God’s Will or Our Own Judgement Part 2 of 2 – Basic ( Life lessons (A-M); Miracles)
Preview: Part 2 of a 2-part lesson detailing what happens when our hearts fall out of alignment with the will of God told through the story of the minor prophet, Jonah.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 3:1-4.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 14:12.
1. What was God’s first command to Jonah after Jonah is expelled out of the fish? Jonah 3:1-2.
Note: Jonah ends up having to go to Nineveh despite his best efforts to avoid God’s purpose for him. It is best to follow what God expects of you the first time He tells you.
2. How did Jonah follow God’s order? Jonah 3:3-4.
Note: In the Hebrew text, Jonah’s sermon was only five words long. Unlike other prophets throughout history, Jonah did not tell Nineveh what they did to anger God, nor did he give any instructions on how to prevent their impending destruction.
3. How did Nineveh react to the prophecy of their destruction? Jonah 3:5-9.
Note: Nineveh was an incredibly pagan country that did not know God and yet they immediately believed God (not just believing in Jonah’s words themselves, but in God Himself) and repented for all of their sins. God’s plan will always be fulfilled—even though Jonah did not tell them they needed to repent, they felt moved to not only repent but to fast kingdom-wide in hopes to receive God’s forgiveness.
4. How did God repay their repentance? Jonah 3:10.
5. Why did God forgive them after He called for their destruction? Jeremiah 18:7-8, Lamentations 3:22-23.
6. How did Jonah react to God’s mercy for Nineveh? Why? Jonah 4:1-4.
Note: Jonah would rather die than see Nineveh receive the mercy of God because he doesn’t believe they are worthy of it, he would rather see it destroyed because of his own desire to see justice for Nineveh’s sins.
7. Did Jonah leave Nineveh? Why or why not? Jonah 4:5.
8. What did God provide for Jonah and why did He take it away? Jonah 4:6-11.
Note: Jonah was so angry that the plant God gave to make him comfortable died. Jonah had pity for the loss of a plant he had no hand in creating and yet believed that God should not have pity for hundreds of thousands of people He personally created in His own image. Our own sense of justice and morality should not interfere with the redemption God has planned for others. We should never stand in the way of the forgiveness and redemption of sinners—our goal as Christians is to bring people to God not to condemn them to Hell. Romans 3:23 & Romans 10:17 perfectly reflect how we should approach the Word of God and sinners. We are all sinners and all need to be exposed to God’s grace.