Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: A prophet named Jonah runs from God's call to preach judgement to a city and is swallowed by a fish, but he repents and is saved; he preaches to the city, the people repent and God relents, but he becomes upset and has to be taught a lesson by God in compassion.
God calls Jonah to go to the city of Ninevah (in Syria) and "cry out against it," because their wickedness has come up before Him. However, Jonah flees from God's presence and goes down to Tarshish and boards a boat. The Lord sends a great wind that causes a tempest. The men aboard are all panicking, but Jonah is sleeping on the bottom deck. They wake him and ask him to call on his God. Then, they cast lots to see who is responsible for the storm, and it falls on Jonah. They ask him where he is from, and he tells them he is a Hebrew who worships the true God. They ask why he has done this to them, because they know he is running from God. He tells them to throw him overboard and that the storm will cease. They pray to God that He would not hold them accountable, then toss him overboard. As soon as they do, the tempest ceases, and the men fear God and make sacrifices and vows to him. Meanwhile, the Lord had prepared a large fish to swallow Jonah up. He is in the belly of the fish for three day and three nights, and then he cries out to the Lord with a beautiful poem. He says, "All your breakers and billowing waves have passed over me." "You have bought my life up out of the pit." "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord." "I will pay my vows to the Lord." Then, the Lord speaks to the fish, and it vomits Jonah up onto dry ground. The word of the Lord comes to Jonah a second time, and he heads to Ninevah. He cries out that the city will be destroyed in 40 days, and the people believe God and put on sackcloth and ashes and proclaim a fast. Word gets to the king, and he covers himself in sackcloth and ashes. Then, he proclaims a fast- no food or water- for all the people and animals, and says they must all wear sackcloth as well, saying that God may still change His mind. When God sees their works, how they turn from evil, He has compassion on them and decides not to destroy the city. Jonah is very displeased and tells God that this is the reason he did not go in the first place, because He knew God was a merciful God, full of lovingkindness, who changes His mind when sinners turn to Him. He asks God to take his life and says it would be better for him to die. God asks him if he has a good reason to be angry. Nevertheless, Jonah goes outside the city, builds a shelter for himself, and waits to see what will become of Ninevah. God causes a plant to grow up and provide shade for Jonah, and he is very thankful. But in the morning, God causes a worm to eat the plant, and it shrivels. He also causes a scorching wind to come so that the son beats down on Jonah's head. He expresses his wish to die again, and God asks him if he has a good reason to be angry, and he says he does, even enough to die. God answers that Jonah is upset about a plant that he did not even make, that grew up for a day and then died, and he asks him how much more should He be concerned about the 120,000 people in Ninevah- along with the animals.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
You can be a man or woman of God and still not have His heart. We all need to stay open and repent often.
Our choices affect not only us but those around us.
Jonah waited three days before crying out to God apparently. Have you ever been similarly stubborn?
Don't ever prejudge who will answer God's call. Our job is to invite people to the banquet of mercy and forgiveness.