CHAPTER ONE

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

Characters: God, Jonah, seamen.

Conclusion: Men may be distinctly called of God to proclaim His message, yet refuse to obey, but indisposition to preach will not rid one of the obligation to preach. God will send His storms to teach the wisdom of obedience.

Key Word: Fleeing prophet v. 3.

Strong Verses:   9.

Striking Facts: Typically Jonah foreshadows Israel out of their own land, a trouble to the Gentiles, cast out but miraculously preserved. In the future, in their hour of deep distress, they will cry out to God, will be delivered and will go forth to the Gentiles as originally commanded, announcing the kingdom of Christ at hand and His Second Coming.

CHAPTER TWO

Contents: Jonah's prayer out of the depths and its answer.

Characters: God, Jonah.

Conclusion: Though we bring affliction upon ourselves by our sins, yet if we pray in humility and godly sincerity, we shall be heard at the throne of grace and God will speak the word of deliverance.

Key Word: Prayer v. 1.

Strong Verses:   1, 7, 8, 9(b).

Striking Facts: v. 10. Israel swallowed up by the Gentiles in the sea of the nations must go down to the "bottom" before they will cry out to God and look to the one they pierced as their Saviour. When that hour comes, the nations will vomit them out upon their own land, where they will come face to face with Christ.

CHAPTER THREE

Contents: Jonah's second commission. Ninevah's repentance because of his obedience.

Characters: God, Jonah, King of Nineveh.

Conclusion: Those who would not destroy their souls must afflict their souls. God threatens so He will not have to punish, and makes His judgments conditional upon true repentance. There is mercy for those who will, before it is too late, confess and forsake their sin.

Key Word: Repentance, vv. 8, 10.

Strong Verses: 2 ( b ) , 1 .

Striking Facts: v. 10. God is unchangeable in character, but He may change His conduct toward men as they change their attitude toward Him. Repentance in man is a change of will. Repentance in God is God willing a change.

CHAPTER FOUR

Contents: Jonah's displeasure over God's action toward Nineveh. The sheltering gourd.

Characters: God, Jonah.

Conclusion: Though there be those who find it in their hearts to quarrel with the goodness of God and His sparing, pardoning mercy to others (to which we all owe it that we are out of hell), yet God will justify Himself in the methods of His grace toward repenting sinners. As God values a human soul, so should we look upon it as worth more than all the world.

Key Word: Displeased, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   4, 2(b).

Striking Facts: Jonah (Matt. 12:40) is used as an illustrious type of Christ who was buried and arose (1 Cor. 15:4) after three days. As God prepared Jonah's grave, so He prepared Christ's. Both were buried in order to their rising again for the bringing of the doctrine of repentance to the Gentile world.