The Detroit times., 1911-01-09
IN DETROIT PULPITS--No. x
woodward-Ave. Christian
the Rev. J. T. McGarvey-"Fact or Fiction"

Nineveh was a great city, wherein
were six score thousand so young as
not TO know the right hand from the
left. The wall surrounding her was
sixty miles in length and hundred
feet In height. Fifteen hundred towers
for military purposes surmounted the
walls, and numerous gates on every
side gave entrance from any direction
She was the largest and the greatest
city that the word had known 1t has
been revealed by the excavations OF
Emilio Botta that the palace OF king
Sargon had walls 8 feet thick, that
were in many places decorated with
ornamental tiles OF beautiful design
The royal library was uncovered and
many tablets and cylinders of baked
clay were found, along with deeds and
other documents. These books Of
ancient lore were catalogued and called
for by their numbers, as at the present
day i'm our own land. This city disap-
peared from the face of the earth en-
tirely. Alexander marched his troops
over IL, all ignorant OF the fact that
the ruins Of great city were be
meath his feet. In 1912 the excavations
OF Emilio Botta commenced and the
spade uncovered Ninevah.
God looked upon thiS city, with q
great population OF men and women.
with immortal souls stepped in wicked
ness and depravity, and desired to save
them.
Now IT has pleased God to save men
by means OF preaching and He has not
He uses. But who the preacher that
could go TO such place at such a
time and preach In such a manner as
to bring them to repentance? GOD
Jonah, a man OF whom we know very
little, but that little Is very Significant.
Jonah lived during the reign OF Zero
boam, the second. who came TO the
throne under circumstances most dis
During the reign or his
grandfather. Jehoahaz, Hazael. king or
Syria, had subdued and overrun Israel.
In the language OF the text In the book
of Kings. che destroyed them and made
them like the dust in threshing." Tho
king of Israel had left only 90 horse
men, 10 chartots and 10000 tootmen.
His son. Joash, succeeded In throwing
off the yoke of Syria, but the country
was Impoverished and the affiiction OF
Israel was very bitter.
Though coming to the throne under
such circumstances. Jeroboam. the sec
ond, in the course OF forty years, re-
stored the prosperity OF Israel. con
quered Syria and extended the borders
OF his territory to the utmost limit
that IL had attained in the palmy days
of David and Solomon. And note care
fully. He did this according TO the
word OF Jehovah, the God or Israel.
the son OF Amittai OF Gathhepher."
How could all this be done by the
word of Jehovah. which He spoke By
the hand of His servant. Jonah? the
details are not given, but we are In
formed OF a similar experience In the
career OF Elisha and naturally Infer
that the process was the same. Ellsna
lived under the reign OF Jehoram who
was continually at war with Ben.
Hadad. king OF Syria. Ben Hadad
would say to his officers, I'm SUCH ana
such a place shall be my camp; and
Elisha would say to Jehoram, Beware
that thou pass not such place, FOR
thither the Syrians are coming down.
Thus the king OF Israel saved himself
not once nor twice.
Ben-Hadad's heart was soreiy trou-
bled about this thing and, calling to-
gether his counselor, he demanded or
them. "will you not show me which
Of us is for the king of Israeli" And
one OF them answered. NAY, my lord,
O. king; but Elisha, the prophet, that
is In Israel. telleth the king OF Israel
the words that thou speakest In thy
bed chamber
BEN Hadad sent troop OF cavalry to
capture Elisha, with the result that
Elisha captured by strategy the whoIe
troop and then released them and sent
them home to their master. Thus may
we understand the victories or Jero-
boam the second, were accomplished
by the word OF Jehovah, by his servant
Jonah These things and the great
fame OF Jonah. were certainly known
I'm Ninevah, the river Euphrates was
the border line between the two king
doms.
How NInevah Was saved.
time to time. that great city needs
great shaking up by great
preacher. but they cannot tell with
certainty when is the strategic mo-
mont and who the man. There Is no
such uncertainty with Jehovah. lie
chose his man and the time and said
to Jonah. Arise and go To NineVah,
that great city, and cry against II; Tor
their wickedness has come up before
me" Jonah started In the opposite
direction, To fee from the presence OF
Jehovah. and as he subsequently de-
clares for the reason that he thought
that God would spare the people of
Ninevah. and they being Gentlles. he
was unwilling that God should love
them and save them.
Jonah's runaway trip TO Joppa COW
cred a distance OF hundred miles;
and he doubtless arrived very weary
man lie found "a ship ready TO san
for Tarshish. the most remote port
that navigators touched, paid his fare.
found his berth and fell asleep. The
craft was soon battling with terrihc
storm and the skipper. searching about
found Jonah and said, What thou,
sleeper? Arise. call upon thy God, ~
80 be that lie will call upon us, that
we perish not"
found the sailors casting freight over
board: all had called on their gods ana
were ready TO cast lots To ascertain
what guilty man had caused the call
amity The prophet had the nerve TO
east lots with all on board He drew
the black ball and was immedlatel;
piled with excited questions: what IS
thy occupation? Whence earnest thou!
what is thy country? OF what people
art thou? Jonah had found himself. a.
many "A one does when cornered. and
began TO tell the whole truth. II am
Hebrew. and | fear Jehovah. the
| God OF heaven, who made the sea and
| the dry land. and i am neeing from
4 His presence" These men knew moth
| ing OF the God who had made the sea
| and the dry land, and they were ex-