Jonah Chapter 3

1) Why do you think God told Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh? Didn’t Jonah already know he was supposed to go to Nineveh? This was God’s way of giving Jonah a do over/a clean slate. Let’s start over Jonah.

2) What was Jonah told to do? Go to Nineveh and proclaim the message I will give you.

3) What did Jonah do? Jonah went to Nineveh. Jonah had learned his lesson.

During Jonah’s journey to Nineveh, let’s say he stopped off at a tavern for a meal. He sits down by a fellow traveler. They strike up a conversation. The traveler asks Jonah where he is going. Jonah tells him Nineveh. He is going there to deliver the citizens of that city a message from God. Traveler – “Don’t you know how cruel the Ninevites are? What they will do to you if you speak against them? Aren’t you afraid?” Jonah’s response – “Afraid to go to Nineveh in the will of God? Let me tell you, I’d be more afraid not to go to Nineveh. It is far more dangerous to be out of the will of God. I’m not afraid of Nineveh.”

4. When did Jonah begin to proclaim to the Ninevites the message God gave him? Soon as he walked through the city gates.

5) What was the message God gave Jonah to proclaim to Nineveh? 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown. May have said more. But that was the heart of the message. It could be summarized in one sentence. Stick in people’s minds. Notice, countdown for Nineveh’s punishment began not from when Jonah first received the message in Jonah chapter 1 or the second time in Jonah chapter 3. The countdown began when Nineveh first received the message. An example of God’s justice. He was not going to destroy the city without a warning.

6) What did the people of Nineveh learn from Jonah’s message? 40 days and city will be overthrown.

7) How would you characterize Jonah’s sermon? Fire and brimstone. Not a kum-by-yah sermon. Not a sermon that you walk away from feeling good about yourself and the world.

8) What was the purpose of such a sermon? To convince the Ninevites to repent. How? To make real God’s anger for their iniquity. To make real God’s anger for their evil ways and violence. The Ninevites got an image of God’s wrath ready to be poured upon them. There is a verse in the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament that says “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.” Nowhere is there mention in God’s message to the Ninevites about grace, mercy, compassion, love. It was not an uplifting/encouraging message, only a fearful expectation of judgment. Why? What was God seeking to do by having Jonah proclaim such a message? God wanted to instill in thr people’s hearts a fear of God. God wanted to let the Ninevites know how much He abhors sin. How serious He is in dealing with sin in hopes that they would repent.

9) How did the Ninevites respond to God’s message? They did not turn to their gods for deliverance/salvation. They believed God. Not Jonah. The Ninevites put their belief in God. The word “believe” here in Hebrew means “have trust”, “have confidence”. It is the same word used by Abraham in Genesis after God told him he would be the father of many nations. Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. That’s amazing considering these people are Gentiles who did not have the same heritage of worshipping God as Jonah and the Israelites did.

The Ninevites’ belief were followed by works (fasting, wearing sackcloth – both are symbols of humility/repentance) which gave credibility to their repentance. James chapter 2 in the New Testament tells us that faith without works is dead. If the Ninevites only gave lip service to their repentance … showed no outward evidence of their repentance but continued to do evil and harbor evil in their hearts … what would that have shown God and you about how much they believed God’s words? Their belief/faith was non-existent.

10) Why were they so receptive to Jonah’s message? It was a message the Assyrians could relate to. What do you remember about their culture/reputation in the world? Violence – destruction – conquest – other peoples feared them. The Assyrians had no concept of mercy, compassion, grace. Such words were not in their vocabulary. In His message to the Assyrians, God spoke in a language they understood/were familiar with. He instilled fear in their hearts just as the Assyrians instilled fear in other peoples. If God been filled with words such as peace, love, compassion, mercy, the Assyrians might have been so receptive.

What else may have convinced the Ninevites to believe God? Jonah’s appearance. He was a living example of both God’s wrath and God’s mercy/compassion. Also, Jonah’s story was similar to an Assyrian myth about a battle between their great god Asshur and Tiamat, a goddess that resembled a sea beast. Like their god Asshur, Jonah survived his encounter with the sea beast, but he did so because His God commanded the sea beast/was more powerful than the sea beast. Recall the Assyrians are very religious/superstitious people. Therefore, it was not a coincidence that God used a big fish to swallow Jonah. He had a purpose – a tool to reach the Assyrians.

11) When word of God’s message reached the king what all did he do? He took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. All acts of repentance/contrition. What impression do you think that made on his subjects? It was huge. Recall the influential role the king played in Assyrian society. He was a political leader and a religious leader. What might have happened if the king had rejected God’s message? Called it nonsense? The people of Nineveh might have followed his example and God would have destroyed the city. The fact that the king believed God’s message encouraged/convinced the people to follow his example.

12) What did the proclamation he issued to the people say? Read verses 7-9 How serious were they about seeking repentance? Even animals were to fast and wear sackcloth.

Let all men call on God earnestly/urgently and turn from wickedness and violence. In other words cry out to God for mercy with all you strength. The people placed their faith in God – they repented of their evil ways – followed up repentance with action/works that gave credence to their belief.

13) What was the king’s hope? That God would have compassion and spare the city from destruction. Did he guarantee that God would not overthrow the city? No. Read verse 9.

14) When God saw the response of the Ninevites to his message how did He respond in
turn? God showed compassion/mercy to the cruelest people on the face of the earth. He did not destroy the city. Why? Grace. Remember what Jonah said in chapter 2:8. Like Jonah, the people of Nineveh in a moment of desperation renounced their gods. They did not pray to Asshur for salvation. They prayed to God. They did not cling to their idols, they clung to God and hoped for his mercy. Like Jonah, the city deserved to be destroyed but just as He did with Jonah, God showed mercy/compassion for Nineveh. He showed mercy/compassion for Gentiles just as He did for a Hebrew/Israelite, one of the Chosen People. All because of grace.

Was the Ninevites’ repentance genuine? In Matt. 12:38-41, Jesus gave testimony to the Ninevites’ repentance.

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

Jesus is telling the Jewish religious leaders that the people of Nineveh – GENTILES! –repented at the preaching of Jonah and yet Jesus, who is greater than Jonah because He is the Son of God, is preaching repentance to the Jews of his generation, God’s chosen people, and they reject His message. Consequently, on Judgment Day, who will be accepted by God and who will be condemned? Accepted – Ninevites (GENTILES!); Condemned – Jews of Jesus’ day. Moreover, the Ninevites will condemn the Jews for rejecting Jesus.

Jesus’ references to Jonah and to the Ninevites being present at Judgment Day give authenticity to the Book of Jonah. It is historical, not fiction.

15) What do you think Jonah’s thoughts are regarding the Ninevites’ response to the
message he delivered? Perhaps skepticism. They don’t mean what they’re saying/doing. It’s all an act. What are Jonah’s thoughts regarding God’s decision to show compassion to Nineveh and not destroy the city? The answer is in chapter 4.