Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 


Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---
 God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.--- The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.This book of the Bible happens during this time--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---   The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. --- Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 

The Book of  Jonah

This is a very short book of only 4 chapters. It is the story of God's prophet, Jonah, and tells how he refused to obey God's command. God tells Jonah to go to the big city of Nineveh and deliver His message. Jonah refuses and then is swallowed by a large fish. After he gets out of the fish, he decides to do what God told him to do.

 


Jonah 1 - 4

God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh.
Jonah refuses God's command and goes to Tarshish on a boat.
A large fish swallows Jonah.
Jonah goes to Nineveh and delivers God's message.
The people in Nineveh repent, and God forgives them.
Jonah is mad because God did not destroy Nineveh.

 


 

The city of Ninevah

Ninevah was a very large and famous city. It was located in the country that we now call Iraq. It was by the Tigris River. It was home to the Assyrian people.

Photos and maps from LookLex Encyclopedia

For a short time, Ninevah was the capital city of Assyria. During that time, it was a beautiful city with parks, gardens, and wide streets. It had a wall around it, and it had 15 gates in the walls.

The people in Ninevah did not worship God. They worshiped false gods. They named their 15 city gates for some of their false gods.

 

Jonah 1


God gives Jonah a command, and Jonah does not obey.


Jonah's father's name was Amittai. God talked to Jonah.  He told him to get up and go to the big city named Nineveh. God saw that the people in Nineveh were bad and wicked. God wanted Jonah to go to the city and tell the people they were doing bad things against God.
[1] Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
[2] Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

But Jonah did not go to Nineveh. He first went to the city named Joppa. Then, he got on a boat that was going to the place named Tarshish. He paid money to ride on the boat. He went down into the lower part of the boat so that he could hide from God.
[3] But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.


But God sent a great wind to the sea. The wind made the sea very rough so that it had big waves. The waves could break the boat.
[4] But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.



The sailors in the boat were afraid. They were all praying to their gods. They threw things off the boat to make it lighter. Jonah was in the lower level of the boat. He was sleeping.

[5] Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

The captain of the boat talked to Jonah. He asked him why he was sleeping at this bad time. He told him to pray to God so they won't die.
[6] So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.


The men on the ship wanted to know why they were in danger. They wanted to know who was doing bad things and making the waves bad. They decided to have a lottery so they could see who was causing the danger.  They cast lots, and Jonah lost. The men asked him where he was from and what kind of work he did. They wanted to know who his people were and why this bad thing was happening to him.

[7] And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
[8] Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?


He told them that he was a Hebrew. He worshiped the Lord God of heaven. He told them that God made the sea and the dry land.
[9] And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

The men were very afraid. Jonah told the men that he was running away from God. They asked Jonah why he was doing this.
[10] Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

The men asked what they could do to him to make the sea calm again. The sea was very choppy and rough.

[11] Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.


Jonah told them to take him up on the deck of the boat and throw him into the sea. Then the sea will be calm. Jonah knew that it was his fault that the sea is rough.

[12] And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.


The sailors rowed hard to try and get the boat back to the land. But they could not get to land. The sea was too rough.

[13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

 

From FreeBibleIllustrations.com

The sailors cried to God. They prayed to Him. They asked Him not to let them die because of Jonah. They were afraid that they will be guilty if Jonah dies.  They said God has done what He wanted to do.
[14] Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.


The soldiers took Jonah and threw him into the sea. Then the sea was calm.
[15] So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.


The sailors were afraid. They made a sacrifice to God and made promises to God.

[16] Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.


God sent a very big fish. The fish swallowed Jonah. Jonah stayed in the fish's stomach for 3 days and 3 nights.
[17] Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
 


Picture from The Bible in Pictures,
(The New Bible Symbols, by M. Bihn & J. Bealings)

From
creationism.org


Jonah 2


Jonah prays to God from the fish's stomach.


Jonah was in the fish's stomach. He prayed to God. He said that he cried to God, and God heard him in the fish's stomach.

[1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
[2] And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.


Jonah said that God had him thrown into the deep sea.  The water was all around him. The waves were over him.
[3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.


Jonah said that he was out of God's sight, but he will look again toward the temple in Jerusalem.
[4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.


Jonah said that the water was all around him even to his soul. The water closed in on him, and seaweeds wrapped around his head.

[5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.


He said that he went down to the bottom of the mountains. The earth would be like a jail around him forever, but God had brought up his life.

[6] I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

When his soul was faint, he remembered the Lord God.  God heard his prayer in the holy temple.
[7] When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Picture from The Bible in Pictures,
(The New Bible Symbols, by M. Bihn & J. Bealings)

From
creationism.org


People who worship false gods do not get mercy. Jonah promises that he will make sacrifices and be thankful to God. God will save him.
[8] They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
[9] But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.


God spoke to the fish, and the fish vomited Jonah out on dry land.
[10] And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
 



Jonah 3


Jonah obeys God's command.


God talked to Jonah a second time. God told him to get up and go to the big city named Nineveh.  He wanted Jonah to give the people in Nineveh a message.

[1] And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
[2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.


Jonah obeyed God. He got up and went to Nineveh. It took him 3 days to walk to the city.
[3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
 

Jonah preaching in Nineveh
From the
LaVista Church of Christ web site.

Jonah arrived at the city and walked in the city for a day. Then he shouted out to the people. He told them that in 40 days, Nineveh will be defeated.
[4] And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.


The people in Nineveh believed God. They fasted and put on rough clothes. Everyone did this from the most important people to the least important people.
[5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.


The king heard about this. He got up from his throne and took off his robe. He put on rough clothes and sat in ashes.
[6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.


The king gave an order for everyone in Nineveh.  He ordered that no people or animals should eat or drink water.
[7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:


The people and animals should all wear rough cloth. They should pray to God. They should all stop sinning and being violent.

[8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.


The king said he hopes that God will not be angry with them. He hopes that they will not die.
[9] Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?


God saw that the people in Nineveh were obeying Him. God did not destroy them.
[10] And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
 



Jonah 4


Jonah is mad at God because He did not destroy Nineveh.


Jonah was mad that God did not destroy Nineveh.
[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.


Jonah prayed to God. He said that he knew in the beginning that God would not destroy Nineveh. He said that was why he ran away to Tarshish. He said that God is good, merciful, kind, and does not get mad fast.
[2] And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.


Jonah asked God to take his life. He wanted to die. He said it was better for him to die than to live.
[3] Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.


God asked Jonah if it was good for him to be angry.
[4] Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
 

Jonah left Nineveh and sat to the east of the city. He made a little tent and sat in the shadow of the tent. He wanted to watch and see what would happen to Nineveh.
[5] So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
 

Jonah under the vine
From
"Treasures of the Bible (Divided Kingdom)"
From the LaVista Church of Christ web site
.

God made a gourd (plant) grow over Jonah's head. The gourd made shade for Jonah and made him happy.
[6] And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
 

God sent a worm the next morning. The worm killed the gourd, and it died and withered.
[7] But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.


When the sun came up, God sent a very strong wind from the east. The sun was hot on Jonah's head. Jonah fainted and wanted to die. He said it was better for him to die than to live.

[8] And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
 

God asked Jonah if it was good for him to be mad about the gourd.  Jonah said he was angry, even to death.
[9] And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
 

God said that Jonah felt pity for the gourd. Jonah did not work to make the gourd grow. The gourd came up in the night and then died in a night. If he felt sorry for something small like the gourd, then God can show mercy to Nineveh. The gourd was small and did not live long, but there were 120,000 people in Nineveh. The people in Nineveh could not tell the difference between their right hand and their left hand. Nineveh also had many cattle.
[10] Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
[11] And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?