House Group notes week beginning Sunday 28th August

Jonah 4

To warm up:

Have you ever felt really angry about somebody and pleased that they got their fair come uppance? – punishment in some way?

Background:

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrians were a particularly cruel nation. When they captured a city they took their prisoners to the next city they were going to besiege, and impaled them on stakes around the city to terrify the defenders. Their empire was expanding and weakening the nation of Syria to the north of Israel. Israel was becoming stronger, but Jonah may have suspected that sooner or later the Assyrians would be attacking Israel. This did in fact happen during the next century. In 721BC the Assyrians captured the Israelite capital of Samaria and the Israelites were taken into captivity. This left only the small southern kingdom of Judah.

Questions for discussion:

  • How did Jonah feel when he saw that that nothing happened to Nineveh?
  • Do you think Jonah really wanted to see the Assyrians spared?
  • What negative consequences did he see from God sparing the Assyrians?

(apart from the above, see 4.2)

  • How would this reflect on his credibility as a prophet? (see 2 Ki 14.25)
  • What was God teaching Jonah by providing the plant to shade him?
  • What was God teaching Jonah by providing the worm and the scorching east wind?
  • What can we learn about the role of animals and plants in God’s purposes?
  • In v11 what reason did God give for the Ninevites needing his message?
  • It was not just Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount who taught us to love our enemies. (Mt 6.43-47). Look up and read Exodus 23.4 and Proverbs 25.21-22.

Applying the word:

  • Can you think of any kinds of people you struggle to relate to?
  • Can you think of any individuals that you struggle to have a relationship, (a pre-requisite to sharing your faith), or that you avoid? It is probably best not to mention these people by name, as that wouldn’t be very loving.

Pray for each other to be given grace to see the need of these people and so to love them. Pray for God’s heart of love for people we find it difficult to love.