South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-10
MINOR PROPHETS
TOPIC OF SERMON
DIR. Davis Lauds Prophecies
and Works of Minor
Prophets in Talk.

Prophecies OF the minor proph-
cts are minor only In Jneir length,
Rev. L. 8. Davis stated in delivering
his Sunday morning sermon on The
Prophet Jonah and His Message "a
his congregation at the First Bap-
list church Rev. Davis emphasized
the importance OF the truths by the
minor prophets.
HIS sermon in part:
''No part OF the Blble Is so little
known 20 Christian people generally
a. the Minor Prophets And wha;
Is more important. we are most OF
Us ignorant as 10 what great truths
these men Of God were commission
cd 20 teach. For their prophecies
are minor only IN the matter OF
length.
some OF these little books are
as fine specimens OF literary perfec-
ton "a anything the Greeks have
done. And the truths they give us
are as lofty. and the manner in
which they are given IS as impas-
stoned. as we have anywhere else IN
tho whole Word OF Cod.
"One Of the II Minor Prophets
is well known. Old and young. Gull
tured and ignorant. are all familiar
with the startling story of Jonah
In all ages men have bee~ perplexed
by Il. The thoughtless have laughed
at IL. and unbelievers have made st
the butt Of their ridfcule The
Book OF Jonah Is one Of the TRACE
dies OF literature It's language IS
a model Of simplicity. It's story IL
so we'll told that in these days
when the short story is priced, it
ought 20 be highly esteemed. It's
sympathies and so evangelical in
their spirit that the book stands
side by side with parts Of Isaiah
and comes nearer than any other OF
the old Testament to the spirit OF
the New Testament
Miss Lofty Teaching.
And Yet almost ali OF US quite
miss the lofty teaching of this book
because we are amused or offended
at one incident OF 1t. Jonah is the
most nisunderstood. the most abus-
ed. and yet one OF the most prec-
ious books Of the Old Testament.
The question is raised as 70
whether the book is real history OF
is only an allegory God uses al
sorts of forms of literature in the
Bible. The books OF Samuel are
plain history. The Psalms are
poetry. Ecclesiastes IS made up OF
philosophical reflections. Job is a
drama. Ruth is a prose idyll. The
Epistles are, some OF them, simple
letters; others are theological argu-
ments. We also have sermons. ad-
dresses and parallels.
The reasons that are given for
/ believing the Book of Jonah to be
an allegory are that Il contains al
least two improbable incidents
The first is the swallowing Of Jonah
by the fish and his retention for
three days, after which he was dis.
gorged on dry land
ANY one who believes IN an Al
mighty God can have no doubt
about His ability to do Just as the
story indicates. II He wished TO
We may think It improbable that
/ God would do so. and therefore may
look upon the book as allegorical
but no one who believes In God
could believe It to be Impossible
! for Him to do precisely as the story
says. The affair Is no more absurd
! than many things we can observe
in nature every day II Is no more
impossible than any other miracle
1t was just as possible for God "a
I preserve Jonah i'm the body OF the
/ fish as for Christ to call Lazarus
/ from the dead II - certainly no
more difficult 10 believe IL than 10
/ expect a resurrection or the body
/ and that Is a hope that all Of us
I cherish. I trust. Ii was no more
I difficult 90 preserve Jonah alive
than II was to give him life at the
I first. There IS no work difficult q
God. There Is no greater or less tc
Omnlpotence.
The one thing that impels US tc
believe that this book gives rs fac
/ is the word Of Jesus Christ. NJ
matter how improbable an event IL
I II He speaks OF Il as real have
/ no slightest doubt Of its reality
Jesus used the entombment OIL
Jonah as an Illustration OF His owr
+ burial IN the earth. As read the
/ words OF Jesus I get the impression
that He believed X 10 be fact. IL
4 used 70 &c preach the most tren1 en-,
dous truth 20 men, namely his owr
I resurrection. Because or this 7 be
l!eve the book 20 be history and no
an allegory."
La Eoninine EnmiLy Renninn