The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-01-07
SCHOOL.
IHE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
vIII. Fourth Quarter,
For Nov. q, 1915.
r,xt Of the Lesson, Jonah iii. ITO.
Memory Verse, 1o-ooIdsn Text,
[ Matt. xviii, 10, 2o-commsntary Pre-.
pared by Rev. D. M. Stsarns.

Matt. xviii, 10, 2o-commsntary Pre-.
pared by Rev. D. M. otsarns.
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 a 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 His
death and resurrection. He also spoke
o., the repentance Of the people Of
Nleveh under the preaching Of Jonah
and Of a future Judgment (Matt. Xii,
s9-41; Luke Il, 32). To question the
words Of the Lord Jesus Is to question
God the Father, for He said that the
Fa,her always told Him what to say
John XII, 1850. Jesus Christ said, II
am The TRUTH" and God Is called 1.-THE
God Of Truth" John xiv, 6; lisa. lxv,
16). Therefore let our hearts cry, "Let
God be true, but every man a liar;;"
For we a do nothing against the
truth, but for the truth" Rom. iii, 4;
II Cor. xiii. 81.
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 as we might be until
We give the same relative Importance
to people and things that Headoes;
therefore let us not magnify the fish,
but the Lord. This is called q foreign
missionary lesson, and it is certainly
a 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" u John iv. 8, 18; II
Pet. iii, 81. In this lesson we see a
great city Of at least 100000 people
100000 children) and much cattle, and
there was great w~ickedness in the city
Gonah 1, 2; iv. 11). 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 n e. He
commandeth 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. 80; I Tim. II, 8.
A.. But how 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, 1. 2; iii. A.. At
drst Jonah Is unwilling to go and seeks
to dee 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. Asgreat wind to stop him
and a great fish to bring him ashore
a. 4, 10. Arrested on the high seas
and brought back. 1t 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. 8. 20. 21l.
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, 10;
Luke xiv, Al; John *, 81. %; Acts
/, 8, could there be q more vivid pic.
ture than that Of Jonah on this ship
before the captain woke him up? The
only man on the ship who knew the
true God fast asleep. while the heather
sailorsssarnestly cried unto their gods.
Those who have the Bible and In It
the knowledge Of the living and true
Godand Of salvation by Jesus Christ
for Tll who will receive Him are as
Indifferent to the welfare Of the mil
lions of SO 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, 0
sleeper? Arise. call upon thy God, II
| 30 be that God will think upon us that
we perish not" u, g..
II 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 so
for us?' elsa. vi; 81 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 Elsa. XIII, ~.
This book Of Jonah shows us his plan.
Jonah was an Israelite. After! his res
direction from the dead, in a figure,
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