In Jonah 4 Jonah retreats to a location east of
Nineveh where he awaits God’s judgment of the city. To Jonah’s disappointment
God hears and answers the prayers of the king and people of Nineveh to “relent
and turn from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (Jonah 3:9). Despite
Jonah’s hardness of heart God continues to pursue him by sending a plant, worm
and revealing to Jonah His heart.
Andy Stanley observes of Jonah, “Jonah’s sin was
that his religion was really all about him. While he eventually surrendered to
the will of God, he never surrendered to the purposes of God…” (The Grace of God, page 117). What do
Jonah 4:2 and 4:11 reveal about God’s purposes?
What does Jonah 4:5-10 reveal about Jonah’s
“religion”?
What does Jonah 4:8 reveal about God’s preference
of a believer’s godliness over his comfort?
What insights do the following Scriptures provide
for understanding our identity, works, and relationship with God?
Identity--
2 Corinthians 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; Colossians 3:1; 1 John 4:11; and Zephaniah 3:17--
Works-- Ephesians 2:10; Philippians
2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20;
and Revelation 22:12--
Relationship with God-- Philippians
3:10; John 17:3; and Jeremiah 9:23
Why do you think the book of Jonah end unresolved?
What is the Holy Spirit leading you to do as a result of this study?
To dig deeper into the Christian’s identity in
Christ download the bible study by Gospel Transformation, Gospel Identity here.
