Jonah - Chapter-1

Chapter Summary

Jonah's commission and effort to avoid God's will. Swallowed by a great fish.

What do we learn about God's word and the role of a prophet ? In what ways might God's word have come to Jonah? Does God speak this way today?
How was the call to Jonah different from the calling given to other prophets in Israel? What can we learn about God's calling on our lives?
What is Jonah's response to God's call? What would make us respond in that way if we were called to a specific mission?
Where was Tarshish in relation to Nineveh? What might have attracted Jonah to that port? In what way does Jonah remind you of other Bible characters?
What would Jonah have known about Nineveh? Why would he have not wanted to go there?
what kind of people were the sailors of the ship? How does their faith compare with Jonah's ? How is it that non-believers can behave better than believer?
what was the sailor's understanding of the cause of the storm? In what ways were they right or wrong?
How does God use the process of casting lots to point to Jonah's culpabiblity? What might that mean for us today? How do we find out what God is saying to us?
What does Jonah know about God according to his words of introduction? Why would he have tried to flee from God if he knew this?
How does Jesus use the experience of Jonah to refer to himself ( Mt 12:38-42 )? How does his explanation impact your view of the person of Jesus? .
What can we learn about God's guidance and calling from Jonah's flight to Tarshish?