The Runaway – Jonah

When Nahor boards a ship, he tells the captain how the powerful God of Israel used a reluctant prophet named Jonah to deliver a message to the city of Nineveh.

Little does Nahor know the captain is already familiar with the story of Jonah.

Jonah lived during the time of Israel’s King Jeroboam II. (2 Kings 14:25) During this time, the nation of Israel was wealthy and expanding. Nineveh was a large city in Assyria. Later, Assyria conquers Israel, destroying the nation.

The Bible says that Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish but then delivered to dry land. Many cultures believed in large sea monsters that represented their gods. The sailors knew that only the one true God could calm the waters and send the fish that swallowed Jonah.

In Exodus 34:5 God declares that he is a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” The book of Jonah reminds us that God wants everyone to repent and believe in him.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why did God tell Jonah to go to Nineveh? Where did Jonah go instead?
2. What did God do because Jonah would not go to Nineveh?
3. What did Jonah do in Nineveh?
4. If you were Jonah, would you have feared going to Nineveh? Would you have run away from God?