The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-04-26

| House NlSllaIlON ........
.......:,: Mrs. W. E; Evans, Aron
Primary, Mrs. r. p. Plimpton. Denisoh
A'Ss!o.'.' Mrs. j: j. Z: Giassburner liron
o'san'@e' PROF. aS ": c. vanNess, Denison
Temperance, Rev. c. E. LaReau. Denison
0'''e ! Mrs. A. ii. Harper. Dow City
Executive Committce-F L. Hoffman,
stIlsom, Nron; Va e stark. Charter
Oak; John Vennick, West Side; Frank
WoolSton, Boyer.
April 3o-Gods Pity for the Heath
en-. Jonah 8, i to 4, i.
Our lesson this week is in the lit
tie book of Jonah, which contains four
chapters. Every verse of it, however,
is alive with meaning. Part at least
of the leading thoughts are quite ia
milar to all. In fact the account of
Jonah being saved from drowning by
great fish, is one of the best known
incidents of the great book.
AS matter of fact the fish story
is but the merest incident in the book
of Jonah. The book as a whole tells
wonderful lesson, and reveals the
heart OF God as few things did which
were written before the coming of
Christ. About $50 years before the
| birth of Christ there was a prophet
of Israel who lived near Nazareth,
named Jonah. He was the successor
of Elisha as the prophet of the true
Cod To the north and east of him
some hundred miles there was great
city named Nineveh, city noted for
it's extreme wickedness. Now Jonah
in common with all the Jews had the
idea that only the Hebrews were the
children of Gods care, and they be-
lieved the heather of that city, and
all people outside of the descendants
Of the twelve tribes of Israel, ought to
be everlastingly punished without
even the right given them to repent.
TO show that this view was not the
true one the book of Jonah was writ
ten and put in the bible.
The word of the Lord came to
Jonah telling him to go to Nineveh
and give the people warning that if
they did not repent of their evil ways
sure destruction would come upon
them. Jonah decided that he did not
want to obey Gods commands and so
determined to leave his native coun-
try and his duty at the same time. He
went to JOppa, the seaport town on
the Mediterranean sea, and paid his
passage money for trip over to the
coast of what is now Spain. He then
went in the lower part of the ship
and fell asleep. The boat was over
taken by a terrible storm and the
sailors did what they could to keep
lit from swapping by throwing out
the merchandise. This did no good.
Finally they made up their minds
the storm came from the presence on
the ship of some wicked person. In
due time they decided that the wicked
one was Jonah. He then told them
frankly that the storm was on his &C
count, and that if he was thrown in
to the sea there would be quietness
Of the waves. They tried hard to out
weather the storm, but to no avail,
and so the crew threw Jonah over
board, as he had requested. Sure
enough the storm went down.
The great God had yet important
work for Jonah, and the drowning
man was taken into the stomach OF a
great fish, and there remained three
days and nights. With the waves
dashing about him, Jonah called on
God for help, and in due time he was
thrown out of the fish on the dry
ground. A second time God spoke to
Jonah, telling him to preach to the
people of Nineveh The prophet had
now learned a lesson, and did not try
again to hide from God or shirk his
| duty.
| Jonah spoke forth his message,
warning the people of coming destruc-
tion on account of wickedness. To
| his aStOnishment, the king and the
princes believed him and forthwith
proclaimed fast and signs of deep
sorrow and repentance. Contrary to
| the wishes of Jonah, the record says,
! Gods heart was moved by the humble
ness of Nineveh and the decree OF de-
struction was recalled. Jonah was
angry, that the wicked heather were
to be let off from immediate deStruc-
ton and went so far as to reprove God
for what he had done, or was about
to do.
| Jonah was then given a further les
son by experience. On withdrawing
from the city in anger, he arranged
for himself a shelter from the sun.
There grew up over the booth rapid
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