The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-04-27
SUNDAY School.
Lesson V.-Second Quarter, Fol
April 80, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Jonah iii, $, to ~,
11-Memory Verses, Chapter iv, 10,
11-Golden Text, Matt. xviii, 10.
Commentary Prepared by Rev. D. M.
Stearns.
The committee calls this foreign
missionary lesson, and it is certainly
grand missionary story. reaching on
even to the kingdom when it shall be
fully seen that salvation is Of the
Lord" iii, 81. With this saying Of
Jonah / have in my mind the words
of the Lord Jesus to the woman OF
Samaria, salvation is of the Jews
John vi, ~. Putting the two toSeth-
er we have the great truth that saliva
ton Is Of the Lord through the Jews.
This is and will be Seen to be true OF
all individuals and also of nations.
All the redeemed in heaven and on
earth owe their redemption to the
blood Of d Jew, and the nations as
such will not be saved till the glory OF
the Lord is risen upon Israel. Then
they shall come to her light and kings
to the brightness of her rising Qsa.
tx, 1-3; xii, 1-3; xvii, 6; Jer. iii, II;
Zech. ii, 1912.
We have in our lesson the only in
stance. as far as know. Of whole
city penitent. But when Israel shall
have had her resurrection from the
dead and nation of Pauls shall go
forth into all the world witnessing as
He did in the power Of the Spirit,
knowing ell languages and having all
wealth at their command, whole IA
tons shall turn to the Lord in true
pentence and "All kings shall fall
down before Him, all nations shall
serve Him. Ps. Xxi, III.
The Lord Jesus spoke of the expert
ence of Jonah in the belly of the fish,
his preaching and the repentance of
Nineveh, and those who question the
truth Of the story OF jonah question
the veracity Of Jesus Christ. 1t is the
work Of the devil to question the word
Of God or the love of God (Matt. xii,
1911; xvi, 4; Gen. iii, 1-5l.
Could there by more vivid picture
of the churches Indifference to the
command of Christ in our Golden Text
than that of Jonah on this ship? The
only man who knew the true God is
fast asleep, while the heather sailors
are diligently calling upon their gods.
They only found out who he was and
why he was there by questioning him.
In tai, AL fr1f
Jesus could not be hid Mark vii, 24,
but some who bear the name of Chris
tian seem to hide Him quite success
fully. Contrast II Cor. iv, 10, II; H..
Id. Think of Samson and his fatal
sleep, Peter, james and John asleep in
the presence Of great privilege and
also Of great suffering and consider if
you need the question of chapter i, 6,
and if SO what will your answer be?
As to the great fish prepared by the
Lord to take care of Jonah | often
wonder why people have been SO long
looking for fishes Of the same kind.
for the record does not say that the
Lord made two great fishes to propa-
gate the species, but that He prepared
8 great fish.
For augbt we know the fish may have
died when it finished its ministry 10
Jonah, as probably did the little fish
that brought the coin to Simon Peter.
The winds of i, 4; iv, S, were special
winds for the occasion, as were also
the gourd and the worm of ", 6, I,
special preparations for special minis
try. | have long rejoiced in the truth
of Eph. ii, 10, and firmly believe that
all the good works of all the Lords
people are prepared beforehand for
them to walk in. 1t is helpful to say
concerning all things, pleasant or TN
pleasant, prepared for me by in
finite love-"
With all Jonah's peculiarities he
seems to have been q man full of the
word Of God, for his prayer in chapter
ii is almost wholly Scripture In the
margin of my Bible note in his pray
er nine quotations from or references
to the Psalms, besides some from 9th.
er parts Of Scripture. When he did
finally start for Nineveh the word Of
the Lord to him was, Preach unto it
the preaching that l bid thee Gii, p
Compare Jer. i, Z; Eek. ii, Z; iii. Il;
II Tim. fv, 2; Acts viii, 4, %. and note
that our Lord Himself said only what
the Father told Him to say (John xiii
10; xiv, 10; viii, go,
1t would be q great thing and great
" to the glory of God and the good Of
both speakers and hearers If all preach,
ers and teachers would prove them
selves to be 1.-The Lords messengers
In the Lords message unto the peo-
ple' Nag. /, 49,. All such might rest
assured that His word would always
accomplish His pleasure and never re.
turn to Him void Osa w.
Jonah was like man alive from
the dead, and His message was the
Lords and not his own, and the PEG
pie Of Nineveh believed God iii, 81 and
turned from their evil ways unto God.
and God saw it and did not bring the
threatened evil upon them. It would
have pleased Jonah better if God had
destroyed Ninaveh And because he
knew that God was gral ious and might
have mercy upon them if they repent
ed he refused at first te obey God DIV.
1-3l.
Concerning Gods repentings mention
ed in chapter iii, 10, and in so many,
other places in Scripture we must re-
member that God cannot and never
does change His mind about anything.
for He knew everything from the be-
ginning (Acts XIV. 49,. but He does
change His mode Of procedure. and
as God always knew that He would
just at that place in history and in