What comes to your mind when you think of the word "God" and "mercy"?  What does it mean that God is a God of mercy? In Jonah 4, we read of a God who is merciful, but also Jonah's struggle with this God! As we come to this passage, let us not approach Scriptures and leave in a disengaged manner. Rather, let us come ready to commit to let the Word speak to us, and walk away changed. 

Jonah 2 is probably the most famous part of the Jonah narrative. When we get to Jonah 1:17, 2:1 and 2:10, many think that this is not possible and dismiss this account. For those of us that grew up in Sunday School, we are also left with the idea that this is a passage that shows us that if we are bad we are punished, and sets up a transactional relationship with God. Yet Jonah 2 is not about these 2 things, as we are about to find out. 

Last week we began by understanding the context and circumstances surrounding Jonah's call from God. Jonah the son of Amittai is anything but faithful. God calls him to arise and go northeast but he has southwest instead just to get away from God. This is extremely counter-intuitive for a Jew. Landlocked Israel has always thought of the sea as a tempestuous place, where uncertainty, chaos and disaster reigns. In this study, we'll dive right in and unpack more of Jonah's response to God's call and command.

For this study, we'll only be camping out in the first 3 verses of this book. Why? Understanding these verses is important in shaping our understanding of the rest of the book, for it sets the tone and helps prevent us from being distracted by red herrings.