DOCSLIB.ORG

The Book of Jonah the Prophet

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

E COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE CONTEMPLATIONS ON THE BOOK OF JONAH THE PROPHET BY H. H. POPE SHENOUDA III 2 Title :Contemplations on the Book of Jonah the Prophet. Author. :H. H. Pope Shenouda III. Translated by :Mary & Amani Bassilli. Revised by :Mrs Wedad Abbas. Illustrated By :Sister Sawsan. Edition :The Second - February 1993. Printing :Dar El Tebaa El Kawmia. Legal Deposit No. :3939/1992 I.S.B.N. :977-00-3251-45 Revised :COEPA 1997 3 H.H. Pope Shenouda III, 117th Pope of Alexandria and the See of St. Mark 4 CONTENTS Introduction Chapter One The Problem of the Fleeing Prophet Chapter Two Gentile Mariners are better than Jonah Chapter Three Jonah in the Belly of the Fish Chapter Four Nineveh the Great City Chapter Five Saving Jonah from His Obduracy and Pride Chapter Six God in the Book of Jonah 5 INTRODUCTION The Book of Jonah the Prophet is full of wonderful spiritual contemplation. Our aim in this book is to tackle purely the spiritual side, and not the theological side. Our aim is to benefit and not to debate. We wish to take from this beautiful Book beneficial lessons for our life. We wish to benefit from God's work and from people's virtues and faults. How beautiful is the Church's choice! She chose this Book to be the prelude of the forty days of Lent! A beautiful story of repentance and fasting precedes the Great Lent by two weeks, that we may approach the holy forty days with a clean heart attached to the Lord. It is remarkable that many of those who study the Book of Jonah concentrate on the people of Nineveh and their fast and overlook the mariners and Jonah with his problem. 6 CHAPTER ONE THE PROBLEM OF THE FLEEING PROPHET Jonah's Problem In the Book of Jonah, God wants us to know an important fact: that the prophets were not of a different nature but were people "with a nature like ours" (James.5:17), having weaknesses, shortcomings and faults, and it was possible for them to fall like us. The only thing was that the grace of God worked in them and gave them power. It was not their power but the power of the Holy Spirit working in their weakness, that the power may be of God and not of us, according to the Apostle's words (2 Cor. 4:7). Jonah the Prophet was one of the weak persons of the world whom God chose to put to shame the mighty ones (1 Cor. 1:27). He had faults and he had virtues, and the Lord chose him despite his faults, worked through him, in him and with him, and designated him to be a great and saintly prophet, the dust of whose feet we are unworthy of. In so doing God also shows us that He can work with us and use our weakness as He did with Jonah. Falls in Jonah's Fleeing We shall see some of Jonah's weaknesses in his attitude towards the Lord's call. The Holy Bible says: 7 "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amity, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry, out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me'. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord" (Jon. 1:1-3). Here we see the Prophet Jonah falling into a number of lapses. The first lapse was disobedience and rebellion. Jonah was not able to obey the Lord in this matter, whilst he was a prophet whose work was but to call people to the Lord's obedience. When we fall into the lapse of disobedience we ought to have compassion on those who fall into disobedience, putting before us the Apostle's saying: "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them"(Heb. 13:3). If God, the Holy One, who alone is without sin, has compassion on those who fall, how much more ought we who similarly fall do so. Even so, Jonah fell yet he did not have compassion! The fall of disobedience into which Jonah fell bid behind it a more serious fall which was pride, typified in his high esteem to his word. He was too aloft to say a word that would be disproved and not carried out. His esteem to his word was what induced him to disobey. Truly one sin leads to another in an unending sequence. Jonah knew for sure that God was merciful and compassionate, and that He would forgive the city if it repented. Here is the root of the problem! 8 In what way will it ail you, Jonah, if God is merciful and forgiving? It will greatly ail me: I will say something to people and my words will be disproved. I will cry out that the city will be overthrown because of its sins, but the city will not be overthrown. My word will be disproved and I will be stigmatised. I cannot walk with this Lord all the way. If He abided by His warning I would have remained with Him. I shall cry out against the city, the city will repent, and God will return and show compassion and spare the city, and my word will be disproved. Therefore, in order to safeguard my own honour, my reputation and the awesomeness of the prophecy, it is better for me not to go. To such an extent was Jonah self-centred! He was not able to abnegate himself for the sake of people's salvation. His reverence, honour and word were more important to him than the salvation of a whole city! He had no objection to working with the Lord on the grounds that the Lord would preserve for him his honour and the awesomeness of his word. That was why he fled from the presence of the Lord refusing to carry out this errand that would hurt his pride. He was honest with the Lord in revealing his inner feelings. For when the Lord upbraided him afterwards, he said: "Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? 9 Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who relents from doing harm" (Jon. 4:2). Jonah's fleeing from the presence of the Lord carried within it other sins, namely, foolishness and lack of faith. This one who flees from the Lord, to where will he flee when the Lord is omnipresent? O great prophet, do you not believe that God is present in every place to which you flee? God is present in the ship which you will board, and in the sea which will bear the ship, and in Tarshish to which you wish to escape. So where do you wish to hide from the presence of the Lord? Rightly did David the Prophet say to the Lord: "Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hands shall hold me"(Ps. 139:7-10). Jonah was like his forefather Adam who thought that he could hide from the presence of the Lord behind the trees! Did Jonah think that God was not present in the ship or in the sea and that he could slip out of His hand? Was this not utter foolishness, and lack of faith in God's infinite omnipotence? Or was it a childlike behaviour of a helpless confused person who did not know what to do'? He did not know that God's command would pursue him everywhere. Indeed, sin extinguishes the light of perception in a man, making him forget even matters of intuition. 10 In Joppa, Jonah found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare and went down into it. How amazing that sin cost Jonah both money and effort; he paid the fare for the journey to accomplish his sin. As for grace, we obtain it free. It is amazing that we toil for our own hurt, expending money and effort. Perhaps it would have been a blessing to Jonah if he had not the money at the time to help him travel and disobey. When Jonah paid the fare of the ship, he suffered a double loss. He lost his money, his obedience and purity of heart. This is a glimpse of Jonah's faults when he fled and disobeyed. What was God's attitude? It is amazing that God used Jonah's disobedience for good. Indeed God is able to use all things for the glory of His name. 11 God Uses All Jonah disobeyed God's command and fled in a ship, but God who brings "out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet" (Judg. 14:14); God who is able to turn evil into good, was also able to make use of Jonah's disobedience. If it was through Jonah's obedience that the people of Nineveh were to be saved, it was through his disobedience that the mariners would be saved.
Recommended publications
  • Jesus' Role at God's Right Hand

    Jesus' Role at God's Right Hand

    Jesus’ Role at God’s Right Hand By Hiram Kemp When Jesus was on earth, he always did the things that pleased His Father (John 8:29). Jesus never committed a sin, and He never did anything that was not consistent with the will of God in Heaven. As Jesus was preparing to die on the cross, He said, “I have glorified you on earth, having finished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4). Jesus’ earthly mission was complete with His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. However, Jesus did not cease working completely when He returned to Heaven. The Bible depicts Jesus as being at the right hand of God in Heaven and being very active. Being at God’s right hand denotes authority, power, prestige and royalty equal to God. Jesus at God’s right hand is further evidence of His reigning and ruling as Christ (Acts 2:36; 5:33). Notice the work that Jesus does at the right hand of God. Interceding for Christians In Romans 8, Paul spoke of the victory Christians enjoy since we are free from condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1). God’s Spirit indwells Christians, by which they can call God their Father in a special way that is foreign to the rest of the world (Romans 8:14-15). Paul goes on to say that God justifies us through Christ and that Christ is at God’s right hand, making intercession for us (Romans 8:33-34). The writer of the Book of Hebrews wrote that He “always lives to makes intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25, ESV).
  • “Letting Go of Our Pride” Jonah 1:17-3:1 Today We Are in the Second Week of a Brief Study on the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament

    “Letting Go of Our Pride” Jonah 1:17-3:1 Today We Are in the Second Week of a Brief Study on the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament

    “Letting Go of Our Pride” Jonah 1:17-3:1 Today we are in the second week of a brief study on the book of Jonah in the Old Testament. Some have questioned its validity and whether or not it really happened, but I believe wholeheartedly that it did happen. Jesus Himself knew that it happened and even taught it to His followers. The message of the book of Jonah is powerful for all to hear and understand. Most people think they know what the book of Jonah is all about. Some will say that it’s about a great fish that swallowed Jonah. But there is much more to it than that. The great fish is only mentioned four times in the entire book. Some would say it’s about a great city called Nineveh. But, there is much more to it than that. The great city is mentioned only nine times in the book. Some would say that the book is about a disobedient prophet. But, again there is much more to it than that. Though the book bears the prophet’s name, his name is only mentioned eighteen times. To the surprise of most, the truth is that the book of Jonah is all about God. God is mentioned in this short book thirty-eight times. If we eliminated God from the book of Jonah, the book wouldn’t make much sense at all. Charles Spurgeon said about Jonah, “The life of Jonah cannot be written without God; take God out of the prophet’s history, and there is no history to write.” Because God is full of grace and mercy and is patient towards His people, we learn much about God through its pages.
  • 5404 SBJT V10N1.3.Indd

    5404 SBJT V10N1.3.Indd

    Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Hold the Key to a Christian Theology of Religions? An Evaluation of Three Recent Proposals Keith E. Johnson Keith E. Johnson is a Ph.D. can- Introduction Similarly, didate in Christian theology at Duke A remarkable revival of Trinitarian the- University. Keith also serves as the I believe that the Trinitarian doc- ology emerged in the twentieth century. trine of God facilitates an authen- Director of Theological Education for Karl Rahner, on the Catholic side, and Karl tically Christian response to the world religions because it takes the the U.S. Campus Ministry of Campus Barth, on the Protestant side, played key particularities of history seriously Crusade for Christ where he oversees roles in the “ecumenical rediscovery” of as well as the universality of God’s 1 the theological training of two thousand the Trinity. In addition to rethinking ele- action. This is so because the doc- full-time campus ministers. His disserta- trine seeks to affirm that God has ments of this central doctrine (e.g., nature disclosed himself unreservedly and tion research draws together two of his of divine personhood, Filioque, etc.), this irreversibly in the contingencies and central interests (the doctrine of the resurgence of interest in the Trinity has particularity of the person Jesus. But Trinity and the contemporary challenge within Trinitarian thinking, we are provided the impetus for a fresh examina- also able to affirm, in the action of of religious pluralism) by examining the tion of other aspects of Christian theology the third person, that God is con- constitutive role of Trinitarian theology in and practice from a Trinitarian standpoint stantly revealing himself through the Christian theology of religions.
  • “Touched by the Hand of God” the Rev

    “Touched by the Hand of God” the Rev

    “Touched by the Hand of God” The Rev. Jim Trimble; St. James’ Episcopal Church, Pewee Valley KY Proper 8, Year B: June 28, 2015 Let me share one of my very first memories. I always thought it was, maybe, a certain episode of Leave it to Beaver, or The Brady Bunch. Or maybe eating Ritz crackers with my mom at the J-Town 4 Theaters watching 'Song of the South.' But deep down, I remembered seeing the hand of God. For some reason, I woke up in the middle of the night, around the age of 4, pulled my cowboy curtain aside, and looked out the window, up in the moon-brightened sky to see God reaching his hand down to me from the clouds. Maybe to give me a high five. Maybe to comfort someone in my neighborhood who needed his strength and love. Maybe just to wave at me and say Hi, it's nice to meet you. The hand of God has always been a part of me, and a pat of this world we live in. Among all the plants, and seas, and creatures of this earth, and all the humans who've journeyed before us, with us, and after us. The hand of God was holding the nine victims in Charleston, as they slipped their earthly bonds to travel home. The hand of God was also reaching out to the terrorist responsible for that act. The hand of God was amidst the members of the Supreme Court this week as they voted on landmark cases in this country involving healthcare and human equality.
  • Koinonia Week 5 Question: "What Are the Covenants in the Bible?"

    Koinonia Week 5 Question: "What Are the Covenants in the Bible?"

    Koinonia week 5 Question: "What are the covenants in the Bible?" Answer: The Bible speaks of seven different covenants, four of which (Abrahamic, Palestinian, Mosaic, Davidic) God made with the nation of Israel. Of those four, three are unconditional in nature; that is, regardless of Israel's obedience or disobedience, God still will fulfill these covenants with Israel. One of the covenants, the Mosaic Covenant, is conditional in nature. That is, this covenant will bring either blessing or cursing depending on Israel's obedience or disobedience. Three of the covenants (Adamic, Noahic, New) are made between God and mankind in general, and are not limited to the nation of Israel. The Adamic Covenant can be thought of in two parts: the Edenic Covenant (innocence) and the Adamic Covenant (grace) (Genesis 3:16-19). The Edenic Covenant is found in Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17. The Edenic Covenant outlined man’s responsibility toward creation and God’s directive regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Adamic Covenant included the curses pronounced against mankind for the sin of Adam and Eve, as well as God’s provision for that sin (Genesis 3:15). The Noahic Covenant was an unconditional covenant between God and Noah (specifically) and humanity (generally). After the Flood, God promised humanity that He would never again destroy all life on earth with a Flood (see Genesis chapter 9). God gave the rainbow as the sign of the covenant, a promise that the entire earth would never again flood and a reminder that God can and will judge sin (2 Peter 2:5).
  • THE SYMBOLISM of the STAINED GLASS WINDOWS the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Rehoboth Beach, DE

    THE SYMBOLISM of the STAINED GLASS WINDOWS the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Rehoboth Beach, DE

    THE SYMBOLISM OF THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS The Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Rehoboth Beach, DE THE EIGHT ORIGINAL WINDOWS The eight windows in the corners of the front of the sanctuary were dedicated on July 10, 1988. They include the following: THE BAPTISMAL SHELL WINDOW The shell with the water flowing from it was originally a symbol of our Lord's Baptism by John. However, it also serves as a reminder of our own Baptism and the many spiritual benefits we receive at Baptism. THE PASCHAL LAMB WINDOW “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). The Lamb reminds us of the sacrifice which Christ made - His very life - for our salvation. The empty cross with the halo shows us that the Lamb was victorious over the cross, sin, death, and the devil. THE 'REJOICE AND BE GLAD’ WINDOW Traditionally viewed as a symbol of the second coming of our Lord, the trumpets in the background also remind us of a call to worship. The words "Rejoice and be glad," (from Psalm 118:24) remind us of the attitude which permeates the faithful Christian life, for "this is the day the Lord has made" (Psalm 118:24). THE SHIP WINDOW Protected by the mighty hand of God, the church sails through all storms unharmed. Jesus has promised that the church will stand and "the gates of Hell will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). The word "Nave," the part of the church where the congregation sits, came from the Latin word for ship.
  • Pdfbook.Jonah .Pdf

    Pdfbook.Jonah .Pdf

    Matthew 12:39-41: “But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” (ESV) Evangelical Free Church of Green Valley Home Bible Studies Autumn 2020 Coordinated with messages by Pastor Steve LoVellette Lessons prepared by Dave McCracken Table of Contents Date Topic Scripture Page Sept. 20 Jonah – Running from God Jonah 1 1 Sept. 27 Jonah – Praying to God Jonah 2 5 Oct. 4 Jonah – Preaching for God Jonah 3 9 Oct. 11 Jonah – Questioning God Jonah 4 13 Nineveh iii iv Lesson 1, Sept. 20, 2020 Jonah – Running from God, Chapter 1 We all have something in common with Jonah. Either we have run, or we are running from God. You can run from God, but you can’t outrun Him! The Bible says that there is nowhere that He can’t reach you. Perhaps you are saying, “God, you can have everything in my life… but not that.” “I know that God wants this from me, but if I do that… or if I give that up, I’m going to be missing out.” That’s exactly what Adam and Eve fell for in the Garden… they were fooled into believing that God was holding His best back from them.
  • “Pity on the City” Cooperative Program Sermon Jonah 4:5-11

    “Pity on the City” Cooperative Program Sermon Jonah 4:5-11

    “Pity on the City” Cooperative Program Sermon Jonah 4:5-11 In his book, “A Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism,” Tim Keller quotes that noted theologian Darth Vader, who says to a colleague, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” When we turn to the book of Jonah, we encounter a lack of faith that is devastatingly disturbing. That is because this lack of faith belongs to the prophet himself! Jonah, that reluctant prophet, was so opposed to the Lord’s “outreach” to Nineveh, the key city of the cruel Assyrian empire so scorned by Israel, that he attempted to flee from his prophetic responsibility. Having been swallowed by a great fish and deposited on the seashore, Jonah then made his way to Nineveh. In short, after Jonah delivered the Lord’s message of impending judgment, the people of Nineveh repented in a massive outbreak of revival. At this point one would expect that Jonah would have been overjoyed with the outpouring of God’s mercy upon Nineveh. However, rather than praising the Lord, Jonah became the pouting prophet. In fact, he even requested death for himself (Jonah 4:4). What follows in Jonah 4:5-11 is the account of God graciously teaching Jonah about the importance of having pity on the city. Today, obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission and the viability of our Cooperative Program hinge on a gospel-sensitivity with reference to the city, the masses of people whose lifestyles we may find completely repulsive. 1. Consider your response to the city (5) Notice that the term “city” appears three times in verse 5.
  • The Aftermath of Christ's Crucifixion

    The Aftermath of Christ's Crucifixion

    The Aftermath of Christ’s Crucifixion Matt. 27:54-66 Intro. We respond to all sorts of things a thousand times a day. Perhaps our first response is to an alarm clock. Do you respond with joy you hear it? Do you jump out of bed and say, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it?” ...or something like that. We then respond to text messages, phone calls, email and all kinds of conversation. We respond to heat, cold, hunger, pain, humor, anger, love, respect and fear. We respond to temptation, victories, disappointments and defeats. While some things don’t matter much, HOW we respond to certain other things can alter the course of our lives. Chuck Swindoll once said, "I’m convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% of how I react to it." So HOW we respond is critical. This is especially true when it comes to Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important than our moment by moment response to Him. Matthew’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus has led us on a long journey. When Jesus was conceived in Mary the angel told Joseph, “you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins." - Matt. 1:21 Now 33 years have passed and Jesus has forcefully proven that He is perfect humanity...God incarnate...Immanuel, God with us. Chap. 27 reports the completion of this phase of Christ’s mission because Jesus said He came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.
  • A Study of Michael, the Archangel

    A Study of Michael, the Archangel

    "From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truths, from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth, deliver us." A Controversial Newsletter “The Printed Voice of Summit Theological Seminary” ~ All articles are written by George L. Faull, Rel. D. unless otherwise stated ~ Vol. 27 No. 1 January 2014 George L. Faull, Editor A Study of Eyes like flame…Omniscient. Feet like fine brass…Power and judgment. Michael, Voice like a sound of many waters, which John says elsewhere represents a great multitude of people. the Archangel This does not describe an archangel in either Daniel or What did the founders of the Jehovah Revelation; they are describing the same person. But the angel Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventist, who talked to Daniel after his vision of "the certain man" tells John Wesley, John Calvin, Jonathan Daniel that he was hindered by the angel of Persia but that Edwards, Charles Spurgeon all have in Michael the Great Prince of Israel came to help him and the only common? They all believed that Jesus one that could help him was "Michael YOUR prince". Verse 13 was Michael the Archangel and stated so and verse 21. Note Michael did not himself appear to Daniel, nor in their writings. Many of the old Calvinistic commentaries in the chapter except he was spoken about by the angel who advocate this heresy. The doctrine is not true. spoke to Daniel after his vision of the Lord. So this chapter gives no credence to the heresy.
  • THE RIGHT HAND of GOD the Scriptures Repeat Over and Over And

    THE RIGHT HAND of GOD the Scriptures Repeat Over and Over And

    THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD The scriptures repeat over and over and over the phrase, “The right hand of God”. The right hand in Biblical symbology means strength, honor, and power. When God saves, protects, provides, delivers, or fights it is always with his right hand and arm. What does the right hand of God specifically stand for in scripture? Isaiah 48:13 plainly states the by the hand of the Lord He laid the foundation of the earth and by His right hand He laid out the heavens. These same actions are ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:8-10. So we can definitively say that God's right hand is Jesus Christ. I have listed the MANY scriptures that speak of God's right hand below. You will see that God's right hand in the Old Testament defeats enemies, gave the Law, saves, gives joy and pleasures, shields, teaches, upholds, acquires, plants, gives victory, does valiantly, provides shade, leads, embraces, and creates. In the New Testament it is repeated over and over and over that Jesus after finishing the work of redemption sat down at the RIGHT HAND OF GOD. Jesus is at God's right hand and IS THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD! It is by the finished work of redemption that God legally moves in power and glory on our behalf in every conceivable way! Jesus finished work is the strength, honor, and power of God working for mankind. Too often Christians are trying to get things done by their own right hand.
  • St Thomas Episcopal Church Life of Christ Icons Manual

    St Thomas Episcopal Church Life of Christ Icons Manual

    St Thomas Episcopal Church Life of Christ Icons Manual Prepared during Advent 2014 by Rhonda Kindig Revised 2015 Introduction to the Icon Tour Welcome to St Thomas! Thank you for your interest in our icon. ICON is just the Greek word for IMAGE. This style of art is known as BYZANTINE, a name that comes from the Eastern Roman Empire, which lasted from about 300 to 1450 AD. The name is from the city of Byzantium, located on the Black Sea; today we know it as Istanbul. Icons are considered HOLY OBJECTS in the Orthodox Churches, such as the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox. For them, the images are on equal footing with the words of scripture. In fact, the people who make the icons are not called painters but ICON-WRITERS. Just as the Holy Bible is revered by Christians, icons are also venerated in Orthodox Churches. In fact, an Orthodox community regards the icons as members of their community at prayer! This church, St Thomas, is an Episcopal Church; we are Protestant and not Catholic or Orthodox. We find them lovely for teaching purposes, but we do not venerate them. Because the Orthodox tradition views an icon as equal to Scripture, faithful icon-writers must match the form and content of the icons to original models approved by the Orthodox tradition! Essentially, icons must be “copied” from authorized versions, some centuries old! The subject of an icon must be an event from the Bible or a holy person. Icon-writing is not supposed to show artistic imagination or creativity; it is supposed to show discipline.