Observations on the book of jonah chapter 4

In chapter 2, jonah prayed that god would save his life, but in chapter 4, jonah prayed that god would take his life. Click to download, print or view the inductive study approach formatted for adobe acrobat reader. Jonah 4 new international version niv jonah s anger at the lord s compassion. But it displeased jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate go. Modern scholars are divided as to whether jonah composed the prayer during his time in the fish or recorded it later the text does not make it clear, and its not important to make a distinction. Jonah studies questions for four sessions 3 session 4 jonah and the new testament 1. A vehement east wind that with the sun exhausts jonah 4. He quotes short fragments from various psalms, and adapts them to meet his own case. So jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. God never gives up on jonah not when he runs away and not when he sits under a vine. Date since jonah prophesied during the reign of jeroboam ii 782753. They were the great tyrants of the middle east, the persecutors of israel, an ungodly mob fully deserving of his gods wrath.

But in jonah 4, god will pursue jonah to uncover jonahs heart. Jonah 4 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available. In this sermon, jerry gifford deals with how the book of jonah ends abruptly. Do not put to our account innocent literary unity of jonah 4 a a great evil came upon jonah his anger 4.

Read jonah chapter 4 a printout of this chapter is attached. Chapter 4 the book of jonah lake erie bible church. This helps in finding out the theme of the paragraph. Because of his disobedience, god sent a storm so great that it caused even seasoned sailors to be afraid, but jonah was asleep, and unaware of the storm. The title of the book is the name of the main character, jonah. That is what i tried to forestall by fleeing to tarshish. A couple of the key themes we find in this book are gods sovereignty the fact that he is in control. Just because we go through the motions of following gods will does not mean our hearts are aligned with his. How the knowledge of this reprieve was conveyed to the prophet we am not informed. Similar profit oriented compassion can be observed in todays context. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. But to jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. The ecological reading on the book of jonah invites us to the pilgrimage. The following structure is based on a careful analysis of the content of jonah in the hebrew text.

Bible observation text worksheets beloved truth international. Chapter 4 the book of jonah lake erie bible church pt ken reed 4 41. Jonah 4 niv bible but to jonah this seemed very wrong. Jonah 1 inductive bible study with questions for small groups. In jonah chapter 4, jonah becomes angry concerning the particular turn of events in. Inductive bible study method bookmark a 2sided bookmark that provides the basic steps of observation, interpretation, and application crucial for using the inductive approach to hear god speaking through his word.

Jonah prayed for salvation in chapter 2, but against the ninevites salvation in chapter 4. It is also mentioned ny jesus as a picture of his death and resurrection matthew 12. Jonah 4 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Firstly, jonah had every good reason he thought to wish gods judgment on the ninevites. Jonah repines at gods mercy to nineveh, and is reproved. Returning to god a heartless prophet jonah 4 lifeway. The essentials here are jehovah and jonahgod and manthat is what the book is all about. Questions for discussion jonah the living word library. Pfeiffer, states, it is fictiona short story with a moral like the book of ruthor the stories about daniel jonah is a perfectly good short storywith a beginning, a middle, and an endthe author of jonah.

We are told that the lord prepared a great fish, a gourd, a worm, and a sultry east wind. The book seems to drop off a cliff without any further resolution. Jonah prophesied to nineveh but he wasnt happy about it jonah 4. In fact, only one verse summarizes his message to the people of nineveh 3. Bible observation text worksheets free bible text observation worksheets we use these for observing and marking the text in inductive bible study to print we have observation worksheets in the landscape format, too, for those who like extra room for notes. Jonah chapter 4 coffmans commentary of the new testament.

When we left jonah at the end of chapter three he had just witnessed what could well be the greatest revival recorded in the bible. Aug 23, 2018 4 jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, in 40 days nineveh will be demolished. Jonah, like our cat, was stubbornly attacking god in chapter 4. We sin against the spirit of the book jonah in trying to take it as real history. Conservative scholars place the writing of the book of jonah before 745 b. How would you compare the repentance of the ninevites here with jonah s repentance in chapter 2. But in jonah 4, god will pursue jonah to uncover jonah s heart.

One of the very reasons he had fled to tarshish was so that the lord would not be merciful to the ninevites, because he knew that the lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in. God uses the plant to teach jonah an object lesson 4. And here he displayed the deliberation and resource that we observed on. Jonah 4, new international version niv the bible app. This attribute of the deity is still farther illustrated by his tenderness and condescension to the prophet himself, who, with all his prophetic gifts, had much of human infirmity, jonah 4. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. If jonah justly grieved for one withering shrub, it was far more. Home bible studies the book of jonah questions for discussion jonah. Studies in the minor prophets jonah messenger to nineveh. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. The book of jonah is more about god and how great gods love is. Observation describes the act of taking notice, fixing the mind upon, beholding with attention and as used in science includes the idea of making and recording ones findings, a skill certainly applicable to fruitful inductive study of the scriptures.

It is a short book with full of great truths and lessons for us. The reference is to what is said in the last verse of the preceding chapter, viz. Jonah 1 matthew henrys commentary on the whole bible. He prayed to the lord, isnt this what i said, lord, when i was still at home. Literary unity of jonah 4 a a great evil came upon jonah his anger 4. And it was in the sense that he was speaking to god. God uses a plant, a worm, and a hot east wind to teach jonah 4. Verses 12 this book is a story about god and jonah. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. We have been studying these days in the book of jonah. Yahweh asks whether jonah has a right to that anger. The lord had given a specific great fish a new task swallow jonah.

The prophets life was filled with several twists and turns after hearing the call to go to nineveh. His complaint of gods mercy revealed his rebellious heart 4. Jonah 2 is packed almost completely with a prayer connected to jonah s experiences while waiting in the belly of the great fish that had swallowed him. Thankfully, our god does not try to fit into the boxes we put him in. In chapter 1, jonah simply sought to withdraw from gods service, but in chapter 4, jonah attacks god, persisting that it is his right to be angry with him. Have you ever found yourself wanting to turn and run away rather.

At the beginning of the story, he is running away from god, and at the end, he is arguing with god. When i read the third and fourth chapters of the book of jonah, i get that same feeling that i had when i observed our cat stalking hehaw. Summary far from being pleased at the fruitful outcome of his preaching, jonah was angry that the lord had spared the ninevites. A study of the book of jonah observation questions. The foundational source for the book was likely jonah s own telling of the story after his return from nineveh.

This book is different from the other prophetic books because it tells the story of the prophet and does not center on his prophecies. Simile a direct comparison of two things that are essentially different. The purposeful pursuit of the grace of god jonah 4. But he could not understand how god could love even foreign nations who did bad things. In one or two sentences, summarize the paragraphs in esther chapter 4. But this book of the bible is not named after a hero jonah is no hero. We read, with a great deal of pleasure, in the close of the foregoing chapter, concerning the repentance of nineveh. Whatever the reasons for jonah s anger, he was wrong in it.

Gods ministry to jonah chapter 4 the bible exposition commentary, cook communications, colorado springs, 2002, p. Sermon jonah 4 angry jonah and our compassionate god. This was strange, because usually the preacher is pleased when the congregation repents, but jonah wasnt. Chapter 4, the last in the book of jonah, should be filled with great thankfulness and rejoicing then. By all appearances, jonah s rage is such he is challenging god to respond with the. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate god, slow to anger and abounding in love, a god who relents. The book of jonah was written roughly 3000 years ago by the prophet jonah.

Jonah 4 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on. Jonah 4 begin with prayer asking god to lead and guide you as you study his word. Summarygod told jonah to go to ninevah and warn them of gods wrath, due to their wickedness. This whole chapter of eleven verses deals almost exclusively with jonah s disappointment, anger, and resentment because of the conversion of the ninevites, and with the gentle persuasion of the lord, who provided motivation for jonah, pointing him toward a more acceptable attitude. He chose to flee away from god rather than obey him. There are allusions, in his prayer, to the great messianic psalms 22, 69 and 16. The book begins with god telling jonah to go to the great city of nineveh. And even more thankfully, our god does not give up on us when we try to do that. Their wickedness, as that of nineveh, is a bold and open affront to god. This book of jonah, though it be placed here in the midst of the prophetical books of scripture, is yet rather a history than a prophecy. When we left jonah at the end of chapter one it is fair to say he was in a slightly sticky situation. What parallels can you discern between the actions and attitudes of the characters in the book of jonah including god, and the actions and attitudes of the characters in jesus parable of the.

The major question of jonah 4 is connected to the book s abrupt ending. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a. Assyrias willingness to repent may have been helped by. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackclothfrom the greatest of them to the least. From a structural point of view, jonah displays five parts rather than four. In rebellion and fear, jonah instead sought to run away from god and boarded a boat heading for tarshish. Most striking of all is the application of psalm 16. Chapter 4 of jonah is a short passage that represents the climax of the narrative and closes the book, but curiously does not present an end. Regarding the speculation mentioned in the previous chapter concerning the funeral for jonah in israel, see under jonah, the great old testament type, at the end of this chapter. Please read our guideline on how to lead a bible study before starting.

The whole of jonah 4 is an account of jonah s displeasure. Why do you think jesus makes a connection to this incident in matthew 12. The incidentals in the book of jonah are the fish, the gourd, the east wind, the boat, and even the city of nineveh. All of nature obeys god in this book but a prophet of god does not. The book is anonymous, and there are no indicators elsewhere in scripture to identify the author.

The story of jonah is among the most exciting stories in the bible. Many childrens books that tell the story of jonah exclude chapter 4. Since the gentiles first responded to the gospel as recorded in the book of acts we saw. The foundational source for the book was likely jonahs own telling of the story after his return from nineveh. An exposition, with practical observations, of the book of jonah. As you read this chapter you cant help but notice the interplay between god and this heartless prophet. Who are the main characters or groups of people found in jonah chapter 4. Provided to youtube by distrokid book of jonah, chapter 4 helmet lampshade how i left the monastery. Jonah was an unwilling prophet given an assignment which he found displeasing.