Jonah Overview
Is the Book of Jonah in the Old or New Testament?
Old Testament
When the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the FIRST time, where did the Lord tell Jonah to go?
The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh
What did the Lord tell Jonah to do a second time?
To go to Nineveh
What was sackcloth?
Sackcloth was rough and uncomfortable clothing that people wore when they were sad or ashamed.
Who were the people of Nineveh?
Assyrians
The Old Testament has 39 Books. Jonah is what number?
Jonah is the 32nd book of the Old Testament. It is between the Book of Obadiah and Micah.
What land did Jonah try to run away to?
Tarshish
Did Jonah obey the Lord the second time? Yes or No. Why did he obey? / Why did he not obey?
Yes he obeyed. Because he repented and recommitted himself to fulfilling God's original call. He praised God for saving him from drowning in the sea.
Who repented?
All of Nineveh. "From the greatest of them even to the least of them." That included the King and beasts
Who were the people of Nineveh enemies to?
Israelites
Where was Jonah from?
Jonah was from Israel
Why did Jonah try to go to Tarshish instead of Nineveh?
Jonah did not like the people of Nineveh; he considered them to be his enemies and wanted Nineveh to be destroyed. He felt they deserved God's judgment instead of his mercy.
What did Jonah go to Nineveh to do?
Call them to repentance
What happened when the people of Nineveh repented?
The Lord forgave them
What were the Assyrians known for?
Being ruthless in wars, especially when they conquered
The people from Israel are called?
Hebrews, Israelites and now Jews
When the Lord sent a violent windy storm in the sea, what did the sailors have to do to calm the sea?
The sailors had to cast Jonah into the sea
How many days did Jonah say they had until they were overthrown?
40 days
Would Jonah be considered a messenger like Jesus? Why/why not?
Yes. Jonah like Jesus warned people of God's judgment for sin.
The Assyrians (Ninevities) were polytheistic. What does polytheistic mean?
Polytheistic is the belief in many gods. The Assyrians chiefly worshipped a god called Dragon and goddess Nanshe. Dagon and Nanshe were fish-god and goddess.
Describe Jonah?
Jonah was a Hebrew prophet from Israel who was proud, stubborn, disobedient, unfaithful, a grumbler, and bad-tempered.
Yet he was used by God.
What happened go Jonah when he was thrown overboard?
He was swallowed up by a great fish
What did the King of Nineveh decree when Jonah's words reached him? (4 things)
(1) Everyone was to fast, (2) put on sackcloth, (3) cry mightily to God, and (4) repent.
Jonah 3:10 - "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. What does the word "repent" mean in this verse?
It means changing one's mind or turning away from something. "God repented..." means that God decided not to punish the people of Nineveh because they asked for forgiveness and stopped doing bad things.
What country is Nineveh in modern day times?
Northern Iraq