Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-03
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Slll1aldaySe1ool q
y Lesson O., ST "
(By REV.. p. B. Z gFITzWATER.' D. D..
Teacher of English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute OF chicago.)
copyright. 1872. Western Newspaper Union.
IdpRoYEp tIla UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
LESSON FoR. MARCH S
JEHovAH's MERCY TO a HEATH.
r.: - &, 5I EN CITY u

~. "a 49,
LESSON TExT-Jopah .3:1-t;11.
GOLDEN TExT-Let the wicked for
sake his way and the unrlghteous man
his thoughts: and let him returnVunto, the
Lord, and he will have mercy upon him:
and to our God, for he win abundantly
pardon.-Isa. SSH
. REFERENCE MATBRIAL-Isa. $3.50
25; 1851; Jonah 1I-2dos Nal. l:1O. II;
John 3:l8. - tesa .tr
PRIMARY ToPIc-God Sends Jonah on
an Efrahd
Z JUNIOR ToPIc-How God Spared q
Wicked City.'rp 'i .''t
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
-Jonah's Missionary Adventure. g..
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Missionary Teaching Of the Book
of Jonah. '.'
That the book of Jonah Is hlstori-
cal we believe for the following rea-
sons First, its record and use In
the Scriptures. That the writer's of
the Bible Intended the Impression Of
its iistoricity Is without the shadow
Of q doubt. The suggestion that It Is
a parable Isl absolutely gratultous.
Second, the unbroken testimony of
tradition among the Jews Is that # is
historic. : Third, the testimony of Jesus
Christ (Matt. l2;394D. The words of
Jesus Christ are final:
l. Jonah's Second Commission
wv. 1,'2). ".r,
When called the first time to 60 to
Nlneseh. he found the task too great
for him. For hts unfaithfulness, he
was chastised.. He repented and God
restored his commission. The Lord
said to him, Preach the preaching
that Ibid thee" ". q. God knows
how he wants HIS work done. Happy
Is, the missionary, minister, Sunday
school teacher. who breaches Gods
Word just as He gave 1t,
II. Jonah's Preaching (vv. 3, ~.
1. His field ". 81. "Nineveh was an
exceeding great city" Not only was
the city large, but its inhabitants were
noted for their cruelty.
2. His message ". ~. yet forty
days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.'
This means that forty days were glves
by God for repentance ere the judg.
ment would fall. God is long-suffer-
ing, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should repent (u Pet :9).
Though He Is merciful, yet there Ia
a limitation to 1t. He says, "Yet forty
days., -" 1HF " - -
III. The Repentance of Nineveh wv.
5-10). ,.2. gra5g.s
1. They believed God ". 5). They
believed that God was speaking to
them through the prophet about their
sins and impending Judgment.
e., 2. They proclaimed a fast (vy. 5-8).
The king and people Joined sincerely
in this movement" The call was for
them to turn away from their sins.
Their penitenee was genuine, for they
not merely put on sackcloth, the Wis
ible sign Of mourning, but they cried
to God ". 81. ' .;' Q q
8. They reasoned that God would
repent ": 81. Though they had no
assurance that God would have mercy,
yet they reasoned that, the sending Of
a prophet and the giving Of a time
before the fall of doom implied that
God would be merciful If they repent,
ed. They were wise In so doing. We
today know that God will have mercy
If we repent (Acts 3:19). What ut
ter folly to GO on in sin In the face
Of the assurance that God will judge.
5. Gods mercy shown ". 10).
"God saw their works that they turned
fr,m their evil way" Gods eye is
omnisclent. Wherever there Is soul
who is turning from sin In penitence,
He sees. No one has ever wept over
sin unnoticed by God. God rejoices
when a sinner repents Uuke Is :10).
In the Book Of Jonah we have por.
trayed the typical history Of Israel:
81. Jonah. was called to a world
mission, and SO was Israel. (2) Jonah
at first refused compliance with the
divine purpose and plan, and so did
Israel. (3) Jonah was punished by
being cast into the sea, and so was
Israel by being dispersed among the
nations. (4) Jonah was not lost, but
rather especially preserved during this
part of his experience, and Israel Is
not being assimilated by the nations,
but being kept for God. 90 Jonah,
repentant and cast out by the fish, Is
restored to life and action again, and
Israel, repentant and cast out by the
nations, shall be restored to her former
national position. (6) Jonah, obedlent,
goes upon his mission to NineYeh; and
Israel obedient. shall ultimately ell.
gage. In her original mission to the
world. 90 Jonah is successful in that
his message Is acted upon to the
salvation Of Nineveh, so Israel shall
be blessed In that she shall be used
to the conversion Of the whole world. "
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