Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-04-17
JONAH SENT TO NINEFEH
LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SEXES, APRIL 10.

TERNA TIONAL SEXES, APRIL 19.
Text Of the Lcssen, Jonah /, 1-t7-Cu,n-
mi. Verses, 1s-iG-Goiden Text, Jonah
iii, documentary by the Ee.. u. IL.
Stearns.
LCoiapiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by zee
mission of II. =. Hoffman, pIuligtar, Philadet
phin
Having learned from previous lessons
how both the ten tribes and the two with
but few exceptions, wander from God and
worship idols, wearc now for u fcw weeks
to consider Gods efforts 60 win them back
to Himself by His servants the prophets.
And we begin VITA the first Hebrew
prophet or missionary ever sent to the Cen
tiles.
/. "Now the Word Of the Lord came
urGo Jonah the son Of Amittai, saying"
lie prophcsicd about 800 years before
Christ, and is one OF tho earliest perhaps
the very first, of the 50 called prophets
whose writings exist.
Q. ARISE 20 TO Nineveh, that great city,
and cry against It; for their wickodncss is
come up before me"
Nncvch was on the Tigris, nearly 400
miles from Canaan. It's walls were about
co miles in length and 100 feet high, with
| LOO towers, each 300 feet high According
tochapteriv, II there were 10 0littlc chill
| dren in tho city ut that time, which would
give population of not lcss than G00,oD.
| 3. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tar
shish from the presence of the Lord and
| went down to Joppa-'
| Jonah could not IN one sense get awHy
from the presence of the Lord anywhere in
the wide world (ps. cXxyix, 10, bat he
could 90 away from the Lords land and
city and temple, just rs Cain went away
from that part Of Eden where God dwelt
A. But the Lord sent out a great wind
into the sea. "
Sometimes when people are doing wrong
events seem to favor them; so Jonah may
have thought it favorable omen to find n
ship al Joppa about to sail to TarshiSh
But however we may seem to succeed in
| our disobedience, God Is watching and con-
! trolling, and we may be sure that sooner
or later our sin will find US ont.
;. Then the mariners were afraid, and
cried every man unto bis god
Hero is Il servant OF God disobedcnt to
his Master, and BRINGING trouble on those
who knew not God, as when Peter, a
disciple Of Christ, caused Malicious to suf-
fer. If, AS Christians, We do wrong, we
are not the only ones who VIII suffer by
the cnastisement lovingly sent upon Us.
and he lay and was fast asleep"
While these heather sailors are doing all
in their power for the safety Of the ship
ana all on board, and calling on their gods,
which were no gods, the only one on board
who knew the only living and true God
is i,sc asleep Is it not IL picture OF the
ma jority of Christians now
b. NV hat meancot thou, . sleeperi'
This was a we'll meriied rebuke It
would do good if the people Of the world
would rebuke protesting Christians more
often
:. They cast lots, and the lot fell upon
Jonah"
In the same way it would seem that
Joshua discovered Achan Josh. vii, 10,
and Saul found out Jonathan u Sam. xiv,
Al, 42), and AN apostle WAS chosen instead
of Judas acts i, 2+2jJ
S. Tell us, We pray thee for whose cause
this evil is upon us
Jonah il now awake, and in the hands OF
those upon whom he has brought trouble.
They have found him ont, and now ques
ticn him as to his occupation aud people
and country. 1t is Illuminating u see this
servant of God compelled to give an &C
count Of himself TO this hcathcn shipinas
ter and his sailors but il is good for him.
Q II am an Hebrew; and / fear Jehovah
the God Of heaven, which hath made the
sea and the dry land"
1 He does better Imam Peter when he ran
away from his Master and warmed him
self AT the servants fire; but perhaps Pete,
might have done better, too, if he had
found himself in the midst OF a ral;ln-
storm ut sea with death staring him il the
face.
10 "Why hast thou done this"
: A searching Question, to which his an
swer is not given. Aud if in any measur,
a Christian is turning away from duty Til,
question ought to come to them viii
power
( Il. "What shall we do unto thee tina
: the sea may be calm unto u.s.
{, Sin must be punished. All nations rec
, oSnize that the trluagress OF must suffer
IL and yet there are those IN this enlight
- ened (D Nineteenth century, dwelling il
our cities in the very centnrs of light au(
Intelligence, who say and ,rach that SIN il
a phantom, nonentty, and thut punish
=, mcnt for sin is not to b. thought OF.
- T.. Take me up and cast me forth int
the sea, SO shall the sea be calm unto YOU
for / know that for my sake this greA
j tempes: is upon you
t lie is convinced Of his sin and Tady t
d accept the consequences.
10, Nevertheless the men rowed hard I
= bring it 10 the land, bu; they could not"
This labor was well meant. They wer
sorry for Jonah; they did not wish to b
the means OF his death, but their wei