I was a troublemaker. I disobeyed my parents and teachers and questioned every authority. My parents weren’t religious, but they had strict standards. But I refused to follow their rules. One day as my mother traveled by bus to another city, a man stood up and talked about a book he was selling. The book … Continue reading –>
“‘But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord’” (Jonah 2:9, NIV). [Thought questions for Eager to Forgive May 8, 2013] 1. The poetry of Jonah. Is the entire book of Jonah or just the song he writes from the belly … Continue reading –>
Read Jonah 4 . What important lessons did Jonah need to learn? How is his own hypocrisy revealed here? Jonah 4 reveals some startling things about the prophet. He seems to prefer to die rather than to witness about God’s grace and forgiveness. Whereas before Jonah had rejoiced in his deliverance from death (Jon. 2:7-9), now that Nineveh … Continue reading –>
After such a miraculous deliverance, when commanded by God the second time to go to preach in Nineveh, Jonah obeyed immediately. In his proclamation, Jonah (3:1-4) used language reminiscent of God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). But in the original Hebrew, the word for “overthrown” (see Gen. 19:21, 29, Jon. 3:4) from Jonah’s proclamation can also … Continue reading –>
“Then Peter began to speak: “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 As human beings, we can come to understand our relationship to God in terms of familiar bonds. We can … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: The story of Jonah shows how God patiently taught His stubborn prophet what grace, mercy, and forgiveness are all about. [Teaching plan for Eager to Forgive May 6, 2013] 1. Have a volunteer read Psalm 139:3-8 A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text … Continue reading –>
We humans are a funny bunch. We love to talk about fairness and justice and everybody getting what they deserve – just as long as we get to decide just what that means. Jonah is a prime example. God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the folks there that if they don’t make some … Continue reading –>
When Jonah was thrown into the sea, a big fish swallowed him up at God’s bidding. Jonah must have thought that death indeed was going to be the only way to escape the mission to Nineveh. But the big fish (not called a whale in the book) was an instrument of salvation for the prophet. Unlike Jonah, … Continue reading –>
In Jonah 1, the Lord wants to halt Jonah’s escape and so He stirs up such a severe storm that it threatens shipwreck. The seamen call on their gods for help. Due to the severity of the storm, they feel that someone must have provoked the anger of the gods. They cast lots to decide who … Continue reading –>
Not much is known about Jonah or his family background. Second Kings 14:25 tells that he lived in the northern part of Israel and ministered during the eighth century B.C. The same text reveals that Jonah predicted a territorial expansion of Israel’s kingdom. Nineveh was historically one of the three great cities of Assyria, an important … Continue reading –>
