Jonah: God's Mercy, Repentance, and the Mission of His People

Jonah: God's Mercy, Repentance, and the Mission of His People is a 12-lesson study of Jonah 1-4. Students follow Jonah from his call and flight through the storm, the great fish, prayer, renewed commission, Nineveh's repentance, Jonah's anger, God's object lesson, and the book's final question about divine compassion. The course concludes by examining Jesus' reference to Jonah and Nineveh.

Learning Objectives

• Trace the narrative structure and theological movement of Jonah 1-4.
• Explain Jonah's call, flight, rescue, renewed commission, preaching, and anger.
• Identify the book's emphasis on God's sovereignty over creation and circumstances.
• Understand the responses of the sailors and Ninevites and their literary significance.
• Explain Jonah's prayer and the confession that salvation belongs to the Lord.
• Describe Nineveh's repentance and God's merciful response.
• Examine the tension between Jonah's knowledge of God's character and his resentment of divine mercy.
• Interpret the plant, worm, wind, and final question in context.
• Understand Jonah's contribution to biblical teaching about mission and God's concern for the nations.
• Explain Jesus' use of Jonah and Nineveh in Matthew 12.

Course Content

Twelve substantial self-study lessons cover Jonah 1-4: Jonah's call and flight, the great storm, Jonah and the sailors, the great fish, Jonah's prayer, the second commission, Nineveh's repentance, Jonah's anger, the plant and worm, God's final question, God's concern for the nations, and Jesus' use of Jonah. Each lesson contains substantial HTML teaching, one plain-text assignment, and four multiple-choice review questions.