Jonah 3 | Bible Study Questions

What do you think is the significance of putting on sackcloth?
Compare Jonah's response to God's word in chapter 1 to Ninevah's response here in chapter 3.
1. Did Ninevah need extra convincing to repent? Did they need a supernatural event to change their mind?
2. What does this tell you about Jonah or about the Ninevites?
What does it mean to "turn" from evil?
When God saw their repentance, he relented from the disaster that he had declared would happen.
1. Do you find this surprising? Why or why not?
2. What does this say about God?
3. Numbers 23:19 says that "God is not man that He should change His mind..." Do we see God changing his mind here?
4. In a similar way, God tells us today that we deserve punishment for our sin (Rom. 6:23). But when we respond to Jesus by trusting in him and turning from our sin, then we have forgiveness and eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9, 1 John 5:13). God relents when we repent and believe in Jesus.

Jonah misses out on celebrating Ninevah's repentance because he was so committed to his own idea of justice.
1. Have you ever held a grudge against somebody?
2. Do you currently have any resentment towards someone else?
3. How might that resentment be stealing your joy?
4. We've been forgiven in Christ for much more than we could ever understand. How does Christ's forgiveness motivate you to forgive and show mercy to others?
When you notice your own sin, does it ever make you grieve?
1. Ninevah was so grieved by their evil and the punishment from God that they deserved for it, they grieved and fasted.
2. How can we grow in seeing our sin the way that God sees it--as an offense against Him?
3. The first step in grieving your sin is identifying it. How can you grow in seeing the sin in your own life?
Pray in light of this passage and about any applications you have made
Sing His Mercy is More to God and to one another.

What do you think is the significance of putting on sackcloth?
Compare Jonah's response to God's word in chapter 1 to Ninevah's response here in chapter 3.
1. Did Ninevah need extra convincing to repent? Did they need a supernatural event to change their mind?
2. What does this tell you about Jonah or about the Ninevites?
What does it mean to "turn" from evil?
When God saw their repentance, he relented from the disaster that he had declared would happen.
1. Do you find this surprising? Why or why not?
2. What does this say about God?
3. Numbers 23:19 says that "God is not man that He should change His mind..." Do we see God changing his mind here?
4. In a similar way, God tells us today that we deserve punishment for our sin (Rom. 6:23). But when we respond to Jesus by trusting in him and turning from our sin, then we have forgiveness and eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9, 1 John 5:13). God relents when we repent and believe in Jesus.

Jonah misses out on celebrating Ninevah's repentance because he was so committed to his own idea of justice.
1. Have you ever held a grudge against somebody?
2. Do you currently have any resentment towards someone else?
3. How might that resentment be stealing your joy?
4. We've been forgiven in Christ for much more than we could ever understand. How does Christ's forgiveness motivate you to forgive and show mercy to others?
When you notice your own sin, does it ever make you grieve?
1. Ninevah was so grieved by their evil and the punishment from God that they deserved for it, they grieved and fasted.
2. How can we grow in seeing our sin the way that God sees it--as an offense against Him?
3. The first step in grieving your sin is identifying it. How can you grow in seeing the sin in your own life?
Pray in light of this passage and about any applications you have made
Sing His Mercy is More to God and to one another.