South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-07-25
REV. BECK WARNS
"MODERN J0NAHO"
OF DUTIES TO GOD
Book of Jonah Theme ct In
teresting Sermon at the
Grace VI. +. Church.

Modern JONAH s was tllt
~ the sermon preached by Rev T.
u. Beck AZ Grace Methodist church
e-rgav morning. Among other
trfr~s Tho preacher said: The
49, ~ Jonah IS one ~ the most In
torrating books of the Bible becau use
e. ie q story Everybody likes
story. This IS sermon In story
form It bears the name a. Jonah
because he r. the leading character
IN o. who tho actual preacher was
we DO not know.
-Tbe conrrcgation was Israel ~
MAS message 90 the nation. IL
dealt with an international question
t7,tbarfo Israel had lived pretty
r.rr- 20 herself and for herself
THROUGH this story-seruon Goa
shows her her responsihiiity Tor lhe
welfare ~ other nations. lsrael
owes something 20 the other nations.
she is 90 gay that not because OF
fear OF the punishment Of God II
she fails but because Of love TOT
and human interest In these other
peoples
Typifes Attitude.
Jonah typihes the attitude or
Israel. Nineveh. the chief city OF
the Assyrian empire. represents the
outside nations. Nineveh had be
come intoIerably wicked. Either she
would repent quickly or destruction
would come upon her Israel had
religion which God had given TO her
which would save Nineveh from sin
and destruction. Israel owed u 10
Nineveh TO take that religion 10 tnat
people. Through Jonah the call
came 20 them.
God said Jonah, arise 60 70
Nineveh and cry against II; for their
vrfckedness IS come up before me
Jonah was not willing % arise and
20 He disobeyed God and tried To
fee from His presence. He rejected
his call and ran away from duty as
many another man has done. The
reason that he gives for this conduct
Is that he knew God was mercitul
and that He would spare Ninevea II
her people repented. In other words
Jonah was afraid his preaching
would be successful. Instead Of a
missionary spirit that seeks the life
Of destruction that sought the
downfall oe other nations. Nineveh
gone would leave one less enemy
and one less cause for fear. That
was IsraeTs attitude.
Jonah was hindered I'm his flight
from Cod and duty" The preacher
uses an Illustration current at that
time THE leviathan. the dragon
and the great fish occur frequently
I'm those old writings. The big fish
that swallowed something was Baby
Ion that swallowed Israel God
warned them that If they did not
keep His word and live true, just
such a thing would overtake them.
jeremiah says. Nebuchadnezzar. the
king # Babylon. hath dcvoured me,
he hath swallowed me up like a
dragon He hath cast me out
Jonah learned and Israel learned, as
an men should learn. that they can
not proftably disobey God and flee
from duty.
Came Second Time.
THE call OF God and duty came
To Jonah a second time and he
obeyed. He preached the preach
Ing God gave him. The people re-
pentcd from the greatest TO the least.
And God gladly withheld destruction
from them.
"Jonah's fears came true. He was
angry that Nineveh was spared. He
obcyed God. but he did it out of
fear. tt was good for Nineveh that
the preaching was done by an un-
willing servant. God does get some
good things out of some folks be-
cause they are afraid not to do them.
People are blessed even by such
service. But Jonah is taught and
Israel IS taught that there is a high
er motive that should control, viz: a
love for needy people such as God
showed toward Nineveh.
God causes "a Eourd TO grow up
over Jonah as he sulks on an eastern
hillside overlooking the city which
is not destroyed as he wished.
Jonah is pleased with this. It helps
him. IL shelters him from the burn
Ing sun. But the first night God
causes a worm 20 work on Il so that
Il withers and dies the next day
Jonah Crieves himself sick over that
gourd that grew up in a night, but
has no kindly feeling for a large city
filed with men. women and children
whom he would delight 90 see de-
stroyed
I'VE have a lot of modern Jonahs
who think they can disobey Cod
fee from Him and duty and get
away with e. They get away no bet
ter than Jonah. We have a lot of
other Jonahs who do some things
that God has hidden them 90 do be-
cause they are afraid not TO dc
them. What God wants and what
this old world needs is men and
women who so love folks who do not
have what they have. who are fin the
perus OF sinful living OF darkness
and ignorance. that they will do
their best 20 help them out OF their
deep interest in them"