The Prayers of Jonah
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Jonah is an interesting prophet. Almost everyone who picks up this little book knows the first three chapters of the book of Jonah. Jonah was told by God to go to Nineveh and “cry against it, for their wickedness is come up before me” (Verse 2 KJV). However, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh, so he fled from the presence of God and took a ship sailing in the opposite direction to Tarshish. On the trip a storm arose, threatening the ship and crew, until they finally threw Jonah overboard (at his request) and the storm ceased. Jonah did not drown, however, as God had prepared a “great fish” to swallow him and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. After those terrible days and nights God spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah up on dry ground, whereupon he went to Nineveh and preached the word of the Lord and the whole city was saved. That is Jonah chapters one, two and three.
However, chapter four does not find Jonah preaching, or praying or praising God for sending such a great revival! Rather, it finds Jonah pouting.
A pouting adult makes a very sad picture. It is especially sad if that adult is a believer. It is disgustingly sad if that believer is a preacher. But here is Jonah, sitting on the side of the hill pouting and waiting to see what would happen to the city of Nineveh.
So what was there about Jonah that makes me say he is an interesting prophet?
We are told two things about Jonah in verse one of the first chapter; he was the son of a man named Amittai, which comes from a word meaning trustworthy. Because names hold great importance in the Old Testament I assume then that his father was an honorable man and that Jonah was raised to fear the Lord. (To “fear the Lord” in the Old Testament is equivalent of to “love the Lord” in the New Testament.)
The other thing we are told is that “the word of the LORD came” to Jonah (Verse 1).
The first thing may not be too impressive, but this other thing is! Jonah was a man who was capable of hearing the Word of the LORD when God spoke to him. It seems that he was a man who was accustomed to hearing the Word of the LORD because when the word of the LORD came to him, Jonah knew it! He knew it, and he responded to it. His response was not the right response, but it shows that he knew without a doubt this word was from the LORD.
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About the Book
Jonah is one of the better known prophets of the Old Testament, but he is not generally well known for his prayers; he is well known, however, for his disobedience to the calling of God and the resulting three days and nights in the belly of a great fish. It was this judgment and it’s impact on Jonah that prompted this book on Jonah’s prayers.
Prayer is an important part of the Christian life and through his unique circumstances the prayers of Jonah offer us some insight into prayer and it’s purpose in a believer’s life.
About the Author
Bill Goodwin was born in Conway, Arkansas in 1951, the middle child of seven. He surrendered to the ministry in 1976 and has pastored Baptist churches in Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri. He and his wife, Deborah Hayes Goodwin, have three children by birth and have adopted three additional daughters.
Bill has a knack for making the scriptures easily understood and applicable to real life. His sermon series on Bible characters have been especially well received by many who have heard them.
He earned his BA from Liberty University and his Masters Degree in Speech Communication from Arkansas State University. Bill has enjoyed 47 years in the ministry and has been called by many, “A Teaching Preacher.”