Friday: Further Study – The Jonah Saga
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.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
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 Rev. 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?
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Jesus made an important comparison to Jonah in Matthew 12:39-41. It is made clear Christ’s preaching was to be a sign to the Jews of His time as Jonah’s preaching was a sign to the people of Nineveh. Yet Jesus declared Himself greater than Jonah and indicated that in the judgment He will call the people of Nineveh as witnesses against the stiff-necked generation of His day. The Messiah here confers exceptional honor on the Ninevites.
The repentance of the Ninevites was especially noteworthy on several counts. God might have spared the wicked city if a few faithful could be found as he would have done with Sodom (Genesis 18:22-32). Still the whole city, from the greatest to the least proclaimed a fast (Jonah 3:5). And as if to leave ‘no stone unturned’ the beasts, herd and flock (various animals) were made to comply (Jonah 3:7).
Their actions testified in a very definite way they believed God and accepted the message of His preacher.
More than that they acted without any promise or assurance of deliverance from God. The message given to Jonah was simply, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4). Of course Jonah suspected God was not eager to destroy and was bothered that Jehovah might find a reason to relent and make the prophet look bad (Jonah 4:2).
For some reason the people of Nineveh who were morally uninformed (Jonah 4:11) suspected there was some unspoken hope. The Ninevites exercised remarkable faith, although they were promised nothing (Jonah 3:9). This kind of faith the Savior is only too willing to honor. And He will.
Question in my mind is did it upset Jonah that God did not destroy Nineveh because they were his enemies, or because it made Jonah look like a false prophet when no destruction came? More pointedly, can I accept God's mercy on someone who has so seriously harmed me or my family! Can I put my selfish desire to look good away and just praise God for who He is!!
The story of Jonah is an eye-opener to me especially when I started reading the daily lessons with quotes from Scriptures and quotations of E.G White. I used to read the story literally but now I understand that salvation needs us the brethren to share the words of Christ Jesus with the world for the time is short and ''He is in the door..." The Sabbath, health message and education must be spread across the length and breath. Happy Shabat
I have read the story of Jonah numerous times and each time it is so new to me with a personal message that I had never seen before. Like GOD mercies, new every morning. How can the bible be exhausted? It cannot, because it's the food that nourishes our souls and enlightens us as we age in a manner especially suited to that time in which we are living. What an awesome GOD. Amen and Amen .I pray that GOD will give us the strength to accept HIS leading.
The Sabbath overview page of the Jonah lesson mentions The creator of the races. We as Bible Readers ought to accept the fact that there is only one race, the human race - not races. Human beings had nothing about their getting here and so we accept what it is! SDAs believe as Protestant in Sola Scripture and the Bible does not uphold races. So let's accept What God has done.