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Daily Devotions

Jonah

Jonah 
Day 
Introduction

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JONAH

Text: Jonah

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Jonah was mentioned by name in 2 Kings. He came from a small town called Gath Hepher. He lived and served the Lord as one of His prophets in the days of King Jeroboam II.

“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah,
Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria,
and reigned forty-one years. And he did evil in the sight of the
LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who had made Israel sin.
He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath
to the Sea of Arabah, according to the word of the LORD God
of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah
the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher.”
2 Kings 14:23-25

1. The reigns of two kings

a) Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah.
b) Jeroboam II the son of Joash, king of Israel.
i) He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
ii) He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
iii) Jeroboam I was an idol worshipper.
iv) He made Israel an idolatrous nation.
v) Jeroboam II was also idolatrous.

2. Ministry as a prophet of the Lord

a) He prophesied that Jeroboam II would restore the territories of Israel.
b) This was fulfilled by Jeroboam II.
c) He successfully restored lost properties of Israel.

UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF JONAH

Some mistakenly read the Book of Jonah like a parabolic story. Thus, this was simply a work of fiction.

The correct understanding is that this book was written as a historical account of the time when Jonah balked at God’s command to preach at Nineveh.

THE CANDID CONFESSION OF A RELUCTANT PROPHET

Jonah, like many in Israel, hated the Assyrian Empire. When God gave him a command to preach a message of repentance in Nineveh, he decided to run away from this Call!

The Book of Jonah reflects the fact that it was not an easy thing to fulfil God’s calling as a prophet!

There were some things that he would rather not do! He did not like the idea of preaching to the Ninevites at all! He did not desire to see the Assyrian capital be spared from the Judgment of God!

Many assume that all prophets were obedient servants of God. Jonah struggled with obeying God’s commandment to preach to the Ninevites!