May, 1940
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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is really the Lord’s work. Let us be very sure that we are not stealing from God by giving even to good causes from the tithe.
It begins to look as if the core is all the Lord will get. We will place what is left of this apple behind the church. It will represent our gift to that which
■JUNE 30, 1940 JONAH : THE OUTREACH OF GOD’S LOVE J onah , C hapters 3 a n d 4
Object Lesson S to len F r u it
needed. Fortunate it was for Nineveh that Jonah was not left to speak his own message. The “second time” Jonah’s obedience was prompt and courageous. Obedience is the fundamental watchword for all the servants of the Lord. Without obedience, the profession quickly turns to antinomianism and brings both God and His grace into disrepute among the people. It was in the “belly of the fish” that Jonah learned lessons that his willful ness would not allow him to learn earlier. His life is an illustration of the fact that bitter experiences are often God’s servants for the training of His people. n . T he R epentance (3:5-10) The people of Nineveh “believed God” (v. 5). They knew that Jonah was but a voice, and they recognized that voice as the voice of the true and living God (cf. Matt. 12:41). They “pro claimed a fast”—the sign of dependence upon the God whose voice they believed. They “put on sackcloth”—an evidence of humility and sorrow. Then their repentance was revealed in three ways. First, they confessed their sinfulness and therefore the righteousness of the threatened judg ment; in reality, they were agreeing with God’s justice (Vs. 6-8). Second, they forsook “every one his evil way" (v. 8). Confession without the forsak ing of evil is useless, leading to still greater disaster (cf. Prov. 28:13). Third, they trusted in God’s forgiveness and His mqrcy (v. 9). And mercy immediately f o l l o w e d their repentance (v. 10). No other re sult would be possible with the God of righteousness and holiness, grace and kindness. “God saw their works” (v. 10). The people proved the reality of their repentance by the character of their works, and the threatened judg ment was averted and the city pre served (cf. Aots 10:34, 35; Ex. 32:14; Num. 23:19; Jer. 18:8; Amos 7:3, 6). m. T he I nstruction (4:10, 11) Jonah was a great patriot, but his slogan might be: “My country, may she ever be right; but my country, right or wrong.” Loyalty to one’s nation is a noble quality and one to be encour aged, but there is no virtue in that kind of loyalty that condones the sin in one’s nation while condemning the
Jonah 3:1 And the w ord o f the L ord came nnto Jonah the second timet saying» 2 Arise, g o unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose» and w ent unto N in eveh, according to the w ord o f the Lord. Now Nineveh w as an exceeding great city o f three days’ journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said. Y et forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people o f Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed«. a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest o f them even to the least o f them. 6 F o r w ord came unto the k in g o f Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and cov ered him w ith sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 An be caused it to be proclaim ed and published through Nineveh by the decree o f the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock , taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink w ater: 8 But let man and beast be covered w ith sackcloth, and cry m igh tily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil w ay, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 W ho can tell if God w ill turn and repent, and turn aw ay from his fierce anger, that w e perish not? 10 And God saw their w orks, that they turned from their evil way? and God re pented o f the evil, that he had »aid that he w ould do unto them : and he did It not. 4:10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had p ity on the gourd, fo r the w hich thou hast not labored, neither madest It g r o w ; 'w hich came up in a night, and perished In a n igh t: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are m ore than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern betw een their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? LESSON T E X T : Jonah 3:1-10; 4:10, 11. GOLDEN T E X T : «Salvation is o f the L ord” (Jonah 2:9). DEVOTIONAL READ ING : Psa. 67. Outline and Exposition I. T h e W a r n in g (3:1-4) OD desired to warn Nineveh and bring it to such repent ance as would avert judgment. Jonah was chosen to deliver the warn ing, but at first he refused to obey. But God gave him a second opportu nity, speaking to him “the second time” to go. We may well thank God for these second times—the occasions which He gives to us to be restored to place and service. It may- be true in nature, but it is not true in grace that the “bird with the broken pinion never soars so high again.” For illus tration of this fact, consider the life of Moses, or of Elijah, or of Peter. Jonah was told to preach “the preaching that I bid thee” (v. 2). He was to carry the Lord’s message; not to tell what he thought Nineveh needed, but what the Lord declared Nineveh
OBJECTS: A knife, ten apples, a pic ture of a house, and a picture of a church. (If apples should not be in season, substitute some other fruit or vegetable. Put the house on one end of a table, the church on the other end, and pile the apples in the center.) LESSON: How many apples does one have to steal to be a thief? “If he stole even a piece of one apple, he would be a thief.” Correct. Did you know that God wants one- tenth, or a tithe, of all we possess? The Lord intends that these amounts shall be given out through the church—for the purpose of taking the gospel to people in foreign fields or at home who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, and for meeting the needs of His children who are in want. There are ten apples in the center of the ta ble. We will separate these apples. One of them is the Lord's, for He has said: “Bring ye all the tithes into the store house, that there may be meat in mine house” (Mai. 3:10). Some people forget the little word “all” in this verse. They give to God only a part of their tithe. Perhaps one will say, “I can’t go to church unless I have a new pair of shoes. I will buy them out of the tithe because they will make it possible for me to go to God’s house to worship Him.” There goes part of God’s tenth! ECut a slice from the apple.] Some one else says, “I must buy a class pin to wear to show that I am a member of the “Busy Bees’! Sunday- school class. That would be a good way to spend my tithe.” [Cut a second slice from the apple.] Or perhaps there is to be a banquet at the church. Since the money that comes in for that is to be used for the new building, why not buy the ticket with the tithe money? [Cut another slice from the apple.] B LACKBOARD LESSON
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