Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-04-24
NINEVEH'S REPENTANCE
LESSON ", SECOND QUARTER IN
TERNATl ONAL SERIES, APRIL 20.
Text of the Lesson, JAHah iii, 1-1O-Com-
init Verses, ., 1os-Golden Text, Luke ri,
3c-Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.



Stearns.
[Comrilcd from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
mission Of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.
1. And the Word of the Lord came unto
Jonah the second time, saying"
From tho belly of the fish Jonah cried
unto tho Lord and the Lord heard him,
and spako unto the fish, and it vomited
out Jonah upon the dry land CHAP. ii,
I, 10). Jonah's prayer is largely made up
of quotations from tho Psalms, as many ~
eight or ten different Psalms being quoted
from (sce marginal rHferences), teaching US
that Affections open up the mine of Script
ure, and make real to us words before IN
needed (i's cXix ca, ny. If Jonah in the
| fsh's belly was not hid from Gods sight
and hearing, where can we hide from Him.
2. "Arisc, 20 unto Nineveh, that great
city"
How very gracious of the Lord to come
to him the second time with the same mes
sage CHAP. j., p! Ilowvery patient and long
suffering He is with us.
| And preach unto it the preaching that
| | bid thee"
This Is the whole responsibility of every
| preacher, for we are simply messengers of
the Lord Of Hosts
| 8. $50 Jonah arose and went into Nine
veh, according to the Word of the Lord"
Now lie is obedient. This is what he
should have done al FIRST instead of 20
| ing to sea BY his willfulness he has lost
much precious time and grieved his Lord.
But let US take it to ourselves. Are we
obedicnt to the word Of the Lord, or vast
ing time and grieving the Spirit by our
waywardness and disobcdicncc?
Ninevch a very great city, about
sixty miles of wall inciosing it, and Jonah
was only one lone man OF no Importance to
that great and wicked city, but God was
| with him.
4. And Jonah began to enter into tie
city Il days Journey
Many days had he journeyed from the
scashore across the country QOoh AT your
map and note the distance, and Inuch time
| had he for meditation and communion with
bis God. However lonely the way and
long the journey, he had the consciousness
! that To was doing the will of the Lord and
that Tie Lord had sent him.
And he cried and said, Yet forty days,
and Niueveh shall IN ovcrthrowu."
What ~ strange cry for "A lone man in a
great und prosperous and wc;o cjtgl
D. so the people Of Ninevch believed
God, and proclaimed a fast, and pat on
|
| 70 the least Of them"
God was with Ills servant, the Spirit of
God was in the message, and where the
word of a king is there IS power.
6. For word came unto the king of MIN
eveh, and he arose from his throne, and he
laid his robe from him, and covered him
with sackclUth, and sat in ashes
50 the word OF the Lord through this
humble man reached even the heart Of the
king on his throne, and he humble him
self before God, as well as the lowest in the
city.
:. Aud he caused it to be proclaimed
and published through Nineveh by Tie de-
cree Of the king and his nobles, saying
The king and his great men have put
themselves on the side Of Jonah and his
God. If God could make Use Of such "a
crook Us Jonah let no one who is willing
to be used ever be discouraged, but let US
be on the Lords side out and out.
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor
flock taste anything; let them not feed nor
drink water"
Surely this was great and thorough re-
pentance, at least on the part of the king
and his great ones who ordered this severe
fast,
S. But let man and beast lee covered
with sackcloth, and cry nightly unto
God"
Why include the cattle, for they had not
5inncd1 Though they sin not yet they
suffer because OF man 5 sin, and God cares
for cattle.
Yea, let them turn every one from his
evil way; and from the violence that is in
their hands"
Outward sorrow without u turning away
from sin would avail nothing, for God
searcbeth the heart. And inward SORROW
must be accompanied by the actual turn
ing away from all evil.
9. "W no can tell if God will turn and re
pent and turn away from his fierce anger
shat we perish not!"
Had they such light ms Israel had, how
they would have been encouraged, II they
had known of the repentance OF Ahab how
it might have helped them III Kings xxi
! ~. Or If they could have heard the word,
of Isaiah, Let the wicked forsa.se his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts
and let him return unto the Lord, and HC
will have mercy upon him; and to ON
Cod, for he will abundantly pardon lisa
lv, y! Or If they had the light which We
have as to the love OF God. and mis- uuwill
ingncsS that any should perish. and h.,
readiness to forgive sin John Iii. 10; II
Pet. ill., 8; Acts X, 49, xiii, s., 39), how il
would have ejoiced theml If then with
! the light they had, and the warming givel
them, their repentance was so thorough
, what shall be said Of the impenitont undcl
the light OF the glorious Gospel we have 81
freely proclaimed among us2
, 10. And God saw their works, that they
turned from their evil way"
] God Bees unbelicf, and it gricves Him
He sees faith and obedience and He i,
pleased. " nat does He sec in your What
r ever IL wrong, como to Him Just rs you
sro yiold fully to Him, and He will make
it all right.
Aud God repentsd OF the evil that liz
: had said that He would 90 unto them, ant
Fle did IL not"
Fee His promise TO act thus given at
later date TO Israel Ger. xviii, 7, s.. Al
though it was just as He had always done
for Israel, as is fully recorded in the book
Of Judges, or as In Ps cvi, ~, ~: Many
timas did He deliver them, but they pro
vokea Him with their counsel, and were
brought low for their iniquity, Neverhe
less He regarded their affection when liz
heard their cry" AS to God repenting
wo have only to remember one or two