0224. Jonah

Jonah

The Book of Jonah is the butt of much ridicule from the critics. Men who know not God speak of it as "a big fish story," and laugh as though it was some legend of ancient lore.

To the believer, the Book of Jonah is a remarkable record of Divinely penned history, which is filled with wonderful types of our Lord and also of Israel, our Lord’s chosen people.

Jonah presents to us, also, some solemn warnings for backsliders. In this Book we have described God’s method of dealing with runaway saints, and how God reinstates His followers.

Jonah should not be considered a backslider in the common sense of that term. Jonah did not fall into one of satan’s worldly snares. Jonah has no immorality, recorded against him. He may have been clean and righteous in deportment, but, he ran away from God.

We need more and more to come to understand that every believer who is unfaithful in warning the wicked and in seeking the salvation of the lost, is fleeing from the presence of God. Christians who fail to press the work of witnessing for Christ, wherever and whenever the Lord commands, are backsliders.

In the Book of Jonah we have displayed before us, the heart of God toward the lost. There is no more tender passage anywhere than the verse, "And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city?" It is an Old Testament Joh_3:16, breathing forth the love of God toward multitudes of sinners, and toward little children. Even the "much cattle" are held in mind, by a compassionate God.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR