Sunday: The Reluctant Prophet
Daily Lesson for Sunday 22nd of June 2025
The story of Jonah (see Jonah 1:1-17; Jonah 2:1-10; Jonah 3:1-10; Jonah 4:1-11), while brief, delivers considerable impact. Many believers have found reflections of themselves in this reluctant prophet. The story also contains remarkable overtones of future events.
Read Matthew 12:38-42. Which parts of the story of Jonah does Jesus refer to as He addresses the scribes and Pharisees? What lessons about the judgment are found in His statement?
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Jesus declared that He was greater than Jonah. He knew that coming to this world would mean the Cross, and still He came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jonah spent three days in the great fish because of his own sins; Jesus spent three days in the tomb because of ours. That’s what it took to save the lost.
Today, we know Jonah as a reluctant prophet, unwilling to go to Nineveh. From a human perspective, it is easy to understand—the Assyrians ran a brutal regime. Assyrian murals are replete with scenes of unusual cruelty; conquered peoples were put to death by the most cruel methods imaginable. Who would want to face the prospect of preaching repentance in their capital city?
There is an important moment in the story that may point forward to the last-day remnant movement. When Jonah is asked who he is, he responds, “ ‘I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land’ ”—a statement much like the first angel’s message (Jonah 1:9, NKJV; Revelation 14:7). Indeed, his emphasis on the Lord as the One “ ‘who made the sea and the dry land’ ” is, of course, pointing to Him as the Creator. This fact is foundational to why we should worship Him, and worship is central to last-day events.
At the same time, we, too, have been charged with preaching a potentially unpopular message in spiritual Babylon. To say “come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:4, NKJV) is to tell the world they must repent—a message that has almost always provoked a negative response from many people, even when delivered in the kindest way possible. Who of us when witnessing has not received negative, or even hostile, responses? It just comes with the job.
|
How much of Jonah do you find in yourself? How can you move beyond this wrong attitude? |
(16)
The story of Jonah is essentially a parable highlighting Israel's opinion of itself and its mission to the rest of the world. Israel held the view that salvation was for them and the rest of the world could go to hell for all they cared. God's message to Jonah, and by inference, to Israel was, "Get off your butts! I've got work for you to do!"
That was a new concept to Jonah. The idea that they had something to give to the rest of the world was repugnant to him. He belonged to the chosen people and the rest were getting what they deserved.
His message to the Ninevites was simple, "Repent!" He did not justify it be telling them that the Israelites had the best religion and the longest association with God. He told them to repent.
Wind forward to our time: What is the message for us today? Many of us get stuck on the whale, and we try to prove that this supernatural event could happen. But the main message in this story is that we have to get over the idea that we have some sort of special privilege because of our prophetic place in history. We have resposibility and a message to preach to the rest of the world. We need to preach a message of repentance that cuts to the core of the issue. Having just read C S Lewis's chapter on "Pride" in "Mere Christianity", it is probably not surprising I am thinking that a message of repentance from self-centred or national pride is an appropriate application here. And like Lewis I am referring to the sort of pride that says I, or our country, is better than everyone else.
The counterfoil to this great sin of pride is the sort of humility that Jesus lived, and died for. The really big issue for us is that we can only effectively preach repentance if we are truly humble and repentant ourselves.
And just to finish with: The Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Session is meeting in a couple of weeks. Often such sessions are a time when we pat ourselves on the back and tell ourselves how successful we have been. If we have a message of repentance maybe we need to apply the message to ourselves. If we don't we could find ourselves like Jonah, sitting under a dead pumpkin vine! Make our humility a matter for prayer.
The story of Jonah shows a distorted view of God led the prophet away from the divine calling. Prophet Jonah, expected God to be manageable—predictable and partial to his personal desires. Instead, he encounters a God of boundless compassion, even for the enemies of Israel. As we read in Jonah 4:2, Jonah admits his reluctance to go to Nineveh stemmed from knowing God is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” This profound truth about God’s character unsettles Jonah—and often, us—because it challenges our assumptions about who deserves mercy.
Jonah also misjudged himself, believing he could ignore God's call and escape the consequences. But as Psalm 139:7 reminds us, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” There is no hiding from God's purpose. Jonah's attempt to flee to Tarshish rather than obey the difficult mission to Nineveh mirrors our own reluctance to face uncomfortable or costly tasks. We may not board a literal ship, but we often seek distractions or delays rather than embracing the harder path God places before us.
Ultimately, Jonah’s journey shows that in the running away from God we are likely to get storms without his presence which can be difficult. Yet even in the depths, God’s grace remains. Just as Jonah found restoration after surrendering, we too can rediscover our purpose by responding to God's call. This week, reflect on where God might be calling you to act, love, or speak truth—even when it feels like a “Nineveh” moment. In surrendering to God’s call, we don’t lose ourselves—we find life, meaning, and grace anew.
One of the clear signs given by Jesus about the end-time generation is stubbornness and hardness of their hearts. In Matthew 12:38-42, Jesus characterised the end-time generation to be resistant to truth, hardened by sin, and unmoved by warnings. In this passage a skeptical and rebellious people were demanding a miraculous sign from Jesus to validate His authority. Jesus refused to yield to their demand because His teachings, healings and power over demon had clearly demonstrated His power and authority. Their non-belief was not due to lack of miraculous sign but the corruption of their hearts. The ultimate proof Jesus could give was a prophetic sign of His resurrection. As Jonah was “resurrected” from the belly of the big fish “so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40).
In view of Jesus giving Jonah as the only sign, how does that reflect as the end-time sign?
1. The end-time generation must believe in the resurrected Christ, no any act or miraculous event will save them. The ultimate faith should be anchored on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. Like the Ninevites believed, repented and they were saved, so the end-time generation must believe in Jesus, repent and they will be saved.
3. The end-time Church should not be reluctant like Jonah. The Church should be faithful in proclaiming the final warning. The Church is the watchmen (Ezekiel 33:7–9).
4. Like the Ninevites and prophet Jonah were given second chance, so the end-time is borrowed second chance. “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). The end-time is on borrowed time!
5. From the fish’s belly, Jonah prayed, “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). So the end-time generation will only be saved by crying out for the salvation which is only found in Jesus Christ.
“The men of Nineveh will rise up 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)
Distraction x focus. Like anyone busy with daily toils for survival, Christians also face this reality. But focus has to be practiced. Focusing on Jesus, as Redeemer and Friend, can be the best we can do; then, the right attitude will come naturally.
One of the significant issues in the story of Jonah, that we often overlook, is the response of the people of Nineveh.
Instead of rebelling and revolting against the message of Jonah, them humbly accepted and repented!!!
Are we ourselves putting up barriers to the spreading of the gospel where there are none??
May God help us to trust Him to do the work of revival and reformation in difficult parts of the world-knowing that our part is simply to go and tell despite our preconceived ideas!!!
While traditionally interpreted as a demonstration of God's supremacy over Assyria’s deities and associated religious practices, the mission of Jonah to Nineveh around 760 BCE may also be viewed within a broader historical and theological framework.
Rather than a mere contest between divine powers, Jonah’s prophetic call can be understood as preparatory for the events that would soon reshape the region — namely, the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the subsequent exile of most of its inhabitants, often referred to as the diaspora of the “ten lost tribes” - 1 Chronicles 5:26.
Without God's Wisdom and Grace, the Assyrian Empire, known for its military might and brutality, posed a significant threat to Israel. However, Jonah’s call to repentance — delivered to Nineveh, Assyria’s capital and its king — suggests that God’s engagement with Assyria was not limited to judgment but included a call to moral transformation. Simultaneously, this prophetic encounter may have functioned as a divine message to Israel itself, urging the nation to reform before facing further consequences.
The resettlement policies implemented by Assyria between approximately 745 and 715 BCE led to the displacement of most of the Northern Kingdom's population and the introduction of foreign populations into their own land. This intermingling laid the foundations for the emergence of the Samaritan people — a group characterized by syncretism, rooted in both Israelite and foreign lineage, but the faith in the same God.
Thus, Jonah’s mission, and the subsequent Assyrian - Israelite encounters, may be interpreted as part of a divine strategy to expose both nations to covenantal accountability. This broader view highlights God's sovereignty not only over Israel but over the unfolding historical processes affecting empires and displaced peoples alike - Jer.32:27.
One thing I find interesting is how the other sailors riding with Jonah actually show more righteousness than him (not wanting to throw him into the sea, asking for forgiveness when they do). Perhaps there is something to be learned from that.
We have a message to give to the world, but hopefully Jonah's story reminds us to be humble. Like Israel in Jesus' time, the people of Ninevah could come out in better shape than us.