The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1911-04-28
GODS PITY FOR
THE HEATHER
Sunday School Lesson for April 30, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

TIME-Jeroboam II. king of Israel, in
whose time Jonah prophesied, reigned
SBeecher) b. C. ss2-7s2. QIastings) B. C.
U&-fS. Amos and Hosea were contem-
porary prophets
PLACB-Gath-hepher north of Naxa,-
reth In Galilee. the Mediterranean Sea,
Joppa, and NIneveh
kINGS-Jeroboam II attained suze-
rainty over all the peoples from the Medi-
terranean to the Euphrates. THE writer
OF the 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
ble."
Jonah was unquestionably his
,torlcal parsonage. He lived In the
reign OF Jeroboam H., king OF Israel.
In whose time Amos's work was ac-
complished. According to 2 Kings Il:
20. he prophesied the recovery from
syria OF the lost border possessions OF
Israel. He is said to have belonged
to Gath-hepher. 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 q
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 local
divinity. ruling over Israel, but unable
~ oSS tuO AuSitiNc IL hO hWu hoA Chod6A
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 1t, Is
1t to be supposed that his unfaithfui
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 Jonah's
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. It
Is the real miracle. 1t marks the en-
largement of the man. But the honest
fellows were 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 1t with a
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:
60 to Nineveh. that great city. and
proclaim what babe you proclaim.
the doom of their sins"
Then God prepared a gourd, This
book is full of this word prepared. We
are told that the Lord prepared q
great fish, gourd, 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 a great size in the Jordan
valley. It Is so-called because 1t is a
five-leaved plant. one leaf of which
outspread was thought to represent
the hand of Christ
Next in the acted parable came a
worm, destroying the gourd. and the
sirocco. driving Its 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 l
have pity?" remains unanswered.
iolx