JONAH EAGER TO FORGIVE

JONAH

EAGER TO FORGIVE

Sabbath School Lesson

May 11, 2013

Larry R Evans

SS Teacher

Introduction

Jonah’s message came at a time of great national distress.  Jeroboam II “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.” (2 Kings 14:23-27).  Through the prophecy of Jonah (v.25), however, the Lord extended his mercy to Israel and widened her borders.  Nevertheless, Israel existed on probationary time despite this blessing.

The message of Jonah is unique in that while he preaches to Nineveh the real import of the book is directed to the northern kingdom.  The dominant theme is God’s right to extend mercy to any nation or individual he chooses – Jew or Gentile.  The book reminds Israel in a satirical way of her missionary responsibility even to her enemies and that her God, Yahweh—her promise-keeping God, is Lord over all nations.  It becomes clear that Israel is in need of the same mercy that God is extending to the Assyrians and that Jonah is reluctant to share.

Quiz

1.              Jonah had every reason to be reluctant to show mercy to the Assyrians because they were know as being relentless and cruel.  True or False?

2.             If we don’t want to do something the Lord asks us to do just don’t do it and things will work out just fine on their own. (1:1,3,4, 17) True or False?

3.             Despite his disobedience, Jonah still considered himself loyal to God because he had not succumbed to idol worship. (2:8) True or False?

4.             God’s messengers need to be flawless if they are to be effective.  True or False?

5.             If God did more miracles there would be more who would repent and more would be saved.  True or False?

6.             It is possible to be used of God but not understand why or how He is using you to bring honor to His name. True or False?

Reflections

It has been said that there are three great prayers:  “Help!” “Thanks” and “Wow!!”  After my study of Jonah maybe I think I’d add one more that we ought to include.  For while Jonah could have prayed all three of those prayers he could have and should have prayed: “Sorry!”  And what about us?

Can we and should we do the same?

The story isn’t just about his reluctance, or even about God’s amazing grace yet both of those are true.  There is another theme that strikes even closer to home for all of us and that is this:  What do we do when the will of God goes contrary to what we want to do?  Perhaps we should add yet another prayer to that growing list of great prayers.  If I did I’d add “Uhhh?”  There are some things God does and other things that He asks us to do that we just don’t understand.  Isn’t that really what Jonah’s dilemma is all about.

Because I am under tremendous pressure right now (I almost decided not to teach this week) I decided to pull out a paper I wrote years ago when I was in Seminary.  The paper is “a theology of Jonah.”  I will spare you most of what I wrote but I will list some insights or lessons I gained from some serious reflections on this very small book.  I remember smiling that my 28 page paper was all about 2 page book of the Bible.  In that paper I listed 21 different practical insights I had discovered.  I will only share a few.  Let’s reflect on the experience of Jonah and see where each of these insights might be found.

1.              Beware of allowing expected results to interfere with present and pressing obligations.

2.             Jehovah has a tender, compassionate care for every living person

3.             It is in the Lord’s character to both hate evil and at the same time to have the desire to show mercy –and so shouldn’t we?

4.             It is our response to the Lord that determines which attribute of the Lord overrides the other.

5.             The Lord sometimes uses nature to bring man to repentance.

6.             In spite of the apparent wickedness of men, there are among those who, if given the opportunity, would repent and “fear the Lord.”

7.             When the Lord assigns to a people a message to carry to the nations He does so with far more wisdom and insight that those whom He commissions to carry the message.

In contrast to Jonah consider the way Jesus struggled with God’s expressed will.  Why is verse 42 so powerful, so humbling and so instructive for us?  (Luke 22:39-46)

In contrast to Jonah consider the way Jesus struggled with God’s expressed will.  Why is verse 42 so powerful, so humbling and so instructive for us?  (Luke 22:39-46)

39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

From the Desire of Ages (p.690 f) we find these words:

   Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world's Redeemer. He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending                                          

fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: "If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done."  {DA 690.3} 

Could there be a greater contrast between the attitudes of Jonah for the lost of Ninevah and that of Christ who saw the destiny of all who had ever sinned including those who would betray and even spit upon Him?  The eagerness to forgive is a divine quality and is not naturally part of sinful human nature.