R S AT I O N S TA R T E R
Q . Have you ever received a second
chance to do something that you had
previously failed at? How did that feel?
Did you do anything differently the
second time around?
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JONAH C HAPTER 3
OUR GOD IS A GOD OF
S E C O N D C H A N C E S ( C O N T. )
READ & DISCUSS JONAH CHAPTER 3
Q . How does the structure of Jonah 3:1–3 parallel 1:1–3? What are the similarities? What are the
differences?
Q. How should Jonah’s experience encourage us towards obedience?
Q. Why do you think the Ninevites responded in the way they did? What did they recognize about
themselves?
Q. The Hebrew word for “repentance” occurs four times in Jonah. All four of them are within the verse
of 8-10, which signals the emergence of a new and important theme. What do you think that is?
Q. How does God respond to the repentance of the Ninevites (3:10)? Follow Up: What does His
response teach us about His character?
PERSONAL REFLECTION
A N D A P P L I C AT I O N
W E E K LY
Q . Is God calling you into repentance today?
CHALLENGE What, if anything, is holding you back?
As believers, God has
called us to join Him
on a mission in making
disciples. Take some time
to think of people in your
life who don’t know Jesus.
Pray for them. Can you
find an opportunity this
week to share the gospel
with them?
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JONAH C HAPTER 4
A M AT T E R O F T H E H E A R T
INTRODUCTION
Imagine an entire community or city turning to God, and suddenly filling the church. How would you
respond? One would hope that we would rejoice. Yet, in Chapter 4, Jonah provides a snapshot of a
propensity in all of us. It would be inconvenient for us. We wouldn’t be able to claim our usual seat. We’d
have to open our homes to make room for the newcomers. We might not be served and catered to in
the way we would prefer. We might have to sit with people who hurt us.
In this chapter, we get to see God’s desire for our hearts and His patience towards us.
MAIN IDEA
God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
C O N V E R S AT I O N S TA R T E R
Q . When you were a little kid (or when you
still act like one), how did you (or, how do you)
usually express your anger?
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JONAH C HAPTER 4
A M AT T E R O F T H E H E A R T
READ & DISCUSS JONAH CHAPTER 4
Q . According to Jonah 4:2, why did Jonah flee to Tarshish (1:3)? Follow Up: According to 4:2, what is
God like? And why do you think Jonah has a problem with this?
Q . Think back to week one of this series, where we read about Jonah’s experience on the ship. How
does Jonah’s attitude towards the Ninevites compare to the sailor’s attitude to him? How does God’s
compassion compare to Jonah’s? Follow Up: Does this challenge the attitudes you have toward people?
Q. What does the interaction between Jonah and God in verses 3-4 teach us about our relationship
with God?
Q. What do you think Jonah was waiting to see in verse 5?
Q . In the closing verses of this chapter, we see God continually provide for His obstinate prophet.
Follow Up: In your most stubborn times, how has God expressed grace and mercy in your life?
Q. What do verses 10-11 teach us about God?
PERSONAL
REFLECTION AND W E E K LY C H A L L E N G E
A P P L I C AT I O N
Q. We are much like Jonah. We When God gave us grace, we received
want to receive God’s forgiveness, something we did not deserve. Think
but we are not always willing to of someone in your life who does
extend it to others. Who is it that not deserve grace and be intentional
we need to extend forgiveness
about showing it to them over the
to?
coming week. This can be a family
Q. How is God calling you to member, co-worker, neighbor, or even
grow in compassion for the lost? someone in your group!
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NOTES
NOTES
