Jonah

Bible Character Study

By: Paul L.

Who is this guy?

Where in the word?

Please open your bibles to:- The book of Jonah

Brainstorming

Character of Jonah

– Unwilling– Reluctant– Jealous– Prophetic– Apathetic– Stubborn– Disconcerting

Character of God

– Compassionate– Loving– Caring– Forgiving– Merciful– Empathetic– Rescuing

Did you know?

Name: Jonah Hebrew origin, which means “Dove”

Bible Reference: The Book of Jonah – Author is unknown

Audience: The Northern Kingdom of IsraelDate: 750-725 BCTheme: • God’s loving concern for all people and Jonah’s jealousy and

unwillingness to share the Lord’s compassion with his enemies.

Jonah’s Biography

Name: Jonah Meaning: DoveAncestry & Family Life: Unknown. The only thing we know is that he had a father named Amittai (Jon 1:1)

Training & Occupation: Prophet, Minister

Place in History: He was chosen by God to take the gospel to the most powerful nation in the world at that time. His three days in the belly of the fish is a foreshadow of Christ’s three days in the earth before His resurrection. (Matt 12:40)

Historical ContextWhen and Where? • Israel during the 8th century B.C. he prophesied there

(2 Kings 14:25) and eventually in Assyria.• During this time Assyria was the most powerful empire in

the world and dominated the region. • The kings of Assyria led numerous excursions against

both Israel and Judah. • The country was the dreaded enemy of Israel. The kings

of Israel were at times forced to pay tribute to the Assyrians and only about 40 years after Jonah’s ministry were conquered and exiled.

Weaknesses

• He was disobedient and actually attempted the fool-hardy escapade of running away from God (1:3) – (Why did Jonah run away from God instead of going to Nineveh?)

• He lacked mercy and forgiveness, wanting revenge and holding bitterness in his heart (4:1-3)

• He was a complainer. Jonah didn’t respect God and had an overly high view of his own opinion and self. He routinely questioned God, disagreed with God, and vented his anger against God (4)

Strengths

• He took responsibility for his actions instead of making others take it (1:11-12)

• He was honest when he was running away from God and about who he was (1:8-10)

• When he was inside the fish he called out to God and expressed repentance (2:2-9).

Important Events

• He was swallowed by a fish for three days. This is used by Jesus in Matthew 12:39-41 as a picture for Christ’s death and resurrection. It shows once again that the cross is the central event in all of history and this event foreshadowed it.

• His most important act was taking the gospel to the Assyrians. This may be overshadowed somewhat by his bad attitude and original disobedience. Yet Jonah did eventually obey God and did eventually go.

Lessons from his Life

1. Don’t run away from God. It’s impossible to succeed (Psa 139:7-11).

2. God can use even weak and flawed people to serve Him. Through our weakness He is made strong (2 Cor 12:9).

3. We need to be merciful and show forgiveness. Everyone is important and valuable in God’s sight. He created them and gave them value.

Discussion Time