The Tupelo journal., 1908-06-19


Here was q point which troubled the
lad, and the mother patiently tried to
show him how God had revealed to
the prophet the victory he was going
to give the army of Israel. but that
his father had spoken of his return
not from the certainty of revelation
from God, but rather as the wish of
his heart that he might be back with
her and his boy again.
During the anxious weeks that fol.
lowed Jonah's active brain was busy
studying over this problem Of the diff
ference between what his father had
said and what the prophet had said.
He couldn't just grasp the idea that
the prophet could know more than
his papa, or that what he said would
more surely come to pass than that
which his father had spoken. And
when he had gone back to his mother
with his puzzling questions and she
had explained to him that the prophet
what to say, he had asked why God
could not tell his papa what to say.
And then she had gone on to try and
show him the difference between Gods
dealings with a nation and his deal
ings with an individual, and that often
he spoke his special message to the
nation, when he did not to the indi-
vidual.
Such was the early incident in the
life Of Jonah which made a lifelong
impress upon his life. His father never
came back, and into his heart there
was burning not only. the sense of
self-sacri1ce and loyalty to his coun-
try, but a deep consciousness of the
over-ruling Providence Of God in the
affairs Of his nation.
Naturally of a deep religious nature,
the early impressions intensified his
desire to know and serve God. 1t
seemed a wonderful thing to him that
Elisha should have known the mind of
God concerning the future victories
which Israel was to win owe Syria,
and when this prophecy had been full
filled to the letter and King Joash
had won the three victories, he re-
solved that he would serve God and
his nation.
why should l not live close to God,
too, so that he can tell me of things
which he is going to do for my ma
tion?"
Such was the question which he had
often asked himself in secret, and it
was the question he finally asked his
mother as he expressed to her his
wish to go to one of the schools Of
the prophets.
He never knew all that 1t cost her
to part with him for the long season.
but he did see that same look of sor-
row and anguish in her face which had
come when his father had gone off
years before to battle and had never
returned.
But l viii return" he quickly
spoke up, with reassuring smile.
Yea, as God will" responded the
mother, f%erveatly.
And again he felt that overpowering
of Gods control in the affairs of
men and of nations which he had
felt as a little boy when he had ques-
toned his mother concerning the
prophet Elisha's word.
las God WILL" he repeated, and was
gone.
The years passed, and the thought
full youth had developed into the
quiet, meditative man. The intense
love of his country has made him a
close student of the political events, and
he has watched with growing inter-
est the coming of Jereboam to the
throne. What would be the effect of
his reign upon the kingdom? Would
it be for veal or woe? And when
he noted the apparent disposition of
the young king to rest easy in the
victories his father Joash had won and
to yield to the corrupting influences
all about him, he sought the Lord
earnestly in prayer, crying owe and
over again, that as God had revealed
to Elisha the plans for the kingdom,
so might he reveal to him the things
he would do concerning the nation.
They that wait on the Lord shall
not be ashamed" he repeated one day,
recalling one of the passages from the
Psalms of David. Il will wait"
No one ever knew what that vigil
cost him, of the heart-yearning for his
nation, of the faith Godward and the
hope manward-the world never
knows what the victories Of Gods
saints cost-but the nation did know
his wonderful message and rejoiced,
saying: Surely the Lord hath
spoken by the mouth of Jonah the
prophet, and will restore unto us the
borders of the land which our fathers
possessed"