Journey Through Jonah

Jonah is the one Old Testament minor prophet that almost every child in Sunday School knows. This is the one book that if I asked, “Tell me everything you know about Jonah”, most people could tell me at least the general story they know of that great fish that swallowed Jonah. However, the greatest miracle in the Book of Jonah is not the great fish.

The greatest miracle book is the great revival that God brought to an entire city and nation. The great miracle in this book is the salvation God brought. The four chapters in the Book of Jonah comprise one of the greatest missionary books in the Bible. Jonah was in many ways the first foreign missionary sent out from Israel. God sent him out with a message of mercy, salvation, and repentance.

Listen: Journeying through Jonah

Overview of Jonah

The Name of Jonah

Jonah’s name means “dove.” He certainly fulfilled that picture by flying in the opposite direction to Joppa as quickly as possible! But remember, the first mention of the dove is Genesis 8:8. The dove’s first mention was as a bearer of good news. That is what God always intended. Jonah was to deliver the good news. Jonah was to warn them that in three days, Nineveh would be overthrown.

Here is the point: God sent that message to show mercy. He wanted to deliver them, and Jonah knew it. People have to hear the bad news first before they will appreciate the good news. They have to understand they are sinners and hopelessly lost without God before they will comprehend their need for a Savior.

The Message of Sin and Salvation

Jonah represents what all of us are to do: carry the message of both sin and salvation to those who desperately need it. Those in need are everywhere, all around us. The story of Jonah is familiar. He is the runaway prophet. Ultimately, Jonah did not run from his mission; he ran from his Master.

Consider the words in Jonah 1:3: “But Jonah rose up to flee into Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…” That is repeated in verse ten. “Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the man knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.”

Friend, when you are running from God’s will, you are not running from a place or a work; you are running from Him. That is very dangerous. In the presence of God, there is blessing and protection. Outside the presence of God, there is nothing but grief, heartache, and chastening.

Theme of the Book of Jonah

The great theme in the Book of Jonah is God’s pity. Our God pities His fallen creation! God had pity on Jonah. That is why He sent that great fish to swallow him up. That is why He used even the storm. Psalm 148:8 says, “…Stormy wind fulfilling his word:” God was showing pity to His own child, His own servant, Jonah. Yet, the Lord not only pitied His servant, but He also pitied sinners. He pitied Nineveh.

Key Verse of Jonah

The key verse of the book is found in Jonah 2:9. It is interesting because this verse is a prayer rising out of the belly of that great fish. Jonah is crying out, and he is not asking for anything. He is just confessing now. He says in Jonah 2:9, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.”

Would you say those five words out loud right now? Salvation is of the LORD. Would you say it again? Salvation is of the LORD. That is true in every way. If a man is saved, it is because of the Lord, not because of us. It is not of our works, but instead it is all of His grace and mercy. It is all the Lord Jesus.

Could I challenge you to tell someone else those five words today? Perhaps someone who has never known God or someone who has known God but is prodigal, like Jonah was running from Him, and is enduring chastening from the Lord at this moment. Would you remind them, “Salvation is of the LORD?”

God had to take Jonah underwater to get his eyes fixed toward Heaven. Sometimes, God will do that with us. He will bring us to the end of ourselves. The Bible says in Jonah 2:1, “Then Jonah prayed…” It is much better to pray while you are on land than to pray when you are in the belly of a great fish.

Jonah – A Book of Mercy

This is a book of mercy. In Jonah 3:1, we read: “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time…” Thank God for second chances, and third and fourth and fifth! Have you experienced that kind of grace and mercy in your own life?

Notice a Unique Feature: Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet to whom Jesus specifically likened Himself. Think about that. Read Matthew 12. Jesus said Jonah’s experience, taken by wicked hands, made a curse, buried for three days and nights, coming out of that tomb, and then going and preaching to the Gentiles, was a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Some might say, “You mean the prodigal prophet, the one who ran and went the other direction? The one that we actually do know something bad about. Jesus identifies with him?” Yes! I think even that is a reminder of God’s amazing mercy. If God was merciful to Nineveh, God would be merciful to you, dear sinner.  And if God was merciful to Jonah, then God will be merciful to you, backslider. God’s mercy endures. God loves us. Our merciful God is faithful to His Word.

The great message of Jonah is the pity of God. To demonstrate this, the book ends with an unusual picture…

Mercy for All – Great and Small

The Bible says in Jonah 4:11, “and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

Think of how this book ends. Understand that this reference is to the children in that city. “Sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand” means there were 120,000 babies in that city. God knows every baby. Each child is known by the Creator. Our gracious Lord know every helpless baby that is aborted. Every little innocent one, God knows them, and God loves them.

But look at the end of the verse: “…and also much cattle.” Why mention the cattle? It is another reminder of God’s pity. God even pitied the animals that had to live in such a wicked place. God even pitied the cattle that were surrounded by such wickedness. The message of God’s pity is woven throughout the book of Jonah, but it is revealed in an amazing way at the end of the book.

Share the Good News

The pity of God is woven through your entire life, from the day you were born to this present hour. But at the end, you will recognize how truly great God’s pity for us is. The fact that we, who deserve to go to hell, are privileged to go to Heaven. We who deserve nothing but destruction instead have the Lord’s salvation. This is the message of the book of Jonah. This is not just a message for you and me. It is a message for everyone. 

So Jonah, get up and carry it today. As you journey through this day, journey with Jonah. Take the message of salvation and give it to someone else. Be that missionary prophet that Jonah was intended to be. Be the dove carrying the good news of peace and salvation in Jesus Christ, because “Salvation is of the LORD.”

*Not sure how to begin? Visit our “Witness” page for videos, broadcasts, tools, and tips for witnessing boldly and effectively for the Lord Jesus. 

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About Scott Pauley

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Related Audio Series: Salvation is of The Lord