This month we are diving into the book of Jonah. On Sunday we began with chapter one and examined how we are very much like Jonah. The book of Jonah is about a prophet from Gath-hepher (2 Kings 14:25), 3 miles northeast of Nazareth, who lived during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.). God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, a major city within the Assyrian empire, to preach repentance (1:2). The Assyrians were merciless enemies to the north, whom Hosea and Amos (Jonah’s contemporaries) prophesied would eventually conquer northern Israel (which happened in 722 B.C.) Probably knowing this, and that God was gracious, merciful, and likely to forgive them (4:2), Jonah runs (1:3). He couldn’t handle the thought that Israel’s sworn enemies, and perhaps the very people that God would use to destroy Israel, are the exact people whom God wants Jonah to call to repentance and offer forgiveness. This great book confronts us with sin, grace, and God’s love for all the nations of the earth, even those we would consider our enemies. In it we are forced to examine our own selfishness, self-righteousness, and reluctance to participate in God’s unfolding plan of salvation in this great city of Seattle – and like Jonah, we must own our sin and fly to Jesus.

For the King,

Pastor Adam

Check out the notes here
Jonah 1:1-17 | We Are Jonah

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