Overview of the book of jonah

Does our heart mirror the compassionate heart of god overflowing with mercy and grace. God had created all mankind, but hed chosen one special nation as his own. The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular childrens stories. Jonah complete bible book chapters and summary new. Each has a call from god and a response from jonah 1. Jonah is portrayed as a recalcitrant prophet who flees from gods summons to prophesy against the wickedness of the city of nineveh. Every chapter of the bible in 140 characters or less. The ninevites listen to his message of doom and repent. Jonah is commanded to go east to nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point 1. The kingdom of israel had split in half, after king.

Go to the great city of nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. Furthermore, jesus validated jonah s experience in the belly of the fish as factual matt. So, he asked the sailors to throw him into the sea. Historical setting jonah was sent out by the lord at a time when the kingdom of israel was weak and losing many of its territories to neighboring countries. We hear from jonah himself that god is merciful and compassionate, slow to become angry, and rich in faithful love. Home bible studies jonah studies jonah overview these small group studies of jonah extensive crossreferences, bible study discussion questions, lessons to learn, and applications. The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly name the prophet as the author of his own account, but we have no reason to doubt either the inspiration or the historical veracity of the book.

The story, about a prophet named jonah, was written to criticize and rebuke the narrow spirit of nationalism that jonah observed among so many of the jewish people. This is quite sad, especially since that event makes up a very small part of the book. The book of jonah stands as an important link in the prophetic chain, giving readers a glimpse of christs death and resurrection hundreds of years before they. God summons a deadly storm, so the sailors and passengers draw lots to determine which one of them god is trying to punish. Unfortunately, gods grace and mercy is set against jonah himself, who is a walking illustration of judgment and unforgiveness. Jul 02, 2020 the book of jonah is a short narrative book about a prophet who doesnt really act like a prophet of god at all. Jonah came from a town later known as galilee 2 kings 14. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. Jonah is the most widely known of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament. Jonah summary jonah was a messanger of god to the northern kingdom during the rule of jeroboam ii in the 7th century bc.

Jonah is the central character in the book of jonah, in which god commands him to go to the city of. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and returned to his starting point. God calls his people to seek the repentance of the nations. The above summary details the bible people and summary of important events which occur in the douay rheims version of the catholic bible scriptures of the book of jonah. He does not wish to go to nineveh to preach repentance to the people, as god. But 150 years later, nineveh returned to idolatry, violence, and arrogance nahum 3. Written by the prop het jonah, son of amittai, around 785760 b. Jonah is the central character in the book of jonah, in which god commands him to go to the city of nineveh to prophesy.

That doesnt necessarily mean that jonah wrote the book. Dec 28, 20 the book doesnt begin with a simple description of the judgment to come. Since jonah prophesied during the reign of jeroboam ii 782753 b. We really dont have any idea who wrote it and the book doesnt really offer any clues as to who might have written it. When god had a message for the people, he spoke through the prophets. The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humor lies. Although the esv study bible says the author is anonymous, tradition has attributed the authorship of this book to the minor prophet who appears in the title. In chapter 1, god directed jonah to go to nineveh however.

The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. The book of jonah is narrative history and a prophetic oracle. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. Chapter 23, after god had the fish cough him up, three days later. We sin against the spirit of the book jonah in trying to take it as real history. Key personalities include jonah, the captain and the ships crew and the people of nineveh.

Now the word of the lord came unto jonah the son of amittai, saying, jonah dove, the son of. However, determining the chronology of the books composition is difficult. Are we truly sold out to gods sovereign will or trying to push our own agenda. In 2 kings 14 we also read that he was a servant of god and a prophet who had prophesied that the borders of israel from hamath. Sep 20, 2018 in summary, i believe that there are three primary reasons to think the book of jonah is not historical. This was a time when the assyrian empire was reaching its most powerful. Second, the sailors and the people of nineveh all turn to israels god as nearly no one else in the bible do. In light of that story and of your reading of the book of jonah, what kind of prophet do you think jonah was. He was the son of amittai and was of gathhepher in galilee north of nazareth.

Jonah, ruth, and esther cliffsnotes study guides book. The book of jonah is about an event that jesus said took place in history. Summary of the book of jonah the story of the bible. Most people know little more about jonah than that he was swallowed by a fish and spit back out on shore three days later.

Although often classified with the prophets, the book of jonah is not a prophetic book. There is an earlier story about jonah s ministry in 2 kings 14. Jonah encounters pagans who are forced to consider the influence of his god 1. The man jonah was the main character of the book, he was the son of amittai jonah 1. The book starts with a typical minor prophet mission. Gods people will suffer divine displeasure if they fail to extend gods mercy to the nations. To encourage the israelites to embrace gods call to extend his mercy to the nations. The story of the prophet jonah is recorded in the book of jonah, which is part of the bible, and is read in the synagogue every year on the day of atonement. The book of jonah is a story about jonah set around this time, before the conquest of the northern kingdom of israel by the assyrians in 722bc, and before the. First, we should note that this marvelous narrative has suffered. Identified in verse 1 as the son of amittai, jonah came from a town called gathhepher, near nazareth in the area that later came to be known as galilee 2 kings 14. The prophet jonah a dove is already mentioned in 2 kings 14.

But jonah did not drown, because god sent a whale large fish to swallow jonah. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. The story is probably written between the 8th and 3th century bc. The book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. Bible survey jonah hebrew name yonah dove greek name ionas greek form of the hebrew author jonah according to tradition date 862 bc approximately theme gods mercy on nineveh types and shadows in jonah jesus is the one crying out. His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. I summarised the bible on twitter between aug 2010 and nov 20 one tweet per chapter, one chapter per day. Based around 780 bc, the book of jonah is written during the time of reign of jeroboam 11. In the midst of the obscure prophecies before and after this book, wherein. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. Rather than go jonah chose to flee in the opposite direction, because the assyrians were cruel and wicked. Jonah summary we have detailed a brief summary of the book of jonah for bible study or sunday school lessons.

Nineveh eventually conquered and took into captivity the northern kingdom of israel in 722721 bc. The purpose of this book is to show that god is a merciful and gracious god. Jonah disobeyed, boarded a ship and headed for tarshish. The name jonah means dove in hebrew, but jonah s character is anything but dovelike. When the call of god came to him, jonah could not see beyond his own selfish desire for god to punish the assyrians. The book of jonah calls us to examine the motivation of our hearts in serving god. The story shows us how merciful god is, by contrasting his mercy with jonahs hunger for revenge. In what ways do you see in this book the compassion of god that we also see in the compassion of christ.

Introduction to the book of jonah the bible journey. This thesis provides an overview of the literary characteristics of the book of jonah and discusses the literary categories that scholars have associated with it, namely historical, imaginative. Instead, he hitches a boat to the city in the other direction. Jonah jonah came from a town later known as galilee 2 kings 14. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author. The book is also written as a historical narrative. He allows no room for idols, and although nineveh had recognized him in jonah s day, they viewed him as just another god is 36. Jonah 1 background information with maps and images. Watch our overview video on the book of jonah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The majority of the book deals with jonah s commission from the lord to preach to the ninevites, and how he carried that commission out.

People of the roman catholic faith can this useful short summary of these bible scriptures for an. The audience of the book of jonah was the people of israel and all future readers of the bible and, typically, prophets issued warnings or gave instructions to the people of israel. The book of jonah is a subversive story about a rebellious prophet. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a bitter man. Pfeiffer, states, it is fictiona short story with a moral like the book of ruthor the stories about daniel jonah is a perfectly good short storywith a beginning, a middle, and an endthe author of jonah. The book of jonah stands as an important link in the prophetic chain, giving readers a glimpse of christs death and resurrection hundreds of years before they actually occurred. Although some consider this book to be an allegory, according to 2 kings 14. Jonah s work in the kingdom of israel is not stated in this book, since it deals only with jonah s work among the people of nineveh. God instructs jonah go to nineveh and speak out against its wickedness. Of course, a story like this is the kind of story that likely would have originated with the person its about. The book has been dated at many different points between the eighth and late third centuries b. The book is written in the 3rd person, and no author is identified any where in the bible. Jonah was sent by god to warn the people of nineveh that god was going to judge them. Visit our library of inductive bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the bible you can use in your small group.

Jonah was a messanger of god to the northern kingdom during the rule of jeroboam ii in the 7th century bc. Now he obeys and goes to nineveh, the capital of israels ancient enemy. Overview of the book of jonah third millennium ministries. Nineveh once had responded to the preaching of jonah and turned from their evil ways to serve the lord god. Apr 30, 2018 as with chapter 3, grace is a major theme in the book of jonah s final chapter. Jonah boarded a ship that was found for the city of tarshish when a great storm came in a time of the year that the storms. This book of jonah, though it be placed here in the midst of the prophetical books of scripture, is yet rather a history than a prophecy. In chapter 4, god deals with jonah and teaches him about. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. People of the roman catholic faith can this useful short summary of these bible scriptures for an online catholic bible study course or biblical studies. Jonah is forced into a confrontation with god because of his attitudes 1. However, determining the chronology of the book s composition is difficult.