Jonah 1
Jonah is commanded by God to go to Nineveh to tell them that God was getting ready to judge them. Jonah didn’t want to do that and goes the opposite direction, getting on a boat. A storm hits the boat. It’s so bad that the crew fears for their lives praying to their gods to save them. Jonah tells them it’s his fault. They cast lots and confirm that it is him. Jonah tells them to throw him in the water and the storm will stop. They don’t want to be responsible for his death and try to row harder. The storm gets even worse. They pray to God to not hold Jonah’s death against them and throw him in the water. The storm immediately stops. The crew commits themselves to serving God. Meanwhile, Jonah is swallowed by a large fish for three days.
Principles: You can’t outrun God’s plan. God uses everything to draw people to Himself.
Jonah 2
Jonah, after being thrown into the sea and swallowed by the fish, calls out to God to rescue him. God then has the fish spit him up on the shores of Nineveh.
Principles: God has plans that He will carry out.
Jonah 3
After Jonah gets to the shore, God tells him again to go to Nineveh and tell them to repent. Jonah goes this time and as he enters the large city of Nineveh, he begins shooting for them to repent because God was going to bring destruction on Nineveh in 40 days. Everyone begins to repent. When the king hears about it, he repents and orders everyone, even the animals, to wear sackcloth and fast in hopes that God will hear their repentance. God did and stopped the judgment from coming.
Principles: God’s warnings are for our benefit if we will listen.
Jonah 4
When Jonah sees that God chooses to spare the Ninevites, he gets angry with God because he didn’t think it was right that they should be spared. He goes outside the city to pout. God had a big leafy plant grow up to shield him from the sun but also had a worm eat away at it so it would die. Jonah was more upset about the death of the plant than the death of the Ninevites. God pointed that out to Jonah.
Principles: God can take our anger even when we’re wrong. God is not bound by our sense of Justice.