Jonah 1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

 Jonah means (dove)  He is known as the reluctant prophet  He is from Gath Hepher  Date – 782 BC  Contemporary with Hosea, Isaiah, Amos, Micah Background

 Ninevah – capital of Assyria  A cruel powerful enemy of Israel  Ninevah was where the current city of Mosul, Iraq is located. Background

 The story of Jonah is a type of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Background

 Jonah ran FROM God (ch. 1) Outline

 Jonah ran FROM God (ch. 1)  Jonah ran TO God (ch. 2) Outline

 Jonah ran FROM God (ch. 1)  Jonah ran TO God (ch. 2)  Jonah ran WITH God (ch. 3) Outline

 Jonah ran FROM God (ch. 1)  Jonah ran TO God (ch. 2)  Jonah ran WITH God (ch. 3)  Jonah ran AHEAD of God (ch. 4) Outline

 There is always a price to pay when you run away from God – But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:3 Lessons from Jonah

 There is always a price to pay when you run away from God  Rebellion always hurts others – Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. Jonah 1:5a Lessons from Jonah

 There is always a price to pay when you run away from God  Rebellion always hurts others  It is possible to be at rest out of God's will – But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. Jonah 1:5b Lessons from Jonah

 Faith leads to repentance then to good works – 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Jonah 3:8-9 Lessons from Jonah

 Faith leads to repentance then to good works  God's actions toward men reflect man's heart toward God – Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. Jonah 3:10 Lessons from Jonah

 Faith leads to repentance then to good works  God's actions toward men reflect man's heart toward God  We must make the spritual a priority over the material. Lessons from Jonah

9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" 10 But the Lord said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. Jonah 4:9-10 Lessons from Jonah

11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?" Jonah 4:11 Lessons from Jonah

FINAL LESSON – GOD DOES NOT CHANGE HIS COMMANDS. 1:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 :2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." Lessons from Jonah