The book of Jonah
The Book of Jonah
What is the book of Jonah about?
The book of Jonah tells us about a reluctant prophet who literally sailed the opposite way the Lord directed him. Jonah was supposed to go east and he sailed west. Because of this, the Lord sent a storm towards the ship he was in and the ship was on the verge of sinking into the sea, killing all passengers.
When the crew woke Jonah up, he immediately knew the storm was his fault. He told them to throw him into the sea and the storms would cease. They did that and the Lord sent a huge fish that swallowed Jonah and held him in his belly for three days and three nights.
Jonah repented and the fish vomited him onto dry land. As promised, Jonah went to Nineveh (capital of the Assyrian Empire), to proclaim the message the Lord gave him.
Who wrote the book of Jonah?
The author of Jonah is unclear. It is written in the third person.
Who is the audience?
The northern kingdom of Israel.
Timeframe Jonah was written:
Written sometime between 760-725 BC. Jonah prophesied during the reign of Israel's King Jeroboam II (793-753 BC).
"In short" (One sentence summary):
The book of Jonah is about a reluctant prophet who didn't think the Gentiles deserved God's love, mercy and hope.
Fun facts about Jonah/Did you know?
Jonah's prophesy of the city of Nineveh being overthrown didn't come true... because of Nineveh repented.
