Jonah 3
Can you describe a situation where God prompted you to share the gospel with a close friend or relative? What happened when you responded or didn’t respond?
Background
Jonah 1-2: God called Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah ran away on a boat, encountered a storm, was thrown into the sea and got swallowed by a fish. He spends three days in the fish, repented, and was tossed back on to dry land.
Read Jonah 3
What was God’s message given to Jonah? Jonah 1:1-2
Nineveh Wickedness
Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrians, Israel’s traditional enemy and eventual conqueror. With a population of 120,000 people, some classical accounts say it was the largest city in the world in its day.
The text says that its pagan sinfulness was legendary, as was its cruelty: “It was the people which scorched its enemies alive to decorate its walls and pyramids with their skin.” Jonah did not want to see these evil oppressors and cruel tyrants repent, so he fled.
God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. Why do you think God bothered to send Jonah to announce the impending destruction?
God is a God of love who has no pleasure in the death of anyone, no matter how evil they may be (Ezek 18:32)
How would you describe Jonah’s response to God’s second calling?
Jonah was ready to obey God the second time. Were his motivations changed in any way since the first calling? How would rate his willingness?
God expects the obedient response of those that are saved.
Jonah’s announcement was only 5 words in Hebrew.
Given the brevity of the Jonah message, why was his message to effective?
Perhaps God sometimes only requires us to do the minimum and He will do the rest. The tremendous response from the Ninevites is perhaps the miracle (Matt 12:39)
Do we resemble Jonah in anyway? Are we quick to judge who should be saved?
No one is beyond God’s grace and salvation.
How did the Ninevites respond to God’s judgement? Does the level of response seem reasonable?
God can accomplish his will despite our reluctance to participate.
God can and will use us even in our flawed weakness.
Nineveh was eventually destroyed in 612BC by the Babylonians.
The Ninevites response was cited by Jesus as a good example (Matt 12:41)
What happened when the Ninevites repented?
God changed His mind and did not destroy them. This does not equate to salvation in biblical terms. Unlike the sailors that worshiped God after surviving the storm (Jonah 1:16), there was no mention that the Ninevites worshiped God after surviving the impending destruction.
Do we believe that God can change His mind?
Examples when God changed His mind: Moses (Exodus 32:12-14), Hezekiah (2 Kings 20)
Examples when God didn’t change His mind: David (2 Samuel 12:15-18), Jesus (Matthew 26:39)
Knowing that God’s mind can be changed, how does this fact impact your life? Can we actively change our destiny?
Imagine that you were a Ninevite, how would you respond when the City survived after the announcement of the judgement?
Concluding Thoughts
How ready are we to let go of our opinions to reach out to those are “undeserving” of salvation?
If God is willing to forgive the most wicked, can we also forgive those around us?
Matthew 20: 1-16 - Parable of the Workers
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