Swallowed by Mercy

How the Book of Jonah Reveals Christ and Confronts Our Lives

A Daily Thunder Series with Nathan Johnson

Something’s fishy … and it’s not the book of Jonah. When most people think of Jonah, they picture a fish. Yet the fish appears in only three verses of this profound prophetic book. So if Jonah isn’t really about a fish, what’s it about? What many dismiss as a children’s story is actually a masterfully crafted account meant to pierce our hearts, expose our prejudices, and radically transform our lives. In this verse-by-verse study, we’ll discover that Jonah is a book about the Living God who relentlessly pursues the lost, even when His own people would prefer He didn’t. And woven throughout this humorous yet convicting narrative, we’ll see stunning shadows of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Whether you’ve read Jonah a hundred times or are encountering it for the first time, prepare to see this ancient book in a completely new light. It’s time to move beyond the Sunday school version and discover the beauty, humor, and life-changing truth within this often misunderstood little Old Testament book.

Part 1: Something's Fishy

Whether you’ve read Jonah a hundred times or are encountering it for the first time, prepare to see this ancient book in a completely new light. In this overview of the Book of Jonah, Nathan discusses the brilliant writing of the book, how it uses satire to make a point, and the importance of names, themes, and the outline. Get ready to get swallowed up in this new stirring series studying the Book of Jonah.

Part 2: Running in Rebellion

God is passionately pursuing the world with the transforming truth of the Gospel. In this study of Jonah 1:1–3, we look at God’s commission to Jonah, his rebellion and attempt to flee, and two key reasons behind why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh.

Part 3: Expect the Unexpected

Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying that God does not let His children sin successfully. As Jonah flees from the command and commission of God, we see the pursuit of God’s mercy upon Jonah through difficulty, trial, and hardship. As the storm rages and the sailors are about to die, the unexpected occurs, everything turns upside down, and God’s mercy is seen even on a grander scale. In this study from Jonah 1:4–17, we examine Jonah’s flee to Tarshish, the great storm he experienced, and the wondrous mercy God had upon both Jonah and on the pagan sailors.

Part 4: From the Belly of the Beast

Part 5: The Greatest Recorded Revival in Scripture

The greatest revival recorded in Scripture is found in Jonah 3—the entire city of Nineveh repents and turns to God.

In this study, we examine Jonah’s second commission, the response of Nineveh, God’s mercy to Nineveh’s repentance, and conclude with five practical thoughts for what it means for us today. This is the heart and climax of what God wanted Jonah to do, and the outcome was far more than anyone could have expected.

Part 6: The Majesty of God's Mercy

The entire book of Jonah hinges upon a single concept: God’s mercy. The Hebrew word hesed (chesed) is at the focal point of Jonah, and if we miss the depth and importance of this concept, we will miss why Jonah is so rebellious to preach to Nineveh.

In this study, Nathan walks through Scripture discussing the mercy and lovingkindness of God, why this attribute is at the heart of God, and what it means for our lives today.