Expositional Study
Jonah: An Expositional Study
Sovereignty, Repentance, and the Breadth of Divine Compassion
David V. Lott, Ph.D.
The Book of Jonah is far more than the familiar account of a prophet swallowed by a great fish. It is a carefully constructed prophetic narrative that confronts the reader with the sovereignty of God, the limits of human understanding, the nature of repentance, and the astonishing reach of divine mercy.
Through a detailed examination of the biblical text, its historical setting, and the world of ancient Assyria, this eleven-part study explores the tension between God's compassionate purposes and Jonah's resistance to those purposes. Particular attention is given to the literary structure of the book, the responses of the sailors and the Ninevites, Jonah's struggle with divine compassion, and the significance of God's unanswered question at the conclusion of the narrative.
The study also examines Nineveh's subsequent history, distinguishing the repentance recorded in Jonah from the city's later return to wickedness and eventual judgment.
Study Progression
Historical Foundations and the Prophet's Flight
Historical context, theological foundations, and the initial commission and flight of Jonah.
Divine Sovereignty and the Prophet's Deliverance
The sovereignty of God displayed through the storm, the sailors, and Jonah's deliverance from the great fish.
Nineveh, Repentance, and Divine Mercy
The second commission, the response of Nineveh, and the nature of divine mercy toward a repentant city.
The Prophet's Heart and God's Compassion
Jonah's anger, the plant, and God's final question about the breadth of his compassion.
Theological Synthesis and Historical Aftermath
Concluding synthesis of the book's theological message and an examination of Nineveh's subsequent history and eventual judgment.