Sabbath: The Restless Prophet
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Jonah 1:1-4:11, Jeremiah 25:5, Ezekiel 14:6, Revelation 2:5, Luke 9:51-56, Jude 1-25.
Memory Text: “And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left — and much livestock?” (Jonah 4:11).
One of the most interesting stories in Scripture has to be that of Jonah. Here he was, a prophet of God, someone called of God, and yet — what? He runs away from God’s call. Then, after being persuaded in a dramatic way to change his mind and obey the Lord, he does so, but then only to do what? To complain that the people to whom he was called to witness actually repented and are spared the destruction that, otherwise, would have been theirs!
What an example of someone not at rest, not at peace — even to the point where he cries out, “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4:3).
Jesus Himself referred to the story of Jonah, saying: “The men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41). Greater than Jonah, indeed! If not, He couldn’t be our Savior.
This week, let’s look at Jonah and what we can learn from his restlessness and lack of peace.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 18.
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When we think of the story of Jonah, we almost automatically add, "and the whale!" Yet the story is not really about Jonah the prophet, or a whale, but rather about a nation that thought they were pretty good but shirked the very responsibility they had been given. It is a challenging book for me to read, not because of the "Whale swallows man" bit, but because when I read it through several times, I start to see my own attitudes being reflected in the character of Jonah. That is the scary bit.
Hi Maurice, I definitely agree with you. As I’m preparing to teach this sabbath (if I’m called to teach), I wrote this about why Jonah responded as he did: (the beginning part had some historical background about Nineveh that i did not include here.)
This is not historical, just my opinion: I like how God, in sending Jonah to Nineveh, was showing that He is not an exclusive God, but an inclusive God. He is willing to save All people, all nations, all tribes, Jews and Gentiles, slaves and freeman, a God that has no respect of persons. But, on the other hand, the people of God, throughout their history had a problem interacting with others, and especially sharing God’s word and their faith in the Lord with others. They knew that they were the chosen people of God, and they thought that everyone else are barbarian or “cannot discern between their right hand and their left”. Does this attitude sound familiar?
Ok, don’t make me say it. We know that we are the remnant church, and proud of it. But are we sharing our faith? So, why are we being exclusive? Why we were not constantly listening to our sda and non-sda friends and family for an opening to share our faith or the word of God? Why are we not trying to participate (when we are physically able to) in anything that will spread God’s word to His lost sheep. Why?
It sometimes feel like I’m in an exclusive social club within another country club. We are proud that we have made it into the social club, but we have forgotten about going back to get the other people. I’m sorry, but i would not be doing my job as a sabbath school teacher, or just a teacher of God’s word, if I didn’t inspire or motivate you and myself to do more, study more, and do more for the least of these. I’m always giving sabbath school homework to help all of us to just that.
When Jesus comes back, at His second coming, He is not going to say to you, “oh, I see that you are a sda.”; he going to say, “but what did you do with your faith in Me?” So, this week, your homework is to listen for an opportunity to share your faith with someone, anyone. It can be to pray with someone, or give a small gift to someone, or sharing God’s word with them; but you have to listen for what their needs are first, then respond accordingly. Some of you can share with your experiences with us next week during testimony time. (This is what i wrote for my church.)
God’s blessings to you all!
Many of us are called by the living God for specific tasks and purposes but later on we decide our own way for self interest like Jonah
In preparation for this week, I would invite you to begin to consider:
* what was God's 'attitude' towards the Assyrian individuals who lived in Nineveh?
* what was Jonah's expectation of God in regard to the Ninevites? Why was Jonah upset at God? Was there a fundamental problem with Jonah's 'theology/doctrinal beliefs' about the nature and character of God?
* what was God's attitude towards Jonah and towards Jonah's being upset with Him?
* how does God's self-revelation of His nature and character in Exodus 34:6,7 align with:
(a) the experience of the Ninevites recorded in the book of Jonah and
(b) with Jonah's perceptions of God's nature and character?
The SDA Bible Dictionary states that when God honored Jonah's repentance, Jonah was deposited upon the dry land, possibly opposite the Island of Cyprus, as much as 150 miles(240 km) nearer to Nineveh than when he had boarded the ship. I see this as Gods intention to do all that He can to keep us on course.
Big question:
Why would Jonah decide to travel on a 2,500 miles journey,rather than a 550 miles from Joppa to Nineveh?
Our first parents run from the presence of God(Gen 3:8).
Isaiah 59:1,2.
Our restlessness pushes us to run from the presence of God to far away.
Why did Jonah run away? Good question. In chapter 4, verse 2, Jonah says that it was because he had been called to announce Nineveh's destruction, and he thought that God would relent and make him look foolish. Some seem to think that this settles the question, but I just have to chuckle. That was just a rebellious Jonah trying to justify his actions.
So, as I see it, the question is still open for opinion. Mine is that Jonah didn't expect the kindest of treatment from the Ninevites, if he went there, and he didn't think that his preaching would do any good anyway.
The moment i reached on the verse 3 of JONAH chapter 4,the text reads:
"Therefore now, O LORD,please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live"- JONAH 4:3
And let us compare with ELIJAH
I KINGS 19:4 NLT
"..............he said;' i have had enough,LORD', he said.Take my life,for i am no longer better than my ancestors who have already died.
THESE TWO TEXTS,we need to take them seriously,since what was happening here,with these two persons it is what is happening to us as Christians,when challenges are striking u and Devil try to remind us of the things we have done,we choose to take simple way of solution,which is "TAKE MY LIFE, O LORD",which is a very bad decision.
WE NEED TO TELL GOD,.....take my wheel and make me through,rather than TAKE MY LIFE FROM ME.
It appears to me that the story of Jonah is quite complex; it is not just about the task God assigned to him, but also about Jonah himself and their relationship.
I am looking forward to learn about the many facets God's relationship with Jonah uncovers, being certain to find, though God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, ultimately, they are meant for our good; always help us grow.
I also choose to look at Jonah's experience with the eyes of a child - in wonder about the mighty, powerful God Jehovah and the works He performs on behalf of mankind as He interacts with this prophet and child of His.
Even his fellow passengers on the ship recognized the works of the powerful God of the Hebrews, entreating Jonah to call on Him to save them as they decided to do as well.
Jonah is doing some serious soul-searching in the belly of the fish as he finds himself attempting to surrender fully to the leadership, Mercy and Grace of His God. This ends the first calling as Jonah comes back to his 'senses'.
But Jonah had not fully resolved to learn to control his impetuous temper, wanting again to tell God what or how to do the work.
It must have been a great struggle for him to acknowledge that he had a problem; he even asked God twice to take his life from him, it was that difficult and exposes his serious dilemma; he is called by God to be His spokesman, but he insists to do it his way or else.
To learn to express pity in the way God has pity, selfless, altruistic pity - true compassion and sympathy, this is what I think Jonah needed to learn. His pity was tinged with 'contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress' - judgmental; this seems to be the lesson Jonah, the restless prophet, needed to learn.
I was told by a Christian that we can't come to God out of fear, we must come to God out of love John. The story we will find later on in the week the Ninavites repented out of fear of extermination. More thoughts on this later this week.
The Ninevites were being sorry for their sins and turning away from God. But the magic here is that while Jonah was preaching the Holy Spirit was working in the hearts of Ninevites making them realize their sins and heed to the call of Jonah. They were able to come out of their ugly feelings hidden inside their hearts. A story of success, God trusted Jonah and accomplished His work through him.