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Have you ever had an attitude of ambivalence? If anyone ever had an attitude of ambivalence, it was Jonah. There’s a little Jonah in all of us; hopefully you’ll realize that going through the recorded conference sessions below. God’s warning through Jonah to Nineveh, is also an important for a warning to America. It’s interesting that while Jonah himself is a prophet, the book is without a declarative future prophecy. It turns out that the story itself is the prophecy. In other words, the narative is a parable/prophecy. We’ll see that in the main lesson of the book. A very interesting story plays out in the book of Jonah. A simple outline of the story as it progresses in four chapters is: 1) Rebellion, 2) Repentance, 3) Revival, then 4) Reproach.

The key verse, Jonah 2:9 says, “Salvation is of the Lord.” Note there are so many different kinds of salvation observable in the book. That’s remarkable! To name a few, physical deliverance, spiritual deliverance, and attitude deliverance are all types of salvation we find. Jonah is a parable of salvation provided through Jesus Christ. Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15:3-4 that Jesus rose the third day according to the scriptures. “According to the scriptures.” What scriptures did he have in mind? Jonah 1:17 and following, and Hosea 6:2. In the Book of Jonah, there are ten miracles, five great things, and four divinely prepared or created things.

One of the paradoxes in the book is that there is actually no mention of Israel. Nineveh repents, but Israel won’t. The mercy of God to Nineveh is blatantly contrasted with Jonah’s cold, hard-heartedness. I think this is an area of conviction for all of us. Jonah’s character is on display as a type of Israel in that he was chosen to serve God and called to bless the Gentiles. He is disobedient and unbelieving, yet wins over the Gentiles in spite of his disobedience. He is also miraculously preserved by God, and restored following personal repentance. In this way, there’s a little Jonah in all of us, or maybe a lot of him in some of us. If you get through these lessons, and you don’t see Jonah in you to some degree, either I failed or you failed.

Gene Cunningham - October 24, 2025

Lesson 1: Leadership Responsibility in Jonah’s Storm (Jonah 1)

Jonah (2025)

God’s personal will for a believer comprises where to be, what to do, and why to do it, and Jonah’s ambivalent heart—accepting truth yet fleeing obedience—exposes the peril of double-mindedness that invites divine discipline through external storms. Until the fish’s belly, Jonah fails all three components of God’s will, illustrating how disobedience to God’s word provokes corrective circumstances that awaken repentance and obedience.

Scripture References: Ephesians 4:17-19, Jonah 1:1-9, Jonah 1:6-9, Jonah 1:4-5, Jonah 1:1-3, Jonah 1:1-17, Jonah 2:9

Related Topics: Prophecy, What is Salvation?, Will of God | More Messages from Gene Cunningham | Download Audio

From Series: "Jonah (2025)"

Gene taught The Book of Jonah October 24-25, 2025 in Prescott, AZ. The sub-title was "America: Renaissance or Ruin? Book of Jonah: Attitudes of Ambivalence."

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