Jonah

JONAH THE CALL OF COMPASSION g A Devotional Bible Study on the Book of Jonah by Sue LeBoutillier Copyright © 2020 Sue LeBouƟllier Published by: Calvary Chapel — Ontario, Oregon g The Call of Compassion g Jonah Dear Friends, Who doesn’t know the story of Jonah? Even those who haven’t read the Bible have some familiarity with the great whale, who gobbled up poor Jonah and spat him out on the shore. Many people would put this story in the same category as Paul Bunyan or Johnny Appleseed. But is it a tall tale? Why is it in our Old Testament lineup of propheƟc books? AŌer all, it might seem more like a bedƟme story than a legiƟmate book of the Bible. Well, we’re in for a treat, and we’ll actually learn a lot about God through this book of the Bible. The main point isn’t the fish, Jonah, or even the city of Nineveh, the main point is God’s mercy available to all people on earth. THAT is why it’s one of the 66 books of the Bible. We will let the words of another prophet give a proper summary of this book for us: Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other —Isaiah 45:22 I hope you will enjoy this study and grow in the mercy of God! Sue LeBoutillier sue@ccontario.com The following WOW Bible Studies wriƩen by Sue LeBouƟllier are available through the Calvary Chapel Ontario bookstore, and through our online store at www.ccontario.com. · Genesis—Divine design, from Eden to Egypt · Exodus—Divine Deliverance, From Egypt to Sinai · Numbers—The Wilderness Way, From Sinai to the Jordan · Joshua —The Path of Promise, From the Jordan into Canaan · Judges — A Time of Turning · Ruth— Rescue and Rest · 1 Samuel — The Coming King · 2 Samuel — The Reigning King · 1&2 Kings (Part One)— Solomon and the House of the Lord · 1&2 Kings (Part Two)— Learning from Leaders · Esther— When God Works in the Shadows · Jonah—The Call of Compassion · The Way of Jesus —The Sermon on the Mount (MaƩhew) · Simply Jesus—The “I AMs” of Christ (John) · Acts—Walking in the Spirit, The First Days of the Last Days · Ephesians— Finding Purpose in a Confused World · GalaƟans—Finding Grace in a Demanding World · Philippians—Finding Joy in a Disjointed World · Colossians—Finding Stability in a Changing World · Titus—While We Wait · James—Real Faith for Daily Life · 1 & 2 Peter—Hope, Holiness and Humility in a HosƟle World · 1,2,3 John—Light, Love and Logic Women of the Word Bible Studies

RĊċĊėĊēĈĊĘ Scripture quotaƟons from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 1— Nixon, Rosemary. The Message of Jonah: Presence in the Storm. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. Map on p.3 hƩps://visualunit.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/ jonah_map_lite2.pdf How to use this Bible Study Jonah is a five-week women’s Bible study which is broken into four days of study each week. Whether you’re meeƟng to study with a friend, a small group, or doing this on your own — the following would be an ideal path: #1 Your first step will be to watch/listen to Week One — IntroducƟon, either independently or with your group. #2 Begin Week Two in your Study Guide ¨ Read the assigned scriptures and answer the quesƟons for each day. This Study Guide is intended to be completed independently before you watch the teaching associated with each week’s lesson. (Also note the QuesƟons for Thought and Discussion at the end of each lesson — you won’t want to miss them). ¨ Then watch/listen to that week’s teaching using the links below. You can do this privately or with your group. ¨ Discuss the week’s lesson in your group and pray together about applying the passages to your lives. ¨ Repeat this process as you do all the weeks in your Study Guide. One last reminder — be sure to approach each of the above steps with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to give you understanding and speak to your heart. *The best translaƟon of the Bible to use is the one you understand the most easily—and using more than one translaƟon can be a great aid to study! This study guide was created using the ESV (English Standard Version), which may be a helpful tool as you work through your study. To watch the video teachings for this Bible Study go to: ccontario.com/womens-studies or YouTube.com/calvarychapelontario

4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had com- manded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 5 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiƟng the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generaƟon.” Map of Jonah’s Mission Exodus 34:4-7 ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes from Teaching on Jonah 4 —

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes from Teaching on Jonah 4 — This page is provided as a guide for taking notes during the introductory teaching on Jonah. The book of Jonah is really about ______________. The book of Jonah could be considered the Old Testament counter- part to the New Testament book of __________. Among the books of prophecy in the Bible there are: _____ major prophets and _____ minor prophets. Jonah was a prophet to Israel during the reign of ________________. The ancient city of Nineveh is basically the modern-day city of ___________ in Iraq. God is in the business of calling out to people _________ judgment. From Jonah 1:1-3: Jonah fled from the ____________ of the __________. Instead of obeying God’s command to ________, Jonah went to _________. List some of the aƩributes of God we learn from Exodus 34: Introduction — The Call of Compassion

_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Notes for Introduction on Jonah Questions for Thought & Discussion 1. We pointed out how Jonah’s emoƟons rode the rollercoaster, depending on his circumstances. Name two things a ChrisƟan might do to steady their emoƟonal responses through life’s changes. Give one Scripture. 2. Jonah became angry about people who were spared, and yet he was glad about a simple plant. It has been said that our character can be judged by the quesƟons: ‘What makes you happy?’ and ‘What makes you angry?’ How does that test play out in your life? 3. ChrisƟans can become imbalanced with regard to truth or mercy. Is there a tendency for you to be out of balance, either exclusively focused on the truth, or compromisingly merciful? What could you do to return to a point between these two extremes? 4. What country, or people group in past history, do you think many people may have considered undeserving of mercy? (i.e. Nazi Germany) What country, or people group today, might get the most votes for being undeserving? 5. How does Romans 1:16 give you courage to be part of any mission of mercy to which God may call you?

Since the focus of this book isn’t necessarily about what happened to Jonah, but rather how God miraculously used His creaƟon to extend His mercy — let’s recap, by lisƟng, on the lines below, any miraculous event or appointment of nature that God used to bring about His will: Jonah 1:4 ________________________________________________ Jonah 1:7 ________________________________________________ Jonah 1:13 _______________________________________________ Jonah 1:15 _______________________________________________ Jonah 1:17 _______________________________________________ Jonah 2:10 ______________________________________________ Jonah 3:10 ______________________________________________ Jonah 4:6 ________________________________________________ Jonah 4:7 ________________________________________________ Jonah 4:8 ________________________________________________ How many of those acƟons do you think Jonah recognized, in the moment, as a sign of God working? (place a R beside them) Consider current circumstances in the lives of you or your loved ones. Is it possible that uncomfortable events may be God’s purposeful interacƟon? How many of these events would you be able to place a R beside right now? Finish this study by allowing God to ask you quesƟons about circum- stances and perspecƟve on life, and close your journal by wriƟng a prayer of response to the Lord, based on what He has shown you. Day 4: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Notes for Introduction on Jonah

Welcome to our first week of independent study. I’ve called this a DevoƟonal Bible Study because we not only want to learn what the book of Jonah is all about in the context of the whole Bible, but we also want to learn what it means for us in the context of our life. I want to encourage you to grab a journal or notebook, so that you can write out the whole book by hand. That sounds intense, unƟl I remind you that we’ll only write a few verses each day and there are only 48 verses in total. SƟll, you have permission to feel accomplished when you are finished. (I’ll suggest markings for select words in your journal, so you may want to double-space your text.) There are four days of study prepared for each chapter. Each day, pause and pray before you read the Scripture. Ask God to teach you, through His Word and His Holy Spirit. Then, as you write the passage, listen to what the Lord might be saying to you through the Scripture. I find that wriƟng with my hand opens a special place in my mind for listening. Like we said, the book of Jonah is about God and His mission of mercy to the world. Along the way we’ll also learn a lot about our own responses to God’s call, as we journey with Jonah. Be blessed, friend! Jonah Chapter 1 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God and there is no other — Isaiah 45:22 a READ & WRITE Jonah 4:9-11. In your journal… · Draw a box around the word angry · Mark the word pity with a tear drop S SocraƟc QuesƟoning is a method of asking quesƟons to get students to reason for themselves and return with thoughƞul answers. God does a lot of this as we wrap up this book. · What quesƟon did God ask Jonah twice (v.4, v.9)? · The first Ɵme, Jonah was angry and wanted to die because… · The second Ɵme, Jonah was angry and wanted to die because… Perhaps God’s quesƟoning was already helping Jonah to see his weak character. SƟll, God didn’t leave anything to chance. He made it crystal clear, by poinƟng out Jonah’s pity for the plant that perished, and lack of pity for the people who did not perish. God gently showed him the reality of his heart...and, then, that was the end! God had the last word. I think there was a Ɵme when that really bothered me...not knowing the end of the story. Did Jonah return to Israel? What did he tell people? Were they just as angry that the Assyrians were spared? But now, an unresolved story brings me comfort. I like the idea of God having the final word. I like that we don’t know how Jonah turned out. I guess I just like more mystery in life than I used to, because there are many more unresolved corners in my own life. I would invite you to join me oŌen by echoing the words of Abraham: “Will not the judge of all the earth do right?” Day 3: a READ & WRITE Jonah 4:5-8. In your journal… · Draw a box around the words exceedingly, glad, might die · Put (parenthesis) around the words appointed We are fairly complex creatures — our emoƟons can be all over the map. In this chapter, we put a box around the words that showed us how Jonah responded emoƟonally to what was going on in his life. · Choose a phrase from v.2 that shows how God’s character is quite the opposite from Jonah’s: · Which direcƟon from Nineveh did Jonah sit? · So, which direcƟon was he facing in the hoƩest part of the day? · What do you think he was waiƟng to see? · In what way did God show mercy to Jonah, while he was watching over the city? We see in this narraƟve how God used His own creaƟon in His plan for Jonah. First He appointed the fish, then He appointed a plant. · Name two more things that God appointed to alter Jonah’s circumstances: · How did Jonah’s emoƟons rise and fall with his circumstances? · How do your emoƟons rise and fall with your circumstances? Day 2: a READ & WRITE Jonah 1:1-3. In your journal... · Mark all the words arise, rose with an upward arrow h · Mark all the words down with a downward arrow i · Underline presence of the Lord and up before me These first verses don’t tell us what God’s word-for-word message to Nineveh was. Let’s peek ahead to Jonah 3:4-5: · What was the message? · What was the response of the people of Nineveh? We’re geƫng ahead of ourselves. It’s clear that God’s intenƟon was to show mercy to pagan GenƟles, if they would respond. It’s also clear that God offered Jonah a role to play in His Call, if he would respond. · Write one sentence that summarizes Jonah’s response in v.1-3: · What do you think may have been some of the underlying reasons for Jonah’s acƟons? What about YOU? As God is extending His mercy in the world today, and as He invites you to parƟcipate, what people/situaƟons might tempt you to pretend you didn’t hear God’s call, or to actually turn the other way? Day 1: a READ & WRITE Jonah 1:4-8. In your journal... · Mark all the words arise with an upward arrow h · Mark all the words down with a downward arrow i From these verses, write a summary of: · The difficulty that came upon the journey and why? · The acƟons of the mariners during the storm and why? · Jonah’s acƟviƟes during the ship’s journey and why? · The command of the captain and why? · The sailor’s method of determining the cause of the storm and why? Everyone in this event had moƟves behind their acƟons — even God! READ Psalm 107:23-32. This Psalm is a study of God reaching out to people in all sorts of difficult situaƟons. · What did God allow to happen in this secƟon of the Psalm? · How did the people react to the difficulty? · How did God respond to them? · What was the outcome? Consider sharing with your group a Ɵme when a difficulty arose in your life — how you cried out to the Lord, how He responded, and how it may have changed the course of your life. Day 2: a READ & WRITE Jonah 4:1-4. In your journal… · Draw a box around the words displeased, exceedingly, angry Why would someone become so negaƟvely charged about God holding back His wrath? Let’s consider some possible reasons: · First, describe the reason that Jonah gave to God (v.2): · Then, consider other reasons you think of (including reputaƟon): · As Jonah is praying to the Lord, what passage of Scripture does he seem to be referencing? · Write out the three phrases in v.2 that give color and definiƟon to God’s mercy: · · · READ the account of God’s judgment on Sodom in Genesis 18:22-19:29. In 18:25, Abraham said to God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” Sodom’s fate was completely opposite of Nineveh: · Why do you think that was? · Abraham was certain God was just, but was He sƟll merciful? Day 1:

Jonah Chapter 4 I think some of us would be much happier if there were only three chapters in Jonah, rather than four. I mean, the story ends so nice and Ɵdy, right at the end of chapter three. It’s a win-win for everyone! Unfortunately, there is one final chapter and the camera focuses in Ɵght on Jonah again. This chapter is all about man’s response to God’s mercy — and that is oŌen a messy picture. Why is it that even modern ChrisƟans, who understand God’s grace, sƟll stumble over the truth that God lavishes His mercy over people? —Even on people whom we don’t think deserve mercy! In Exodus 33:19, God told Moses: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” The Apostle Paul, missionary to the GenƟles, also quoted that in his leƩer to the Romans (Romans 9:15) . WOW! That understanding sort of puts us in our place, and leaves us out of the decision-making process, doesn’t it? We know the Bible says, “God’s ways are not our ways” and, “Who can know the mind of the Lord?”, but we sure do want to try someƟmes! Here is the truth: God is intent on His work of salvaƟon, despite the stubbornness of His people! For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. — Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV) a READ & WRITE Jonah 1:9-13. In your journal... · Underline the phrase presence of the Lord. Can you imagine how frightened the sailors must have been? They lived in a supersƟƟous world that believed every bad thing was caused by the displeasure of some god. The burden to figure out which god was having a bad day, and what to do about it, rested on their shoulders! · What did Jonah tell the crew about himself in v.9? · Why was it sadly ironic that he said (v.9) that he feared the LORD, the God of heaven; yet the men knew (v.10) that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord? When God’s kids ignore God’s calling and fall asleep on the job, other people are oŌen affected. · List who was affected by Jonah’s disobedience in this chapter. · How have you been affected by another’s disobedience? · Here’s a harder quesƟon. How has your disobedience affected those around you? READ GalaƟans 6:1 and James 5:16. Explain how we should relate to people who are, or have been, fleeing the presence of the Lord: · Why do you think the sailors might have been reluctant to follow Jonah’s order (v.12)? Day 3: a READ & WRITE Jonah 1:14-17. Jonah was clearly out of fellowship with God at the moment. I wonder if he even realized that, as he freely told the crew about his God—Jehovah. · Explain what the crew did before throwing Jonah into the sea (v.14): · What two things happened aŌer the crew threw Jonah overboard? · V.15 · V.17 · It sure seems like the ship’s crew was drawn into God’s mission of mercy. Describe how God used the situaƟon in their lives: READ Psalm 139:7-12. · How does this Psalm specifically apply to Jonah’s life? · How does this Psalm specifically apply to your life? How does it bring you comfort through all the ups and downs of life? Day 4: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes from Teaching on Jonah 3 —

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes from Teaching on Jonah 3 — Questions for Thought & Discussion 1. It is the message of God, not the messenger, that is important; yet God never gives up on His messengers. Name things God used in chapter 1 to pursue Jonah and restore him to useful service. 2. It’s easy to roll our eyes at Jonah’s disobedience to partner with God’s mercy. READ MaƩhew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8, and explain how God’s Church today is oŌen just as sleepy as Jonah was. 3. Jonah DID NOT want to see the Assyrians receive mercy. When people hurt us, we would someƟmes rather not see them receive mercy either. This is called unforgiveness. How can we personally overcome this in order to walk in agreement with God’s Call of Compassion? (Give at least one Scripture verse.) 4. The presence of the Lord was a theme in this chapter. Name ways you can proacƟvely and intenƟonally turn toward the presence of the Lord, in order to prevent turning away from His presence. 5. The enƟre Call of Compassion was a message of warning, rather than a message of God’s love. We prefer messages of love, not judgment. Can you describe how a warning of God’s judgment could fit into your personal methods of evangelism?

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes for Teaching on Jonah 1 — Questions for Thought & Discussion 1. How does the story of Jonah shape your hope of a believer’s usefulness aŌer being restored from a season of disobedience or distance? 2. How does this chapter inspire you to seek God through your involvement in community prayer — whether it be a local Church Body or an enƟre naƟon? 3. How do you think fasƟng can be a useful prelude to repentance? 4. Why is it that even ChrisƟans may think an act of compassion is only helping people with physical needs, without a heart of pity for their spiritual condiƟon? 5. Why do you think we tend to exclude any conversaƟon about God’s judgment of the world when we are sharing the Lord? 6. If Jesus said that “He would draw all people to himself” (John 12:32), then what is our part? Are we needed at all? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But it is a much more fearful thing to fall out of them. ― D. H. Lawrence 1 a READ & WRITE Jonah 3:10. In your journal… · Mark the words turned and relented with a U-turn sign B You drew quite a few U-turn signs in your journal! As we marked God’s choice to relent, we should remember that God didn’t change His mind about what He said previously. God’s Word is not Yes and then No! The change in course was the result of the Ninevites backing away from the edge of destrucƟon — the line of judgment, if you will. READ 2 Chronicles 7:14. This was spoken specifically to the naƟon of Israel at the dedicaƟon of the temple. How might this predict God’s response to any people group, at any Ɵme, in any situaƟon? When the king heard Jonah’s message, something persuaded him to hope in God, regardless of his heathen world view. Remember, this was never about Jonah — it was always about God reaching people. · READ Romans 1:18-20, 2:14-15. Explain what God uses to reveal Himself to people: · READ John 12:32 and John 16:7-11, and explain how Jesus told His disciples that people would be reached today (in addiƟon to the above). Day 4: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes for Teaching on Jonah 1 —

Today’s chapter is different than the other three. It’s a song, a prayer, a poem. From the Ɵme that Jonah was swallowed by the great fish, unƟl God spoke to the fish at the end of this chapter, the narraƟon pauses, and the text turns to Jonah’s inner turmoil and response. When Scripture looks deep within a soul, we should take the opportunity for introspecƟon as well. And we will...but first...the fish! Chapter one ended with Jehovah appoinƟng a GREAT FISH to swallow up Jonah. Could this be a thing? Isn’t this the reason people want to file the whole book on the fable shelf? Well, let’s talk fish! 1) Remember, it’s not our responsibility to prove Scripture by our reasoning skills. AŌer all, is not salvaƟon itself a miracle of grace? 2) Sea creatures do exist that seem to have the capacity to swallow an animal as large as a man whole, and there are stories throughout history that seem to prove that experience. 3) The life and mission of Jonah read the same, whether he was sustained alive for three days, or actually resurrected aŌer three days in the fish’s belly. The point is, a person needs to make peace with the existence of miracles, in order to receive anything from the Biblical text! — Did the Red Sea part, allowing Israel to walk on dry ground? — Did God provide manna for His people for 40 years? — Did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead? — Did God create the Heavens and the earth by His word? This event with the fish is no greater or smaller than any of those. It was miraculous mercy, either way. So, we see that learning from the Bible is closely Ɵed to believing that God exists, that He is in control of all of His creaƟon, and that He is constantly using creaƟon to reach out to mankind. Jonah Chapter 2 a READ & WRITE Jonah 3:6-9. In your journal… · Mark the word arose with an upward arrow h · Put a “C” over the phrase call out · Mark the words turn and relent with a U-turn sign B · Once word had reached the king, how did he respond personally (v.6)? What four things did he require of all the people through his pro- clamaƟon (v.7-8)? · · · · · How might the withholding of food for the animals have created an ongoing reminder to the people to pray to God? · What did the king hope might be the result of his people’s unified acƟons (v.9)? · What characterisƟc of God was he counƟng on for that outcome? Day 3: a READ & WRITE Jonah 3:4-5. In your journal… · Put a “C” over each word call, called in v.1-5, The Ɵtle of our Bible Study is The Call of Compassion. What do you think of when I say, Compassion Ministry? Maybe feeding starving children in a developing country? Pop-up dental clinics in areas with poor nutriƟon? Handing out toiletry packs for the homeless? We probably equate compassion with help — meeƟng physical needs. · Look up the word compassion in a dicƟonary, and write a few of the definiƟons you find. · What was the Compassion Message that God asked Jonah to speak in Nineveh? (Write the exact words) · On the surface, that message seems more like judgment than compassion. Why do you think it’s legiƟmate that we call this a message of compassion? · What effect did Jonah’s call have on the people (v.5)? · What physical acƟons accompanied the Ninevites’ response (v.5)? · · Day 2: a READ & WRITE Jonah 2:1-6. This week, we’re going to take a long look into Jonah’s spiritual condiƟon while in the belly of the fish, and see what we can learn about emoƟonal and spiritual prisons that we create within ourselves. · Describe Jonah’s emoƟonal condiƟon in the opening of Jonah 2: · Who did Jonah consider responsible for his current situaƟon (v.3)? It sounded like Jonah was placing blame, but then, God actually did play a role in Jonah’s downward spiral. Jonah set the pace when he consistently went down — away from the presence of the Lord — but God helped to propel him further down than he wanted to go — for a purpose. In your journal, put [brackets] around phrases that describe God’s work of trouble or uncomfortableness in Jonah’s situaƟon. Also mark the down with a down arrow i and brought up with an up arrow h. · Does this exercise shake up your theology a bit? Are you okay believing God would contribute to our distress for His purpose? · Can you cite other Biblical examples, where God did something similar in someone’s life? What about your life? Have you ever iniƟated the downward spiral from God’s presence and then realized God allowed you to stay on that path, unƟl you recognized the empƟness and distress of going your own way? Explain. Day 1: a READ & WRITE Jonah 2:7-10. Circle the phrases in your journal, where Jonah comes to a realizaƟon of God’s work and even God’s love in his life — those places where he changes his mind and aƫtude. When a person gets this far down, it’s not easy to look up and it’s not easy to talk to God. The natural response is withdrawal. · Yet, based on v.2,4,7, describe what Jonah did in the midst of realizing his despair. · Describe Jonah’s determinaƟon by the end of this song (v.9): God had a purpose for Jonah to fulfill, and He faithfully walked with him each step of the way — never giving up on him. You know what I’m about to say don’t you — God has a purpose for you, too! Read Psalm 138:7-8 and write v.8 below: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Read these Psalms of calling out to God. Put them in numerical order, as they resonate best with you. (You may also want to mark them in your Bible.) _____ Psalm 30:2-3 _____ Psalm 40:1-6 _____ Psalm 69:1-3 _____ Psalm 94:17-19 _____ Psalm 107:10-15 _____ Psalm 123:1-4 Day 2: a READ & WRITE Jonah 3:1-3. In your journal... · Mark the word rose with an upward arrow h Compare the second Word of the LORD with God’s original command in Jonah 1:2. What is the same or different? Do you always act on God’s commands the first Ɵme? Or have you found that someƟmes you need to be brought to a place, where you are finally ready to listen to God and obey? Jot down an example of something God had to speak to you a second or third Ɵme: · Describe Jonah’s acƟons in v.3: · Describe the effect the previous days may have had on Jonah’s physical appearance. (hair, skin, etc.) This is clearly not the same Jonah who God called the first Ɵme — neither physically nor emoƟonally. READ Romans 8:28, and consider how Jonah 2.0 may have had an even greater impact on the people of Nineveh: The descripƟon of Nineveh was altered in this chapter as well. · Now, how is it described (v.3)? · Name a city you are familiar with, which might compare in size and importance: Day 1:

In chapter two, we hit the pause buƩon on the Call of Compassion toward Nineveh, while God took care of business with one of His kids. Isn’t that how our lives go someƟmes? God holds all the spin- ning plates of the world, yet He somehow efficiently deals directly with ME! He is doing this for all of us at the same Ɵme! It’s amazing! Now, as we hit the resume buƩon in chapter three, it sounds shockingly similar to where we started at the beginning of this book. It’s as if Jonah’s slate is wiped clean and he gets a complete do-over! Whenever I see that in Scripture, I claim it for myself. I tell the Lord, “If you did it for Jonah, you can do that for me.” And He has — God has graciously allowed me many second chances in my life. I wonder if God has done that for you, too. By nature, a second chance means that we have personally run headlong into God’s mercy. In many ways, I believe we become even beƩer equipped aŌer a run-in with God’s mercy. As we begin this chapter, let’s remember an important point about this book — it’s not about Jonah — it’s about God and His Call for Compassion to reach people with His mercy before the day of judgment. Jonah Chapter 3 “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” — Hosea 6:1-3 (ESV) Well, that was Jonah’s season of being cast down. Do ChrisƟans go through similar seasons? If the plethora of Psalms wriƩen specifically from a downcast heart is any indicaƟon, I’d say — Yes! ChrisƟans can also enter into spiritual and emoƟonal despair. Today, we’re going to use a couple of Psalms to inform our mind and heart about how to handle distress and the depression that follows. READ Psalm 43:5 — · What things in your life contribute to you becoming emoƟonally downcast? · Explain how the Psalmist speaks to himself. How does he instruct his soul? How is this similar to Jonah’s prayer? Read Psalm 66:16-20: · What does that the Psalmist want to explain to everyone who hears him? · His desire was that God would hear his call and answer him, but what does he say might have lead to that not happening? Has this Bible Study, by chance, caught you turning from the presence of the Lord in some way? Have you created a downward progression in your life, leading to depression and distress? Based on Jonah’s prayer and these Psalms, what will be your plan of acƟon? Day 3:

The song of Jonah has two bookends — the swallowing and the vomiƟng of a great fish. · According to Jonah 1:17 how much Ɵme passed between those two acƟons on the fish’s part? That amount of Ɵme is just too coincidental for us to pass up. Let’s close our study this week, by turning to two New Testament passages, where Jesus used the book of Jonah to make a point. READ MaƩhew 12:38-42 & Luke 11:29-32 — · First, how do you think these two passages affirm that the account of Jonah is a historical narraƟve, rather than an assumed fable? · Next, how did Jesus compare himself to Jonah? · List as many similariƟes you can think of between Jonah in the fish and Jesus in the grave: Day 4: Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. — Proverbs 28:13 ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes from Teaching on Jonah 2 —

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Notes from Teaching on Jonah 2 — QuesƟons for Thought & Discussion 1. It’s not uncommon to find ourselves in a desperate situaƟon created by our own stubborn will. Our temptaƟon may be to think, ‘I got myself into this...I’ll get myself out’. So, we don’t call out to God. READ Hebrews 4:14-15, and explain how this passage can help us reach out to God in our distress. 2. In what way might Hebrews 12:5-6 and RevelaƟon 3:19 relate to this chapter? 3. EmoƟonal stability is elusive enough when we are seeking God. If we deliberately turn from the presence of God, our soul is bound to become unbalanced. Name three things you believe would help a ChrisƟan maintain emoƟonal and spiritual stability. 4. Jonah wanted no part in mercy for the Assyrians, maybe because he had an underlying prejudice against them. Explain how his prejudice caused harm to himself, and how the same thing can happen in our lives. 5. READ MaƩhew 6:14-15. Share why is it important for our own emoƟonal and spiritual health to extend mercy and forgiveness to others?