Day 1 - Lord's Day - Sunday | Daily Devotions | The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2025-2026 |

 May 3

Lesson 9 (KJV)

Christian Expectation of Grace

Devotional Reading: Revelation 5:1–5

Background Scripture: Jonah 1–4; Galatians 3:1–13

Jonah 3:1–5

1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,

2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.

4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Jonah 4:6–11

6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Key Text

Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city.—Jonah 4:10–11a

Social Teachings of the Church

Unit 3: Fulfilling Our Obligations to God and Society

Lessons 9–13

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Identify the reason for Jonah’s anger.

2. Describe how God’s desire to extend grace to Nineveh expresses impartiality.

3. List ideas for extending God’s grace to neighbors from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Lesson Outline

Introduction

A. I’m the Judge!

B. Lesson Context: Historical

C. Lesson Context: Literary

I. The Prophet’s Message (Jonah 3:1–5)

A. Directive from the Lord (vv. 1–2)

B. Proclamation of Jonah (vv. 3–4)

C. Response of the Ninevites (v. 5)

Powerful Motivator

II. The Prophet’s Anger (Jonah 4:6–11)

A. Divine Provision (vv. 6–7)

B. Divine Questioning (vv. 8–9)

Flying Off the Handle

C. Divine Corrective (vv. 10–11)

Conclusion

A. Our Graciously Patient God

B. Prayer

C. Thought to Remember

How to Say It

Assyria	Uh-sear-ee-uh.
Assyrians	Uh-sear-e-unz.
Gathhepher	Gath-he-fer.
Jeroboam	Jair-uh-boe-um.
Jonah	Jo-nuh.
Joppa	Jop-uh.
Nineveh	Nin-uh-vuh.
Ninevites	Nin-uh-vites.
Sennacherib	Sen-nack-er-ib.
Tarshish	Tar-shish.

Introduction

A. I’m the Judge!

His drug of choice was adrenaline. He recklessly and repeatedly drove his motorcycle at high speeds—a decision that resulted in numerous wrecks and serious bodily harm. He squandered his money on expensive vehicles, alcohol, and drugs. He jeopardized his family’s financial stability and threatened to leave them without a father and husband. Although I considered him a friend, I grew angry at his irresponsible decisionmaking and selfish desires.

One day, my anger bubbled to the surface. He had lost weight and felt good about it. He approached me, saying, “I’m looking good, don’t you think?”

“Well, it’s generally good to put on some muscle, too, don’t you think?” I retorted.

In that moment, I felt justified. This man is a jerk, I thought. He doesn’t care about anyone else, so why should I be kind to him? Now, I realize I angrily judged him and concluded he did not deserve kindness and respect.

The question, “Who’s the just judge?” is central in today’s study of the prophet Jonah. The prophet angrily judges God and the people of Nineveh. But are his conclusions accurate?

B. Lesson Context: Historical

Jonah’s ministry is difficult to date. The closest approximation we may make is that he prophesied about events that occurred during the reign of Jeroboam II, the king of Israel from 793 to 753 BC (2 Kings 14:23–29). The designation “Israel” in this context refers to the northern kingdom that formed following the division of the original nation of Israel. This division occurred after King Solomon’s death, around 930 BC (1 Kings 12:20).

In the eighth century BC, before the reign of Jeroboam, military conflicts existed between Israel and Assyria. The Assyrians were known for their brutal violence. Assyrian kings boasted about their power and commissioned visual displays of their cruelty as propaganda, reminding enemies of the futility of resistance.

Nineveh was a major city in the Assyrian Empire. It became the empire’s capital in about 700 BC during the reign of Sennacherib. Jonah prophesied more than 50 years before Nineveh became the seat of government. The city is first mentioned in the Bible when a descendant of Noah’s son Ham built it (Genesis 10:11).

During Jeroboam’s reign, Israel experienced prosperity, though it was short-lived. Their fortune was due in part to internal turmoil in Assyria. However, people remembered past conflicts, and soldiers involved in those wars may have been alive during Jonah’s lifetime. Jonah’s hometown of Gathhepher was in northern Israel (2 Kings 14:25), and this region likely experienced direct conflict with the Assyrians. Eventually, the Assyrian Empire regained strength and, in 722 BC, attacked the northern kingdom of Israel.

C. Lesson Context: Literary

The book of Jonah opens with the Lord commanding Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against it (Jonah 1:1–2). The Lord observed the city’s wickedness. Jonah, however, disobeyed the Lord’s command. He traveled to Joppa and boarded a west-bound ship to Tarshish (1:3).

The Lord sent a storm to intercept Jonah and the ship. To save the vessel, the sailors lightened its load (Jonah 1:5; compare Acts 27:18). Their efforts failed, leading the crew to cast lots to determine the responsible party for the sudden storm (Jonah 1:6–7). Their process pointed to Jonah (1:7). Jonah revealed that he fled the presence of “the Lord, the God of heaven” (1:9–10). He directed the ship’s crew to throw him overboard as a last-ditch effort to calm the storm. They agreed to do so only after requesting that Jonah’s God not hold them guilty of murder (1:14).

Rather than let Jonah drown in the sea, the Lord prepared “a great fish” to swallow him (Jonah 1:17). For three days and three nights, Jonah remained in the fish. He acknowledged his situation and prayed to the Lord (2:1). Jonah promised to make good on his vow to preach the Lord’s salvation to Nineveh (2:2–9). After three days, God directed the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land (2:10). The prophet followed the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh.

I. The Prophet’s Message

(Jonah 3:1–5)

A. Directive from the Lord (vv. 1–2)

                                                                                  B. Proclamation of Jonah (vv. 3–4)

What Do You Think? How do we respond to the charge of “being judgmental” when we communicate the message of God’s judgment? Digging Deeper How should we balance communicating God’s love and mercy with His justice and holiness?

 C. Response of the Ninevites (v. 5)

 

What Do You Think? How do we respond to the charge of “being judgmental” when we communicate the message of God’s judgment? Digging Deeper How should we balance communicating God’s love and mercy with His justice and holiness?

C. Response of the Ninevites (v. 5)

II. The Prophet’s Anger

(Jonah 4:6–11)

                                                                        A. Divine Provision (vv. 6–7)

                                                                                B. Divine Questioning (vv. 8–9)

What Do You Think? Is it appropriate for us to be angry at God? Why, or why not? Digging Deeper How can we prevent anger from becoming hatred, bitterness, or unbelief?

                                                                                C. Divine Corrective (vv. 10–11)

What Do You Think? What ministries can your church offer to those of the nearest “great city”? Digging Deeper How does ministry in a “great city” differ from ministry in a rural context? In what ways are they similar?

Conclusion

A. Our Graciously Patient God

The story of Jonah reveals God’s expansive grace and mercy without partiality. God does not ignore Nineveh’s wickedness; He is, of course, the just judge. However, when the people of Nineveh received the warning of destruction, they responded appropriately. In an act of compassion, God extended mercy and grace, relenting from the promised punishment.

Such manifestations of grace and mercy can surprise us. Like Jonah, we may quickly question God’s willingness to extend forgiveness to our enemies—people we feel do not deserve salvation. However, God is the ultimate judge. His treatment of Nineveh exemplifies that His grace and forgiveness are available to all who will accept them. God’s grace is massive, and His patience endures.

Jonah’s example reveals how God pursues His people and wants to conform our desires to His. God did not immediately punish Jonah for his disobedience and rebellion. Instead, God remained in conversation with Jonah and taught him the comprehensive nature of divine grace. The Lord God is “slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Jonah 4:2) to all people who respond to His grace and mercy. How do you remain in conversation with God? Are you leaning into the divine questions Scripture and the Holy Spirit continually ask? Are you willing to let your perception and understanding shift, change, and grow as you mature in faith?

What Do You Think? What new insights have you discovered from this study of Jonah? Digging Deeper How will this insight strengthen your faith in God or reveal opportunities for spiritual growth?

B. Prayer

Lord God, You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. We repent of the times we have not reflected Your grace and mercy. Shape our hearts and desires to faithfully imitate Your compassion and kindness toward the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

C. Thought to Remember

God’s grace is expansive, and His patience is persistent.

Involvement Learning

Enhance your lesson with KJV Bible Student (from your curriculum supplier) and the reproducible activity page (at www.standardlesson.com or in the back of the KJV Standard Lesson Commentary Deluxe Edition).

 Andrew J. Panaggio, Becki Rogers, and Dara Searcy-Gardner, “Christian Expectation of Grace,” in The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2025–2026, ed. Taylor Z. Stamps et al., vol. 73, The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2026), 303–304.

 Andrew J. Panaggio, Becki Rogers, and Dara Searcy-Gardner, “Christian Expectation of Grace,” in The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2025–2026, ed. Taylor Z. Stamps et al., vol. 73, The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2026), 302.