Dive Deeper Into the Book of JonahSample

The book of Jonah begins with God’s disapproval and judgment of Nineveh—

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.'” Jonah 1:1-2 (ESV).

And it ends with God’s compassion and mercy for Nineveh—

“And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:11 (ESV).

The prophet Jonah takes center stage in the story, but it’s not hard to see that God is the central character of the book of Jonah. The destiny of the Ninevites is the main focus. 

The depravity of Nineveh was so great that it moved God to action. His compassion did not allow Him to see them perish in their ways. God took the initiative to send a prophet to warn them about the consequences of their sins. And when they repented, He responded with grace and took them under His wing.

God cares about each and every person, both Jew and Gentile. He loved us before we knew Him or loved Him. God does not want us to perish but desires to be in an intimate relationship with us.

Jonah’s story foreshadows the story of salvation. The wages of our sins are death and destruction. But God took the first step to intervene and change our destiny. Out of His abundant love for us, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for us, so that we might be reconciled to Him and have a relationship with Him. 

The Ninevites got Jonah. We get Jesus. 

Let’s bow down and worship Jesus. Let’s praise and thank God for saving us from death and gifting us eternal life.

Reflection

1. How did you come to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior? If you haven’t yet, what is stopping you from confessing your sins and giving your life to Jesus?

2. What attributes of God stood out to you in Jonah’s story?

Action

Share your salvation story with a friend and ask them to share theirs with you.