SDA Sabbath School Lesson 4-Third Quarter 2015-The Jonah Saga

[Wally]

 Lesson 4 July 18-24

The Jonah Saga

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Jonah 1-4, 2 Kings 14:25, Isa. 56:7, Isa. 44:8, Matt. 12:40, Rev. 14:6-12.

Memory Text: ""I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right"" (Acts 10:34-35 NIV).

The Jonah saga is the account of a Hebrew prophet working well beyond his comfort zone. Alive during the reign of Jeroboam II, about 750 B.C. (2 Kings 14:25), Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet whom we know of who was directly called to be a missionary in another country. The truth that the Creator of all races did not intend to limit salvation only to His chosen people is stated repeatedly in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah and the Psalms, even though popular Israelite theology at the time of Jonah did not accept that the Gentiles were also in God’s plan to partake in salvation. Even in New Testament times it was a hard lesson for the Jewish believers to learn.

In the four chapters of Jonah, we read an honest record of Jonah’s reluctant pioneering experience as a foreign missionary, both the positive and the negative. Here a person’s inner, and very human reaction to the call of God is preserved, along with a powerful appeal for the need of foreign missions. A few guidelines for foreign missionaries and cross-cultural witnesses emerge from the book, which also points to solutions for some of the issues and problems modern missionaries face.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 25.

Sunday July 19

The Flawed Prophet

Read 2 Kings 14:25. What does this tell us about Jonah? In what kind of light is he presented?

Outside the book of Jonah, the prophet is mentioned in one other Old Testament passage, 2 Kings 14:25. Here he is honored as a prophet that predicted Israel’s recapture of territory taken by Syria.

Jonah was born in Gath Hepher (Hebrew for "winepress at the water hole"), a town in Zebulun in northern Israel, only a few miles from Nazareth. This means that both Jesus and Jonah were Galilean prophets, separated by about 750 years.

Read Jonah 1:1-3,9,12; 2:1-9; 3:3-10. What kind of picture do these verses present about him, both the good and the bad?

Jonah emerges from his book a strange mixture of strength and weakness: self-willed and rebellious but also teachable and obedient. He was loyal to God, courageous, and a believer in prayer, but he was also narrow-minded, selfish, and vindictive. While Jonah was described as a servant of the Lord in 2 Kings 14:25, he cut a somewhat sad and tragic figure in the book bearing his name. It is a mark of the integrity and reliability of the Bible that he was described in such a candid manner. The natural, human tendency of a writer would be to obscure and hide less-acceptable aspects of biblical heroes. But under the Spirit’s inspiration, the Bible’s authors present the valiant along with the petty in the lives of people to illustrate the truth that, no matter how weak and unpleasant these characters may be, God is able to work through them if they are willing.

What other Bible characters did God use despite their personality flaws? What hope can we draw for ourselves from the fact that God uses flawed and damaged people to work for Him in reaching out to others?

Monday July 20

An Early Missionary

"Go to Nineveh!" was God’s command to Jonah. In the Old Testament the usual appeal to the nations was "come to Zion." God’s original plan was for Israel to live their religion, making the nation so attractive that other nations would come to them for guidance (Isa. 56:7).

Jonah, as a forerunner of the disciples in the New Testament (Matt. 28:18-20), is told to go to Nineveh, which to him seemed an unclean center of idolatry, brutality, and totalitarianism. Jonah made detailed preparations to go west by sea even though God had directed him to go east by land. Jonah, the unwilling prophet, fled in the opposite direction.

Read Jonah 1:3-17. What lessons can we gain from this amazing narrative?

God’s response to Jonah’s flight came in the form of a mighty storm. The winds obey their Creator, even though His prophet does not (Mark 4:41). Jonah slept during the storm while the Gentile crew prayed (Jon. 1:5). In honesty Jonah confessed that he caused the calamity, and he testified to the true God and Creator. Notice that his reply, "I am Hebrew," referred both to his religion and his nationality. In their alarm at the ferocity of the storm, the Gentile sailors tried to save themselves and the passengers, and they showed compassion to Jonah in their reluctance to comply with his instructions to throw him overboard. (The reluctant prophet was willing to sacrifice himself to save others.) When they finally complied, the storm ceased and the sea calmed (Jon. 1:15). The amazed sailors became Jonah’s first converts to his God, who could work through Jonah even while he fled from his call.

The salvation of Jonah was just as miraculous as was the salvation of the ship. God prepared "a great fish." The original Hebrew doesn’t specify what sort of fish saved Jonah by swallowing him. Jonah in the belly of the fish is certainly the best-known episode of the story; however, it should not overshadow the book’s deeper message that God loves, cares for, and wills the salvation of all people.

In the end, there is only one God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth (see Isa. 44:8; 45:5-6). Anything else anyone worships is idolatry and error. Any other "god" they pray to is imaginary, a lie.

Why is this truth so important for us to realize and internalize for ourselves, especially in the context of mission?

[Wally]

Tuesday July 21

In the Belly of the Big Fish

The three-day experience in the belly of the big fish became a type of the death and resurrection of Christ (Jon. 1:17-2:10; Matt. 12:40). God provided and directed the great fish. Although there are accounts of people who survived at sea after having been swallowed by a whale, we must remember that God provided this particular great fish, as well as the miraculous power that sustained His servant while inside. That is, in the end, this was a miraculous event that could have occurred only through the supernatural intervention of the Lord, who is revealed all through the Bible as a personal God who does indeed intervene miraculously in people’s lives.

There is evidence that the phrase "three days and three nights" was an ancient figure of speech expressing the time needed for the imaginary journey to Sheol, the Hebrew name for the realm of the dead. Considering what happened to him, Jonah indeed should have been as good as dead.

In the belly of the fish, Jonah began to pray. The captain had directed Jonah in vain to "call on your God" (Jon. 1:6, NKJV). Now in a hopeless situation, Jonah starts to pray, and seriously, too. It took something this desperate to get him finally to do what he should have been doing all along. A summary of Jonah’s prayer has been preserved in the form of a psalm of thanksgiving. Such psalms typically include five parts:

    introduction;
    description of the distress;
    cry to God for help;
    report of God’s action; and
    promise to keep any vow made and to testify to God’s saving action.

That is, Lord, if You get me out of this, I promise to do such and such. Who hasn’t prayed like that before? The question is, Did you do what you covenanted to do?

Read Matthew 12:40. How does Jesus take the story of Jonah and apply it to Himself? See also John 2:19-22.

The chapter ends with the words: "And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land" (Jon. 2:10 NIV). God’s command to the great fish brought about what well-meaning sailors failed to do for Jonah. In the same way, Christ commanded the disciples after His resurrection to go into all the world, so Jonah after his underwater adventure went to the Gentiles and became the most successful missionary in the Old Testament. Jonah’s rescue witnessed to God’s saving mercy. His seaweed-draped arrival on the beach testified to God’s determination to save even sinful Assyrians from death.

Wednesday July 22

The Nineveh Generation

Read Jonah 3. What great message is found here in the context of outreach and evangelism?

"Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you"" (Jon. 3:1-2 NIV). Two verbs are important in the text. First, this is the second time God says "Go!" God does not give up. He grants failing humans a second chance. Here again we have the New Testament mission concept, which is the idea of going to the nations, as opposed to expecting the nations to come to you.

The other important verb is "proclaim." Proclamation has always been important in the Bible. It is still the most effective way of spreading the gospel message. God emphasized to Jonah that it should be the message I give you. That is, the message we proclaim must be God’s, not our own, or even a tweaked, modified, or bowdlerized version of it.

God’s message is generally threat and promise, judgment and gospel. His stark proclamation was "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown" (Jon. 3:4 NIV). That was the judgment. Yet, there was also the promise of hope, of deliverance, of salvation (there must have been because the people heeded the message and were saved).

Even with the "everlasting gospel" at the heart of it, Revelation 14:6-12 also warns about judgment. Gospel and judgment go hand-in-hand: the gospel offers us God’s way to avoid the condemnation that judgment would justly bring upon us all.

No preaching of the gospel is fully effective unless judgment is taught. "Political correctness," which leads to a watering down of these stark elements and downplaying differences between religions or even between different Christian traditions, is risky. Though in mission we need to adapt our presentation for the people we are trying to reach (contextualization), we must never do so at the expense of the message God has given us to proclaim.

In Jonah 3:5-10, what happens? The Ninevites believed, acted on their beliefs, exercised their faith, and were saved.

God has given us some wonderful promises, and stern warnings, too. What should this story teach us about the conditionality of these promises and warnings?

[Wally]

Thursday July 23

Jonah’s Lament

Jonah 4:1-11 confirms that the greatest obstacle for God to get His prophet involved in world mission was not distance, wind, sailors, fish, or Ninevites. It was the prophet himself. Ninevite faith contrasted with Jonah’s unbelief and vindictive spirit. Jonah is the only person in the Scriptures who accuses God of being gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger, abounding in love and who relents from sending calamity. One would think most people would view these aspects of God with thankfulness.

"When Jonah learned of God’s purpose to spare the city that, notwithstanding its wickedness, had been led to repent in sackcloth and ashes, he should have been the first to rejoice because of God’s amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet. Jealous of his reputation, he lost sight of the infinitely greater value of the souls in that wretched city. The compassion shown by God toward the repentant Ninevites "displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.""—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 271.

Read Jonah 4:10-11. What do these texts teach us about the character of God in contrast to sinful human nature? Why should we be glad God, not fellow human beings, is our ultimate judge?

Jonah showed his anger twice in Jonah 4. He was angry because God changed His mind and saved Nineveh’s more than one hundred twenty thousand inhabitants. He was also angry because the vine withered. In his selfishness, the prophet needed to get his priorities right.

God instructed Jonah to recognize human brotherhood based on the fatherhood of God. The prophet should accept his common humanity with these "foreigners," although they were wayward. Were not 120,000 people more important than a vine?

Read again the Lord’s rebuke to Jonah. In what ways might the Lord be able to say something similar to us? That is, how often do we find ourselves more concerned over our own personal issues, many of which at times can really be trivial, than over the lost souls whom Christ shed His blood to save?

Friday July 24

Further Study: "The book of Jonah is so significant for understanding the biblical basis of mission, because it treats God’s mandate to His people regarding the Gentile peoples and thus serves as the preparatory step to the missionary mandate of the New Testament. But it is also important for catching a glimpse of the deep resistance this mandate encounters from the very servant Yahweh has chosen to discharge His worldwide work."—Johannes Verkuyl, Contemporary Missiology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1978), p. 96.
Discussion Questions:

    "In the history of Nineveh there is a lesson which you should study carefully. . . . You must know your duty to your fellow beings who are ignorant and defiled and who need your help."—Ellen G. White, The Southern Work, p. 80. What is our duty to these fellow beings?

    Assyria was one of the superpowers dominating the ancient near east from about 885 to 625 B.C. Israel and Judah suffered repeatedly under her harsh rule. Israel’s King Jehu was forced to pay tribute to the dominating Assyrian ruler, Shalmaneser III. Israel finally fell to Assyrian forces about 722 B.C. No wonder Jonah was reluctant to go to Nineveh, one of the four chief cities of Assyria, and the center for the worship of Ishtar, goddess of love and war. God had called him to visit the very spiritual heartland of enemy territory to call on the warlike Assyrians to repent. What lessons are here for us in regard to missions?

    How can the remnant church avoid the assumption that the counsels and blessings of the Lord in areas such as the Sabbath, health, and education are given to them for their own benefit, rather than for the benefit of the nations? Read Rev. 3:17-18.

    In what ways do the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12 reflect the message that Jonah had for the Ninevites?

    Some people automatically reject the Jonah story, particularly the part where he is in the belly of the fish. What presuppositions would cause them to reject it out of hand? What presuppositions do you need in order to believe it?

[Richard Myers]

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Jonah 1-4, 2 Kings 14:25, Isa. 56:7, Isa. 44:8, Matt. 12:40, Rev. 14:6-12.

Memory Text: "Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34-35

The Jonah saga is the account of a Hebrew prophet working well beyond his comfort zone. Alive during the reign of Jeroboam II, about 750 B.C. (2 Kings 14:25), Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet whom we know of who was directly called to be a missionary in another country. The truth that the Creator of all races did not intend to limit salvation only to His chosen people is stated repeatedly in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah and the Psalms, even though popular Israelite theology at the time of Jonah did not accept that the Gentiles were also in God’s plan to partake in salvation. Even in New Testament times it was a hard lesson for the Jewish believers to learn.

In the four chapters of Jonah, we read an honest record of Jonah’s reluctant pioneering experience as a foreign missionary, both the positive and the negative. Here a person’s inner, and very human reaction to the call of God is preserved, along with a powerful appeal for the need of foreign missions. A few guidelines for foreign missionaries and cross-cultural witnesses emerge from the book, which also points to solutions for some of the issues and problems modern missionaries face.

It will be interesting to see how the lessons relate to our day where we have done little to enter those areas where evangelists would be tortured and murdered for converting citizens to Christianity. Not all cultures are equal.  Some are rather evil. Is that why Jonah went in the opposite direction? 

[Richard Myers]

Sunday July 19

The Flawed Prophet

Read 2 Kings 14:25.

He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gathhepher. 

What does this tell us about Jonah? In what kind of light is he presented?

Outside the book of Jonah, the prophet is mentioned in one other Old Testament passage, 2 Kings 14:25. Here he is honored as a prophet that predicted Israel’s recapture of territory taken by Syria.

Jonah was born in Gath Hepher (Hebrew for "winepress at the water hole"), a town in Zebulun in northern Israel, only a few miles from Nazareth. This means that both Jesus and Jonah were Galilean prophets, separated by about 750 years.

Read Jonah 1:1-3,9,12; 2:1-9; 3:3-10.

 1:1   Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 
 1:2   Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 
 1:3   But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 

 1:9   And he said unto them, I [am] an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry [land]. 

 1:12   And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest [is] upon you. 


 2:1   Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, 
 2:2   And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, [and] thou heardest my voice. 
 2:3   For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 
 2:4   Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 
 2:5   The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 
 2:6   I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 
 2:7   When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 
 2:8   They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 
 2:9   But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD. 

 2:3   For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 
 2:4   Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 
 2:5   The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 
 2:6   I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 
 2:7   When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 
 2:8   They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 
 2:9   But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD. 
 2:10   And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land]. 

What kind of picture do these verses present about him, both the good and the bad?

Jonah emerges from his book a strange mixture of strength and weakness: self-willed and rebellious but also teachable and obedient. He was loyal to God, courageous, and a believer in prayer, but he was also narrow-minded, selfish, and vindictive. While Jonah was described as a servant of the Lord in 2 Kings 14:25, he cut a somewhat sad and tragic figure in the book bearing his name. It is a mark of the integrity and reliability of the Bible that he was described in such a candid manner. The natural, human tendency of a writer would be to obscure and hide less-acceptable aspects of biblical heroes. But under the Spirit’s inspiration, the Bible’s authors present the valiant along with the petty in the lives of people to illustrate the truth that, no matter how weak and unpleasant these characters may be, God is able to work through them if they are willing.

Yes, if they will make a full surrender, if they will be converted.  Sinners do not serve God, but Satan. We must be born of His Spirit. God loves us and is drawing all to Himself, IF we will be drawn.

What other Bible characters did God use despite their personality flaws? What hope can we draw for ourselves from the fact that God uses flawed and damaged people to work for Him in reaching out to others?

God used Islam to stop the spread of the papacy and to allow the Protestant reformation to proceed. But, using a prophet is a different matter. David was a man after God's heart when he was in a converted state. Sadly we find false doctrine involved in this area. Many have confused the state of man when he sins. Many ordained Seventh-day Adventists ministers have taught that when one sins a known sin they retain their justification before God. Thus, they believe David was man after God's heart when he sinned. How very sad! If we do not have God's Spirit, we are none of His. Is this a Biblical statement? Many don't think so, but it is a quote from the Bible.

Jonah did not have all of these character traits at the same time. When he was in a converted state, fully surrendered to God, he was obedient, not selfish. When he was not reconciled with God, unconverted, full of self, he was selfish. This is important, for it is the foundation of our faith and poorly understood in the church. When Moses sinned at the end of his life, when he manifested pride and anger, he was not in a converted state, and was not justified. His repentance was quick and deep, but that does not mean he was justified before he repented.

God will use sin to punish sin, but a prophet who is outside of Christ is serving Satan. Because Jonah repented and went to where God sent Him, does not mean that he maintained his conversion, for he fell from grace when he sinned. The lesson needs to point out this truth so that justification by faith is kept very clear in the minds of our Sabbath School classes. Since the lesson has not done this, it is up to you to make the clear in your classes this Sabbath. When Jonah was "narrow-minded, selfish, and vindictive" he was in need of a new conversion, he needed to die to self. When he was "self-willed and rebellious", he was not "teachable and obedient". We are either serving God or Satan, we cannot serve two masters at the same time. We could let this go and believe the author means something else, but there are too many who believe one is serving God when he is manifesting his character flaws. They believe a sinner has eternal life when he is sinning, full of self. No, impossible. He which is born of the flesh is flesh, he which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, we must  be born of the Spirit in order to have life. We must be abiding in Christ.

[Richard Myers]

Monday July 20

An Early Missionary

"Go to Nineveh!" was God’s command to Jonah. In the Old Testament the usual appeal to the nations was "come to Zion." God’s original plan was for Israel to live their religion, making the nation so attractive that other nations would come to them for guidance (Isa. 56:7).

God's plan for His  church today is to live our religion, making the church so attractive that others would come to us for guidance. The loveliness of truly converted Christians is a witness of God's character. And...the wisdom of His children far exceeds the wisdom of the world. As an example, the health message given to God's church is far in advance of that which is taught in universities around the world. When practiced by church members and shared with those in the world, it is seen that there is a wise people on this Earth today. Thus, the health message being practiced is known as the "right arm" of the gospel message. It opens the hearts of those who come into contact with true medical missionaries who are able to not only share the truth about health, but are able to work with God in healing the sick.

Jonah, as a forerunner of the disciples in the New Testament (Matt. 28:18-20), is told to go to Nineveh, which to him seemed an unclean center of idolatry, brutality, and totalitarianism. Jonah made detailed preparations to go west by sea even though God had directed him to go east by land. Jonah, the unwilling prophet, fled in the opposite direction.

Read Jonah 1:3-17.

1:3   But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 
 1:4   But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 
 1:5   Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 
 1:6   So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 
 1:7   And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil [is] upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 
 1:8   Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil [is] upon us; What [is] thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what [is] thy country? and of what people [art] thou? 
 1:9   And he said unto them, I [am] an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry [land]. 
 1:10   Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 
 1:11   Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. 
 1:12   And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest [is] upon you. 
 1:13   Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring [it] to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 
 1:14   Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. 
 1:15   So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 
 1:16   Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. 
 1:17   Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 
 

What lessons can we gain from this amazing narrative?

God’s response to Jonah’s flight came in the form of a mighty storm. The winds obey their Creator, even though His prophet does not (Mark 4:41). Jonah slept during the storm while the Gentile crew prayed (Jon. 1:5). In honesty Jonah confessed that he caused the calamity, and he testified to the true God and Creator. Notice that his reply, "I am Hebrew," referred both to his religion and his nationality. In their alarm at the ferocity of the storm, the Gentile sailors tried to save themselves and the passengers, and they showed compassion to Jonah in their reluctance to comply with his instructions to throw him overboard. (The reluctant prophet was willing to sacrifice himself to save others.) When they finally complied, the storm ceased and the sea calmed (Jon. 1:15). The amazed sailors became Jonah’s first converts to his God, who could work through Jonah even while he fled from his call.

The salvation of Jonah was just as miraculous as was the salvation of the ship. God prepared "a great fish." The original Hebrew doesn’t specify what sort of fish saved Jonah by swallowing him. Jonah in the belly of the fish is certainly the best-known episode of the story; however, it should not overshadow the book’s deeper message that God loves, cares for, and wills the salvation of all people.

Salvation of soul or of temporal life? Why did God allow Jonah to be thrown overboard if he was repentant? And if he was not repentant, then why did he ask to be thrown overboard?  Was he ready to obey God when he was tossed into the ocean?

In the end, there is only one God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth (see Isa. 44:8; 45:5-6). Anything else anyone worships is idolatry and error. Any other "god" they pray to is imaginary, a lie.

Why is this truth so important for us to realize and internalize for ourselves, especially in the context of mission?

There is no greater sin than "unbelief". Even the "Evangelicals" with their false gospel understand that one must "believe" even though their idea of belief is far below God's standard. He does not allow for any "unbelief". Even the devils believe and tremble. How can one be a witness for God if he does not walk in the light of God's love and grace? How can one lead others to a God that one does not fully believe in? Why would heathen believe in a religion of one who disobeys his God? Praying to a god made of wood or stone has nothing to do with God. Satan has many deceptions for those who will not cease resisting the drawing love of Jesus.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday July 21

In the Belly of the Big Fish

The three-day experience in the belly of the big fish became a type of the death and resurrection of Christ (Jon. 1:17-2:10; Matt. 12:40). God provided and directed the great fish. Although there are accounts of people who survived at sea after having been swallowed by a whale, we must remember that God provided this particular great fish, as well as the miraculous power that sustained His servant while inside. That is, in the end, this was a miraculous event that could have occurred only through the supernatural intervention of the Lord, who is revealed all through the Bible as a personal God who does indeed intervene miraculously in people’s lives.

An even greater miracle is that God converted a sinful man so that he would go where few others would dare to go with a message of impending death.

There is evidence that the phrase "three days and three nights" was an ancient figure of speech expressing the time needed for the imaginary journey to Sheol, the Hebrew name for the realm of the dead. Considering what happened to him, Jonah indeed should have been as good as dead.

In the belly of the fish, Jonah began to pray. The captain had directed Jonah in vain to "call on thy God" (Jon. 1:6). Now in a hopeless situation, Jonah starts to pray, and seriously, too. It took something this desperate to get him finally to do what he should have been doing all along. A summary of Jonah’s prayer has been preserved in the form of a psalm of thanksgiving. Such psalms typically include five parts:

    introduction;
    description of the distress;
    cry to God for help;
    report of God’s action; and
    promise to keep any vow made and to testify to God’s saving action.

That is, Lord, if You get me out of this, I promise to do such and such. Who hasn’t prayed like that before? The question is, Did you do what you covenanted to do?

Sinful man can do no good thing until filled with His Spirit he has a new heart. Even Pharaoh let Israel go, but it was not from a converted  heart, it was out of fear. The motive for doing good must be correct in order for the action to be really correct. In religion, it is Pharisaic to do "good" works with a wrong motive.

Read Matthew 12:40.

12:40   For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

How does Jesus take the story of Jonah and apply it to Himself? See also John 2:19-22.

 2:19   Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 
 2:20   Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 
 2:21   But he spake of the temple of his body. 
 2:22   When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 

The chapter ends with the words: "And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land]." (Jon. 2:10). God’s command to the great fish brought about what well-meaning sailors failed to do for Jonah. In the same way, Christ commanded the disciples after His resurrection to go into all the world, so Jonah after his underwater adventure went to the Gentiles and became the most successful missionary in the Old Testament. Jonah’s rescue witnessed to God’s saving mercy. His seaweed-draped arrival on the beach testified to God’s determination to save even sinful Assyrians from death.

Amen!  And, it also demonstrated God is not above chastising His children. It was a "bad" thing that happened to Jonah when he was tossed into the ocean. Here is a concrete example that we ought to share with those who do not understand why bad things happen to "good" people. It is a mystery to many, and it keeps them from turning to God. If God is omnipotent, and a God of love, then why does He allow bad things to happen to good people? We above all on this earth ought to be able to answer this question so that the character of our God can be clearly seen.

Saving Jonah was a testimony not just of His love for the Assyrians, but of His love for Jonah also. As with Moses at the end of his life, God did not want Jonah to perish in his sins. Moses' sin was repented of quickly, Jonah took a little longer to come to his senses. Moses did not need to be chastised as did Jonah. And, compare the deeds of both men after they repented. What was the difference and why the difference between the two men? It is important to understand why Moses was taken to heaven and Jonah was not. There are great deceptions involved in how this question is often answered.

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday July 22

The Nineveh Generation

Read Jonah 3.

 3:1   And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 
 3:2   Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 
 3:3   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. 
 3:4   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. 
 3:5   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. 
 3:6   For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 
 3:7   And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 
 3:8   But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands. 
 3:9   Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 
 3:10   And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not. 

What great message is found here in the context of outreach and evangelism?

"And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." (Jon. 3:1-2). Two verbs are important in the text. First, this is the second time God says "Go!" God does not give up. He grants failing humans a second chance. Here again we have the New Testament mission concept, which is the idea of going to the nations, as opposed to expecting the nations to come to you.

The other important verb is "proclaim." Proclamation has always been important in the Bible. It is still the most effective way of spreading the gospel message. God emphasized to Jonah that it should be the message I give you. That is, the message we proclaim must be God’s, not our own, or even a tweaked, modified, or bowdlerized version of it.

God’s message is generally threat and promise, judgment and gospel. His stark proclamation was "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." (Jon. 3:4). That was the judgment. Yet, there was also the promise of hope, of deliverance, of salvation (there must have been because the people heeded the message and were saved).

Even with the "everlasting gospel" at the heart of it, Revelation 14:6-12 also warns about judgment. Gospel and judgment go hand-in-hand: the gospel offers us God’s way to avoid the condemnation that judgment would justly bring upon us all.

No preaching of the gospel is fully effective unless judgment is taught. "Political correctness," which leads to a watering down of these stark elements and downplaying differences between religions or even between different Christian traditions, is risky. Though in mission we need to adapt our presentation for the people we are trying to reach (contextualization), we must never do so at the expense of the message God has given us to proclaim.

Amen!  What is the message that God has entrusted to His church?  It is the three angels message in Rev. 14.  And it surely has been watered down and even perverted so that the gospel nor warnings are seen most of the time. Let's take a quick look at what the author is attempting to tell us specifically about the first angels message. Does it contain both a warning and the gospel? It surely does. Has it been perverted? It surely has.

 14:6   And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 
 14:7   Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 

The three angels message is the most fearful message presented in Scripture. For all who reject God's love and grace, there will come a must terrible punishment, first the last plagues poured out in this world, then the judgment after the thousand years. The  impenitent have good reason to fear the judgments of God. The message begins with the proclamation of the gospel, not the mark of the beast. In the first angel's message we find hope in the gospel and a warning that the hour of His judgment has begun. Both have been watered down or worse, completely changed. The gospel is a message of great hope. We find the first mention to man is in Genesis 3:15. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Most are familiar with the second half of this message, but the first part has been overlooked. Satan has even found some to change the meaning of it. What is "enmity"?  It is a hatred. Why would God tell Satan he was going to place hatred between him and the woman, and their seed? Because until this promise was made, Adam had no hope. He had been told if he ate the fruit from the forbidden tree he would die. The words spoken to Satan gave not only Adam hope, but all of mankind. It is the "everlasting covenant". God promised to place a hatred for Satan  and sin in the heart of man. But, it is a conditional promise. Note this. It is most important. If you  do not understand it is a conditional promise, you are in great danger. What are the conditions upon which the covenant is based? It is only possible to have a hated of sin if we are changed. Until we are converted, we have a fallen nature that is aligned with Satan and sin. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, we must be born again. When we make a full surrender to Jesus, He cleanses the heart and makes us partakers of His divine nature.  It is then and only then that the promise is fulfilled. And, it must be renewed daily. As Paul said "I die daily".  We retain our fallen human nature and are completely dependent upon the power that comes when Jesus takes possession of the heart. Without a personal connection to Christ, we can do no good thing, but through Christ we can do all things. It is a promise that we shall not be tempted beyond what we can bear IF we will be found abiding in Christ. Christ was wounded and by His stripes we are healed (changed into His image).

That is the first part of the first angel's message. The second part says "give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." Has this also been perverted? Absolutely. How many times have you heard that "the books were opened" and out of those books we shall be judged? At the highest level of teaching in God's church this has been changed to say something else. If you do not believe you shall be judged by your works, you have been deceived along with multitudes of others. Sin reveals a separation between man and God. The  judgment will reveal if one was really converted when he went into the  grave. In the books of heaven are revealed not only the deeds of all who professed to serve God, but also the words, thoughts, and even the motives. The life will be judge by the law of God. We are not saved by the law, but we shall be judged by it. God already knows the heart, but the  judgment  is so that all may see the truth.

In Jonah 3:5-10, what happens? The Ninevites believed, acted on their beliefs, exercised their faith, and were saved.

God has given us some wonderful promises, and stern warnings, too. What should this story teach us about the conditionality of these promises and warnings?

Justice and mercy met at the cross. Neither are sacrificed. God will not pardon the guilty, but He will forgive the repentant sinner. Repentance only comes from Christ. It is by beholding His great love that we are brought to repentance. Grace is more than a word, it is the transforming power that fulfills the everlasting covenant that God revealed to Adam in the Garden of Eden. If that love is not accepted, if we reject such a great Sacrifice, then justice will be rendered. But, if the grace of God is allowed into the heart, the price has been paid for past sins at a very high price indeed, and repentant man is not only forgiven, but changed from sinner to saint. As long as he maintains a full surrender of self to Christ, he will be empowered to overcome the temptations that so easily beset humanity.

It would be well  to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ. By beholding His character we shall be changed into the same character by His Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).  Amen!! What a God we serve!!  Has the  power of His grace made you a witness of His character? If not, where does Jesus stand in relation to you? What is He doing?

[Richard Myers]

Thursday July 23

Jonah’s Lament

Jonah 4:1-11 confirms that the greatest obstacle for God to get His prophet involved in world mission was not distance, wind, sailors, fish, or Ninevites.

 4:1   But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 
 4:2   And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 
 4:3   Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live. 
 4:4   Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 
 4:5   So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 
 4:6   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. 
 4:7   But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 
 4:8   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. 
 4:9   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. 
 4:10   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: 
 4:11   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? 

It was the prophet himself. Ninevite faith contrasted with Jonah’s unbelief and vindictive spirit. Jonah is the only person in the Scriptures who accuses God of being gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger, abounding in love and who relents from sending calamity. One would think most people would view these aspects of God with thankfulness.

"When Jonah learned of God’s purpose to spare the city that, notwithstanding its wickedness, had been led to repent in sackcloth and ashes, he should have been the first to rejoice because of God’s amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet. Jealous of his reputation, he lost sight of the infinitely greater value of the souls in that wretched city. The compassion shown by God toward the repentant Ninevites "displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.""—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 271.

Read Jonah 4:10-11.

 4:10   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: 
 4:11   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? 

What do these texts teach us about the character of God in contrast to sinful human nature?

I don't believe that is the lesson for us today, or for Jonah back then. Why did God kill the vine?  There was a lesson to learn.  Moses had the same problem, but God did not have to teach him the same lesson. He could hear the still small voice revealing what Moses had done to Christ when he had struck the Rock, manifested anger with the people, and proudly claimed he had fetched the water.  On the other hand, Jonah needed an explanation that he might see his selfishness. His character had not been developed as had Moses'. Moses did not have to be told of the value of a human soul. What Jonah needed was a new heart. He must first see his selfishness and condemnation before he would turn back to Jesus. He needed to get his mind back on the love of God for him a great sinner.

Why should we be glad God, not fellow human beings, is our ultimate judge?

Actually those who are truly converted and will live eternally will be good judges. It is the unconverted that are not good judges. Fallen human nature left to itself is evil. Just look in the world today. Justice is fallen in the street.

Jonah showed his anger twice in Jonah 4. He was angry because God changed His mind and saved Nineveh’s more than one hundred twenty thousand inhabitants. He was also angry because the vine withered. In his selfishness, the prophet needed to get his priorities right.

He could not get his priorities right until he repented of his sin. He needed to be re-converted. He needed the indwelling Savior that he might have power to choose to do good and do it.

God instructed Jonah to recognize human brotherhood based on the fatherhood of God. The prophet should accept his common humanity with these "foreigners," although they were wayward. Were not 120,000 people more important than a vine?

Jonah did not care about others, he was thinking only of himself. His pride was wounded. He was a false prophet. Poor Jonah. That a city  and her residents were saved was not of concern to Jonah. Self was alive and well.

Read again the Lord’s rebuke to Jonah. In what ways might the Lord be able to say something similar to us? That is, how often do we find ourselves more concerned over our own personal issues, many of which at times can really be trivial, than over the lost souls whom Christ shed His blood to save?

And how do we react? Do we remain in a Laodicean condition, thinking things are just right? Or do we fall on our faces and pray to God for forgiveness? Do we learn as did Moses, that we cannot do any good thing  unless in a converted state where Jesus abides in the heart? Do we see our  continual need of His grace that we might love our enemy?

[Richard Myers]

Friday July 24

Further Study: "The book of Jonah is so significant for understanding the biblical basis of mission, because it treats God’s mandate to His people regarding the Gentile peoples and thus serves as the preparatory step to the missionary mandate of the New Testament. But it is also important for catching a glimpse of the deep resistance this mandate encounters from the very servant Yahweh has chosen to discharge His worldwide work."—Johannes Verkuyl, Contemporary Missiology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1978), p. 96.

A better "further study":  Moses was faithful in all the house of the Lord. How could he manifest anger and pride? And why did God kill him? Did he not repent quickly and deeply?  What do we know about character? Compare Moses' character before unbelief entered his heart to his character after he repented of his great sin. What does this tell us about this rare sin in the life of Moses?  When studying this, consider that many would give life to Moses in his sin, and they would quote a passage from the Spirit of Prophecy to do so. In your study of this subject, you ought to find that the statement quoted is not as it really is. It  is not salvation that is being discussed, but character.

Discussion Questions:

    "In the history of Nineveh there is a lesson which you should study carefully. . . . You must know your duty to your fellow beings who are ignorant and defiled and who need your help."—Ellen G. White, The Southern Work, p. 80. What is our duty to these fellow beings?

    Assyria was one of the superpowers dominating the ancient near east from about 885 to 625 B.C. Israel and Judah suffered repeatedly under her harsh rule. Israel’s King Jehu was forced to pay tribute to the dominating Assyrian ruler, Shalmaneser III. Israel finally fell to Assyrian forces about 722 B.C. No wonder Jonah was reluctant to go to Nineveh, one of the four chief cities of Assyria, and the center for the worship of Ishtar, goddess of love and war. God had called him to visit the very spiritual heartland of enemy territory to call on the warlike Assyrians to repent. What lessons are here for us in regard to missions?

Where God calls, we are to consider that it is His business as to what happens to us. Our duty is to follow His leading. If God be  for  us, who can be against us!!

    How can the remnant church avoid the assumption that the counsels and blessings of the Lord in areas such as the Sabbath, health, and education are given to them for their own benefit, rather than for the benefit of the nations?

The light regarding Sabbath, health, and  education if first for us. God wants us to be healthy and happy so we rightly represent Him. He loves us and does not want us to miss the blessings of Sabbath rest, good health, and an education in the things revealed in Scripture. We are not to horde these blessings. To the contrary, we are to spread the light  to others who are ignorant. The health message is first for us, and then it is to be the "right arm" of the gospel message.

Read Rev. 3:17-18.

 3:17   Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 
 3:18   I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

What a very sad and dangerous condition!  Are you a Laodicean, or do you know your continual need of Jesus to do any good thing?

    In what ways do the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12 reflect the message that Jonah had for the Ninevites?

Both messages promised destruction on account of sin. Did Jonah preach the gospel? Did he  tell the Assyrians of God's grace, and His promised sacrifice? Did Jonah tell them the lambs being sacrificed represented God's dear Son?


 14:6   And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 
 14:7   Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 
 14:8   And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 
 14:9   And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
 14:10   The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 
 14:11   And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 
 14:12   Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 

    Some people automatically reject the Jonah story, particularly the part where he is in the belly of the fish. What presuppositions would cause them to reject it out of hand? What presuppositions do you need in order to believe it?

Professing Christians who do not put their trust in Christ and His  Word would not have faith enough to believe the Bible account. All who put their whole trust in God and look to Scripture for their wisdom have no difficulty in believing the account of Jonah. Those who twist Scripture to suit their own account of things have no anchor. They are full of "unbelief".  Either we have faith in Christ and His Word, or we do not. The true teacher sent of God not only beleives in Scripture, but he points all to Christ and His Word. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12.

Do we understand there is no greater sin than "unbelief"?  Do we look to books written by men, or do we study the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy for our wisdom? Next time you are in a Seventh-day Adventist book store, look at the books on the shelves. What are we reading?