Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-11-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR NOV. q
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Text of the Lesson, Jonah iii, lilo.
Memory Verse, 10-GOlden Text,
Matt. XVIII, 10, 20-COmmentary
Prepared by Rev. ID M. Stearns.

ANY one who questions the truth or
the reality OF this story Of Jonah casts
discredit on the Lord Jesus Christ, for
He called Jonah prophet and said
that his three days and nights in the
belly of the fish were typical of His
own three days and nights between Ills
death and resurrection. He also spoke
OF the repentance Of the people of
Nineveh under the preaching of Jonah
and of future judgment Matt. xii.
39-l; Luke ii. 32J. To question the
words Of the Lord Jesus Is TO question
God the Father. for lie said that the
Father always told Him what to say
(John xii. Hoo Jesus Christ said. Il
am The Truth" ana Gol is called THE
God of Truth" John xiv. u: lisa. lxv.
10. Therefore let our hearts cry, LET
God be true. but every man liar"
For we Gun do nothing against the
truth. but for the truth" QOm. iii. 4:
III Cor. xiii. -.
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
right with God rs we might be until
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 a foreign
missionary lesson, and il Is certainly
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 Is not willing that any
should perish" Il John ". s, &c; II
Pet. iii, ~. In this lesson we see 4
great city Of ut least 100000 people
100000 children anu much cattle, and
there was great wickedness in the city
(Jonah i, ,; iv, IL, but God would rath-
er save than destroy them, and He
sent Jonah to call upon them to repent
that He might spare them.
That Is always Gods attitude TO the
world lying in the wicked one lie
commandeth all men everywhere to re
pent, for He will have all men 10 be
saved and TO come unto the knowledge
Of the truth (Acts xvii. 80: Tim. Ii. 3
n. But how can they know unless
some one tells? SO Jonah is called of
God 10 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. /, ,; iii, A.. Al
first Jonah is unwilling to go and seeks
to flee from the call. Then follows
the record Of the voyage TO Tarshish
begun seemingly so favorably. but sud
denly interrupted for God sent two
detectives 10 arrest His man and bring
him back. A great wind TO stop him
and a great fish to bring him ashore
q, 4, II. Arrested on the high seas
and brought back. it reads like an up
to date story, for our God Is always
up to date and away ahead. Look at
the wireless and rapid transit as seen
in the story of Daniel and Gabriel
dan. tx, 3. 20. 2D.
AS to the present day attitude OF
those who profess to be the Lords
people toward the command OF our
Golden Text and Of Mark xvi, IL:
Luke xiv. ~; John Xxx. y. %; Acts
|, s. could there be "a more vivid pic.
ture than that OF Jonah on this ship
before the captain woke him up! The
only man Oh the ship who knew tie
true God fast asleep. while the heather
sailors earnestly cried unto their gods,
Those who have the Bible and in it
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
What meanest thou, o
sleeper? Arise. call upon thy God, if
so be that God will think upon US that
we perish not ii, G).
If we had anointed ears we might hear
the heathens say. Arise and tell us of
thy God and of His great salvation"
And we would surely hear God saying.
Whom shall send and who will go
for usT lisa. vi 81 If God was
seeking in this age TO win the world to
both He and we might well
be discouraged. but He is not discour-
aged, and He cannot fail lisa. xiii, A..
This book Of Jonah shows us his plan.
Jonah was an Israelite. After his res
from the dead. in n figure,
he went To Nineveh and preached the
that the Lord babe him.
and n whole city repenteG chapter iiD.
I do not know of another instance on
record of a whole city turning to God.
Now see the foreshadowing of His plan.
Israel has long been rebelious. 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-
they will receive Him and
with the zeal OF Paul will speedily
make Him known TO all the world, and
whole nations will turn to Him and
be saved elsa. XIV. o; xvii. 6; xxxv,
10; Iii. 0, 10; TX. 1-3; Rom. XII, II, 15).
Notice I'm this book how God used n