Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-11-17
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
TIE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Lesson VIII. Fourth Quarter,
For Nov. Il, 1915.

Memory Verse, 10-Golden Text,
Matt. xviii, 10, 2o-commsntary Pre-
pared By Rev. D. NJ. Stearns.
Any one who questions the truth or
the reality of this story of Jonah cas1s
discredit on the Lord Jesus Christ, for
that his three days and nights in the
belly of the fish were typical of His
own three days and nights between HIS
death and resurrection. He also spoke
of the repentance of the people of
Nineveh under the preaching of Jonah
and of future Judgment tMatt. XII.
3941; Luke xi. 32). To question the
words Of the Lord Jesus is to question
God the Father, for He said that the
Father always told Him what to say
John xii, 47-J0l. Jesus Christ said Il
am The Truth" and God Is called the
God of Truth" John xiv, 6: lisa. XIV,
l6). Therefore let our hearts cry. "Let
God be true. but every man a liar
For we can do nothing against the
truth. but for the truth" Rom- LII. 4:
ii Cor. xiii, s..
When Jonah Is mentioned people al
ways think of the fish, whereas the
fish is mentioned but four times In
the book, while God or Lord Is men
toned forty times. We are not as
we give the same relative importance
to people and things that He does;
therefore let Us not magnify the fish.
but the Lord. This Is called foreign
missionary lesson, and II Is certainly
q good one on that topic. as We shall
see. Two of the great foundation
truths Of the Bible are God Is love"
and THE Lord " not willing that any
should perish" q John iy. s, 1e: ii
Pet Iii. 81. In this lesson we see n
great city Of at least 100000 people
10000 children and much cattle. and
there was great wickedness In the city
Jonah 1, 2: iv, III. but God would rath-
er save than destroy them, and He
sent Jonah tn call upon them to repent
that He might spare them.
That is always Gods attitude to the
world lying in the wicked one. He
commanded all men everywhere to re-
pent. for He will have all men to be
saved and to come unto the knowledge
of the truth (Acts xvii. 30: Tim. II. 3
a. But bow can they know unless
some one tells? So Jonah is called Of
God to go and tell Nineveh that. while
the Lord does not wish them to per
ish, unless they repent judgment will
come In forty days Il. /. 2: Ill. A.. At
first Jonah is unwilling to go and seeks
to fee from the call. Then follows
the record Of the voyage to Tarshish
begun seemingly so favorahly, but sud
denly interrupted, for God sent two
detectives TO arrest His man and bring
him back. A great wind to stop him
and a great fish to bring him ashore
O. 4, IL. Arrested on the high seas
and brought back. It reads like an up
to date story. for our God b always
up to date and away ahead Look at
the wireless and rapid transit as seen
In the story Of Daniel and Gabriel
dan IL. 8, 20. 21).
As to the present day attitude Of
those who profess to be the Lords
people toward the command Of our
Luke xiv. A; John *. q. %; Acts
/, 8, could there be q more vivid pic
ture than that Of Jonah on this ship
before the captain woke him I'D? The
only man on the ship who knew the
true God fast asleep. while the heather
oof 1x nvS1 l..
Those who have the Bible and In 1t
the knowledge of the living and true
God and of salvation by Jesus Christ
for all who will receive Him are as
indifferent to the welfare of the mil
lions Of 50 called heather who are ear
nestly calling upon their gods as was
Jonah when fast asleep on that ship.
They need to hear the cry OF that
shipmaster: What meanest thou, o
sleeper? Arise. call upon thy God, If
so be that God will think upon us that
we perish not q. 81.
If we had anointed ears we might heal
the heathens say. Arise and tell US of
thy God and of His great salvation. g
And we would surely hear God saying
Whom shall ! send and who will go
for usy' lisa. vi g. II God was
seeking In this age to win the world to
Himself both He and we might well
be discouraged. but He is not discour
aged. and He cannot fail lisa Xiii. IL,
This book of Jonah shows US his pt.n
Jonah was an Israelite. After his res
direction from the dead. in a figurp.
he went to Nineveh and preached tho.
preaching that the Lord babe him
and whole city repentec (chapter fiji.
do not know of another instance OH
record of whole city turning to God
Now see the foreshadowing of His plan
Israel has long been rebellious. but
when they shall see the Lord Jesus
the risen Christ. their glorious and
glorified Messiah, coming In His glory.
as Saul saw Him on the way to Da-
mascus. they will receive Him and
with the zeal of Paul viii speedily
make Him known to oil the world. and
whole nations will turn to Him and