Fourth Quarter 2003 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
"Jonah"

Insights to Lesson 8
Jonah, the Amazing Evangelist
November 15-21, 2003

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

Brief Overview

When Jonah preached to the Ninevites, they believed and repented. As a consequence God turned from His threatened judgment upon the city. Jonah, the amazing evangelist, dazed and amazed, resented God for saving his enemies. So God had to teach His evangelist about compassion (chapter four).

Justification and Judgment

Nineveh’s revival and reformation shows God’s pardon. Jonah was commissioned a second time. He was again ordered to Nineveh with a message of two amazing facts from God concerning a specific time and an event: forty days until judgment (Jonah 3:1-4). Since no one seeks God (Romans 3:11), we may be certain that God initiated His saving work with the Ninevites. He prepared them for the message of righteousness brought to them through Jonah. Upon hearing the message, they knew exactly what they were to repent of (Jonah 3:8). When the Ninevites believed God and repented, He showed mercy upon them and accounted them as though they had never sinned (see Steps to Christ, p. 62). In other words, He justified them. Consider the following as it relates to the human race:

“Herein is the mystery of redemption, that the innocent, pure, and holy Son of the infinite God was permitted to bear the punishment of a thankless race of rebels against the divine government; that through the manifestation of His matchless love, these rebels might be inspired with faith in, and love for God, and might stand before Him repentant, forgiven, guiltless, as if they had never sinned” (The Bible Echo, Nov. 25, 1895).

Faith and Repentance

We observe that the Ninevites first believed the message of warning from God, then repented and confessed their sins (Jonah 3:5-8). The word “believe” here is the same as in 2 Chronicles 20:20—“Believe in the Lord Your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets and you shall prosper.” Both words translated here as “believe” and “established” are from the Hebrew word “aman.” The first time this word is used it is done so in relation to righteousness by faith. It is found in Genesis 15:6—Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

The word “aman” means foundation, firm, steadfast, and unmovable. The Ninevites, like Abraham, built upon the sure foundation of God’s word and He counted their belief as righteousness. In the case of Abraham it was accounted to him personally and individually, while in the case of the Ninevites it was accounted to them corporately. An entire city of pagans believed, turned to God, and were forgiven.

Righteousness and Truth

Some may protest that the messages to Abraham and to the Ninevites were different. However, both messages were the truth of God. Ninevah was perishing for the lack of pure unadulterated truth. “The righteousness of Christ … is pure, unadulterated truth” (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 64). The Ninevites were evil and exceptionally violent as confessed by the king (Jonah 3:8). They needed the message of Christ and His righteousness in warning and in judgment that would lead them to repentance. Warnings of God’s imminent judgment is no less a revelation of His goodness than are messages of His mercy and grace. Both kinds of messages, if believed, will lead to repentance.

The Third Angel’s Message

It is a fact that the third angel’s message contains both a warning of judgment and “the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:9-12). The most fearful warning ever given to mankind is found in this message. It is a warning against the acceptance of the mark of the beast. Some persons will believe this fearful warning and will turn from false worship. On the other hand, others will believe the message of mercy in Christ and His righteousness. Both groups will be accounted righteous through faith in God’s word.

The message of John points to the fact that God works with people where they are. He condescends and comes to where we are and works with us in the manner and method that will lead us to faith, and if we will believe we will be led to repentance.

Law and Gospel Initiatives

Paul understood his audiences and taught them accordingly. In Acts chapter 13, Luke records that Paul and his party went to Sabbath services in the Synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets Paul, and those with him, were asked if they had any word of exhortation to bring to the worshippers that day. Paul stood up and gave to the men of Israel a study of the history of Israel from the Law before preaching to them the gospel of Christ Jesus (see Acts 13:13-33).

However, in Acts 17 Paul used an entirely different approach. He began with the gospel of Christ and ended with an appeal to repentance and a warning of judgment (see Acts 17:18-34). In this discourse He never mentioned the Law. He never quoted Scripture. Instead He quoted from a poem, written by the pagan poet, Aratus of Tarsus, and dedicated to their sun-god Zeus: “For we are also His offspring.” Paul used this passage to support his message of corporate solidarity in Christ.

So with the messages to Abraham and to the Ninevtes. And to us. God tailors his message to His audience. With the Ninevites they needed a judgment message based on a specific time. God gave them forty days probation in which to repent. They did so. They repented in less time than those forty days. In this there is a warning for us. We must neither spurn His warnings of judgment, nor His messages of mercy.

God’s message to His people in the last days is of the same essence as given in the book of Jonah. It is one of faith and repentance in the time of God’s judgment hour message (Revelation 14:7). He invites us to receive from Christ faith, His garment of righteousness, and His healing ointment for our eyes. He also invites us to repent (Revelation 3:18-19). Will our repentance be corporate and as complete as was that of the king of Ninevah and his subjects? When the angel of the church of Laodicea leads the way, will not the rest of Laodicea follow?

However, we learn from our lesson this week, that it was the subjects of the king who first heard, believed, and repented. When that fearful message reached the king, he did likewise and sent forth a proclamation to his people to continue in fasting and in prayer.

God’s Compassion

Jonah 3:10: The faith and the repentance of the Ninevites was conditional to the saving of the city from divine destruction. In that message from God concerning threatened judgment there were inherent conditions of faith and repentance. If, and when, there is a turning from self and sin to God, destruction comes not. We need to remember that even the conditions, of faith and repentance, which God lays down are gifts from His throne of grace (Acts 5:31; Romans 12:3). The lesson that Jonah, the amazing prophet, dazed and amazed, needed to learn, as do we is “that the promises and the threatenings of God are alike conditional” (Evangelism, p. 695).

Read the study notes for Lesson 9