Welcome to the Jonah guidebook! (You can download the guidebook as a word document at the end of this page).
This is intended to be used for small groups and 1 to 1 discipleship, specifically in a youth age context.
It is made with heavy reliance on the resources from Trinity Chippenham. You can find hours of sermons and mini-videos walking through the Book of Jonah here.
Big questions for the Book of Jonah:
What is God really like?
How do others (Jonah, Mariners, Ninevites) view God, and how do their views change?
Guidelines for leaders and mentors:
While you want an accurate understanding of the Text, let God get your youth there. Allow them to make slips and trips. Try to only use leading questions with one or two right answers when necessary to get things going, or get things back on track. Don’t hold their hand forever, or they won’t ever be able to walk on their own. Wherever possible, and especially at the start of talking about a new block of text, ask them what they observe in general.
Read the whole Book at least once and note the following:
Note repeated words or phrases.
When it says something about going “down” or “arise”/getting up.
References to fear or being afraid.
When it references “the presence of the LORD.”
Identify characters: God, Jonah, etc.
Note especially when it says “LORD” (how we translate YAHWEH, the proper Name for God)
Identify actions and reactions.
Jonah 1:1-3
Identify what God tells Jonah to do. Get up. Go to Ninevah. Cry out against it.
What is God’s perspective of Ninevah? Evil city, in need of repentance.
What actions does Jonah take in response to God’s call? He arose, and fled. Under those two action headings, he found a ship, paid the fee, went down into it.
Why did Jonah take these actions? To flee from the presence of the Lord.
How many times is “the presence of the Lord” repeated?
How does “fleeing from the presence of the Lord” connect with Jonah not wanting to follow God’s call?
Jonah 1:4-6
What is God’s reaction to Jonah’s action? God sends a storm to turn Jonah around.
What is the reaction of the mariners to God’s action? They fear that their ship will break up. They faced storms before, but nothing like this! They thought that a god was angry at them, or that they needed to satisfy their gods so that they would get help. The captain recruits Jonah to cry out to his god as well.
Are there similarities between what God said to Jonah in verses 1-3 with what is said to Jonah here? Jonah is told again to rise and call out.
What is Jonah’s reaction to God’s action (storm)? He is asleep. We don’t want to speculate, but write down this question to come back to later: Why is Jonah asleep while the storm is so strong that the ship is about to fall apart?
Is there anything Jonah does not do that we might expect? After the captain said arise and call out to God, Jonah doesn’t pray to God. He stays silent.
Jonah 1:7-10
What are the four questions the mariners ask Jonah? Job, journey, country, ethnicity.
Why do you think they would ask him those questions in this desperate situation? They are trying to determine which gods Jonah has.
What does Jonah say (specifically about God) in response? He says that he is Hebrew (Jewish), which sets him apart from the mariners. He fears the LORD (YAHWEH, proper name for God). Jonah says that God is in heaven, above it all, and that He created everything – not just a little part of creation.
How is this different from how the mariners thought about gods? They believed in multiple gods of specific regions, all fighting and disagreeing and getting angry and moody and needing to be given stuff so that they’d be happy with them.
What is Jonah’s heart like towards God? He “fears” God.
Are there other references to fear or being afraid? Yes. Jonah: v. 9. Mariners: v. 5, 10, 16.
Is Jonah’s fear a good thing or a bad thing? Jonah’s fear is driving him away from God = Bad.
Is the fear of the mariners a good thing or a bad thing? It is a good thing because it is driving them to God.
Jonah 1:11-15
Who takes the initiative (speaks first and wants to act first)? The mariners.
What do you make of Jonah in verse 12? Jonah wants them to commit murder!
Does Jonah accept the blame for their situation? Yes and no.
Yes, because he said the storm was because he was fleeing the presence of the Lord (v.10), and that the storm was because of him (v.13).
No, because he takes the tone of authority above them (“I know,” still separating himself from them even though they are in the same boat) and puts the ball entirely in their court (“this great tempest has come upon you”).
What do you make of the mariner’s response to Jonah in verse 13? They are acting more like the people of God (Hebrews) than Jonah is!
What do you make of the mariner’s prayer in verse 14? It would have been a perfect prayer for Jonah to have prayed! They use God’s proper Name, acknowledging Him as Jonah has identified Him.
What is God’s reaction to what the mariner’s did? He immediately calms the storm, showing them that he cares about them.
What did the mariners feel and do in response? They feared the LORD greatly, offered a sacrifice to Him, and made vows. Their fear drove them close to God, using His Name.
What do you make of the fact that they offered God a sacrifice? They offered it AFTER the storm had passed; could this mean that their view of God had changed? It seems like they were thankful in their fear!
Is it significant that they offered vows to God? They are making commitments to keep offering sacrifices (in one form or another) to God – out of thankfulness!
Jonah 1:16
What action does God take toward Jonah? Has a fish swallow him whole and keeps him alive for three days.
What does this show about God’s heart? He is kind to Jonah, even though Jonah never turned in prayer to Him, or repented and turned the ship around. It’s better than dying by drowning! And it gives Jonah and Ninevah the possibility of hope.
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