A. Jonah is called to preach to Nineveh (1:1-2)
B. Jonah tried to run away from God (1:3-16)
C. Jonah and the great fish (1:17-2:10)
D. Jonah’s second chance – he goes (3:1-4)
E. Nineveh’s repentance (3:5-10)
F. Jonah’s displeasure with his success (4:1-5)
II. The object lesson
A. Jonah’s gratitude (4:6)
B. Jonah’s misery (4:7-8)
C. God’s question (4:9-11)
III. Lessons for us today
A. The contrast between man’s vindictiveness and God’s compassion (John 8:2-11)
B. The love of God (John 3:16; Mark 16:15; Romans 5:8)
C. The longsuffering of God (Hebrews 12:6, 11)
D. The mercy of God (2 Peter 3:9)
A. A proof of prophecy (Ezekiel 24:1-2; 2 Kings 25:1-4; Jeremiah 52:4-5)
B. The objects of the parable allude to the people’s own self-confident proverb (Ezekiel 24:3-5; 11:3)
C. Punishment was to come to the entire city (Ezekiel 24:6-12; Jeremiah 6:15; Leviticus 17:13)
D. God’s longsuffering had reached its limit (Ezekiel 24:13-14; Jeremiah 6:16)
II. Application
A. The people who were supposed to follow God had become a “rebellious house” (Ezekiel 24:3; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 4:3)
B. God offers cleansing (Ezekiel 24:13; 1 John 1:7-10)
C. God’s longsuffering has its limits (Ezekiel 24:13-14; 2 Peter 3:9; Hebrews 3:8)
A. The lioness represents either Judah or the royal family (19:2; cf. Psalm 89:3-4)
B. The first cub is Jehoahaz [Shallum] (19:3-4)
C. The second cub is Jehoiachin [Coniah] (19:5-9)
D. The third king lamented is Zedekiah [Mattaniah] (19:10-14)
II. A closer look at Jehoahaz
A. The son of Josiah, the last good king (2 Kings 23:25)
B. Taken into captivity into Egypt by Pharaoh Necho
C. The first Judean king to die in exile (2 Kings 23:31-34; Jeremiah 22:10-12)
D. Pharaoh Necho places Jehoiakim on the throne – Jehoiakim is not the second cub; he was despised by the people (Jeremiah 22:18-19)
III. A closer look at Jehoiachin
A. Carried into Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:10)
B. The hope was for him to return, but Babylon brought him out of prison and made him comfortable in that land (2 Kings 25:27-30)
IV. A closer look at Zedekiah
A. Another son of Josiah; uncle to Jehoiachin
B. Made king by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:10)
C. The last of David’s dynasty to sit on the throne in Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1-7)
V. Lessons for today
A. We must not put our trust in any person, but especially an evil person (2 Kings 23:32; 24:9, 19)
B. The people trusted in the house of David rather than God – do we trust in the White House more than God’s house today?
C. Let us pray for the nation’s leaders—whoever they are—that their decisions do not hinder the work of the Lord’s church (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
A. The great eagle is Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar; the willow tree/vine is Zedekiah in Judah (17:1-6, 11-14)
B. The second eagle is Egyptian Pharaoh, Hophra (17:7-8, 15a; cf. Jeremiah 44:30)
C. Will the vine thrive? (17:9-10, 15b-21)
II. Messianic hope (17:22-24)
A. The tender one cropped off by God is Jesus (Isaiah 11:1; 53:2)
B. Planted on a high and prominent mountain – the kingdom of Christ would be exalted over all the trees of the field (other kingdoms)
III. Lessons for us today
A. In whom do you place your trust? (Psalm 46:1)
B. Integrity is vital – do not make flippant vows (Numbers 30:2; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5)
A. Acquisition of the linen sash (13:1-5)
B. Retrieval of the linen sash (13:6-7)
II. The application (13:8-11)
A. The result of pride: ruination (13:8-9)
B. The result of rebellion: unprofitable (13:10)
C. The aim of God was to exalt the nation, but Israel chose to reject Him (13:11)
III. Lessons for today
A. There is still danger in pride (Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 16:18)
B. Disobedience is detrimental (Jeremiah 7:24; 8:5; 11:8)
C. God desires to exalt His people – don’t hinder His purposes through your pride and rebellion! (Deuteronomy 26:17-19; James 4:10)
A. Israel’s King Ahab (1 Kings 16:29-30; 21:25-26)
B. Victory over Syria (1 Kings 20:21)
C. Blasphemy of the Syrians (1 Kings 20:23-25)
D. The Lord’s response (1 Kings 20:28)
E. Another victory over Syria (1 Kings 20:29-30)
F. King Ahab’s failure to obey (1 Kings 20:31-34)
II. The parable
A. The prophet’s disguise (1 Kings 20:35-38)
B. The scenario presented (1 Kings 20:39-40)
C. The king’s sin exposed (1 Kings 20:41-43)
III. Lessons for today
A. Sometimes God’s commands are difficult to obey – but why? (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 5:4-5, 11, 13; 1 John 5:3)
B. Priorities matter! (Colossians 3:1-4)
C. Complete obedience is necessary (Romans 12:1-2)
A. Amnon lusts after his half-sister Tamar and violates her (2 Samuel 13:1-21)
B. Two years later, Absalom murders Amnon in retaliation (2 Samuel 13:22-33)
C. Absalom flees to Geshur for three years (2 Samuel 13:34-39)
II. The parable (2 Samuel 14:1-14)
A. Joab’s plan (2 Samuel 14:1-3)
B. The woman’s predicament (2 Samuel 14:4-7)
C. The king’s pronouncement (2 Samuel 14:8-11)
D. The plot twist (2 Samuel 14:12-14)
III. The application
A. God’s mercy is greater than our sin (Romans 5:6-11)
B. Restitution is not always possible (Romans 12:18)
C. God desires reconciliation (Ephesians 3:10-12; Colossians 1:19-23)
A. The rich man, who took from others even when he had enough to provide for himself
B. The poor man, who had no recourse against the rich man’s treachery
C. The ewe lamb, treasured by the poor man, taken by the rich man
II. David’s reaction (12:5-6)
A. Anger against the rich man
B. Appeal to the Law of Moses (cf. Exodus 22:1)
III. Nathan’s rebuke (12:7-12)
A. “You are the man!”
B. Despite the Lord’s blessings, David wanted more
C. The king looked at Bathsheba, lingered at the window, and lusted after her (cf. James 1:14-15; 2 Timothy 2:22)
D. There are consequences to our actions
IV. David’s response (12:13)
A. Acknowledgement of sin (cf. 1 John 1:8-10)
B. Repentance (cf. Psalm 51)
V. Lessons for us
A. No matter how good you think you are (David was a man after God’s own heart – cf. Acts 13:22), you are not immune to temptation and sin
B. No matter how bad you think you are (David was an adulterer and murderer – cf. Deuteronomy 22:22; Exodus 21:12), God’s grace can overcome your past
C. Repentance and restitution (if possible) are necessary
A. The time of the judges (Judges 2:16-19; 17:6; 21:25)
B. Gideon’s service as judge (Judges 8:30-31, 33)
C. Abimelech’s lust for power (Judges 9:1-6)
II. The fable of Jotham
A. The trees = the people of Shechem (Judges 9:8)
B. Rejected by the olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine (Judges 9:9-13; cf. 8:22-23)
C. In desperation the trees demand the bramble to rule (Judges 9:14-15)
III. The results
A. Jotham challenges the truth and sincerity of the people and warns of the consequences of their actions (9:16-20)
B. Abimelech had a short reign of 3 years (9:22) before the people turned on him (9:23-25)
C. Ultimately killed when trying to take the tower in Thebez (9:50-55)
IV. Lessons for us
A. Abimelech allowed his lust for power to overtake his common sense
B. The people showed poor judgment in choosing a leader
C. Whether leading or being led, look to God for guidance!
I. The vineyard as a symbol of Israel (5:1-2; Ps. 80; Jer. 12:10; Mark 12:1-10)
A. “My Well-beloved” = God
B. “The choicest vine” = Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
C. “Wild grapes” are poisonous and toxic
II. A song of lament (5:3-6)
A. Similar in method to Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15) and Jesus (Matthew 21:33-43; Mark 12:1-9)
B. Limits of God’s power: He will not violate man’s free will (Matthew 23:37; 2 Peter 3:9)
III. The meaning of the parable (5:7)
A. Paronomasia (pun in which the words sound similar but have different meanings)
B. Justice (mishpat) vs. oppression/bloodshed (mispah)
C. Righteousness (sedakah) vs. a cry (seakah)
IV. The first woe (5:8-10)
A. Against land-grabbing (Micah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:13-17; Habakkuk 2:9-12)
B. Drastically reduced harvest (Lev. 26:20; Deut. 26:15, 18; Haggai 1:5-6)
V. The second woe (5:11-12)
A. Against drunken revelry (1 Peter 4:1-4; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:19-21)
B. God was not a priority (Amos 6:1-7; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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