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Discussion questions

These questions can be used by you alone, with a friend, or your Faith Group to discuss "Obadiah & Jonah: Guilty, Yet Forgiven: The Mystery of God's Justice" preached March 2, 2025. This is the fourth message in Part 1 of the series "The Major Message of the Minor Prophets." 

The Minor Prophets are a group of books in the Bible that are often overlooked but deeply powerful. These prophets spoke during some of Israel’s darkest times, delivering messages of judgment, warning, and hope. But don’t let the word “minor” fool you—it only means that they are shorter than the Major Prophets. If Isaiah is like a full-course meal, the Minor Prophets are like an espresso shot—short, strong, and it packs a punch. They remind us that sometimes the smallest voices carry the strongest messages.

Open your group with a prayer. Use these questions as a guide; select the points you want to discuss.

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GETTING STARTED  

Before we dive into the tension between God’s justice and mercy, let’s warm up with some fun and thought-provoking questions. These will get us thinking about fairness, forgiveness, and how we respond when people don’t get what they deserve.

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  1. Have you ever been pulled over for speeding but got away with just a warning? How did you feel—relieved or guilty?

  2. What’s the pettiest thing you’ve ever gotten mad about? 

  3. If you could create a “justice system” for everyday life, what’s one small offense you think should be punishable? (Example: Leaving shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot!)

  4. Have you ever watched a movie or show where the villain got away in the end? Did it bother you, or did you secretly love it?

  5. What’s a time when someone showed you mercy when you totally deserved consequences? How did it change the way you saw them?

 

DIGGING DEEPER

Now that we’ve had some fun thinking about justice and mercy, let’s go deeper into the message of Obadiah and Jonah. These questions will help us wrestle with God’s justice, His mercy, and how the two fit together in His plan. Take your time exploring each passage and discussing what these truths reveal about God’s character.​

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  1. In Obadiah, God’s judgment falls on Edom. What specific sins did Edom commit against Israel, and why was their betrayal so serious? (Obadiah 1:10-14)

  2. How does Obadiah 1:3-4 describe Edom’s pride? Why do you think pride so often leads people to believe they’re untouchable?

  3. Read Galatians 6:7-8. How does this passage reinforce the message of Obadiah 1:15? What does it mean that people “reap what they sow”?

  4. Why do you think God completely wiped out Edom but spared Nineveh? What does this contrast teach us about how God responds to different people groups?

  5. Read Jonah 1:1-3. Why did Jonah refuse to go to Nineveh? Based on what you know about the Assyrians, would you have felt the same way?

  6. Jonah 3:4 records an incredibly short sermon—just eight words! Yet the entire city repented. What does this tell us about God’s power to change hearts?

  7. Read Matthew 12:40. Why did Jesus compare His time in the tomb to Jonah’s time in the fish? How does Jonah’s story foreshadow the gospel?

  8. When Nineveh repents, Jonah becomes angry. Read Jonah 4:1-3. What does Jonah’s reaction reveal about his heart?

  9. In Jonah 4, God provides a plant for shade, then removes it. What was God trying to teach Jonah through this object lesson?

  10. Read Romans 3:23-26. How does God remain both “just” and “the justifier” of sinners? How does this resolve the tension we see in Obadiah and Jonah?

  11. Obadiah and Jonah show two very different sides of God’s character—justice and mercy. How do these attributes work together rather than contradict each other?

  12. The book of Jonah ends with an unanswered question (Jonah 4:11). Why do you think God leaves the story open-ended? How does this challenge us as readers?

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​LIVING IT OUT

We’ve explored God’s justice and mercy in Obadiah and Jonah, but now comes the hard part—what does this mean for our daily lives? How do we live as people who have received mercy, especially when we struggle to extend it to others? These questions will help us wrestle with the challenges of sharing the gospel, forgiving as we’ve been forgiven, and trusting God’s justice in a broken world.​

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  1. Jonah wanted mercy for himself but justice for his enemies. Can you think of a time when you felt the same way? How did you wrestle with those feelings?

  2. Are there people or groups of people you find difficult to believe God would (or should) forgive? How does the story of Nineveh challenge that thinking?

  3. Sharing the gospel can feel difficult, especially with people we don’t like or don’t understand. Have you ever struggled to share your faith with someone? What held you back?

  4. Jonah preached an eight-word sermon and saw a massive response. How does this encourage (or challenge) you when it comes to evangelism? What’s stopping you from speaking up?

  5. Obadiah warns that pride leads to destruction. Where do you see pride creeping into your own life? How can we guard against the kind of arrogance that blinds us to our need for God?

  6. We don’t always see justice served in this life. How do we trust God when the wicked seem to go unpunished? How does the Cross help us make sense of delayed justice? (see Romans 2:4)

  7. God was patient with Nineveh, and He’s been patient with us. Who in your life needs to hear about God’s mercy, and what’s one step you can take to share it with them this week?

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