November 2, 2025

Second Opportunities – Jonah 3:1-4

Ice Breaker

1. Read Jonah 3:1-4 as a group.
2. What’s one of your favorite places to take a long walk? Why? 

Loving God Unreservedly

1. There is no difference between the ‘proclaim to it (NIV)’ in 3:2 and the ‘preach against it (NIV)’ in 1:2. Their wickedness continues to come up before the Lord, and Jonah must cry out against it. The task is therefore every bit as demanding as the first time around. How does taking up his cross and following his Lord demonstrate loving God unreservedly?
2. At the beginning of chapter 3, God gives Jonah a second chance to obey, repeating His command for Jonah to go to Nineveh. Compare His call in 1:1–3 with that in 3:1–3. In 1:2 God speaks of the Ninevites’ wickedness, but in 3:2 He emphasizes His role as the source of Jonah’s message. Why do you think God changed the focus of His command?

Loving People Sacrificially

1. How are we to use renewed opportunities for service? (2 Chron. 33:10–16; Isa. 1:16–19; Matt. 21:28–32)
2. We tend to think of “prophecy” simply as something that predicts the future. However, biblical prophecy is about much more than foretelling upcoming events; it also involves the moral formation of God’s people through the proclamation of God’s Word. Read Jeremiah 18:1–11. Why does God tell the Ninevites that they will be destroyed in 40 days?
3. When considering the Ninevites, what does the story of Jonah reveal about God and unbelieving nations? How does this refute Deism? 
4. What does this passage teach us about the importance of obedience, even when we might disagree with God's plan or feel unqualified?

Making Disciples Purposefully

1. Why do we need to include warnings in our conversations with unbelievers? What warnings do we need to give unbelievers? 
2. How is the gospel’s calling (Matt. 28:19-20) the same as Jonah’s? With whom can you share the gospel today? Is there a person you could start to disciple? 

Dig Deeper (optional/personal study) 

1. Research & reflect: In both Joel and Jonah, repentance is a big deal—and it connects back to how God describes Himself in Exodus 34:6–7. There, God says He is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and full of faithful love.” (See Joel 2:13 and Jonah 4:2.) When people repent, they’re responding to who God really is—a loving and patient God who wants to forgive and restore.

• Repentance is deeply connected to Yahweh’s grace, even though the warning of His judgment is also important (see Joel 2:11; Jonah 3:4). In the later books of the Twelve Prophets, the call to repentance fades. This shift is marked by Nahum’s reference to God’s character from Exodus 34:6–7 (Nahum 1:2–3). While Jonah’s message led the people of Nineveh to repent, Nahum announces certain judgment on them. Ultimately, repentance means returning to a relationship with a personal God who desires close fellowship with His people.