Chapter One
Jonah
The Unprophet
PUNDITS
He was given a ministry he did not want to a people he did not like.
Following God, 55
A Christian saying no to God is far more repulsive to the world than a
pagan who lives an ungodly life.
Following God, 57
God's answer to Jonah, stressing the supremacy of compassion, upsets the
possibility of looking for a rational coherence of God's ways in the world.
History would be more intelligible if God's Word were the last word, final
and unambiguous like a dogma or an unconditional decree. It would be easier
if God's anger became effective automatically: once wickedness had reached
its full measure, punishment would destroy it. Yet, beyond justice and anger
lies the mystery of compassion.
The Prophets, 67
It becomes difficult to accept as members of the club people who have
done nothing to qualify for membership.
Prophets and Poets, 242
Instead of being held up as an ideal to admire, we find Jonah as a companion
in our ineptness. Here is someone on our level. Even when Jonah does it
right (like preaching, finally, in Nineveh) he does it wrong (by getting angry
at God). But the whole time, God is working within and around Jonah's very
ineptness and accomplishing his purposes in him. The Message, 500
PURPOSE OF PROPHETIC PRONOUNCEMENTS
TO DEMONSTRATE GOD'S LOVE FOR AND DESIRE TO FORGIVE ALL NATIONS.
It's impossible to run away from God.
Disobedience puts others in danger.
Going your own way instead of God's way always takes longer and uses
more energy.
God's grace and mercy are available to everyone . even nasty Ninevites.
PROFILE
Jonah means "dove"
Maybe wrote his
own book . then again, maybe not
Ministered between
800 and 750 B.C.
Contemporary of
Amos
Only prophet whose
main job was being
God's mouthpiece to a
foreign nation rather
than to Israel/Judah
In terms of repentance
results, most
successful prophet
PREVIEW
A PEEK AT THE PITH OF JONAH
Since everyone knows the story, here's the barest of possible previews-
God tells Jonah to go up to Nineveh and preach repentance.
Jonah says no.
Jonah goes down to Joppa, down to the ship that's heading down to Tarshish, down to the hold, down for a nap, down to the sea, and down to the fish.
God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach repentance.
Jonah says, fine, whatever, just lemme outta this fish!
Nineveh repents.
Jonah pouts.
PRECEPTS & PRINCIPLES
PRICELESS POETRY AND PROSE FROM JONAH
He said: "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the
depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry." (Jonah 2:2)
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had
compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
(3:10)
Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But
I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will
make good. Salvation comes from the Lord. (2:8,9)
PLAY
A TO Z VERSUS Z TO A
Ask for six volunteers (more or less, as time allows). Explain that the goal for
each is to intelligibly recite the alphabet from A to Z in the shortest amount
of time. One of the contestants should be a leader who's been prepped
ahead of time to perform the required task backward. With a stopwatch, time all the contestants, one at a time, as they recite the alphabet. When
it's the leader's turn, restate the goal, "Recite the alphabet from A to Z."
You can preplan a short exchange that goes something like this:
You: When I say GO, recite the alphabet from A to Z.
Leader: I don't want to.
You: But that's the way the game is played. You volunteered, remember?
Leader: Yeah, but now I don't want to.
You: Too bad. I need you to do this. So go already.
Time the leader as she recites the alphabet-backward!
PAUSE
Segue from the alphabet stunt to the Bible-study part of the lesson by saying
something like this:
It's always easier and faster to do things the right way. Reciting the alphabet
from A to Z is fast and easy because it's the way we all learned it, and
because it's the way it's supposed to be done.
We often think of prophets as men who did whatever God asked them, no
matter how hard, strange, or difficult. Jonah was different. When God gave
him a task, Jonah was determined to do the complete opposite of what God
told him to do. In some ways, Jonah was an "unprophet," a man who disobeyed
God, got angry with God, ran away from God-but still was used by
God. Going our own way instead of God's way wastes time. Not to mention
the trials, heartaches, and suffering to oneself and others it causes.
PONDER POINT - option 1
THIS SIDE DOWN
"Whatever the original identification of Tarshish may have been, in literature
and popular imagination it became a distant paradise." -C.H. Gordon
(from The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, as quoted in Literary Guide
to the Bible, 235)
Have a student read Jonah 1:1-16. After the reading, ask students to identify
the opposites they see in the story. They are-
Tarshish/Nineveh
Land/Sea
Sleep/Awake
Unconcerned/Terrified
Prayerless/Prayer to false gods
Here are some interesting paradoxes to point out to your students-
Jonah, a landlubber, slept peacefully through the terrible storm. The
sailors, seafaring pros, were terrified beyond words.
Jonah, a prophet of the one true God, didn't pray during the storm. The
sailors, followers of false gods, cried out in prayer.
Jonah, a prophet who was called to lead others to God, was led to God
by a pagan sailor (1:6).
The sailors did everything in their power to save Jonah, a guy who put
them as risk (1:13). Jonah did everything in his power to avoid saving
the Ninevites, who never hurt him personally.
The one place Jonah expected to be safe from what God was calling
him to-a boat heading to Tarshish-was dangerous. The one place
Jonah thought would be dangerous-the belly of a fish-was safe (and, in the end, saving).
Divide students into groups of five or six. Give each group a copy of This
Side Down (page 16). When groups have finished, discuss the following-
1. Talk about a specific time when you tried to run away from or avoid
God. Why did you do it? What happened as a result?
2. Of the instructions you talked about on the handout, are there any that
you find especially challenging? Any that you really try to avoid? Why?
3. What/where/who is your Tarshish (anything or anyone that you use as
an escape from living out God's instructions)? In what ways does your
Tarshish keep your mind off God?
4. When you avoid God's instructions or do exactly the opposite, what
effect does it have on you? On God? On those around you?
PONDER POINT - option 2
WHO ARE YOUR NINEVITES?
Have a few students read the following verses-
Jonah 1:1-2
Jonah 3:1-5
Jonah 3:6-10
Jonah 4:1-4
Ask students to name different subcultures in their high schools-jocks, nerds, skaters, drama freaks, whatever. Then ask them to name other subcultures
in society as a whole. List all of these on a marker board. Ask for a
brief description of each group. Then discuss the following:
1. In your opinion, which of these groups are "bad"? Why? What makes a
group "good" or "bad" according to the world? According to God? According to you? In other words, what are opinions based on when
labeling or judging groups of people?
2. Which of these groups are the hardest for you to relate to? Why?
3. Which of these groups are the hardest for you to understand? Why?
4. Which of these groups are the hardest for you to communicate with? Why?
5. How do you either relate to or avoid specific groups?
Ninevites were bad people. Besides all of their pagan practices, they were
also known for torturing and mutilating their enemies. They were easy to
hate. And yet God loved them and wanted to save them.
Read the following sentence to your students having them fill in the blank
silently.
I would rather that ___________ [a group of people, or a specific individual] never learn about God and suffer the consequences than learn about his
love and decide to follow him.
Now with the same group of people in mind, read the following to your
students, and have them write down what they fill this blank in with.
I want ________________ [a group of people, or a specific individual] to
learn about God so much that I am willing to ________________ [the steps
of obedience you'll take].
PONDER POINT - option 3
WHAT IS YOUR VINE?
Give all students a copy of This Fine Vine Is Mine (page 17). Give them several
minutes to work on it alone. When they're finished, regather in one
group and have volunteers read the following Scriptures about heavenly
versus earthly treasures-
Colossians 3:1-3
Matthew 6:19-21
1 John 2:15-17
Philippians 3:18-19
Then discuss these things:
1. In today's world, what challenges do you face as you try to not focus
on earthly things? Explain.
2. Do you think most of the people in your life (family, friends, peers, neighbors) have more than they need? Just enough? Not enough? Explain.
3. How does society define essential? In other words, what does the world
say that you need? What does the world say that you deserve?
4. How do advertisers and the media try to convince people that they
either need or deserve certain items? Do you think they're successful
at this?
5. What are some ways you can fight obsessions with or desires of earthly
things? What are some ways you can begin pursuing and obtaining
heavenly things?
PAUSE
Segue into personalizing the lesson by saying something like this:
It's too bad that when people hear the name of Jonah, they usually
think of a guy who got swallowed by a fish. This prophet's story has
so much to say to us today, both about our relationship with God, our relationship with the world, and our relationship with others.
PERSONAL PRESCRIPTION
PUT YOURSELF IN THIS PARABLE
End this lesson by thinking a little more about the issue in Ponder
Point/option 2. Jesus' parable of the workers (Matthew 20:1-16) is a perfect
illustration. Not only does it teach that God desires and invites all kinds of
people into his kingdom, but it also reprimands those religious people who
grumble about God's expansive mercy. If Jonah were in the parable, he might
have said, "God, it's not fair! I've worked for you my whole life-years and
years. You can't hire the Ninevites this late in the game and pay them the
same amount you're going to pay me!"
Read this parable in Matthew 20:1-16 to your students. Then give each a
copy of Put Yourself in This Parable (page 18) and let them work on it alone
or with a few other people.
Plus . encourage your students to read Psalm 139 this week as a
reminder that it's impossible to run away from God. Is that a scary thought? If you're trying to avoid him, yes. When you consider that it means he'll
never lose you in the crowd, no.
This Side Down
God gave Jonah specific instructions about his job as a prophet. He gives us
specific instructions, too, about our job as his disciples and representatives in
the world. It's easy to be like Jonah and avoid going in God's direction.
Look up the following verses and write down God's instructions to us about
how to live and serve him. Then list ways that we try to avoid or do the
opposite of what God tells us.
THE BIBLE "WHAT GOD "HOW I AVOID "WHAT I DO
REFERENCE WANTS ME DOING IT" INSTEAD"
TO DO"
Matthew 5:43-48
Ephesians 6:1-3
James 1:22-26
James 2:1-9
1 Peter 3:8-17
This Fine Vine Is Mine
Read Jonah 4:5-11. Think about the following things.
Jonah built himself a shelter. He had all he really needed.
God gave Jonah the vine for added comfort. It was extra, a gift.
Jonah was happy about the vine. But was he thankful?
When the vine died, Jonah wasn't sad. He was angry.
Jonah's personal comfort was more important to him than the Ninevites'
eternal condition
Jonah was a selfish pouter who thought he deserved all the good things
he could get his hands on.
Now answer this:
Here are some extra things in my life (not basics like food, clothing, and shelter)
that I would be upset about losing or not having: [list some items here]
Now rank those things numerically: put a 1 next to
those things you'd be most upset about losing, a 2 by those
you'd be a little less upset about losing, etc.
Circle one:
I do / don't consider myself materialistic.
I do / don't consider things other than clothing, food, and shelter as
nonessential extras.
I do / don't hold on tightly to the extra, nonessential things in my life.
I do / don't care about my personal comfort and happiness more than I
care about others.
I would / would not be willing to give up my number-one extra if God
asked me to.
Continues.
