Something’s fishy … and it’s not the book of Jonah.
When most people think of Jonah, they picture a fish. Yet the fish appears in only three verses of this profound prophetic book. So if Jonah isn’t really about a fish, what’s it about?
What many dismiss as a children’s story is actually a masterfully crafted account meant to pierce our hearts, expose our prejudices, and radically transform our lives.
In this verse-by-verse study, we’ll discover that Jonah is a book about the Living God who relentlessly pursues the lost, even when His own people would prefer He didn’t. And woven throughout this humorous yet convicting narrative, we’ll see stunning shadows of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
Whether you’ve read Jonah a hundred times or are encountering it for the first time, prepare to see this ancient book in a completely new light. It’s time to move beyond the Sunday school version and discover the beauty, humor, and life-changing truth within this often misunderstood little Old Testament book.
01: Something’s Fishy (Jonah 1:1)
Whether you’ve read Jonah a hundred times or are encountering it for the first time, prepare to see this ancient book in a completely new light. In this overview of the Book of Jonah, Nathan discusses the brilliant writing of the book, how it uses satire to make a point, and the importance of names, themes, and the outline. Get ready to get swallowed up in this new stirring series studying the Book of Jonah.
02: Running in Rebellion (Jonah 1:1–3)
God is passionately pursuing the world with the transforming truth of the Gospel. In this study of Jonah 1:1–3, we look at God’s commission to Jonah, his rebellion and attempt to flee, and two key reasons behind why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh.
03: Expect the Unexpected (Jonah 1:4–17)
Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying that God does not let His children sin successfully. As Jonah flees from the command and commission of God, we see the pursuit of God’s mercy upon Jonah through difficulty, trial, and hardship. As the storm rages and the sailors are about to die, the unexpected occurs, everything turns upside down, and God’s mercy is seen even on a grander scale. In this study from Jonah 1:4–17, we examine Jonah’s flee to Tarshish, the great storm he experienced, and the wondrous mercy God had upon both Jonah and on the pagan sailors.
04: From the Belly of the Beast (Jonah 2:1–10)
Let’s talk about the fish. While this tends to be everyone’s focus in the book of Jonah, the richness of the message is not about the fish but what happens from within the belly of that beast. In this study, we examine Jonah 2:1–10 and specifically talk about what Nathan calls the “positive parenthetical poetry of praise” (i.e., Jonah’s prayer). And while he does (finally) talk about the fish, Nathan’s emphasis is more on Jonah’s prayer and a key practical lesson for our lives we discover from it.
05: The Greatest Recorded Revival in Scripture (Jonah 3:1–10)
The greatest revival recorded in Scripture is found in Jonah 3—the entire city of Nineveh repents and turns to God. In this study, we examine Jonah’s second commission, the response of Nineveh, God’s mercy to Nineveh’s repentance, and conclude with five practical thoughts for what it means for us today. This is the heart and climax of what God wanted Jonah to do, and the outcome was far more than anyone could have expected.
06: The Majesty of God’s Mercy (Jonah 4:2)
The entire book of Jonah hinges upon a single concept: God’s mercy. The Hebrew word hesed (chesed) is at the focal point of Jonah, and if we miss the depth and importance of this concept, we will miss why Jonah is so rebellious to preach to Nineveh. In this study, Nathan walks through Scripture discussing the mercy and lovingkindness of God, why this attribute is at the heart of God, and what it means for our lives today.
07: The Reason Behind Jonah’s Actions (Jonah 4:1–4)
Everything in the book of Jonah has been swimming toward this end: the reason why Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish, why he resisted going to Nineveh, and now why he is angry at God. And the reason may surprise you … Jonah is frustrated that God is too good, too merciful, too loving. In this study, we examine Jonah 4:1–4 and Jonah’s anger, the reason behind it, and what it all means for our lives today.
08: Swallowing God’s Mercy (Jonah 4:5–11)
As the book of Jonah comes to a close, the climax of Jonah’s rebellion against God is confronted by a question and an interactive object lesson. God uses Jonah’s glee and anger over a plant to show why it’s important for Him to have mercy on the city of Nineveh. In this final study of the series, we examine the profundity of the poisonous plant and scarlet worm, why the book ends with the word “many cows,” and are personally confronted in our own lives with the central questions of the book.
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