Jonah 1:1-4 – An Overview of the Book
If I were to characterize the book of Jonah in one word, I would say it is ‘symmetrical’. It has four chapters, and two events are played out within those chapters. Event or scene ‘one’ takes place in chapters 1 and 2, and scene ‘two’ is worked through in chapters 3 and 4.
Both scenes begin with God, which is no surprise as God is the originator of all things. And in both scenes, God gives Jonah, his prophet, the same command. Jonah is to go to Nineveh and declare a message God will provide him with. In scene one, Jonah refuses to fulfil the command and faces the consequences, and in scene two, he obeys the command and witnesses the reality of God’s mercy.
It’s helpful to get a sense of the central theme and content of the book before considering how God works in this man’s life. So, here is a graphic that will further lay down the structure of the book (and I have adapted this from someone else), so that you can see the parallelism between the two scenes.
| Scene 1 1:1 God’s Word comes to Jonah 1:2 The message to be declared 1:3 The response of Jonah 1:4 God’s warning 1:5 The pagan’s response 1:6 The pagan leader’s intervention 1:7ff Jonah’s response 2:1-10 God’s grace | Scene 2 3:1 God’s Word comes to Jonah 3:2 The message to be declared 3:3 The response of Jonah 3:4 God’s warning 3:5 The pagan’s response 3:6 The pagan leader’s intervention 3:7ff Jonah’s response 4:1-10 God’s grace |
The critical point is that it’s all about God’s grace and the salvation it brings. God’s grace and His plan of eternal redemption are inextricably linked, whether it involves an individual or a city of hundreds of thousands of people.
Questions
- How would you describe how the content of the book of Jonah is presented?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for God’s plan of redemption.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.