The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-04-27
GODS PITY FOR
THE HEATHER
Sunday Sehssl Lesson fer April 30, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper


teach all nations. Matt 2s:1s
TiME-Jeroboam III, king OF Israel. In
whose time Jonah prophesied. reigned
lBeecheD b. c. sS3-7s2. (Hastings) b. c.
so4-76S Amos and Hosea were contem-
porary prophets.
PLACE-Gath-hepher, north OF Naza-
reth In Galilee. the Mediterranean Sea-
Joppa, and Nineveh.
k1NGS-Jeroboam III attained suze-
rainty over all the peoples from the Medi-
terranean to the Euphrates. 1.-The writer
OF tho book of Jonah has presented accu-
rately the values OF the historical situa-
ton. 1t was the unknown diasters in As
syria. Just after Ramman-nirari had bro
Ken the power OF Damascus that rem
dered the successes OF Jeroboam posi-
ble"
Jonah was unquestionably his
torlcal parsonage. He lived In the
reign OF Jeroboam H., king Of Israel,
In whose time Amoss work was ac-
complished. According to 2 Kings IA:
20. he prophesied the recovery from
Syria OF the lost border possessions of
Israel. He is said to have belonged
to Gath-hepher. a town Of Zebulon,
and his grave is still shown In the
vicinity OF Nazareth. Gath-hepher
was about an hours walk north of
Nazareth. Jonah was therefore a
prophet OF Galilee. Jewish legend
said that he was the son OF the widow
OF Sarepta, whom Elijah had restored
to life; and also that he was the youth
whom Elisha had sent to anoint Jehu,
king of Israel.
This little biography begins with
the announcement that God asked a
man to do something for him. 1t is
significant that other Bible writer's
nehemiah, jeremiah, Zephaniah,
Haggai, Micah) begin the story OF
their lives at the same point. Our ac-
quaintance with Paul begins with his
summons to duty, and the apostles
were not known until Christ babe
them follow him. Jonah's call was to
go to Nineveh. the greatest and wick
eldest city In the world, and threaten
it with doom from Jehovah.
How did Jonah answer his mission
airy call? BY running away. He fed
from the presence of the Lord, as II
God were, In his mind, only a local
divinity, ruling over Israel, but unable
10 see the fugitive II he fed far enough
beyond his territory. Jonah should
have asked himself, IF the God Of
Israel sees what is going on at distant
Nineveh, and is concerned about It, is
it to be supposed that his unfaithful
servant will escape his notice, like
some defaulting apprentice lad, who
hopes to elude his masters notice by
running away to sea-"
Jonah jumps ON board vessel
bound for the most remote place
known to the ancient world, Tarsus,
that Is Tartessus, on the Guadalquivir
in Spain. God interfered with Jonahs
plans by sending one of those sudden,
treacherous storms so frequent on the
Mediterranean, storm so fierce that
even the skilful Phoenician sailors
were compelled to throw out their
cargo, and were filled with terror.
Jonah calls upon the sailors to
throw him into the sea-to purchase
their peace by his sacrifice. That call
is the finest thing in the picture. 1t
Is the real miracle. 1t marks the en-
largement of the man. But the honest
fellows we're loath to take him at his
word. and the poor rowers piled the
long sweeps more earnestly than ever.
Even when obliged at last to throw
Jonah overheard, they did it with
prayer to Jehovah. And at once the
sea was calm.
How long was Jonah In the great
fish? Three days and three nights,
which, according to the Jewish mode
of reckoning. might, as in the case of
our Lords stay In the tomb, have been
only one entire day and parts of the
day preceding and the day following.
1t is striking to notice the change
in Jonah as soon as he ceased to run
away from his duty and became ODE
dent to Gods command. What was
the command? The first repeated
Go to Nineveh, that great city, and
proclaim what l babe you proclaim,
the doom Of their sins"
Then God prepared gourd. This
book is full of this word prepared. We
are told that the Lord prepared
great tish, a gourd, a worm, and sui
try east wind. This gourd was most
likely the battle-ground, often planted
to grow over trellis-work 1t Is thought
by some to have been the palma
christi or castor-oil plant, which still
grows to q great size In the Jordan
valley. 1t Is so-called because II is a
fve-leaved plant, one leaf OF which
outspread was thought to represent
the hand of Christ.
Next in the acted parable came
worm, destroying the gourd. and the
sirocco. driving It's hot blast down
upon the sweltering prophet. Then.
by wonderfully true touch OF human
nature. Jonah transfers his pity for
himself. as an ill-used prophet, to the
gourd which likewise had been hard
ly treated.
The divine question, Should not
have Pity" remains unanswered.
Above the stir and din and wickedness
the divine compassion Is still brooding.
The argument is very fine. On the
gourd Jonah had spent neither labor
nor strength. How much more should
God, OF whose goodness mans highest
virtue IL hut the faintest shadow nttv