Introduction to JONAH

Our first Bible box is the book of Jonah! The story of a man being swallowed by a great fish is well-known by many. Studying this book recently, I discovered couple new things. Let's break it down!

Jonah is in the Old Testament, part of the Minor Prophets. It is four chapters long.

1 key verse for this book is:

Jonah 4:11 NLT

"But Nineveh has more than 120,000 animals living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?"

3 main characters:

• Jonah, a prophet from Ammitai

• The sailors on the Phoenician ship at the port of Joppa

• The king of Nineveh, a major city of the Assyrian Empire

6 things that stand out:

1. The sailors on the boat gave their life to follow God

2. The fish came and saved Jonah from drowning after he sank to the bottom of the sea

3. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days, similar to Jesus in the grave

4. Jonah got a second chance from God but was angry that Nineveh got a second chance

5. When Nineveh repented, they declared a fast for everyone, even the animals

6. God felt sorry for the inhabitants of Nineveh because of spiritual darkness

Overall, the main point of this story is not the big fish! This is a story about death, life, and second chances.