Nineveh repented and God relented. Jonah’s mission was an amazing success – far beyond what a neutral observer could ever expect. He seemingly learned his lesson, preached in obedience to God, received an amazing response, and saved thousands of lives from judgment. It is now time for everyone to go home happily ever after. Or […]
The author sets up Chapter 3 to roughly parallel Chapter 1 (to a lesser extent the same is true of Chapters 2 and 4): God calls Jonah 1:1-2 3:1 God calls JonahJonah responds to the call 1:3 3:3 Jonah responds to the callJonah travels to the ship 1:3 3:3 Jonah travels to NinevehJonah warns of […]
1:17Jonah has been thrown overboard and is presumed dead. The storm is gone and the sailors are worshiping Yahweh on the ship. God’s plan for Jonah, however, is not over. We do not know for how long Jonah sinks into the sea before the fish swallows him. In his prayer he will make it plain […]
Introduction and BackgroundThe Book of Jonah is the fifth of the Minor Prophets (The Book of the Twelve). It is unique among the “Latter Prophets” in being almost completely narrative. Jonah, the son of Amittai, from Gath Hepher in Galilee (cf. II Kings 14:25, Joshua 19:13), prophesied during or shortly before the reign of Jeroboam […]
The Magnificat – so named because it’s the first word in the Latin translation of this passage – is a psalm. It’s a poem spoken by a teenager rejoicing over her condition. Her condition is – needless to say – unique in all of history. She’s pregnant. She’s a virgin. And the baby she carries […]
Jesus does not leave us guessing as to what it takes to be His disciple. He has already said a disciple must deny himself and take up his cross daily, and that a disciple has no claim on his own life (9:23-26). In this text He goes further and explains that a disciple can’t seek […]
One of the wonderful things about the Bible is how it presents its heroes. We don’t just read about the triumphs of Abraham, Moses, and David, and they aren’t presented as supernatural saints that never make a mistake. We see their faults and sins too. It’s why the Bible is ultimately a book about the […]
To understand The Transfiguration, it’s important to understand its context. Jesus ended His discussion of the cost of discipleship by telling His followers that He will someday come in glory (vs 26). He then – surprisingly – said that there were some listening to Him who would witness this glory before they died (vs 27). […]
Go for the gusto…Be all you can be…You deserve more…Because you’re worth it… Taste the rainbow…Have it your way…You rule!…Deny yourself and take up your cross. One of those slogans doesn’t seem to fit, does it? That last one kind of ruins the vibe of the preceding seven. It communicates quite a different message than […]
God is all powerful. God is all knowing. God is merciful. Because of His power, God can act in ways that supersede the natural order of His creation. Because of His knowledge, He knows exactly what His people need and when they need it. And because of His mercy, He lovingly ministers to His children […]
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