It is both a good thing and a bad thing that Jonah is so well known for having been swallowed by the big fish. A good thing in that practically everyone has heard of Jonah, even if some people think he doesn't exist. He is referred to in 2 Kings 14:25, so his existence is better attested to than some of the other prophets. The bad news is that as a result, it seems harder to get beyond the fish.
This is a shame as Jonah is a very interesting prophet. Told to go the very headquarters of the most evil and ruthless empire the world had seen, not surprisingly he legs it the other way as far as he can go. What is more interesting is the justification Jonah gives. it is not out of fear that he runs away, but because he knew that God wanted to forgive the Assyrians, and he wanted God to destroy them instead (Jonah 4:2).
In Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, there is a good 1 verse summary of the consequences of our decision on whom to worship:
Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
Can I also recommend this 50 minute radio programme with Michael Card, Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor talking about Jonah.
4 comments:
and it's over - feeling a bit bereft - anyone else finish?
Me too , finished on the tram home this evening! This is now the fourth time I've gone through cover to cover, but the first time in 90 days. It's been great connecting all the dots (well, some of them) while rattling through, without forgetting too much en route. Each time I finish I want to start again, though I think this time I will actually pause and try and answer (or get help answering) all those questions big and small that cropped up along the way!
Till next time!
Yes, I finished right on time, at one point I was very smugly way ahead of schedule but the big guy soon wiped 'smugness' from my vocabulary!Instead he asked me to pay attention to what I was reading and not turn it into a personal competition!Oh! boy am I glad I listened, I really have got such a buzz from reading parts of the bible that 'other lagers cannot reach'!(maybe some of you are not old enough to remember that add!). Anyway, I also need to admit Mr Isaacs was right 45 mins a day to get to know God better is really not asking very much at all. Feel a bit lost now without my little schedule but will get fired up studying Luke for lent and most importantly the Michael Card concert!
also really looking forward to the michael card concert. i have 45 extra minutes in my day now apparently - so where did they go?
there are some bits i really want to read again more slowly but i do want a little break from it now. thanks again adam for the great initiative and shame on the rest of you for not rising to any of the bait i threw out trying to create a bit of controversy on here...
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