OCTOBER-DECEMBER
Jonah:
Gospel
o f0®3  the
Second Chance


h t t p : / / c q . a d v e n t i s t . o r g


Jonah: 
G ospel  o f the 
Second  C hance 

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2003
Staff
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Editorial Assistant:  Shirlee J. Ingram
R eading  C o m m itte e
Kathy Beagles 
James Black 
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Pat Habada 
Jonathan Kuntaraf 
Ekkehardt Mueller 

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Ken Rogers 
Jim Zackrison
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The  Fish That 
D id n ’t G e t Away
1. Biblical prophets, Modern critics    10
Antonia  Becerra,  C.  Rachel  Becerra,  Bethany  Logan,  Debbie  J. 
Nichols,  Bonnie Schoun,  Mark Sulger,  Pamela Sulger
2. People and Places..................................19
Leticia Chaparro, Winston Clough, Candie Duncan, Odeile Munrose, 
Reina Munrose, Sabine Vatel
3. Jonah and Judgment...................................28
Grettel  M.  Manalansan,  Adoni-Zedek Marcha,  Joy Maxwell,  Marielet 
Joy M. Murillo, Marielle Liza De Ocampo, Gil Hernandez Villamater, Jr.
4. The "Dove" flees....................................... 37
Linda Alexander, Falvo Fowler, Edson Iwaki, Ashim Pheirim, Ferdinand
O.  Regalado,  Ronald Wallang
5. Message to the Mariners........................ 46
Alicia Flores, Marietta Fowler, Clifton Gadsden,  David A. Pendleton, 
Noemi  Pendleton,  Stephanie Tanada
6. The Ninevites' Y2K W arning...................55
Amanda  Anguish,  Craig  Ennis,  Karin  Farrar,  Thomas  B.  Jacques, 
Jennifer Morgan, Julianna Streifling
7. Second chances    ............................ 64
Curtis  Bryan,  John  G.  F.  Carey,  Phillip  Meadows,  Audley  Mitchell, 
Tom Owiti,  Erika A. Perpall


8. The Amazing evangelist............................ 73
Cheryll  Bird, Wayne Boehm,  Shonelle Boucher, Jason Cork, Samuel
O.  Koranteng, William  Phiri
9. Conversing with  G od    ..................... 82
Tina  Paradis,  Georg  Turner,  Jan  Yakush,  Allison  Zollman,  Franke 
Zollman,  Kandace Zollman
10.   a  Wind, a worm,  and a Plant................... 91
Rosalie  Hunt  Mellor,  Dwight  L.  Moody,  Sara-Beth  Swanson,  Alisha 
Trecartin,  Homer Trecartin, Jr., Greg Tuttle
11. The Last W o rd ................................... 100
Tara  Collins,  Allett  Duncan,  Wayne  Duncombe,  Johan  Haakmat, 
Beverly I. Henry, André Milford,  Hugh-Berk Sinclair, Jerome Wilson
12. The Greatest sign.................................109
Julie  Douglas,  David  Edgren,  Lyndon  Hawke,  Darren  W.  Jackson, 
Jonathon  Lee,  Donna Pascoe
13.   a  Picture of G o d ................................ 118
Daren Bullock, Ian M. Cort, Michael Grau-Veliz, Sujoya Elin Paul, Beng 
Yong Tang, Olivia Toumazos
3


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This  Q u a rte r's 
Illustrators
Javid and Zema Akhadovi met in Moscow,  Russia, in 1992, were 
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9


Lesson  1
S e p te m b e r 2 7 -O c to b e r 4
Biblical prophets, 
Modern critics
"Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His 
secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7, NKJV).


G o d   D o d g er 

Sabbath
S e p te m b e r 27
INTRODUCTION
Book  of Jonah
God dodger, could that possibly describe you or me?
Of course not, we proclaim with such humility.
We should know within this story that there are lessons not all too hard to find; 
one just has to be willing, the spirit will define.
For many have heard about this story of a man named Jonah, a storm, and a 
big fish in the sea,
but how many of us have asked ourselves, How does he compare to me?
We trust there is a reason, but not all will clearly see, 
for some will just dismiss it as myth or allegory.
We read he was a prophet, told by the Lord to Nineveh to go, 
instead headed forTarshish till the ship got tossed to and fro.
He was eventually discovered and cast into the sea.
Not until he repented did the Lord God set him free.
Spewed from the bowels of a fish,  he came forth on dry land, 
for Jonah finally got it and obeyed the Lord’s command!
So Jonah started the journey, a three-day’s walk to last.
He shouted to the people, “Only 40 days left to last.”
The people didn’t doubt as Jonah went about his task; 
the warning reached the king and all began to fast.
Everybody, every beast, that resided in this land, 
partook of the fast,  in  hopes of changing God’s plan.
The people wore sackcloth, while the king did the same; 
showing their remorse, caused the Lord God to refrain.
Jonah grew angry and started to complain,
he knew well of God’s mercy and all would end the same.
He knew their ending from the start, for it was plain for him to see, 
for this was the very reason he decided to run and flee.
The moral of this story is not captured with one line, 
but we all need intervention from He who is divine.
So next time you hear Him calling,  remember you can’t dodge God, you see 
you can try running, but God wants you to know, “You can’t escape from Me.”
C.  R achel Becerra,  Santa Barbara,  California 
11


S unday
S e p te m b e r 28 Servants — 
Special Sent Signs
LOGOS
Amos 3:7; Jonah  1; 3:4; M att.  12:39-41;  Luke 11:29-32
God's servants are special  (Amos 3:7).
Jonah is introduced to us in 2 Kings 14:25 as God’s servant. Amos 3:7 shows 
us something  noteworthy: “Surely the  Lord God does nothing,  unless He reveals 
His secret to His servants the prophets” (NKJV). Servanthood is a position of high 
responsibility and deep relationship with the Lord.To serve God is a special position. 
It is the servant of God who learns the secret of God’s head,  heart, and hands.
God  reveals  His plans.
The Hebrew word for “secret” used in this text most often appears in the context 
of “counsel” or “assembly” when it is used elsewhere in the Bible. God reveals His 
intentions as also seen  in  Psalm 25:14: “The secret of the  Lord  is for those who 
fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant” (NASB). Jonah knew God’s 
plans. The secret of God’s desires = God’s heart. The word is also used to convey 
a sense of intimacy.
As  we  compare  the  usage  of  the  same  Hebrew  word  for  “secret”  between 
translations,  we  gain  a  fuller  understanding  of  its  meaning.  Proverbs  3:32  may
represent that the Lord’s “secret 
is with the righteous” (KJV), or it 
could  also  be  read  as  saying, 
“But  He  is  intimate  with  the 
upright”  (NASB,  emphasis 
supplied). Jonah knew God well 
enough to know that God desires that none should perish (2 Pet. 3:9). It was because 
he knew God’s heart so well that Jonah’s own heart found conflict over how God 
intended to deal with Nineveh. Read Jonah 4:1, 2.
The secret of God’s ways = God’s hands. God says in  Isaiah 55:8,  9 that His 
thoughts and ways will always transcend our understanding, but notice the context 
in which God gives us this reminder. Read the preceding verses about repentance 
and  pardon. The  reason  God  highlights that  His ways aren’t  like ours  is that we 
have issues with God’s ways of forgiveness. We, like Jonah, tend to look for God’s 
heavy hand of judgment rather than His outstretched hands of mercy.
God's servants are sent (Jonah  1;  3:4).
As a servant, Jonah was sent on assignment as a commissioned ambassador 
for the Lord. Jonah took issue with the nature of the mission, but he did not for that

God  opts to pursue and 
wait for repentance.
12


reason cease to be a servant of God or to be sent of God. Compare God’s sent- 
repent-relent pattern in His dealings with His servant Jonah as well as with Nineveh.
Sent: God  opts  to  send,  rather than  bend.  He does  not,  by the  force  of  His 
hand, bow His servants, or other subjects, into submission to His purposes. Jonah 
was not bent into going to Nineveh when his own will was bent on going to Tarshish. 
Neither was  Nineveh  bent  into  adopting  God’s  principles.  God  sent  His  call  of 
direction to both. Both had a choice in how to respond.
Repent: God opts to pursue and wait for repentance, rather than abandon His 
servants when they are in disagreement with Him. God did not abandon Nineveh 
to its own ways. Neither did He abandon Jonah. He does not abandon what is His 
own,  but  He waits  for what  is  His  own  to  abandon  themselves  in  Him.  As  God 
knows the negative consequences that follow our poor choices, He actively pursues 
us to  bring  us into  repentance so that  He can  bring  us into safety. God  pursued 
Nineveh  and  then  waited  for them.  He  pursued  Jonah  and  then  waited  for  him. 
When God’s servant was willing to  bring  himself back into repentance,  God was 
there waiting to bring him into salvation. God went to such lengths as to prepare a 
fish to save Jonah. He went to such lengths as to prepare a cross to save us.
Relent:  God  opts  to  relent—He  shows  mercy  rather than  punishment  in  His 
discipline. In Jonah 3:4 Jonah was back to work. God didn’t fire him. God brought him 
back into His service. Even though Jonah may not have been fully committed, God, in 
His mercy, restored Jonah to his high calling of servanthood. He may have been even 
more effective than before. It is likely that attention was drawn to listen to someone 
who had been swallowed by a fish and lived to tell about it. God not only showed His 
mercy to Nineveh, but Jonah himself was an example of God’s power to relent.
God's servants are signs  (Matt.  12:39-41;  Luke  11:29-32).
Jesus said that He was a sign to His generation, just as Jonah was a sign to 
Nineveh. This sign,  Jesus  said,  would  be the  only sign  given. The  purpose  of a 
sign is to point to something. Jonah, as God’s servant, pointed to repentance and 
life  change.  Jesus  came  as  God’s  servant to  indicate  forgiveness  and  new  life. 
What we know is only as valuable as we allow it to help us grow.
To  see  a  spectacular  sign  of  God’s  power  is  only  as  useful  as  it  serves  to 
change us.  It’s all about application. God’s servants are to be signs of life. God’s 
signs  and servants are sent to  be special  change agents. They are signs to the 
slow: They present God’s message again and again to those who are slow of heart 
to  believe  (Luke  24:25).  God’s servants themselves are often  the slow ones,  as 
Jonah was. Regardless of their slowness of understanding, God’s servants serve 
to become signs of His slowness to anger.
REACT
Jonah  is  called  a  prophet. Why  would  someone  as  close  as  a  prophet  run 
away from God? 
B onnie Schoun,  Boulder,  Colorado
13


M o n d a y
S e p te m b e r 29 The  D e p th 
o f His M e rc y
TESTIMONY
M att.  12:39-41
Why was God merciful to the city of Nineveh? What were His compassion and 
forgiveness supposed to  prove?  It amazes me how merciful the  Lord  is.  Look at 
some examples:
“ The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and 
condemn  it,  because they repented at the  proclamation of Jonah’ ” (Matt.  12:41, 
NRSV).“Have mercy upon me, O God ... according to the multitude of Your tender 
mercies, blot out my transgressions” (Ps. 51:1,  NKJV).
Ellen  White  states:  “The  people  of the  great  heathen  city trembled  as  they 
heard the warning from God. Kings and nobles humbled themselves; the high and 
the  lowly together cried to the  God of heaven,  and  His  mercy was granted  unto 
them.”1
“When Jonah  proclaimed  in  the streets of Nineveh that within forty days the 
city would  be overthrown, the Lord accepted the humiliation of the Ninevites and 
extended their period  of probation; yet the  message of Jonah  was sent of God, 
and Nineveh was tested according to His will.”2
Jonah  knew the Lord was merciful.  Perhaps that’s why he found it so hard to 
comply with God’s  request. “Thus Jonah was called of God to prolong the  life of
the  enemy  nation  which  was 
already  in  the  process  of 
exterm inating  his  own 
nation.”3The Lord used Jonah 
in  spite  of  his  anger  and 
opposition. His response was, 
“  Therefore  now,  O  Lord, 
please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!’ ” (Jonah 4:3, 
NKJV). Jonah’s focus was on himself,  rather than on the souls that were saved.
How merciful would you be if God sent you to the Taliban to preach the gospel? 
Especially  since  9/11 ?  Are  you  any  different  from  Jonah?  God  saw  the  whole 
picture. He knew what He was doing, and He knows what He is doing now.
Meanwhile, pray “in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking 
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ  unto eternal  life” (Jude 20,  21,  emphasis 
supplied). I’m so glad we have a God who is far more merciful to us than we are to 
one another.
1. The Desire of Ages, p.  364.
2. The Great Controversy,  p. 406.
3. Hailey's Bible Handbook, p. 363.

How merciful would you be if 
God sent you to the Taliban 
to preach the gospel?
Debbie J. Nichols,  Santa Barbara,  California


Fishing fo r Facts 

Tuesday
S e p te m b e r 30
EVIDENCE
M att.  12:39-41
The  historicity of Jonah  as  a prophet and  his God-prompted fish tomb story 
has  been questioned  by scholars and therefore  has created doubt.  How can we 
address this issue as Christians and present our findings with conviction to those 
who  lack  faith  and  require 
evidence? Let’s see what can be 
found about him.
•   The  name,  spelling,  and 
use  of  “Jonah”  in  the  Old 
Testament  is  the  Hebrew 
translation,  meaning  “dove”; 
whereas the  Greek translation  of the same  name  is  used  and  referred  to  in the 
New Testament Greek writings as “Jonas.”
•   As a patriot and  prophet,  Jonah  predicted the victory of Jeroboam  II  over 
Syria (2  Kings  14:25),  so  he was  no  rookie. When  called  upon,  he  knew what it 
took to get the job done.
•   Biblically, Jesus referred to Jonas/Jonah (Matt. 12:39-41; 16:4; Luke 11:29- 
32). Jesus stated important facts about Jonas, thus giving him credence:
a.  He was a prophet.
b.  He used him as a comparison and as a sign of the length of His stay in 
the grave.
c.  He made mention of the repented city of Nineveh, after hearing Jonas’s 
preaching.
•   Historically,  the capital of the Assyrian  Empire was  Nineveh. ‘The Assyrian 
Empire was a world empire for about 300 years (900-607 B.C.). It began its rise to 
world  power about the time of the division  of the  Hebrew kingdom at the close of 
Solomon’s reign. It gradually absorbed and destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel.”1
•   Archaeologically, it wasn’t until 1811  that charted mounds of inscribed bricks 
of Babylon prompted interest by Claude James Rich, an agent of the British East 
India Company residing in Baghdad. In 1820 he visited Mosul and spent four months 
sketching a plan of the mounds just across the river, which he suspected were the 
ruins of Nineveh, and collected tablets and inscriptions that neither he nor anyone 
else  could  read. “Sir Austen  Henry  Layard,  an  Englishman,  called  ‘the  father of 
Assyriology,’ discovered,  1845-51,  at Nineveh and Calah,  ruins of palaces of five 
Assyrian kings who are named in the Bible, and the great library of Assur-banipal, 
which is estimated to have contained  100,000 volumes.”2
1. Hailey's Bible Handbook,  p. 363.
2.  Ibid.,  p. 42. 
Antonia Becerra,  Santa Barbara,  California

The  historicity of Jonah 
has been  questioned  by 
scholars.
15


W ednesday
O c to b e r 1 A W orld  Full of Jonahs  |
HOW -TO
Rom. 3:23
So here we have it, a story of a prophet, Jonah,  a condemned city,  and a big 
fish. The  prophet  runs  away,  finds  himself inside the  big fish,  and the  entire city 
ends up repenting and is saved thanks to Jonah’s preaching. But how does all this 
      commotion  relate to  us  here  in
up in the specifics of the story and completely miss the big picture—the big picture 
that asks, What can I take from the story of Jonah to apply to my own life?
Point 1: Jonah was flawed. This Is rather apparent from looking over the first 
chapter of Jonah. Just three verses in, we find Jonah already directly disobeying 
God’s  specific  orders  to  preach  in  Nineveh.  He  ignores  God’s  instructions  and 
hops on a boat In Joppa going to Tarshlsh. Basically God spoke and Jonah ran in 
the opposite direction. Jonah allowed  his own fears to rule his decisions,  instead 
of trusting completely in God’s power and His plan for Jonah.
Point  2: We  are  all  flawed. Though  few  of  us  have  a  story  as  extreme  as 
Jonah’s, Paul states quite clearly in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of 
the glory of God” (NKJV). To  put it simply:  no one  is  perfect.  Every one of us,  at 
various times and in varying degrees, resists the work of God in our lives. We want 
to do things our own way and  in  our own time.  It  is all  part of human  nature,  an 
innate nature that we all share in common with Jonah.
Point 3:  God  can  use  us  despite  our flaws. God  used  Jonah  despite  his 
flaws and resistance to preach to the city of Nineveh, a city that was home to more 
than  120,000  people.  As  a  result of Jonah’s  preaching,  the  entire  city  repented 
and  begged  God’s  forgiveness.  God  used  an  ordinary  man  to  do  extraordinary 
work.  In  the  same  way,  God  can  use  us,  despite  our flawed  human  nature,  as 
instruments in  His work.
1. How can Christians avoid letting personal fears prevent them from following 
God’s plan for their lives?  Be specific.
2. Jonah allowed his fears to rule his life instead of trusting God. What do you 
fear?
3. How can God use your fears to accomplish His purposes and for His glory?

W hat can  I  take from the 
story of Jonah to apply 
to  my own  life? 

the  21st  century  when  the 
possibility  of  spending  three 
days  In  the  belly  of  a  fish 
because  we  failed  to  follow 
God’s  instructions  is  next  to 
none?  It  is  easy  to  get  caught
REACT 
B ethany Logan,  Boulder,  Colorado
16


M odern-day Warnings 

T h u rsd a y
O c to b e r 2
OPINION
Rom. 6:23
The apostle  Paul  writes,  “The wages of sin  Is  death”  (Rom.  6:23,  KJV). This 
warning, so clear when he wrote it, shouts to all humanity. Paul is just one example 
of the  countless  men  and  women  who  declared  God’s  warnings  to  His  people. 
These warnings are relevant today and are given to us so we sinners will not have 
to experience death,  but have life through Christ.
Essentially, sin Is a separation from God and His will. When we follow our own 
desires or selfish ambitions, we are sinning and walking away from God’s warnings 
and blessings.This can be seen throughout the Bible and in society today.Terrorism, 
war, child abuse, murder, sexual abuse, and political and religious strain flood the 
news. Yet God’s grace can be seen through even the worst of these tragedies.
Jonah, a prophet of God, was a sinner.The book of Jonah also shows how again 
and  again  Jonah  chose to follow  his  own selfish  ambitions  and  disobey God. An 
experienced  prophet,  Jonah  ran  away from  God  when  asked to  prophesy to  the 
sinful city of Nineveh, yet God showed mercy on  him. The book of Jonah, the only 
prophetic book that focuses on the prophet and not the prophecy, can teach us how 
to focus less on our own selfish ambitions and more on God’s grace for all sinners.
We,  the  children  of  God,  are  all  sinners. Again  and  again  we seek our own 
selfish  ambitions. The  beauty of God,  in  all  His  grace  and  mercy,  is that  He will 
always give  us fair warning to turn  away from  our sinfulness.  He will  never send 
judgment on  us without a clear 
and  precise warning. When  we 
focus on our own selfish desires, 
it may be difficult for us to  hear 
God’s warning, let alone heed it.
But if we can clear our minds of 
our selfish ambitions, for even a 
moment, we can hear the word of God instructing us on how best to live our lives 
for Him.
Jonah  did  not  believe  that  the  people  of  Nineveh  deserved  God’s  mercy  or 
forgiveness. How many times have we wished vengeance on those who are sinners? 
We all seek our selfish ambitions and we are all sinners, yet we should be thankful 
that we are all under God’s grace and that the message of God’s salvation is for all 
people. God’s forgiveness and salvation through Jesus is available to all who heed 
the warnings,  repent, and believe.
REACT
What would be Jonah’s message today to London, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro?
Mark and Pamela Sulger,  Mountain View,  California

God's grace can  be seen 
through  even the worst of 
these tragedies.
17


Friday
O c to b e r 3 G o   Fish!  I
EXPLORATION
Jonah  1-4
So we can’t dodge God—at least not successfully. God calls  His servants to 
be intimate with Him, to know His heart and plans, to get out of our comfort zone, 
and to be walking and talking signs that teach His truth. God commands us to help 
save people we don’t naturally care about and may naturally even loathe for cultural, 
racial,  class,  or other reasons.  God  is  patient when  we find this  difficult,  but  He 
insists that we develop in Him till we do it. Even prophets sin. Even prophets need 
the gospel of grace—forgiving grace, transforming grace.
CONSIDER
■   Designing an imaginary billboard to be displayed in your environment (street, 
university class, workplace, etc.) that would express a message from God. 
Use seven words and/or one picture.
■   Thinking  about a song Jonah  might have written about his experience  in 
the fish (Jon. 2:1-9). Take some of his ideas and write a blues,  reggae, or 
rap (or any other musical genre you like) as if you were Jonah.
■   Exploring for yourself the debate over the validity of the story of Jonah  in 
literature and on the Internet. How does this story help to build our faith in 
our Creator?
■   Doing some library or Internet research on fish. Are there any big enough 
to hold a human? What fish-eats-man stories have been  reported since? 
What could Jonah breathe for 72 hours? Eat? Would stomach acids begin 
to  digest  Jonah’s  body?  What  other  scientific  problems  does  this  story 
raise, and how could they be solved?
■   Using a Bible map to calculate some distances. How far was Jonah willing 
to sail to get away?  How far did the fish take him? (See Jonah  1:3.)
■   Storyboarding  the  book of Jonah  into  a textually  accurate,  creative,  and 
humorous film storyboard or graphic novel/cartoon strip.
■   Creating a mime or silent ballet (solo,  duo, or more players) that tells the 
story of your relationship with  God.  Have you tried to dodge  Him? What 
has He done?
■   Ending the Jonah story since it doesn’t really end. Write/tell the ending you 
wish had happened, and the one you think really would have happened.
CONNECT
Prophets and Kings,  pp. 266-274.
Alister McGrath, Bridge Building: Communicating Christianity Effectively; Ravi
Zaccharlas, Can Man Live Without God?
G renville Kent,  W est P ennant Hills, Australia


Lesson  2 
O c to b e r 4-11
People and 
Places
" 'Before I formed you in the womb I  knew you; before 
you were born  I  sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet 
to the nations' " (Jer. 1:5,  NKJV).


S a bb a th
O c to b e r 4  "  b -------------   W h y Did  He  Form You?  |
INTRODUCTION
Jer. 1:5
“Walking aimlessly down this tunnel called life,  I stopped and  realized  I  didn’t 
know where  I  was going. This person called T was trapped, yet I  myself was the 
cage, afraid to continue walking, yet wanting to run.”
This is the first part of an excerpt from my journal, which was written at a time 
in my life when  I felt like Jonah. I felt the Lord tugging at my heart, yet I  refused to
listen  because  I  didn’t  want  to 
go  down  that  road.  You  know 
what  I  am  talking  about:  that 
time, it could be right now, when 
God  has  asked  you  to  do 
something  and  you  say  No.  It 
may be that it seems too difficult a task or you are afraid of the outcome.
That is when the second  part comes  in.  It says: “If we died with  him,  we will 
also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will 
also  disown  us;  if we  are faithless,  he  will  remain  faithful,  for  he  cannot  disown 
himself” (2 Tim. 2:11-13,  NIV).
God loves you. It is not in His nature to deny His love for you because of your 
faults. Even when you think that life has swallowed you up and you are lost forever, 
at that moment when you realize you are helpless, you  begin to let God do what 
He formed you for, and you are put on the right ground.
My Dearest Child,
For everywhere I have put you, there is a purpose behind it. I love you, so trust 
Me. I  wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t for your own good. “ 'Surely I  am with you 
always, to the very end of the age’ ” (Matt. 28:20,  NIV).
Love always and forever,
Your Father

"This person  called T  was 
trapped."
Leticia Chaparro,  Berwyn,  Illinois 
2 0


Absurdities 

Sunday
O c to b e r 5
EVIDENCE
Jonah  1
Rare is the person who has not heard or been  inspired by Corrie ten  Boom’s 
personal and dramatic experience with forgiveness. As someone from one of her 
audiences  approached  her,  she  recognized  him  as  the  Nazi  officer  who  had 
mistreated her and her sister during their imprisonment in the concentration camp. 
He had assisted in the death of the other prisoners. Years later he had become a 
Christian, and now he was standing in front of her with an extended hand. Corrie 
describes how she at first resisted. She prayed for God’s help, and as she stretched 
her hand to grab hold of the man’s hand,  she felt the  Holy Spirit’s surge through 
the supernatural act.
I  have  heard this story many times and  it  never ceases to amaze  me. God’s 
grace  is  amazing. Also  awe-inspiring  is  how  God  will  stop  at  nothing  to  extend 
forgiveness  and  mercy.  Jonah 
learned  this  the  hard  way.  He 
refused to preach to Nineveh, for 
fear that God would forgive the 
enemies  of  His  people.  (See 
Jonah 4:1,  2.) When one reads 
the account of the  Ninevites’ cruelty in the book of Nahum,  who can blame him? 
What was God thinking of? Next thing you know, these people will be transformed 
and want to speak of God’s love. They didn’t deserve to know God or His peace.
What is even more absurd is that Jonah would question the God of the universe’s 
ways  and  dare  run  the  other  way.  We  see  ourselves  through  Jonah’s  narrow­
mindedness and ultimately irrational behavior. The story is a powerful  illustration 
of just  how  oblivious  we  are of our own  wretchedness  and  need for God.  God’s 
prophet is not immune from being very human. The story of Jonah—in spite of its 
surprising tale of a giant whale—still touches us because it reveals God’s patience 
not  only  for  His  erring  people  but  also  for  someone  who  ought  to  have  known 
better. The story of the reluctant prophet is not so much about our stubbornness to 
have it our way as it is about God’s stubborn determination to show His compassion 
even  if it would mean sending His Son, Jesus, to die in place of His enemies.

This story never ceases 
to amaze  me.
Sabine  Vatel,  Takoma Park,  M aryland 
21


M o n d a y
O c to b e r 6 D irect D irections
Yet D evious Decisions
LOGOS
1  Sam.  16:1-3;  Psalm  104; jonah  1; M att.  10:30
Why Jonah  Ran  (1  Sam.  16:1-3)
Nineveh. Why Nineveh? There is a verse that we quote often concerning the 
birth  of  Christ:  “When  the  fullness  of  the  time  had  come,  God  sent  forth  His 
Son” (Gal. 4:4,  NKJV). We can be tempted to think that this was the only moment 
of exquisite timing  on  His part,  but Jonah’s commission  had the same quality.
Evidence suggests that at the time when Jonah was one of God’s spokesmen, 
Nineveh  experienced  a  religious  revolution—a  monotheistic one.1  God  saw this. 
The  timing  was  right,  but Jonah  was  aware  only  of the  reputation  that  Nineveh
had for being  a “bloody city  ... 
full  of  lies and  robbery,” whose 
“victim never departs” (Nah. 3:1, 
NKJV).  Jonah  wasn’t  too  keen 
on becoming a victim, so he ran. 
He  was  so fearful  that “instead 
of  going  some  500  miles 
northeast to  Nineveh,  he set out to  go  2,000  miles west to Tarshish.”2  His fears 
were exactly the same as those of Samuel. As a prophet, Jonah must have been 
well  versed  In  the  lives  of  his  predecessors,  but  Samuel’s  obedience  was  no 
inspiration  at this time.
Choosing  Life's  Direction  (Jon.  1:3)
Another Bible character who  had a very specific calling  chose  not to do what 
God required of him. Samson was fully aware of his calling as a Nazarene, as was 
Jonah of his calling as a prophet.  Besides this calling, the  Lord  had from the time 
of Moses told the  Israelites not to intermarry with the pagans around them. When 
Samson began  his journey away from God,  however, the Bible says that he “went 
down toTimnah” (Judg.  14:1,  NKJV). In  his flight from  God,  Jonah went “down to 
Joppa” (Jon.  1:3,  NKJV). It is evident that “down” describes not only a geographic 
direction. Perhaps, for all who run away from God, their lives head into a downward 
spiral,  but God  is a gracious  God  and  no matter the degree of descent,  once we 
call  on  His  name,  He  lifts  us  up. Jonah  and  Samson  are only two  examples,  but 
they are enough to help us understand that He will do the same for us.
Working for Good to Those Who Don't Know the Lord  (Psalm  104)
I  have a friend who is always telling  me,  “God  uses crooked  pencils to draw

It is evident that "down" 
describes not only a 
geographic direction.


straight  lines.” At the  onset  of this  story,  Jonah  was  very  crooked.  How straight 
a  line  could  God  draw?
Once the terrible storm  broke, the sailors called on their gods  (Jon.  1:4). The 
Hebrew word translated “god” in this verse  is elohim, which  is a generic term for 
“deity.”3 In verse 6, when they asked Jonah to pray to his God, they did not consider 
that Jonah’s God would be any different from theirs and therefore they used the term 
elohim.  By the  time  we  get to  verse  9,  however,  Jonah  has  explained  that  he  is 
Hebrew and worships “ ‘the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land’ ” (NIV).
While Jonah had been speaking, the storm had worsened. I imagine that these 
sailors were experienced men of the sea, and as far as they could tell, this storm 
was unusual: Maybe it was the wrong season for storms. Somehow, in their minds, 
what Jonah said about his God, and the fact that he was running away from Him, 
was  connected  with  the  life-threatening  situation  that they found themselves  in. 
They had already prayed to their gods to no avail. So at the conclusion of Jonah’s 
explanation, they incredulously inquired of him why he had been so foolish as to 
put their lives at risk by running away from his God. Jonah had told them that their 
only hope was to throw him overboard. Conviction is beginning to set in as evidenced 
by the sailors no longer referring to God as elohim but Yahweh, “which peculiarly 
designates the true God,”4 as they appeal for clemency. They had to throw Jonah 
overboard. They  had  tried  everything  they  could  in  order to  save  themselves.
By the time Jonah begins his decent into the dark sea, the sailors are totally 
convinced  that  Jonah’s  God  was  the  God  who  brought  on  the  storm  and 
subsequently calmed  the  sea,  that  He was  Yahweh and  that  He was  worthy of 
the  sacrifices  that  they  then  made  to  Him.  Jonah’s  running  from  the  task  of 
reaching  a  metropolis  teeming  with  people  ignorant  of  Yahweh occasioned  the 
opportunity for God to  reach  a  rag-tag group of sailors. Who  knows  how  many? 
Maybe six. Maybe 20.  Numbers are not as important to God as they are to  us.
REACT
Why did God not send Jonah to an Israelite nation seeing that they, too, were 
in apostasy?
1.  The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.  3,  p.  996.
2. W. A. Townend, More  Than Meets the Eye,  p.  89.
3.  The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.  3,  p.  999.
4.  Ibid. 
W inston Clough,  London,  E ngland 
23


Tuesday
O c to b e r 7 God's G race  Is 
N o t Exclusive
TESTIMONY
Jonah  1
Jonah  was  running,  not from  God,  but from  God’s words.  He was  given  the 
prophetic commission to preach the gospel of “repent and live” to his enemies and 
he was none too pleased.
Nineveh  was  the  strong,  notorious  capital  of  Israel’s  enemy,  the  Assyrians,
and  here was the God of Israel 
commissioning  an  Israelite  to 
prophesy  against  Nineveh  to 
prevent  its  destruction.  How 
unconventional!
Jonah,  therefore,  was 
unwilling  to  yield  to  the 
command.  Man  of  God  or  not, 
he was saying No! He would rather die than save his archenemy. You would think 
that one professing to be close to God would not be so bigoted and exclusive. He 
forgot that God was the Creator of all humankind and sent His only Son to die so 
that all, friends and foes, would be saved.
Like some Christians, Jonah was practicing exclusivity. “ ‘Ye are the light of the 
world.’ The Jews thought to confine the  benefits of salvation to their own  nation; 
but Christ showed them that salvation is like the sunshine. It belongs to the whole 
world.”1
We are to remember that God, unlike Jonah, shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34, 
35). Like the people of Nineveh, “Hundreds are waiting for the warning to escape 
for their lives.”2
Like Jonah, “Everyone who has received the divine illumination is to brighten 
the  pathway  of those  who  know  not  the  Light  of  life.”3  No  running  away.  God’s 
grace, mercy, and love are for every human being.
REACT
1.  How  are  we  to  tell  others  who  blatantly  and  openly  sin  despite  God’s 
warnings?
2. How can we warn others of sin without judging them, at least to some degree?

God  commissioned an 
Israelite to  prophesy 
against Nineveh to prevent 
its destruction.
1. The Desire of Ages, pp.  306, 307.
2. Gospel Workers, p.  29.
3. The Desire of Ages,  p.  152.
Candie Duncan,  M anor House,  E ngland 
24


G o d   Knows You! 

W ednesday
O c to b e r 8
HOW-TO
Jer.  1:5; Jon. 2:1, 2,  10;  M att. 10:30
“ ‘The very hairs of your head are all numbered’ ” (Matt.  10:30, NKJV).
God knows every one of us by name and nature, and He sees what no human 
can see or know. He knows what we are capable of doing even if it has not happened. 
While we are constantly  indulging  in  our sinful  nature,  we  need to acknowledge 
that  God  is  great  and  powerful 
enough to easily destroy us, but 
because He is kind and merciful,
He spares us. Instead, He grants 
us  a  chance to  change,  to turn 
away from our wicked ways, and 
to  accept  Him—the  same  message  He  sent  with  Jonah  to  Nineveh.  God  also 
wants  us  to  take  up  His  torch  and  run  the  marathon,  spreading  His  truth  that 
enlightens as we journey through life. God uses ordinary people like you and me 
who are willing to serve Him, to go out and proclaim His gospel.
No matter how many times we sin against God, He never turns His back on us. 
We  should  make  a  conscious  decision  to  leave  our  sin  behind  and  look  up  to 
Jesus, who will do the  rest. He transforms us into a new creature and gives us a 
new lease on life.
REACT
1.  There  is  a  popular  saying,  “If  you  don’t  like  the  message,  shoot  the 
messenger!” How does this expression relate,  if at all, to the story of Jonah?
2. The lesson states that Jonah  might have already hated  Nineveh. How can 
we  get  over our  prejudices  and  hangups  and  share  God’s  message  with  those 
who  are  different  from  us—age,  color,  race,  socioeconomic  status,  educational 
level, professional level? Be specific.
3.  Is  God’s  judgment  on  Nineveh  fair,  since  they  were  not  given  the  Ten 
Commandments?  Explain your answer. 

God also wants us to 
take  up  His torch.
Reina M unrose,  Clapton,  E ngland


T hursday
O c to b e r 9 The Call  |
OPINION
Jer. 31:3; M att. 28:19, 20; John  15:13
In times past God used ordinary people like Jonah to tell others about Himself. 
If  we  take  a  look  at  Jonah,  we  realize  that,  first,  God  called  Jonah.  He  was  a 
regular guy, yet still God called him. Second, he disobeyed God and in fact tried to 
run  away  from  God,  yet  God  forgave  him  and  sent  him  once  again  to  call  the 
people of Nineveh to repentance. God did this because of His love for Jonah and 
the people of Nineveh.
God also used Peter and the rest of the apostles, and today He is using ordinary 
people  like you  and  me. He is calling  us.  He is saying to  us,  “ ‘Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, 
baptizing  them  in  the  name  of 
the  Father and  of the  Son  and 
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them 
to observe all things that I have 
commanded  you;  and  lo,  I  am 
with you always, even to the end of the age’ ” (Matt. 28:19,20, NKJV). God is going 
to use anyone who is willing and able, but He is not sending us out there alone. He 
will be right there with us.
God loves His children, and because He loves us, He sent His son to die for us 
(John 3:16). Ellen White tells us, “Christ’s love for His children is as tender as it is 
strong. And it is stronger than death; for He died to purchase our salvation, and to 
make us one with Him, mystically and eternally one.... Although sin has existed 
for ages,  trying to counteract this  love  and  obstruct  its flowing  earthward,  it still 
flows in rich currents to those for whom Christ died.”*
Since He loves us, He desires that none should perish but that all should come 
to repentance. For this reason, God calls us to go out into the world and the byways 
to sow a seed, tell others of His love, and to call  His children to repentance.
REACT
How would  you  seek to bring  assurance to someone who  is convinced that 
their sin is too great for God?
'Messages to Young People, p.  110.

He is not sending us 
out there alone.
Odeile Munrose,  Clapton,  E ngland


In fin ite Patience 

Friday
O c to b e r 10
EXPLORATION
Jer. 1:5; Acts 7
CONCLUDE
The story of Jonah is one of God’s unfailing love and grace. In asking Jonah to 
go  to  Nineveh,  God  begins  a train  of  events  that  cause  Jonah  to  confront  and 
reexamine  the  direction  of  his  life. Through  Jonah’s  experience  God  is  able  to 
reach  out to a  group  of sailors  and the  people  of  Nineveh,  bringing them  into  a 
saving relationship with  Flim. God still intervenes in  human  lives. He can  redirect 
our lives and use us to reach out to others. God is infinitely patient in His efforts to 
recover, redirect, and save men, women,  and children.
CONSIDER
■   Selecting  at  random  from  a  newspaper  pictures  of  people.  Look  at  the 
pictures and identify your reactions, both positive and negative. Think about 
this  question:  How  do  your  feelings  toward  others  affect  your  ability  to 
witness?
■   Noting times when you clearly saw God’s intervention in your life or in that 
of others you know. Think about the outcomes.
■   Imagining you are Jonah. Write how you might have felt if you were in the 
belly  of  the  large  fish  or  when  you  preached  in  the  city.  Have  you  ever 
experienced  similar  feelings?  Would  you  handle  them  differently  after 
studying Jonah’s story?
■   Taking  a  boat  ride  or walk  by water.  Imagine what  it would  be  like  to  be 
trapped inside a whale. Think about how sin can trap us. How does it affect 
our relationship with God and those around us? What is the way to escape 
from sin’s power?
■   Rewriting Jeremiah 1:5 in your own words. Make a list of what it means to 
know that God knew you before you were born. Think about how choice 
affects life.
■   Baking some fish-shaped cookies and sharing them with a friend. Tell the 
story of Jonah and what God means to you in your life.
■   Projecting over the next six months and planning ways to share Jesus with 
your friends and  neighbors. Present your ideas to God in prayer.
■   Surveying people to find out what repentance means to them. What does 
the Bible say about repentance? Using examples from the Bible, compare 
and contrast how God deals with repentant and unrepentant sinners.
CONNECT
Steps to Christ, pp. 77-84.
A udrey A ndersson,  Lindesberg,  Sweden


Lesson  3 
O c to b e r 11-18
Jonah  and
Judgment
"Peter began  to speak to them : 'I  truly  understand  that 
G od  shows  no  partiality,  but in  every nation  anyone w ho 
fears him  and  does w hat is  right is acceptable to  him ' " 
(Acts  10:34, 35,  NRSV).


S a bb a th
O c to b e r  11
1  L O V c   Y O U   . . .
INTRODUCTION
Acts  10:34, 35
It was  Saturday  morning  at the  Master Guide  camp. We were  having  group 
dynamics  as  our  Sabbath  School  activity.  The  facilitator  told  a  story  that  we’d 
discussed in each group.
There was a family who had a father who was said to be having an affair with 
a young woman whom he met at church. What would you do if you were the daughter 
and  it  happens that the young woman  is your best friend? What would you  do if 
you were fellow church  members?
I answered: “I’d attack her for having the nerve to show her face in church after 
what she had done to my family, and  I would tell  her to her face that I  hate her!  I 
would add that I had trusted her so much but that I  regret the day that we became 
friends!” Most of the answers were like mine, full of hatred, full of pain, full of anger.
After the lively brainstorming, the facilitator told us what had happened in the 
story:  Unknown to the community,  the young woman  happened to be a victim of 
sexual harassment. No one would listen to her, not even her so-called best friend. 
Everyone hated her. Everyone accused her.
In  anger she  retaliated. She transferred from  one place to another and  used 
her beauty to destroy families. For years she’d been doing this until one day she 
met  a  man  who  changed  her  life.
They became friends, and for the first 
time  in  her life she  had  someone to 
tell her story to. Their friendship grew 
into romance. When the man said, “I 
love  you,”  the  young  woman  felt 
accepted and loved for the first time. Although no one else would listen to her, this 
man did.
The facilitator asked: “How would you feel if you were this young woman?”
No one answered. All was silence. If I were the young woman,  I told myself, I 
would have felt hurt too. I might even have done something more terrible than the 
young woman did in the story. I might even have killed myself because of loneliness 
and pain. I felt ashamed for what I’d assumed about her. I felt ashamed for I probably 
wouldn’t have given her the chance to talk. I wouldn’t have listened.
It is easy for us to judge others without knowing who they really are. But God 
isn’t like that. God always listens. He is always there for us. He loved us before we 
loved Him. When we accept Jesus,  it doesn’t matter what our pasts are. It doesn’t 
matter whether other people despise us. He alone will judge us where we belong 
and what our works shall be. 

Most of the answers 
were  like  mine.
Marielle Liza De Ocampo, Antipolo City,  Philippines


Sunday
October 12 A  G a m e  o f 
H id e -a n d -S e e k
LOGOS
Jon. 1:2; 3:8; Acts  10:34, 35;  Rom.  1:18-20; 2:13-16
It is not unusual for a man of his profession later to regret his calling. Jonah tried 
to travel  to Tarshish  instead  of to  Nineveh.  Instead  of  being  able  to  hide  himself, 
however, he was caught and became hidden in the belly of a fish. Later, he became 
disappointed with the withered gourd.
Where Jonah Came From  (2  Kings 14:25; Jon. 1:1)
We are familiar with the  name Jonah as the prophet who was swallowed  by a 
great  fish.  Fortunately  for  him,  the  Lord  gave  him  time  inside  the  fish’s  belly  to 
reconsider His order to go to Nineveh. If not, Jonah might have been digested there.
“The word  of the  Lord came to Jonah the  son of Amittai” (Jon.  1:1,  NKJV),  a 
native  of  Gathhepher,  which  means “winepress  of the  well.”1  Located  in  a  lower 
Galilee town,  it is about five miles from  Nazareth.  In today’s  modern times,  it has 
been identified as el-Meshed, which is a village on the top of a rocky hill. In modern 
terms, we might say that Jonah’s father was a pastor and Jonah became a pastor.
Jonah may not have been the equal of Daniel or the more well-known prophets, 
yet he was able to restore “the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the
Sea  of  the  Arabah”  (2  Kings 
14:25,  NKJV).  Described  as  a 
fortress,2 it was the capital of one 
of the kingdoms in upper Syria in 
the  valley  of  Lebanon  at  the 
northern  boundary  of  Palestine 
(Num.  13:21; 34:8),  at the  foot  of  Mount  Hermon  (Josh.  13:5)  toward  Damascus 
(Zech. 9:2; Jer. 49:23). It is called “Hamath the great” (Amos 6:2, KJV) and “Hamath- 
zobath” (2 Chron.8:3, KJV).
Imagine so  much travel on foot. If you were not an able walker, cross-country 
trips would have been very difficult. Even if Jonah rode a donkey, the restoration of 
so much territory would have necessitated much personal travel.
Jonah's Problem  (Jon. 1:2, 3; 3:8; Acts 10:34, 35)
What a surprise it must have been for Jonah to be asked by the Lord God to go 
to the city of Nineveh! Imagine going to a city that you might have thought impenetrable 
by gospel or Christianity. Surely in your heart you would think,  as Jonah did, How 
could God forgive such a wicked and terrible city? Jonah must have had that in his 
heart. Would God forgive Nineveh? This was a question in Jonah’s time, and it could

Imagine so  much travel 
on foot. 
30


also  be  a  question  about  cities  in  the  present.  It will  also  be  a  question  of great 
discussion in the future: Could God forgive?
Basically, Jonah was very sensitive to the mission that God had intended him to 
take.  He  might  have  already  hated  Nineveh,  even  from  the  start.  Why  focus  on 
Nineveh’s repentance when God would punish it just like Sodom and Gomorrah? A 
reasonable question. Here we are, happy Christians living on wicked planet Earth. 
We  are  expecting  the  soon  return  of Jesus  Christ  and  His  tens  of thousands  of 
angels, so that wicked people who make fun of us,  persecute us,  and demoralize 
our lives will finally be burned in hell.
Jonah’s unsuccessful evasion of Tarshish, however, isn’t a panacea. Neither he 
himself nor the people of Nineveh would ever benefit from his heart’s purpose. God 
instead directed Jonah that the only solution was for him to work in behalf of Nineveh’s 
wicked citizens.
God's Solution to Jonah's Reaction  (Rom.  1:18-20; 2:13-16)
It so happened that as Jonah tried to go to Tarshish, the Lord God sent a storm 
to stand between Jonah and his aim of crossing the sea. Here, then, the unexpected 
happens: Jonah flees from the Lord. His shipmates pray to their gods for deliverance, 
but Jonah doesn’t pray. He goes down praying to God for forgiveness inside a fish. 
He returns to Nineveh to complete the mission God had entrusted him to do. The city 
of Nineveh asks for God’s forgiveness and it is granted. Jonah becomes displeased 
at  this.  Finally  Jonah  realizes  that  though  God  expects  the  penalty  of  the 
consequences made by breaching the divine law, His mercy yet extends even further.
So much for Jonah. I remember a time when a pastor said at a certain church I 
visited that “only the sinner who truly has been forgiven could sing  praises to the 
Lord God.” Again  I  remembered  Nineveh. We  are  more judgmental  than the One 
who is supposed to judge us all. We seem to approve or disapprove of who we think 
will be saved.
Jesus  Christ came  to  provide  a clear picture  of the  ways of the  Father. “You, 
Lord, are good,  and  ready to forgive, and abundant in  mercy to all those who call 
upon You” (Ps. 86:5, NKJV). “Have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and 
become  judges  with  evil  thoughts?”  (James  2:4,  NKJV).  May  we  be  able  to 
contemplate the kind of love that, even as we were sinners, Jesus Christ died for us.
REACT
In what specific ways could Jonah’s experience be of help to you?
1. M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson,  1897).
2.  Ibid. 
G il H ernandez Villamater, Jr.,  Polillo,  Philippines
31


M o n d a y
O c to b e r 13 M ingling Judgm ent
and M e rc y
TESTIMONY
Ps. 89:14
“The  cross  of Calvary,  while  it  declares the  law  immutable,  proclaims to  the 
universe that the wages of sin is death.”1
“Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty must 
be executed. God, in the gift of His only-begotten Son, met both these requirements. 
By dying in man’s stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and provided a pardon.”2 
“Through Jesus, God’s mercy was manifested to men; but mercy does not set
aside  justice.  The  law  reveals 
the  attributes  of  God’s 
character,  and  not a jot or tittle 
of it could be changed to  meet 
man in his fallen condition. God 
did  not change  His law,  but He 
sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man’s redemption. ‘God was in Christ, reconciling 
the world unto Himself.’ 2 Cor. 5:19.”3
“The penalty for the least transgression of that law is death, and but for Christ, 
the sinner’s Advocate, it would be summarily visited on every offender. Justice and 
mercy are  blended.  Christ and  the  law stand  side  by side. The  law convicts the 
transgressor, and Christ pleads in the sinner’s behalf.”4
“God’s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice 
is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan’s purpose 
to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness 
of God’s law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in  God’s plan they are 
indissolubly joined  together;  the  one  cannot  exist without the  other. ‘Mercy  and 
truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.’ Ps. 85:10.”5
REACT
1. How do you understand God’s justice and mercy as being blended together 
in Christ’s life and death?
2.  How  can  you  explain  this  to  people  who  see  God  as  a  god  who  enjoys 
punishing people?
1. The Great Controversy,  p. 503.
2. Selected Messages,  bk.  1,  p. 340.
3. The Desire of Ages, p. 762.
4. This Day With God, p.  246.
5. The Desire of Ages,  p. 762.

" 'Righteousness and  peace 
have kissed each  other/ "
Joy Maxwell,  M anila,  Philippines 
32


W h o  W e re 
These Assyrians? 

Tuesday
O c to b e r 14
EVIDENCE
Jer.  18:7-10
Nineveh is described as a “great city” (Jon. 1:2, KJV). It served as the capital of 
ancient Assyria. Who were these Assyrians?
The Assyrians were “a Semitic-speaking people who arrived from the southwest 
shortly after 2000 B.C.”1 They “lived in the upper Tigris valley,  a region frequently 
invaded by people from nearby mountains.”2 Thus they became “ruthless warriors.”3 
“Assyrian  rulers  invaded  other  lands,  mainly for plunder. They deliberately  used 
terror in the lands they conquered.”4 Therefore, as the capital,  Nineveh served as 
the seat of all Assyria’s wickedness.  It even  caused  Nahum to call  it “the  bloody 
city”  (Nah.  3:1,  KJV). Then  during  the  reign  of  Adad-Nirari  III  (810-782  b . c . ) , 
something happened.
“For an  unknown  reason,  Nabu,  the  god  of  Borsippa,  appears to  have  been 
proclaimed sole or at  least principal  god  of the empire. [Ancient civilizations are 
known to be polytheistic.] A Nabu temple was created in 787 B.C. at Calah, and on 
a Nabu statue ... appear the magnificent words Trust in  Nabu, do not trust in any 
other god!’ ”5
Some see this as a possible connection to the mission of Jonah, for the people 
“believed” (Jon. 3:5,  KJV) and even caused the king to proclaim a decree!  (verse 
7).  Now the  Bible says,  “God  saw their works  .  .  . and  God  repented” (verse  10, 
KJV). "Repent” is defined  as to 
Nineveh  served as the seat 
of all Assyria's wickedness.

change  one’s  mind  and  regret 
an  earlier  decision.  Does  God 
really change? The Bible shows 
other  instances  (Gen.  6:6;
1  Sam. 15:11). According to The 
SDA  Bible  Commentary;6 God  doesn’t change,  but circumstances do  (Jer.  18:7- 
10; Ezek. 33:13-16). These pronouncements of judgments are frequently, in effect, 
conditional  prophecies. God speaks to humankind in their own experiences.
For a time  Nineveh was spared of its destruction, for its people turned  away 
from their evil ways. But soon enough they reverted to their old ways that eventually 
led to their desolation in 612  b . c .
1. Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, vol. 2 (Lexicon Publications,  Inc.,  1989), p. 266.
2.  Marvin Perry, History of the World,  p. 57.
3.  Ibid.
4.  Ibid.
5. The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p.  60.
6.  Ibid., vol. 4,  p.  1000. 
A doni-Zedek Marcha,  Quezon City,  Philippines 
33


W ednesda y
O c to b e r 15 The  D o c to r Is  I n i
HOW -TO
Isa. 11:2, 3;  1 John 1:9
A friend asked me if I knew a doctor who could help her out in her gastrointestinal
problem.  I  suggested  one.  The  only 
gastroenterologist  I  know  is  a  pediatric 
gastroenterologist.  I  gave  her the  contact 
number. The  secretary  was  the  one  who 
answered the call, and my friend stated her 
problem. The secretary was surprised and 
asked  my friend why,  since she wasn’t a pediatric patient,  she was seeking that 
doctor’s consultation.
Here are some tips on how to get an appropriate (spiritual) doctor:
1. Look at the directory. Searching the directory makes it easier to find the 
right doctor. The  Holy  Bible  Is  our directory to the truth.  It will  never  lead  us to 
somewhere else but only to God, who is the truth.
2. Phone the doctor. With our sincere hearts, by phoning God through prayer, 
our burdens will be healed—from the outermost to the innermost parts—without 
hesitation or limitation.
3.  Know  something  about  the  doctor. Through  knowing  God  more,  by 
spending quality time in searching the Scriptures, we will not be deceived by anyone, 
because we know God very well and we know His capabilities.
Our great God loves us all. If possible, He wants all of us to be with Him there 
in  heaven.  Right now He is calling for us,  showing  His unlimited love and  mercy, 
and it extends to every individual. Our part is to approach Him, seek His consultation, 
and accept His divine love, then, in the end, God will show His fairness and justice. 
Praise God!
REACT
1.  First  John  1:9  offers  a  simple  path  to  salvation:  Confess  your  sins;  God 
always forgives you and cleans up your life. If this is so simple, why is there still so 
much wickedness in our world? In our own lives?
2. God offers wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Why are we so reluctant 
to ask for these gifts and recognize God’s leading in our lives?

The secretary was 
surprised.
M arielet Joy M. Murillo,  A ntipolo City,  Philippines 
34


T h u rs d a y
~  I  I  I  O c to b e r 16Crossing the  Bridge  ----------------- 
to Salvation
OPINION
Jon. 3:10; 4; Acts 10:34,35
Last year my organization went to a remote village for a medical-dental mission. 
To get there, we had to hike for two hours and cross a wobbly hanging bridge—the 
kind that breaks in the middle like the ones seen in  the movies. As I stepped on the
bridge,  my  fear  of  heights  engulfed  me,  and  my whole body could  not  move. I
could not breathe, and I didn’t realize I was trying to keep myself from crying until 
I felt tears running down my face.
Similarly, crossing over from sin to salvation is not easy. It surely wasn't simple 
for Nineveh, which was a “center of crime 
and  wickedness  .  .  .  full  of  lies  and 
robbery.”*  But  when  the  Ninevites 
repented,  God  saved  them  from  the 
destruction that Jonah pronounced. Even 
Jonah at first couldn’t comprehend why 
God would  let such sinful  people  live, why  He would  risk being  regarded as one 
who does not fulfill His word.
We live in a world like Nineveh. Television reports and newspapers carry news 
of murder, robbery, and many other crimes and sins. Standards of right and wrong 
are almost nonexistent; crookedness is everywhere.
The good news is that our God is merciful. He ignores our skin color, our family 
name, our address, even the wicked little planet we live on. God looks at our hearts. 
He sees how sincere we are,  how willing we are to let the Holy Spirit change us.
Sometimes we feel that we’re too sinful, that we cannot cross over to the side 
free  from  the  darkness  of  sin. We  decide  to  stay  in  our sinful  ways  because  it’s 
difficult to transfer to God’s side. We fear that God might see how evil we really are 
and how much we don’t deserve His merciful judgment. When we ask for forgiveness, 
however, God takes us to the other side of the bridge, where we are sure that His 
love will spare us from death. For we know that our God is a God of love and justice 
and that His mercy extends to anyone, no matter how wicked or sinful.
As I stood there on the other end of the bridge, friends rushed toward me and 
held me as I crossed. Friends that were already on the other side cheered me on. 
Soon  the  ordeal  was  over. Just  like  crossing  a  hanging  bridge,  crossing  over to 
God’s side is  not easy,  but we know that as God  had forgiven the  Ninevites who 
repented,  He is just and  merciful to forgive  us as well. And  He will  be there with 
open arms as He welcomes us to salvation.
*Prophets and Kings,  p. 265. 

W e  live  in a world 
like  Nineveh.
G rettel M. M analansan, A ntipolo City,  Philippines 
35


Friday
O c to b e r 17 G o d   Is L-O -V-E  |
EXPLORATION
John  3:16,  17;  Rom. 5:8;  6:23;  2  Pet. 3:9 
CONCLUDE
Christ’s  life  on  earth  and  His  death  on  Calvary  proved  beyond  reasonable 
doubt that God is indeed L-O-V-E, thus irrevocably declaring God’s innocence and 
pronouncing Satan’s guilt and condemnation.
Judgment, therefore, is inevitable. For as much as God is a God of love, He is 
also  a God  of justice. The foundation  of  His  government  rests  upon  this justice. 
Calvary pinpointed the immutability of God’s laws and at the same time proclaimed 
to the universe that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23,  KJV).
God  metes on  the wicked “eternal punishment" (Matt. 25:46,  NIV,  emphasis 
supplied) but not eternal punishing. The punishment is eternal, for when the wicked 
are destroyed, they will never return. The wicked will be punished, but God is not a 
sadist who delights in seeing people suffer. He is not interested in punishing people. 
He takes no pleasure whatsoever in the punishment of the wicked. That is contrary 
to the very nature of God. Even in His judgment, God reveals His love and mercy.
CONSIDER
■   Recalling your personal reasons for accepting Jesus as your Savior.
■   Singing “We  Shall  Behold  Him” by Jennifer La Mountain. Write down the 
lyrics of the song and share it with someone who is feeling discouraged.
■   Researching the words judgment, justice,  mercy, and love on the Internet 
or elsewhere, as they pertain to God.
■   Making puppets to represent the book of Jonah. Write a script for the story 
of Jonah and perform a puppet show for children  in your congregation or 
neighborhood.
■   Asking a friend to become your prayer or accountability partner and making 
a commitment to continue praying for each other until Jesus comes.
■   Viewing the video A Man for All Seasons (1966). As you watch this motion 
picture,  analyze the similarities and the differences  between  the  prophet 
Jonah  and  Sir Thomas  More  as  they  related  to  their  responsibilities  as 
representatives of God.
■   Interviewing a judge, a lawyer, a police officer, and/or a jailed prisoner on 
the process of justice where you live.
CONNECT
The Great Controversy, chaps. 28; 29.
Seventh-day Adventists Believe,  chaps. 7; 8; 23; 26; Bible Readings for the
Home, pp. 46-49, 54-58, 359-362.
M alou Escasa,  Baler,  Philippines 
3 6


Lesson  4 
O c to b e r 18-25
The "Dove" flees
"Elijah  was a  man  w ith  a  nature  like  ours,  and  he  prayed 
earnestly that it would  not rain; and  it did  not rain  on  the 
land  for three years and  six  months" (James 5:17,  NKJV).


S a bb a th
O c to b e r 18 The  Lord's Agents  I
INTRODUCTION
Ezek. 36:26, 27; Jonah  1-4; M att.  19:21, 22
A friend told me the following experience: When he was about 18 years old, one 
of his neighbors had a five-year-old son who had health problems and needed blood 
transfusions. The family began to search for volunteers from their neighborhoods. 
Two members of the family visited my friend’s house and asked him:
“HI. We are looking for volunteers to donate blood of type B positive to a small 
five-year-old child. Could you help us?”
Having type O positive blood (universal donor)  my friend lied to those people
because he feared the needle of 
the blood transfusion. My friend 
answered them:
“No, I can’t. My blood is type 
A positive. It’s incompatible with 
type B.”
“Well,  thanks anyway,” they 
said  and  resumed  their search 
for new volunteers in the other houses In the neighborhood.
Coming into the room, my friend’s mother asked her son, “It seems that I heard 
voices here. Who were they and what did they want?”
“Our neighbors,” my friend  answered, “looking for volunteers to donate blood 
for their five-year-old child.”
“Why didn’t you volunteer?” his mother asked.
When  he told her what had happened, she was shocked. “You  must go there 
and donate blood for that child!”
As a result, my friend donated blood for the child. Despite his lapse,  I am sure 
that the  Lord  used  him to assist that child in  a way somewhat similar to Jonah’s 
assistance to the people of Nineveh.
The Lord desires to use us (despite our faults) as His agents to proclaim  His 
message to the world. He desires to give us a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek. 
36:26, 27).

M y friend  lied to those 
people because he feared 
the needle of the  blood 
transfusion.
E dson Iwaki,  Sâo Paulo,  B razil 
38


W ill You  Run and  Hide?  |------------

S unday
“   ~   "  "  "  k  O c to b e r 19
EVIDENCE
2  Kings 14:25; Jon. 4:11
It is crucial to understand the background to the book of Jonah. God ordered 
Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim  His judgment against it. The prophet didn’t 
like the assignment. Who was Jonah? Where was he from? Where was Nineveh?
Jonah  was  a prophet and  servant of the  Lord. He lived  in  Israel  and  served 
God as His prophet. He lived at a time of external peace in  Israel, so most of the 
people  became  complacent 
toward  spiritual  things.  Israel 
actually  hoped  for  the  des­
truction  of  other  nations  and 
longed for God’s darkness to fall 
on  them. They  failed  to  look  at 
the fields of needy people in the world who were headed for destruction without a 
Savior.  Israel,  a chosen  nation,  blessed with  many  special  privileges from  God, 
refused to share their blessings and God became displeased!
I’m sure Jonah would have been happy to have another plum job like the one 
he had in 2 Kings 14:25, where he was preaching to the people of God about the 
blessings  He would  give them. All  his other assignments had  been within  Israel. 
I’m sure he didn’t like the idea of traveling to preach to the pagans. He saw his job 
as preaching to God’s people,  not to the ungodly.
Nineveh  was the capital  city of Assyria,  a  powerful  and  vicious  nation,  and 
Israel’s enemy. Nahum 3 profiles the Assyrians as wicked, ferocious, and brutal. 
Nineveh  had  120,000  people,  and  Jonah  3:3  tells  us  that  it  took  a  three-day 
journey to cross. In fact, Nineveh had walls 100 feet high and so broad that three 
chariots could  run around them side by side. Within  its walls were gardens and 
fields for its many cattle.
The Assyrians were a cruel and heartless people. Ancient Assyrian engravings 
depict  people  being  tortured  and  skulls  worn  around  their  necks  to  show  their 
cruelty. When they conquered a town in battle, they would take any survivors and 
impale them on stakes in front of the town. Their leaders would often  remove the 
heads of their enemies and wear them around their necks. And it’s to this group of 
people, to this great enemy nation, to this enemy city, that God called Jonah to go.
If the  people  of  Nineveh,  the  great and  cruel  enemy of God’s  people,  could 
repent  at  the  preaching  of  Jonah,  how  much  greater  would  have  been  the 
acceptance for those who believe in Jesus when confronted with truth!
REACT
Why does God call  us to do the seeming  impossible? What lesson  might He 
be trying to teach? 

All  his other assignments 
had  been within  Israel.
Linda Alexander,  C ollege Park,  Georgia 
39


M o n d a y
O c to b e r  20 The  H u m an  Race  |
OGOS
Exod. 4:1,  10,  13; Josh. 7:1-25; Job 38; Jonah  1
Bigotry  does  not  allow  others  to  grow;  it  restricts,  represses,  or  eliminates 
whatever it hates. It generalizes its bias to all who fit a narrow definition of what it 
thinks is right. God’s people are not immune to it.
Israel was not chosen in that they were a separate, isolated people. They were 
chosen to witness to those around them,  to  remind people of the true God. God 
wanted to save all humankind through the descendants of Abraham (Gen. 12:3).
Repeatedly, God called His people to recognize the deception of the devil and 
come back home; repeatedly,  His people chose to ignore His calling and go their 
own way. They were content in  knowing that they were the chosen  (remnant)  of 
God’s people; this seemed enough to survive spiritually.
Prophets,  throughout  the  Bible,  were  calling  people  to  discover  God  anew. 
Elijah’s plea at Mount Carmel was a calling of people back to God; ironically, it was 
calling the chosen back to God (1  Kings 18:21-39).
It was Jonah’s turn.
Jonah was a bigot. He knew that if God really disliked the people of Nineveh (as 
Jonah himself did), He would have destroyed them.This mission wasn’t about destroying
Nineveh;  it  was  about  rescuing 
Nineveh.  Nineveh,  according  to 
the prophet Jonah, was not worth 
rescuing. The Assyrians were the 
enemy  of  Israel  and  therefore 
Jonah’s  enemies.  In  fact,  Jonah 
probably  convinced  himself that 
if they didn’t get the warning, then God would have to destroy them.
So he ran.
He reasoned that if he could run away from this calling, God would be helpless 
and would have to go ahead with Plan A: destroy Nineveh.
This same multifaceted, rainbow-making, omnipotent God with just Plan A? In 
a world that never goes according to plan? You would think that the prophet Jonah 
would know his Boss a little better, wouldn’t you?
You know that song “My God is so big/so strong/and so mighty”? God is so big 
that when you run away from Him you probably will run right into Him. That’s what 
happened to Jonah.
Even  while  running,  this  man  of God  was  self-absorbed. The  welfare  of the 
mariners was of  no concern. While they were fighting the  storm  and  praying for 
deliverance,  he  slept.  While  they  inquired  what  to  do,  he  was  nonchalant. 
Disobedience  is  selfish  (Josh. 7:1-25). This chosen  prophet’s  sin  brought about 
suffering to those around him, and Jonah really didn’t care.

W e  run w hat we think is 
the good  race,  but is it 
God's race? 
40


So much for being chosen.
In the 48 verses of the book of Jonah we can see ourselves. There are many 
things we  need to do that we don’t do. And things that we should  not do,  we do 
(Rom. 7:15). We are good people who sometimes do bad things for what we believe 
are good  reasons. Sometimes we have an attitude about it.
Across the world, certain customs have been initially set up to enhance local 
lives.  Over the  years,  these  same  innocuous  customs  mutated  to  preclude  us 
from  mingling  with  others;  racial,  ethnic,  caste,  class  differences  convince  us 
that we are  better than  others. We are  Christian  only if it does  not conflict with 
these biases. Such deluded thinking partially, or completely,  blocks out God and 
His Word. Whatever keeps us from  respecting people as God’s children  is what 
keeps  us  running  from  God.  We  run  what  we  think  is  the  good  race,  but  is  it 
God’s race?
Perhaps we like to be Christians because it makes heaven seem possible; we 
don’t like doing all a Christian has to do because it makes living here not as fun as 
we  think  it  could  be. Yet,  we  are  so  comfortable  speaking  the  same  dialect  of 
“Christianglish,” wrapping ourselves in our Christian productions, and being what 
we term Christian, that when God calls us to step out and do something His way, 
it seems easier to run.
Where are we running to?
Like Jonah, we are so blinded by what others have said that we cannot clearly 
hear what God is saying. The way we dress, worship, and behave have become so 
inbred that abnormalities are beginning to show in our spiritual genes. We’ve heard 
the  same  songs,  the  same  themes,  the  same  prayer structures  (and  they  have 
always worked before) that we can’t seem to want to do anything else for anyone 
else. When we are called out of this routine existence to reach out, we run, hoping 
the call will subside. Or we stand very still, hoping by just giving to missions we can 
avoid the call to get involved. It is easier to ignore the call and  run away.
There  will  come  a  time  when  we  will  be  called  from  our  complacency,  our 
sleep, and have the opportunity to testify. At the end of this race, what will our life 
choices testify? Will  it be the  Lord God  of all  people,  or our bitter,  self-centered, 
narrow  definition  of whom  God  must save? Will  we  obey  God’s  call to  go  to  all 
sorts of people? Or will we continue to run?
REACT
1. How does being “chosen” make you special? What are the  responsibilities 
of being chosen? Be specific.
2. Analyze  your feelings toward  a country/state that  is  not on  friendly terms 
with your own. To what extent,  if any, should your feelings change?
3. Did God create us with intrinsic cultural differences? Explain your answer.
4. What  role  should  culture  and  heritage  play  in  Christianity? What  place  is 
there,  if any, for ethnicity? 
Fatvo Fowler,  Pune,  India
41


Tuesday
O c to b e r 21 The C o d  W h o 
W ill  N o t Let G o
TESTIMONY
Isa. 55:9; Mark 16:15
The way God operates differs from how we operate. Whenever His will is being 
opposed by humankind,  He always has His own superior ways.
Never will He let His plans go begging if one way does not seem to turn out. He 
has other ways to see that His work is done. God’s plans supercede all human plans.
Running away from responsibilities is a very common trend among us people. 
There are two kinds of responsibilities: major and  minor. We should not mess up
with  any  kind  of  responsibility, 
but often we do. When we study 
the story of Jonah, we find that 
he, too,  muffed a responsibility. 
He  was  instructed  to  go  to 
Nineveh and warn the people of 
their destruction  if they didn’t repent.  Instead of doing God’s will,  he did  his own 
will;  he tried to  run away from  God.  But God  is a God who will  never let His will 
simply go  unaccomplished. Thus,  God taught Jonah  a lesson the  hard way,  and 
ultimately he had to complete the will of God.
Oftentimes,  like Jonah,  we also  run  away from the  responsibilities that have 
been given to us. We mess around by simply refusing them. Responsibilities set by 
God should never be denied. Even though we try to do so, still God has a million 
ways of accomplishing  His sovereign  plans. He allowed Jonah to  learn a lesson 
the hard way, consequently seeing His plans accomplished through Jonah himself.
God’s will for humanity is good and noble.Through the ages God always wanted 
us to follow rightful desires. Yet we act according to our own plans. This is not at all 
correct. We ought to be a shining light in order to get God’s message across. “Unto 
all  inhabitants of the  earth,  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  is the  light of  heaven  to 
shine  in clear strong  rays.”* We should not fear doing the will of God. We should 
not be afraid and run away, because in doing so we gain nothing. Mark 16:15 says, 
“ ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ ” (NKJV). This is 
God’s plan for us. We should not be cowards and run away like Jonah. We ought to 
be brave and complete the will of God,  because His plans are for our own good.
We should cling to God’s will. We should not be afraid since He is always with 
us. By running away, we can accomplish  nothing. Rather, we should just do what 
God commands, and in doing so we don’t have to learn things the hard way, as did 
the prophet Jonah. Obedience to God is better than sacrifice.

God's will for humanity 
is good  and  noble.
*Man of Destiny, p. 717. 
R onald  Wallang,  Pune,  India 
42


G race or Ungrace? 

W ednesday
O c to b e r 22
HOW-TO
Jonah  1
We see the astounding grace of God in the way He deals with Jonah and the 
Ninevites. In spite of his unwillingness to do God’s command, Jonah was still used 
by  Him.  In  the  same  manner,  the  ruthless and  unworthy Ninevites were  given  a 
chance to repent of their sins. Throughout the book of Jonah, the recurring theme 
of  the  magnanimous  grace  of 
God  can  be  seen.  Grace  is 
revealed as a gift lavishly given 
to the  undeserving.  It is  shown 
as  som ething  that  extends 
beyond  ethnic  and  national 
boundaries, and even unto one’s 
own religion.The God we serve is indeed the God of grace. However, we Christians 
are  sometimes  found  on  the  side  of  ungrace.  Our  words,  our  actions,  and  our 
lifestyles speak louder more of ungrace than grace. So, in what ways can we be an 
agent of grace and not of ungrace to others, both to Christians and non-Christians?
1. Put Christ on the center stage rather than self. Ungrace is found in us 
when  we  tend  to  lift  up  self  rather  than  Christ.  In  our  preaching  and  in  our 
teaching, there is a danger of making self as the center stage instead of God. 
We tend to  make our witnessing so attractive that God was put aside and self 
gets all the credit. As we deliver the message of grace to others, we should be 
like John the Baptist, who said: “He must increase,  but I  must decrease” (John 
3:30,  KJV).
2.  Know  the  person,  not  only  the  doctrines. In  our  witnessing  to  others 
through Bible study, for example, there is a tendency to make sure that the doctrines 
we are giving to a person are clear and intelligible. By so doing, we tend to overlook 
the importance of getting to know the person whom we are trying to reach because 
we are occupied too much  in  knowing the doctrines we are trying to teach. As a 
teacher,  I  am also  guilty of this.  I  was far more concerned with  knowing well the 
content of what I was teaching and failed to know my students personally in order 
to relate the subject matter to their needs.
3. Deliberately practice some acts of grace. I once asked one of my students 
to  do  some  deliberate  acts  of  grace  to  any  person  of  his  choice. This  was  his 
project in my religion class. He decided to wash the clothes of one of his roommates. 
His roommate was surprised after seeing all his clothes already washed. My student 
told  me that  he experienced the  exuberance  of grace  as well  as  his  roommate. 
Deliberately practicing some acts of grace to our fellow human beings will become 
a habit and will become part of our everyday lives.

Grace  is revealed as a gift 
lavishly given to the 
undeserving.
Ferdinand O.  Regalado,  Silang,  Philippines 
43


T hursday  ______________________________________________ 
O c to b e r  23  ~   "  IT ----------------   G od  Doesn  t Require
Bodybuilders!
O PINION
Jon. 1:2
Jonah was assigned a huge, unpleasant task. Admonishing 120,000 Ninevltes 
known for their wickedness wasn’t too appealing. The job required someone tough 
possessing the physique of Rambo,  not him! So he did what any ordinary person 
would have done: He bolted.
Jonah doesn’t stand alone in his failing.The Bible records other Incidents when 
other chosen ones, such as Moses and Saul to name a few, didn’t fall in line with 
God’s will either.
Forget old biblical characters—we do it all the time. I’ve used numerous excuses 
to escape  responsibilities. “Me? Church florist?  I’m  not artistic enough.” Or “Help 
with children’s choir? I’m not good with kids.’Then the clincher—“No, I really couldn’t 
get up in front of the congregation at church!  I’m just not worthy enough!  I  mean, 
look at my lifestyle!”
Not  realizing  that  in  all  these  pretexts to  avoid  witnessing  lies  an  unspoken 
question  in the  Lord’s ability to work through the weakest and  most flawed. The
doubt  may  be  unintentional,  but  the 
misgiving  is  real.  Humility and  modesty 
are fine, but complacence sucks—literally. 
Right into that vortex of idle contentment 
where  it’s  easy  to  fool  yourself  into 
thinking that you’re doing just fine when 
it comes to your relationship with God. The wonderful truth remains, however, that 
the  Lord  who  reigns  sovereign  over  nature  (Amos  4:13)  also  holds  a  very 
Insignificant “me” in  His hands and can do much through me if I let Him. “I can do 
all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13,  NKJV).
He who created  me has a plan for me. I  may be apprehensive about it,  but it 
will do me well to remember that God Is with me every step of the way.
And with the Lord backing me,  Rambo’s a pussycat!
REACT
1. How active is my role in church activities?
2. Does God tailor His commands to fit our gifts and talents? Explain your answer.
3. Does God ever change His mind about what He asks us to do?  Explain your 
answer.
4. Give a biblical  example of someone who was able to dissuade God from  an 
explicit command. 
Ashim  Pheirim ,  Hosur,  India

He who created  me 
has a plan  for me. 
44


Your W ay or His? 

Friday
O c to b e r 24
EXPLORATION
Phil. 4:13 
CONCLUDE
God's basic method for accomplishing His plans on earth is through individuals 
who are willing and capable of carrying out the tasks. At times, though, a person 
who is cut out for a job may shy-off from the God-given responsibility. Jonah is one 
such example. Perhaps most of us can relate to Jonah, who tried to run away from 
God’s call. This story teaches us that despite our doubts and irresponsibility, God 
still uses us for His mission on earth. He has also promised the help we need.
CONSIDER
■   Drawing a bar graph (freehand or computer-software), identifying the types 
of services you  personally render to church/others and the time spent for 
each  (in  hours)  during  one  week.  Reflect  on  the  activities  that  seemed 
most effective and plan to continue with those. Consider the possibility of 
improvement in weak areas.
■   Ranking the various skills and talents you  have. First make a random  list 
and then do the ranking.
■   Writing  Philippians 4:13 and placing it where you can  read it often. Share 
with someone examples of divine guidance you  have experienced.
■   Composing a poem (e.g., haiku, limerick, cinquain) related to sharing God’s 
love.
■   Performing  a  skit  composed  by  you  (and  your  friends)  on  ways  we  run 
away from  responsibilities  and their consequences. Youth groups will  be 
happy to use your skit.
■   Interviewing an elderly person to find out instances of “running away” from 
God. Find out what brought the person back to God.
■   Observing the stars on  a clear night and  reflecting  on  as  many of God’s 
promises of help as you can remember.
CONNECT
Matthew 28:19, 20.
Prophets and Kings, p. 266.
Bill Hybels, Seven Wonders of the Spiritual World, chap. 7.
Prem a Gaikwad,  Pune,  India 
45


Lesson 5
O c to b e r 2 5 -N o v e m b e r 1
Message to the
Mariners
"Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you 
established the earth, and it abides. They continue this day 
according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants" 
(Ps. 119:90, 91, NKJV).


N o t Your Usual  Fish Tale  |------------

Sabbath
’  ~m  I  I  h  O c to b e r 25
INTRODUCTION
Jon. 1:4-13
The usual fish tale is about the big one that got away. It’s an incredible account— 
or,  more likely, a fantastic fairy tale—claiming that I really did hook a big fish but it 
somehow got away.
Throughout the Bible fish are mentioned. The first mention of fish in the Old 
Testament  occurs  in  Genesis.
And  the  next  major  mention  of 
such  creatures  in  the  Old 
Testament  (prior  to  the  Jonah 
account) is found in Job, where 
the  Leviathan  is  identified  as a 
sea creature destroyed by God.
Early on, then, we have God creating these creatures, then destroying them, 
and in Jonah availing himself of them to bring about God’s divine plan. This is quite 
a tale, if only it could be told. Imagine the interview:
Fish  Times: We thank  you,  Mr.  Fish,  for consenting  to  do  this  interview. We 
would first like to ask you how it felt to play the important role of Jonah’s whale.
Mr. Fish: Well, first of all, I am a fish and not a whale. Second, I did not know at the 
time that I was being used for anything important at all. I learned that after the fact.
Fish Times: So how did you come to swallow the prophet Jonah?
Mr. Fish: I was just impressed to do so, with little more reflection than that.
Fish Times: And then what happened?
Mr.  Fish:  You  know the  story. Three  days  later I threw  him  up. At the time, I 
simply found that he was not agreeable to my digestive system.
Fish Times: So  you  weren’t  in  on  God’s  plan?  God  didn’t explain  to you  the 
import of Jonah’s mission to save the many inhabitants of Nineveh, to turn eyes and 
lives toward God, to save men, women, and children from utter destruction?
Mr. Fish:  No,  I had no idea. My actions seemed innocent and inconsequential 
to me at the time.
Fish Times: You say, “at the time ...”
Mr. Fish:  Yes, only afterward did I see the handiwork and fingerprints of God. 
Only in  retrospect did it all make sense.  I  played my part as He led  me. Little did I 
know that what seemed of little consequence on an otherwise uneventful weekend 
would bring transforming tribulation to the life of an erstwhile reluctant prophet, arming 
him to serve God and to make a difference.
Fish Times: So was Jonah the one that got away?
Mr. Fish:  No, he was definitely caught for God.
Noemi Pendleton,  Kailua,  Hawaii

I  did  not know at the tim e 
that I  was being used for 
anything important.
4 7


S unday
O c to b e r 26 G o d   N ever Gives U p
LOGOS
Prov. 5:21; Jon.  1:4-13; Acts 4:24;  Col. 1:16,  17
This  week  we  study  not  a  tale  about  the  fish  that  got  away,  but  rather the 
meanings,  ponderings,  and teachings of a narrative about the fish that caught a 
man for God. It is a true story,  not about the catch and release of a rainbow trout, 
but about the God who never gives up.
It is a tale that explicates the truth that the undertakings of humanity are ever 
under the  complete  scrutiny  of  God  (Prov.  5:21).  Now  for those  who  are  living 
happily in  harmony with the will of God, this is a good thing, for the words, “thou 
good and faithful servant:... enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21,  KJV) 
will  be  uttered  by  Him  on  Judgment  Day.  But for those  who  rebel  against  God, 
there can be only distress and dissatisfaction.
In  the  life  of  Jonah  we  have  a  microcosm  of  how  the  foregoing  universal 
principle can work, of how God must avail Himself of creature and circumstance 
to guide and direct, to rule and overrule if need be, in the story of the redemption 
of humanity.
Einstein  once said, “I  shall  never believe that God  plays dice with the world.” 
He  was  right.  God  affords  His  creatures  freedom—that  much  is  clear from  the
Garden  of  Eden. Yet God’s  love 
and concern for the welfare and 
ultimate salvation of humankind 
prevent  Him  from  being  an 
absent  landlord.  His  love  for  us 
compels Him to leave nothing to 
chance. By nature gracious, and 
not  a  gambler,  God  intervenes 
with divine nudges and  importunings,  urging course corrections on  His wayward 
children. Yet we are still free to disobey, to run away, and to rebel. The parable of 
the prodigal son teaches us that God gives us the freedom to reject Him—but also 
to return.
In  a context of genuine freedom  and  liberty,  God  uses the  resources at  His 
disposal  to turn  hearts  and  minds toward  Him.  In the  parable,  circumstances  of 
dire and abject poverty brought the son to his senses and he returned home. With 
Jonah, three days in the belly of the fish made for a more willing spirit.
Here are but a few of the instructive insights from key verses from The Greatest 
of Fish Tales:
Jonah 1:6—Jonah has gone down into the ship’s hold to rest and is found by 
the  ship’s  captain  fast  asleep  amid  the  storm. “How  can  you  sleep?” asks  the 
seasoned seafarer. The situation is uncannily similar to the one in which Christ is 
awakened by His disciples as He slumbers through rough waters. Unlike Christ,

Jonah sleeps because the 
external  squall  is  nothing 
compared to the storm 
raging within. 
48


Jonah  is  able  to  sleep  not  because  of  the  peace  in  his  heart  from  a  close 
relationship with God. Rather, Jonah sleeps because the external squall is nothing 
compared to the storm raging within. He sleeps not because he is at one with the 
Lord  but  because  he  cares  not.  He  Is fleeing  God  and  might actually welcome 
death,  as is evident from  his suggestion that he be thrown  into the sea. He has 
forgotten that even  in  Sheol  God is there,  as the psalmist said.
Jonah  1:17—But when  he  is thrown  into the  water,  perhaps welcoming the 
escape  death  promises,  God  is found to  have  other  plans.  He  provides  a  great 
fish.  God  could  have  sent  angels from  heaven  to  bear him  up  and  carry  him  to 
shore. There could have been a marvelous light-and-sound display of the Almighty’s 
deliverance. But instead God used a then-humble means to effectuate His cause, 
and such is the case today. Unbeknown to us, seemingly insignificant circumstances 
and events are in actuality divine interventions.
Jonah  2:1— From  the  belly of this fish,  in  the  darkness of that place with  its 
stench, Jonah reaches out to God in prayer. With Paul God used dazzling light on 
the  road to  Damascus; with  Jonah  He used the  darkness of a digestive  tract to 
open  the  eyes  of the  wayward  soul  to  God’s  plans.  Here  in  this verse  begins  a 
prayer that ends with verse 9 and the report in verse 10 that the Lord commands 
the fish  to vomit Jonah  onto  dry  land.  If  nothing  else  is clear,  this  much  is:  God 
hears our prayers and is eager to answer. God is the God of the second chance.
Jonah 3:1-3—God commands and Jonah obeys, and preaching is commenced 
at Nineveh. The call to  repentance  is even  more successful than Jonah expects, 
and before he knows it the entire city turns to God. Consequently, the Lord spares 
the city, but rather than rejoice in the success of the Lord, Jonah obsesses over his 
now-failed  prophecy  of  doom  and  destruction.  He  is  more  concerned  with  his 
reputation as a prophet than his achievement in saving souls. Here we are reminded 
that success should always be defined not in our terms but in God’s.
Jonah 4:5-11—God used a vine and worm to teach Jonah the magnitude of 
God’s love. Again, the seemingly simple and mundane are utilized by the divine to 
do the remarkable. We see that the fish was not so much the subject of this story, 
but our great God is the subject. God is merciful and longsuffering, compassionate 
and forgiving.
God is so great that He can bring about great things even through individuals 
such  as  this  on-again-off-again  prophet:  “He  was  the  one  who  restored  the 
boundaries of Israel from  Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah,  in accordance 
with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son 
of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher” (2 Kings  14:25,  NIV).
REACT
After  September  11,  2001,  many  people  felt  that  God  was  totally  uncaring 
because  He watched thousands die. What would you say to someone who feels 
this way? 
David A. Pendleton,  Kailua,  Hawaii
49


M o n d a y
O c to b e r 27 A re W e  Jonah?  I
TESTIMONY
Jon. 1:4-13
How many times have you and I been in Jonah’s sandals? How often have you 
and  I  bought a one-way ticket away from  God?  How many times  have we  been 
afraid of what our friends would say and thus did not do what God had asked?
Jonah,  the  prophet  of  God,  decided  it was  time  to  take  a  vacation. “As  the 
prophet thought of the difficulties and seeming impossibilities of this commission, 
he  was tempted  to  question  the  wisdom  of the  call.  From  a  human  viewpoint  it
seemed  as  if  nothing  could  be 
gained  by  proclaiming  such  a 
message  in that proud city.  He 
forgot for the  moment  that the 
God  whom  he  served  was  all­
wise and all-powerful. While he 
hesitated, still doubting, Satan overwhelmed him with discouragement.The prophet 
was  seized  with  a  great dread,  and  he ‘rose  up  to  flee  unto Tarshish.’  Going  to 
Joppa,  and finding there  a ship  ready to sail, ‘he  paid the fare thereof and went 
down into it, to go with them.’ Verse 3.
“In the charge given him, Jonah had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility; 
yet He who had bidden him go was able to sustain His servant and grant him success. 
Had the prophet obeyed unquestioningly,  he would have been spared  many bitter 
experiences,  and would have  been  blessed abundantly. Yet in the hour of Jonah’s 
despair the Lord did not desert him. Through a series of trials and strange providences, 
the prophet’s confidence in God and in His infinite power to save was to be revived.”*
Once, when  I was in the third grade,  I  had to use the bathroom. We had been 
told not to run in the hallways and to make sure our shoes were tied. Now,  I  knew 
those rules, but I had to go to the bathroom. So I took off running down the hallway, 
with my laces untied. I was almost there when I tripped, which would not have been 
so bad, except for the fact that I started sliding as if I were on a Slip ’N Slide. At the 
end  of  each  hallway  were  heavy  wooden  fire  doors. The  one  at  the  end  of that 
particular  hallway was  almost  always  slightly  open  because  it  was  so  difficult to 
close. Well, I smacked it head first and it popped opened. When it swung back, it hit 
me  in  the  head,  and  I  was  out  cold.  Oh,  the  pain,  the  embarrassment,  and  the 
concussion I could have been spared had I obeyed the rules.
Jonah  and  I  are very  much  alike.  I  did  not follow the  rules and Jonah  did  not 
follow God’s calling. Jonah ended up preaching, and I healed. Jonah and I learned a 
valuable lesson: Self will lead you to pain and agony, but God leads us to happiness 
and peace. Which would you rather have?
‘ Prophets and Kings,  pp.  266, 267.

H ow  many times have you 
been  in Jonah's sandals?
Clifton Gadsden, Kaneohe, Hawaii


Always W illin g 
to  H e lp   Us C hange 

Tuesday
O c to b e r 28
EVIDENCE
Rom. 5:20;  1  Cor.  10:11-13;  1  Tim. 1:15,16
Jonah  lived after the  reign of King Solomon  during a time when the nation  of 
Israel was divided into two kingdoms. Both kingdoms, Judah and Israel, had fallen 
into what could be considered a pattern of behavior. Time after time the leaders of 
the  nation  had  caused  Israel  to  fall  into sin. Then  some  calamity would  come:  A 
neighboring country would invade and carry the children of Israel off into bondage. 
There  would  be  a  period  of  repentance  and  as soon  as the  prosperity  returned, 
Israel was quick to fall back Into sin.
It is interesting that through the book of Jonah we find the same story magnified 
in one man. Jonah is a prophet of the Lord, so presumably he was obedient to His 
word. Yet from the outset we see him running away and falling into the disobedience 
that was so characteristic of Israel as a whole. Jonah’s willful disobedience gets him 
into trouble, and eventually it is this trouble that instills a repentant spirit in Jonah.
In this week’s study we see Jonah disobey God’s instructions by deliberately 
choosing to travel in the opposite direction that God had commanded. He boards 
a ship  heading to Tarshish.  He  doesn’t stop  here though. As though  to  seal  the 
package, the Bible says he went down into the lowest parts of the boat (verse 5). 
He not only ran but he tried to hide from God.
The ship was not far out at sea before God  melded Jonah’s disobedience into 
His plan. Soon a storm came upon the ship, and Jonah found himself explaining that 
he was the cause of the trouble.
The time was short, but it was an 
opportunity  to  share  God’s 
supremacy.  Despite  their  best 
efforts, Jonah, as well as the men 
on the ship, knew they had to cast 
him overboard. When they finally did this, the storm cleared and Jonah, of course, 
was swallowed by the big fish.
Jonah was certainly not the first to try to circumvent God’s will or law. It really is 
not a wonder when you consider the wonderful examples he had in his forefathers— 
Abraham, Jacob, David, and so many others. He certainly was not the last either.
This  is  one  of the  reasons  Jonah’s story  is  so  amazing.  It is yet  one  more 
example of a loving God who is willing constantly to point us in the right direction 
and get us back on track with  His plan  regardless of what we do to  mess it  up. 
Time  after time  He shows  us the  better way,  through  His  love  and through  His 
grace (1  Tim.  1:15,  16). 

God  melded Jonah's 
disobedience into  His plan.
A licia Flores,  Honolulu,  Hawaii
51


W ednesda y
O c to b e r 29 H o w  to W o rk 
W ith  G o d
HOW -TO
Rom.  1:17; 6:17,  18;  12:9-18;  Eph. 5:17; 2 Tim. 3:16,  17
Jonah was directly given a task by God. Instead of listening to Him and making 
it easy on himself, Jonah chose to run away in the opposite direction. Even though 
he tried to hide,  God still used him to do His work. 
Jonah might have run into 
fewer complications  if  he  had 
just  tried  to  work  with  God. 
Many of  us try to  go  our own 
way  and  work  against  God, 
instead  of trying  to  work with 
His plans and preparations.
Working without God is like learning to play the piano on your own. You  can 
eventually learn to play by yourself if you work hard, but it is easier if you work with 
your teacher.
How do you learn to make beautiful music with God? Here are some useful tips:
1. Listen to your teacher. Teachers know what you need to improve yourself. 
Likewise, God knows exactly what you need to become a better person and work for 
Him. Ephesians 5:17 tells us it is wise to understand what God’s will is. Listen to your 
heavenly Teacher, and He will guide you through.
2. Follow the music. Reading the Word of God is an excellent way to help you 
discover  how  to  work  with  Him. The  Bible  supplies  us  with  guidelines  for  daily 
living,  corrections  for  our  behaviors,  and  examples  of  people  who  worked  with 
God (2 Tim. 3:16,  17).
3. Correct your wrong  notes. Ask forgiveness for your sins and correct your 
wrongdoings. You’ll be able to follow God better with a cleaner heart (Rom. 6:17,18).
4. Improve your technique to become a better player. There are other tools to 
help you become in tune with God besides reading the Bible.Two of the most important 
ones are faith and prayer, although there are many other supplements to learning to 
work with God (Rom. 1:17; 12:9-18).
REACT
1. How can you make it easier for God to use you? Be specific.
2. What criteria should you use to evaluate God’s voices and commands?
3. What role,  if any, do friends, family, and coworkers play in understanding the 
will of God for your life?
4.  At  what  point  does  God  stop  chasing  after  us  when  we  run  from  His 
commands? Explain your answer.
Stephanie  Tanada,  Loma  Linda,  California

W orking w ithout God  is like 
learning to  play the piano 
on your own. 
52


T hursday
M e, Myself, and Jonah  |  Qctober3C
OPINION
Jon.  1:5,  6,  10
Jonah  didn’t  agree  with  the  mission  given  to  him.  Nineveh  was  a  center  of 
wickedness,  and Jonah  felt  it didn’t  deserve  a chance to  repent.  In  his  opinion  it 
deserved what it was going to get. And so Jonah makes other travel plans.
How absurd to think that one can actually run from God! His conscience doesn’t 
bother him as he settles down to nap. But his act of defiance lands him in a drastic 
situation. He not only disobeys God openly but also places others’ lives in danger, all 
because he is too selfish to let God’s goodness and mercy extend to people unlike 
him. How much easier and less traumatic it would have been  if he had listened to 
God in the first place. But it takes a fierce storm and a rude awakening by the crew 
to make him realize that God wasn’t going to let him get away so easily. He owns up 
to being the cause of their troubles.
Why can’t God do that today? Wouldn’t it be easier to be a Christian if God were 
to put His foot (or a storm) down and say, “Marietta, quit messing around!” Instead 
He lets me get on my boat (to nowhere) without even a drizzle,  let alone a storm.
Sometimes I think the people in the Bible had it easier because God had a direct 
connection to them. Then I  realize that things may not be that different.
All my choices have consequences. Just as Jonah’s did. Sometimes I don’t care 
how  my  choices  affect  people  around  me.  Sometimes  my  unreasonable,  selfish 
stubbornness in a situation wearies my husband. This is the way I’ve always been, 
and  I  don’t  seem  to  want  to 
change.  I  think  I’m  pretty  good, 
so why should  I?  Life  has  been 
comfortable this way and no one 
seems to be hurting. Perhaps if I 
wait long enough, everything will 
be  as  it  should.  Perhaps  if  I 
continue  in this way,  everything will  be  OK.  Perhaps  if  I  keep  my head down  long 
enough, the storm will pass.
Perhaps Jonah was like me.
REACT
1. Why does God call Christians when others can do the job just as well?
2. Compare the witness of the sailors with that of Jonah’s.
3. What are some of the excuses we use to avoid obeying God’s commands?
4. How does God feel when we choose to disobey Him?
5. If you are free to make your own choices,  does God have the right to cause 
destruction to come upon you when you don’t do what He says? Is that true freedom?
M arietta Fowler,  Pune,  india

In Jonah's opinion 
Nineveh  deserved w hat it 
was going to get.
53


Friday
O c to b e r 31 Messages From
the M ariners
EXPLORATION
Jon. 1:4-13
CONCLUDE
In Jonah 1:4-13, God does but one thing: He sends a violent wind. The mariners 
are active while Jonah sleeps. Their captain wakes him up and enjoins him to pray, 
but  he  does  not. They try to find  a culprit:  It’s Jonah. They question  him  and  he 
confesses his faith. They rebuke him.They ask him for a solution. He confesses his 
guilt and proposes to die to save them. They try to avoid that extreme solution. As 
natural human beings, they are used by God to have Jonah live as a good believer: 
praying, confessing his God, confessing his sin, and living (dying if necessary) to 
save others.
CONSIDER
■   Interviewing  people  with  the  questions:  Who  is  for  you  the  best  human 
being living today? What would you like to imitate from him or her?
■   Listing ten persons of any faith other than yours who were God’s witnesses 
to you at a moment of your life.
■   Praying  to thank God  for  nonbelievers you  can  name  whom  He  used  to 
make you aware of your Christian mission.
■   Finding  a picture in  a recent  newspaper showing a person  or a group of 
persons  who  can  be  presented  as  models  in  one  way  or  another  for 
Adventists.
■   Writing a  paraphrase  of  Ephesians 4:11-13,  in which  a converted Jonah 
would tell his readers about the human beings that God gave him as gifts 
to enable him for his mission to unite all the peoples in the unique God.
■   Comparing  Jonah  1:4-13  with  Matthew  8:23-27.  List the  common  points 
and the differences between Jonah and Jesus in these episodes.
■   Reading  Moby  Dick,  by  Herman  Melville.  Analyze  the  similarities  and 
differences between the story of this book and the story of Jonah.
CONNECT
Prophets and Kings,  pp. 266-268.
Leslie  C.  Allen,  The  Books  of Joel,  Obadiah,  Jonah  and Micah,  The  New
International  Commentary on  the  Old Testament; Jack  M.  Sasson, Jonah,
The  Anchor  Bible  24b;  Douglas  Stuart,  Hosea-Jonah,  Word  Biblical
Commentary 31.
B ernard Sauvagnat,  Collonges-sous-Salève,  France


Lesson  6 
N o ve m b e r 1-8
The Ninevites' 
Y2K Warning
" 'I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. 
What I have vowed I will make good. 
Salvation comes from the Lord' " (Jon. 2:9, NIV).


Sabbath
N o ve m b e r 1 A  Fish  C alled  G race  I
INTRODUCTION
Jonah  1; 2
Even before the year 1999, technology experts were predicting the collapse of 
computers,  ATMs, and all the  rest as the  millennium approached. The  news and 
newspapers were all Informing us of the worst that could happen, while new Y2K 
supply stores popped up all over to sell us whatever we thought we needed when 
all the electricity and power shut down.
Aside from the assurances of various technology companies that their products 
were  capable  of  making  it through  the  millennium,  when  midnight  hit  early  that 
Sabbath morning, I remember wondering what would happen and whether I should 
have stocked up on water and food. Luckily nothing happened and we all went on 
as usual,  many forgetting the previous years of warnings.
Now looking at the book of Jonah, we can begin to understand the magnitude 
of what was taking place. Nineveh was a large metropolis, and Jonah surely didn’t 
want to cause an  uproar If he thought God would easily forgive. Even though the 
people were going about their evil ways, Jonah knew God to be a forgiving God.
The hoopla overY2K caused the more technologically involved businesses to 
sharpen their systems to handle the changes thatY2K would bring. Similarly, Jonah’s
assignm ent  sharpened  the 
responses  of  heathen  sailors 
and the people of Nineveh.
Jonah 1  and 2 assure us that 
there  Is  nothing  to  fear  when 
God  Is  in  charge.  Heathen 
sailors  can  be  converted,  an 
obstinate prophet can be made new, storms can be calmed in an instant, and God 
is eager to give His people second chances.
Consequences—whether the failure of technology or the destruction of cities— 
are not to be feared. The narrative in the book of Jonah shows God’s willingness to 
save His people from their sins and the consequences of those sins.
There  is  no  more  urgent message  in these two small  chapters than to  heed 
God’s calling because He is a God who would rather forgive than punish. As you 
read through the lessons each day, jump into the water and let God envelope you 
with  His forgiveness and grace.

I  wondered w hether  I 
should  have stocked  up on 
water and food.
Am anda  Anguish,  Sunnyvale,  California 
56


Sunday
H u m ility  in  a 
Fish's Belly 

N o ve m b e r 2
EVIDENCE
Jonah 2; John 9:38-41
As  the  drama  of the  story  of Jonah  continues,  we find  him  in  the  middle  of 
hiding  from  God.  But this  is  where  God  calls Jonah  back  to  His  reality  and  His 
calling.  In this story,  it is  not the  prophet with  all the evidence of God’s care that 
shows the strength of faith; rather he is the one in the painful, distasteful process 
of learning faith in the belly of a great fish.
We  can  imagine  the  pagan  sailors  on  board  ship  continuing  to  pray to  the 
awesome God who calms the storm. Their simple, childlike faith is echoed centuries 
later when the blind man healed 
by the pool of Salome professes 
to Jesus in John 9:36, “Sir, if you 
will  tell  me who  he  is  [that  had 
healed him],  I will put my faith In 
him.” (CEV). What factor do this 
man and the pagan sailors have 
in  common?  What  is  it  that 
Jonah  must  learn?  Could  it  be 
that the greatest faith must come from our humility and the realization of our own 
inadequacies in contrast to the omnipotence of our Creator?
Scientists and theologians debate the possibility of someone surviving inside a 
“great fish”  (Jon.  1:17,  KJV),  and  this  has  been  an  argument  against the  Bible’s 
validity. One  possibility that  has been  suggested  on  some Web  sites*  is  a sperm 
whale. Sperm whales are toothed and able to swallow large objects, they have some 
air in their stomach, their digestion does not begin if their prey Is still alive, and they 
have been reported to eject their stomach contents when dying. God may even have 
created a special creature designed for this purpose. Whichever way it was, this was 
not a pleasant experience. A dark, acidic tomb is where Jonah finally starts to listen 
to and depend on the Lord. It seems that God has had to bring Jonah to a place of 
inhuman loneliness, shame, and dependence to get through to him.
But God doesn’t leave Jonah, even in the depths of despair. This is where God’s 
mercy and grace really begin to shine. God reaches down to Jonah just as he has with 
the sailors and the blind man to calm the storm of his heart. Jonah begins to have faith 
in God’s plan and even comes to the place where he is praising God from his aquatic 
prison. God comes to him  in  his time of need, Jonah’s faith  is nurtured,  and Jonah 
receives a second chance to take on the special calling God has given him.
*www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t004.html and www.probe.org/docs/jonah.html

A dark, acidic tom b  is 
where Jonah finally starts 
to  listen to and  depend  on 
the  Lord.
Julianna Streifling,  Guelph,  Ontario


M o n d a y
N o v e m b e r 3 C a l l i n ^ A I ^ G o d s ^
LOGOS
Psalm 51; Jonah  1; 2; John 9
Simple Theology  (John 9)
Amazing.  In  this  story the  Pharisees  are  actually  using  a  miracle  to  build  a 
case against Jesus! They are telling a healed blind man to praise God—not Jesus— 
for his healing. Jesus could not have healed him, the Pharisees reason,  because 
Jesus is a sinner. Jesus healed on the Sabbath, which  means that He broke the 
Sabbath, which  means He is a sinner.
The healed man’s logic Is simple: “ ‘Whether he Is a sinner or not,  I don’t know. 
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” ’ (John 9:25, NIV). In other words, by
His fruit you  shall  know Him.  In verse 31 
the healed blind man develops his theory: 
We  know  that  God  does  not  listen  to 
sinners. He listens to the godly man who 
does  His  will.  As  we  continue  to  study 
Jonah, let’s test this man’s reasoning. Does 
God listen to sinners?  If unbelievers are blessed, does that mean they are godly?
Pagan  Prayers  (Jonah  1)
Everyone on this sinking ship has prayed to every god he can think of—except 
the one follower of the true God. When Jonah explains his belief system, the sailors 
don’t like it.These are obviously ethical men. It’s one thing to throw cargo overboard, 
but to  throw  a  man  into that  sea? That’s  murder!  They  row  harder to  solve  the 
problem their own way. But the storm gets worse.
At  last  the  sailors  pray  to  this  strange  God  to  whom  they  have  just  been 
introduced.  In  their  prayer  (Jon.  1:14),  these  heathens  frame  this  act,  not  as 
homicide or suicide, but as a human sacrifice. They ask Jonah’s God not to hold 
them guilty of murder. The Bible records their astonishment when the storm stops, 
seemingly  in  response  to  throwing  Jonah  overboard.  It  Is  only  then  that  they 
believe  in Yahweh,  worship  God  with  sacrifice,  and  make  their own  covenants 
with  Him  (verse  16).
This is the opposite of the theology of the man healed of his blindness in John
9.  These sailors were neither believers nor worshipers when God answered their 
prayers. Does God listen to the prayers of unbelievers and sinners?
Maybe the answer can be found in Christ’s response to His disciples in John 
9:3.  God  used  the  man  and  his  blindness  in  John  9,  not  to  punish  him  or  his 
parents, but so Jesus could demonstrate God’s loving healing. On a ship toTarshish 
God  used the blindness of pagan sailors to convert a wayward prophet. He also 
used  that  disobedient  prophet  to  evangelize  a  shipload  of  heathens. The  blind

These are obviously 
ethical  men.


man was healed. The ship was saved. Both stories end with God being worshiped 
by His true believers.
When  Sinners  Pray  (Psalm 51; jonah 2)
David and Jonah have a lot in common. Not only are they both believers, schooled 
from  childhood  in  God’s Word,  but also  both  were  called  to  positions  of spiritual 
leadership.  Unlike  the  pagan  sailors  or the  man  born  blind,  David’s  and  Jonah’s 
problems are a direct result of knowingly transgressing God’s will. In the belly of the 
fish and the depths of despair, these men recognize that the most painful part of sin 
is separation from their personal Friend and Savior (Ps. 51:4; Jon. 2:4).
Yet God listens to deliberate sinners with the same love He showed pagan sailors. 
Praying  in  his seaweed-filled tomb,  Jonah  is confident: “ ‘Deliverance comes from 
the Lord’ ” (Jon. 2:9, TLB). Being vomited up by a big fish doesn’t sound like something 
to celebrate. But feeling dry land under his feet, Jonah knows he is one saved prophet.
REACT
1. The  blind  man,  David,  Jonah,  the  Pharisees,  the sailors; which  ones are 
“godly men”? What makes someone a godly person?
2. Compare Jonah 2 with  Psalm 51. How are David and Jonah similar? How 
are they different? Compare the background stories of Jonah 1  with 2 Samuel 11; 
12. Does God treat both men the same way?
3. How do the stories of Jonah, the blind man, and David manifest the works 
of God?
4. Does God listen to sinners? How could you fit this lesson’s conclusion with 
the statement: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened”? 
(Ps. 66:18,  NIV). Contradictory?  Flip-side truths? Talking about different things?
5. Why are the pagans more eager to pray than Jonah is? Who are you most 
like most days—them or him? Why?
6. One  pastor dares atheists and agnostics to say,  “God,  if you’re  up there, 
I’m open to hearing from you.” Is there any point to a prayer like that if the person 
saying it has little or no faith?
7. Before the sailors met Jonah, they were already caring, moral, and spiritual— 
just in a false religion. If they’d died like that, would God have saved them? Explain 
your answer.
8. If God “ ‘sends rain on the just and on the unjust’ ” (Matt. 5:45,  NKJV), why 
should we bother to pray?
9. Why did  it  seemingly take  less for the  heathen  sailors than for Jonah  to 
recognize God’s sovereignty?
10.  Should you adore/pralse/thank God only when you feel like it? What about 
if you just had a terrible day? Why praise then?
Jen nifer M organ,  S t.J o h n ’s,  N ewfoundland 
59


Tuesday
N o v e m b e r 4 The O n e -te n th 
R epaym ent Program
TESTIMONY
Jon. 2:9
The things we borrow in this world are with conditions, generally that we repay 
the individual or institution who loaned us the goods, services, or financial resources. 
Oftentimes,  we are expected to pay more than the  lender has given  us— interest. 
When it comes to worldly items, and with worldly lenders, things are not given freely.
In the case of what God gives us, it comes freely. Salvation is free if we accept 
it. It is only by our love for Him that we give back. God’s repayment program is far 
more  lenient on  us than  anything  put  in  place  by  humanity.  After sacrificing  His 
Son totally, and then giving us the means to support ourselves, God asks that we 
return 10 percent as a tithe and that we act in a manner consistent with the values 
He has outlined for our lives.
“The lesson is for God’s messengers today, when the cities of the nations are 
as verily in need of a knowledge of the attributes and purposes of the true God as
were  the  Ninevites  of  old.  C hrist’s 
ambassadors are to point men to the nobler 
world, which  has largely been  lost sight of. 
According to  the  teaching  of  the  Holy
Scriptures, the  only city that will  endure  is
the  city  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 
With the eye of faith man may behold the threshold of heaven, flushed with God’s 
living glory. Through  His ministering servants the Lord Jesus is calling  upon  men
to  strive  with sanctified  ambition  to secure  the  immortal  inheritance.  He  urges
them to lay up treasure beside the throne of God.”*
Our ambition  must be sanctified,  our faces directed toward the  nobler world. 
Part of this involves returning to God what is rightfully His to begin with.

Salvation  is free 
if we accept it.
REACT
1. Is your weekly church offering more or less than the price of a movie ticket?
2. When was the last time you were given something freely—with no payback 
or even thanks expected? How did it feel? When was the last time you did that for 
someone else?  How did that feel?
3.  How closely  is  your self-esteem  connected  to  your wallet?  Do  you  value 
yourself partly by what you earn, own, and spend? Do others value you that way? 
Has being a Christian changed that at all?
*Prophets and Kings, p. 274.
Craig Ennis,  M ount Pearl,  N ewfoundland 
60


Prayer From 

W ednesday
N o v e m b e r 5
M u rk y  Places 
It's  kind  of like a 
training program  for 
your prayer muscles.

HOW -TO
Jon. 2:9
Scot, Jim,  and  I  are best friends. We talk about everything—the good things, 
the bad things, and some things that are sensitive except  with the most trusted of
friends. We should come to the Lord in prayer with  all our emotions and in all our
conditions.  If  in  human  relations  all 
experiences  are  talked  about,  how 
much more so should we communicate 
with  the  One  who  gave  His  life  for  us 
and cares for us in detail. “We need the 
strength  and  grace  that  are  born  of 
earnest  prayer.  This  means  of  grace 
should be diligently used  in  order to gain spiritual  muscle.  Prayer does  not bring 
God down to us,  but brings us up to Him.”’
Jonah prayed with thanksgiving from unhappy circumstances, but with a song 
on his lips and obedience in his mind. Jonah’s prayer life may have become murky, 
but in the end  his prayers  rose  up to the temple of God,  and the  Lord  heard  his 
prayers.
If your prayer life is getting a bit murky, you might try this system. It’s kind of like 
a training program for your prayer muscles.2
A—Adoration or worship. Begin prayer knowing to whom you are talking. It sets 
the tone for your prayer time if you begin with praise or adoration for the tremendous 
God that is our Father, our Abba, and to Jesus Christ, His only Son, given for us.
C—Confession. Confess your sins, one by one. Name them and confess them 
singly. This is a private thing, not for public prayer. Study Psalm 103; 2 Corinthians 
5 beforehand.
T—Thanksgiving. Thank God for the many blessings in your life. Thank Him for 
the  big  things,  such  as  your  life;  and  the  small  things,  such  as  the  milk  in  your 
favorite breakfast cereal bowl.
S—Supplication. Ask (Matthew 7; Luke 11), knowing that your heavenly Father 
gives good gifts,  richer than the flowers on the roadside and more lovely than the 
feathers of the birds.
1. In Heavenly Places,  p. 213.
2. This prayer pattern can be found with better explanation in Bill Hybel, Too Busy Not To Pray 
(Downers Grove,  III.:  InterVarsity Press,  1988).
Thomas B. Jacques,  San Jose,  California 
61


T hursday
N o v e m b e r 6 G od of the  Ridiculous
OPINION
Psalm 51; Jonah  1; 2; John  9
What  an  amazing  conversion  story:  Angry  heathen  sailors  and  passengers 
are informed about the God of the Jews. They discover that God is very much alive 
and  Master of the sea, the waves, and  maybe the universe too. Out of their own 
desire, they begin their own relationship with Him. Sound like the work of a powerful 
prophet for God? The work of a strong Christian, solid in his relationship with the 
Guy upstairs?  Nope. This was the work of a spineless and whiny guy on the  run 
from God, who’s rather put off that God keeps pestering him.
This  is where  I  stand  in  awe of the  God  of the  ridiculous. This  is the  God  of 
Jericho,  who said a city would  be defeated  by walking around  it and  hauling out 
the brass band. This  is the God of Gideon,  who  had an army defeated  by giving 
the soldiers flashlights and party horns.This is the God of Jonah, who converted a 
ship with a pitiful excuse for a prophet on the run from Him.
But that  is just the  point. We  all  are  pitiful  prophets  and  powerless  soldiers 
armed  with  nothing  more than  flashlights  and  failure  to fight the  most  powerful
demon of hell. Not only can we 
never hope to defeat that demon 
without God, but we’re not even 
particularly  good  at  having  a 
relationship with God, as Jonah 
proves. Yet  there  is  something 
He can do about that. He can break through the door of our hearts like Superman 
and  rescue  us,  if  we  just  cry  to  Him  for  help. We  simply  must  be  willing  to  be 
ridiculous ourselves,  in full  knowledge  of our ineptness and  inherent weakness. 
We must be willing to risk hauling out the brass band, strapping on the flashlight, 
and,  like Jonah, standing up and saying, “ ‘I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, 
the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land’ ” (Jon. 1:9,  NIV). Then stand 
back and watch  God work,  because the walls will crumble, the enemies will  run, 
and  the  lost  will  be  saved— not  through  the  power  of  any  human  being,  but 
unquestionably through the power of a God who is most apparent in our weakness.
Second Corinthians 12:9,10 sums it up perfectly: “He said to me, ‘My grace is 
sufficient for you,  for  My strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness.’ Therefore  most 
gladly  I will  rather boast in  my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon 
me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, In reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, 
in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when  I am weak, then I am strong” (NKJV).
REACT
How is it that a loving God can desire our weakness? Doesn’t He want to lift us 
up, to make us strong and happy?

W e all are pitiful prophets 
and  powerless soldiers.
Karin Farrar,  San Jose,  California


Long Hand 
of Salvation 

Friday
N o ve m b e r 7
EXPLORATION
Isa. 59:1 
CONCLUDE
God would rather forgive than punish. He is willing to save people. Those who 
choose to remain in their sins He warns of dire consequences for their choice.
What does God use to give out His warning message? How does He work out 
His deliverance? He uses pagan sailors to convert a wayward prophet—stubborn, 
fearful  for his life,  and jealous of his reputation. At the same time God  uses that 
disobedient  prophet to  evangelize  a  shipload—and  later on,  a teeming  city—of 
heathens. God employs countless ways to  reach deliberate sinners and ignorant 
pagans alike.
CONSIDER
■   Building  a Web  site  dedicated  to  introducing  visitors to the three  angels’ 
messages of Revelation  14.
■   Organizing a group of young singers to perform a mini-concert at a mall or 
in a town square.
■   Studying  with  a  friend  some  of the Adventist  Church’s  distinctive  beliefs 
(e.g., sanctuary, Sabbath) with the aim of leading that friend to a commitment 
to Christ.
■   Giving a testimony—at school or in  more  unconventional  places such  as 
on the street, on a bus, or while waiting in a line—to someone about God’s 
goodness to you and your family.
■   Spending an afternoon at a beach. Meditate on the vastness of God’s love 
for humanity as you watch the horizon.
■   Researching,  in  a  library  or  online,  the  story  of  John  Newton,  writer  of 
“Amazing  Grace.”  Discuss  with  a  non-Adventist friend  how  God’s  grace 
transformed Newton from a slave-captain to a gospel minister.
■   Inviting  your friends  from  out  of town  to  come  on  a  mission  trip  to  your 
neighborhood  or community. Think  about  strategies  Jesus  would  use  to 
reach out if He were on this trip.
CONNECT
Acts 1:8.
Gospel Workers; Evangelism.
General Conference, Witnessing for Christ, pp. 43-50.
E leazar Famorcan,  Pinole,  California 
63


Lesson  7 
N o v e m b e r 8-15
Second chances
"O   Lord, you  have searched  me and  known  me. You  know 
w hen  I  sit down  and  when  I  rise  up; you  discern  my 
thoughts from  far away" (Ps.  139:1, 2,  NRSV).


SabbathI

  N o ve m b e r 8 
------------------------- 

INTRODUCTION
Rom. 5:20
“The  law entered  that the  offense  might abound.  But  where  sin  abounded, 
grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20,  NKJV).
Like Jonah, we have all done our own thing even when we knew it was against 
the will of God. Yet every time we repent, He forgives us, giving us a second chance. 
From  his own  experiences,  King  David  knew so well  the  nature of humanity.  He 
writes, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” 
(Ps.  51:5,  NKJV).  How  much  more  does  the  Creator  God  know  the  nature  of 
humankind (139:1,  2), hence the need for grace. Without a second chance, there 
would be no hope for us.
We have often heard it said that God is the God of a second chance. How true 
this  was  in  Jonah’s  situation 
because  God  could  have 
allowed  him  to  drown  when  he 
was  thrown  overboard  or  to 
become fish food when  he was 
swallowed.  But  for  Jonah  God 
had a greater plan and didn’t just save him, end of story. Jonah was saved to clear 
a way for God to extend grace, a second chance, to the people of Nineveh.
Like Jonah, we were saved then sent on a mission. God wants us also to clear 
a way so He could give a second chance “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” 
(Rev. 14:6,  NKJV).
This week we will see why we, like Jonah, have been given a second chance.

Like Jonah, we were saved 
then  sent on  a mission.
Phillip M eadows,  Nassau,  Baham as 
65


S unday
N o ve m b e r 9 Your O p p o rtu n ity 
fo r C hange
LOGOS
Gen. 22:1-10; 28:10-22; Jonah 3
Testing Times  (Gen.  22:1-10)
In these verses we read of the test that God put Abraham through. This test was 
indeed an onerous task that had the potential to destroy Abraham’s faith and belief 
system. It is not clear why God chose a potential human sacrifice as Abraham’s test. 
However, it is clearly a test of faith. Many Christians undergo testing times that cause
much  grief  and  pain.  It  is  this
w ithout testing times.

.  refining of emotions that allows us
M any so-called Christians  f0  understand  truly  in  whom  we
expect to  go through life  believe and why we believe. “And
Abraham stretched out his hand 
and took the knife to slay his son” 
(Gen.  22:10,  NKJV).  Just  try  to 
envision the emotions that Abraham must have felt at this particular instant in time.
Our world today faces so many challenges that indicate that the second coming 
of Christ is near. The hand of time is moving toward eternity. In 2003, we see the 
war against terrorism, conflict between Pakistan and India, the ethnic wars in Africa, 
and the Middle East crisis. Humankind has been given a real opportunity to accept 
Jesus as Lord and Savior. No matter how difficult the challenge, there is hope for 
a brighter tomorrow.
Many so-called Christians expect to go through life without testing times.They 
want the rewards without doing the work. Truly, we can  learn from what Abraham 
went through in being better able to proclaim the gospel of Christ.
Believing the  Impossible  (Gen.  28:10-22; John  14:1-3)
Jacob’s dream shows that God emphatically states that He is the  Lord of the 
past and  future.  Many  people  have dreams that they  believe  will  come to  pass. 
These  dreams  encompass  a  myriad  of  objects,  philosophies,  and  ideologies. 
Jacob’s  dream  presented  an  opportunity  for  change.  He  would  move  into  a 
leadership  position  in  his  family.  God  made  a  commitment  to  Jacob’s  success. 
This commitment would extend to generations yet unborn. This was an impossible 
dream given the realities of the existence of that day. Could it really happen?
God fulfilled His promise to Jacob and offers all today that assurance that He 
will  live up to what He has said  He would do.  He has prepared  a place for each 
sinner who is saved by grace and by faith accepts the plan of salvation and Jesus 
Christ as his or her personal Savior. This is almost an impossible dream.


How special are you to God?  His love is everlasting and endures forever.  No 
matter what you are going through, Jesus has already paid the ultimate price that 
you may believe that impossible dream of spending eternity with Him in a bliss of 
happiness that cannot be described by any mere  mortal. God’s plan of salvation 
gives us that hope that we are all in search of.
Repentance and  Baptism  (Jonah  3)
Jonah had an amazing story to tell, one of transformational change. His story 
was so important that God allowed him to be swallowed by a large fish to get His 
message out. God taught Jonah a lesson first, before he was able to preach to the 
Ninevites. His change of heart allowed him to be a minister of truth who was able 
to give a testimony of joy that changed the hearts of many and spared  many the 
certain  destruction  that they  would  have  faced.  Likewise  today,  there  are  many 
who yearn for the message, but have not been able to hear it from their neighbors. 
Are you that neighbor, who knows the truth but will not help to set others free?
The  story  is told  of a woman  who was  a committed  Christian. When  she  got 
married, neither she nor her husband were Christians. After she accepted the Christian 
faith, her husband did not want to have anything to do with her religion. Day after day 
she prayed that her husband would be saved before it was too late. Unfortunately, 
before his death he never accepted Christ as his personal Savior. Many years went 
by,  and  the  woman  continued  in  her  Christian  walk  with  God.  It  was  after  much 
prayer and fasting that she was finally able to come to the realization that her challenge 
in  life  in  being  married  to  an  unbeliever was  not so  much  about  her  unbelieving 
husband’s refusal to accept Christ as it was her renewal of spirit to ensure that she 
continued to hold strong to the faith that made her election and calling sure.
The Christian journey is not an easy road to travel, but it is one that is traveled 
nonetheless. We have a wonderful Savior, who has led us by example in His life on 
earth,  so  that  we,  too,  may  be  able  to  be  lights  to  the  world.  Our  experience 
guarantees that there is a change in our lives, a change that the world recognizes. 
It is a change that the church mobilizes, that emphasizes that Jesus Christ is Lord 
and we all have the same opportunity for an eternal life with Him if we just change.
The  people  of  Nineveh  were  spared  certain  death  and  destruction  because 
they followed the will of God. We, too, can be spared if we follow the will of God.
REACT
1. Why does  God  give  us  the  opportunity to  transform  our  lives,  despite  our 
seeming unwillingness to want to?
2. What specific pattern of behavior in Jonah’s life  mirrors an experience you 
have had?
3. How can we encourage nonbelievers to accept Jesus in the midst of all the 
confusion today? 
John G.  F.  Carey,  Nassau,  Baham as
67


M o n d a y
N o ve m b e r 10 The  H e a rt Searcher  |
TESTIMONY
Ps. 139:1,2
Were it not for the grace of God, we should all be dead. The Bible declares, “All 
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, NKJV) and “the wages 
of sin is death” (6:23,  NKJV).  But thank God for Jesus.  Rather than condemning 
us,  He searches our hearts and leads us to repentance and victorious life.
In  appreciation for this grace,  Mary walked  into a dinner to which  she was  not 
invited, broke the alabaster container of oil, and anointed Jesus’feet in Simon’s house.
‘The Heart Searcher read the motive that led to Mary’s action  Mary had been
looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her
life. He might have extinguished 
every spark of hope in her soul, 
but He did not.... She knew how 
offensive  is sin to  His  unsullied 
purity,  and  in  His  strength  she 
had overcome.
“When  to  human  eyes  her  case  appeared  hopeless,  Christ  saw  in  Mary 
capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption 
has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were 
realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of divine nature. The one who 
had fallen,  and whose  mind  had been a habitation of demons,  was brought very 
near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry.”*
Mary  was  the  first  to  talk  with  Jesus  after  His  resurrection  and  the  first  to 
proclaim  the  message  of the  risen  Savior. God  expects that we  appropriate  His 
forgiveness and declare Him Lord of our lives. He does not see us for who we are, 
but for whom we can become by His grace. He gives us second (in my case, more) 
chances  that  we  may  fully  appreciate  His  grace  and  lovingly  carry  out  His 
commission  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  world. When  we truly fellowship 
with Jesus, we will become ministers of His grace.
REACT
1.  How does  knowing that Christ searches and  knows your heart affect how 
you live?
2. What difference does it make to look at those who lead sinful lives through 
the eyes of Christ?
3. Why was Jesus able to see in Mary capabilities for good when others could 
not? How can we learn to discern more readily the good in those whom we consider 
to be “hopeless cases”?
* The Desire of Ages, pp. 567, 568.

W ere  it not for the grace of 
God, w e should all  be dead.
Tom Owiti,  Kalamazoo,  M ichigan 
6 8


For W h o s e  Blessing?  |-----------------

Tuesday
"  "  ~  |   N o ve m b e r 11
EVIDENCE
Jon. 3:1-10; 4:1-3
At this  point,  Jonah  is  no  doubt  dejected  from  his  failed  attempt to  escape 
God’s  preaching  appointment,  humiliated  in  the  presence  of  the  mariners,  and 
physically traumatized by the experience of being thrown overboard. He is vomited 
onto a beach far away from where he should have gone the first time, and he has 
to  walk  across  desert  terrain  to  do  what  God  had  initially  requested. This  is  a 
textbook for immediate obedience to God’s direct commands.
The book of Jonah has a multiplicity of life lessons of contemporary Christian 
value.  Perhaps  one  of the  most telling  of them  is  that  apparent  self-sufficiency 
from material possessions prevents one from an understanding of a need for God. 
Perhaps this contributed to Jonah’s position  as he considered the call  of God to 
carry a message of warning to Nineveh. Who is going to listen?
Nineveh  was  characterized  by  power  and  wealth,  an  unlikely  candidate  for 
mass repentance. What could one man, a Jew, do to turn this massive collection of 
pleasure-loving  city dwellers to 
a  loving,  merciful  God?  The 
answer  is  nothing.  Jonah’s job 
was to deliver the message,  as 
much as it is ours to go wherever 
He  sends  us,  not  concerning 
ourselves so much with personal 
success and corporeal  results as  obedience to God’s will. The  power resides  in 
the word of God,  not in its sinful, flawed messenger (Rom. 1:16).
Within  a  few  short  days  of  God’s  warning  message,  genuine  repentance 
replaced years of debauchery. Even the leaders of the city, those apparently most 
self-sufficient and secure,  reached for that which is beyond value.
Perhaps the greatest lesson and blessing of this message was toward Jonah. 
We appreciate that the residents of Nineveh repented and were spared. Sometimes 
as  we take the  message to  others,  however,  ours  is the  bigger blessing. Jonah 
was forced to confront a people toward whom he and his countrymen held a blatant 
disdain. To this  apparently  God-forsaken  group  he was  required to  proclaim  the 
love  of a God to whom  he thought he  had  exclusive access.  From this exercise, 
Jonah had to confront his own prejudices and gain a broader understanding of the 
universality of God’s love.
The repentance of Nineveh should be looked at as the awakening of Jonah’s 
understanding of God’s love for all people. By extension, witnessing is an opportunity 
to  remedy  some  of the  shortcomings  that  we  possess  and  sometimes  through 
unpleasant and  protracted tests  in the crucible of divine correction. Sometimes, 
for our sakes, God is a God of tough  love.

Nineveh was an  unlikely 
candidate for mass 
repentance.
A udley M itchell,  Nassau,  Baham as 
69


W ednesday
N o ve m b e r 12 H o w  to C o m e   Back
to  G o d
HOW-TO
Jer.  18:8; Jon. 3:10
In Jeremiah and in other parts of the Bible from the beginning to the end, God 
has been giving prophets and others a second chance. We note that from Genesis 
with  Adam  and  Eve  and  their disobedience  to  the teachings  of  God  through  to 
____________________________________   King  David  and  all  his  wicked
ways, which God forgave. David 
The world  can  offer only  was  considered  to  be  a  man
tem porary things.  after  God’s  heart.  With  all  his
wrongdoings,  David  always 
came  around  and  repented  for 
the evil  he had done. In our daily lives we need to take a chapter from  David and 
admit our wrong and go to God in prayer seeking forgiveness. We find ourselves in 
situations in which only God can help us out.
God has always had messengers and prophets who continuously proclaimed 
His  message. When  Adam  and  Eve  sinned,  God  came  to them  Himself. When 
David messed up with Bathsheba, God sent the prophet Nathan. And He went to 
dramatic ends to turn Jonah around. God loves us so much that He is willing to go 
many extra miles for us to be  saved. Anyone who can  give  up Their only Son  in 
order to save you, that Person  really loves you.
Today,  the call  goes out for all of us to come to  know Jesus as our personal 
Lord  and  Savior. God  has already done the work for us and all we  have to do is 
repent and receive Jesus. God is so good to us that when one person comes back 
to Him, there is rejoicing in heaven.
The  world  can  offer  only  temporary things,  but  God  offers  hope,  joy,  and  a 
crown of rejoicing (1  Thess. 2:19).
Follow these steps, and you will always be with God:
1.  Pray. Remember when  you  pray,  you  are  talking  to  God,  and  things  can 
change when we pray. Jonah in that big fish called on the Lord, and the Lord heard 
his cry. The people of Nineveh changed from their wicked ways,  and  God saved 
them. If He did it for those people back then,  He can do it for you,  so continue to 
seek the Lord in prayer and things will change.
2. Read God’s Word. The Great Controversy calls Scripture a safeguard. When 
we  continuously study God’s Word,  we  are  better  prepared  for the  evil  and  false 
teachings that may come our way, so read your Bible every day. Dare to be a Daniel.
3. Surrender fully. Surrender must be complete if we are to overcome. Don’t 
allow  anything  or anyone  to  hold  you  down  or to  hinder you  from  receiving  that 
inner peace—that joy and salvation—that knowing Jesus can bring.
C urtis Bryan,  Nassau,  Bahamas.
7 0


G o d   o f a 
Second C hance 

T hursday
N o ve m b e r 13
OPINION
Ps.  139:1, 2
I  have  always  wondered  about  Jonah.  He  was  chosen  of  God  to  be  His 
prophet—a high honor indeed. At times I thought that he must have had a special 
relationship with God for him to have been chosen to be a prophet. But the more I 
look at Jonah, the  more  I  see  myself. Jonah was not anybody special. He had a 
bad  attitude—just  like  me. Sure,  he was a  prophet of God,  but he wanted to  be 
used in low-risk situations that yielded high praise. As long as he did not have to 
leave  his comfort zone,  he was  pleased to  serve  God.  But God  offered  Him  an 
opportunity to do more—to be more. When  he  had to leave the comfortable pew 
and enter the realm of the unconverted, he balked.
Whether we are Christians a day or a lifetime,  God has at some point invited 
us to  leave  our comfort  zones.  He  asked  us  to join  the  campus  ministry  or the 
community services team  or the prison  ministry—to do some  uncool,  unpopular 
thing. And like Jonah, we have balked. We have run away, opting instead to do the 
easy task. We  say we  will  let  our  lives  testify  while  our  mouths  are  silent.  And 
symbolically, we run away from God.
Even as Jonah ran, God sent a large fish speeding his way. The Bible says the 
fish was prepared for him. It was not sent to destroy Jonah, but to slow him down 
so that he could think. It was not sent out of anger to torment Jonah; it was sent out 
of  love  as  a  testimony  of  the 
goodness of God. He gave him 
another  opportunity  to  grow  in 
His  grace.  The  experience,  of 
doing  God’s  will  helps  us  to 
grow—no, we may not become 
spiritual giants overnight or through one successful experience but with each chance 
we have hope and the promise of perfection. With each step on the path God has 
chosen for us, we become as gold tried in the fire—refined to be our best in  Him 
and through  Him. Thank God for second chances!
REACT
1. How does the fact that God gave Jonah a second chance affect your relationship 
with Him? Be specific.
2. How does the fact that God gave Jonah a second chance affect your relationship 
with others?
3. Do you believe that there are still prophets in our midst today who can  bring 
messages of doom and damnation from God, asking us to repent? Explain your answer.

The more  I  look at Jonah, 
the  more  I  see  myself.
Erika  A.  Perpall,  N ew  Providence,  Baham as 
71


Friday
N o ve m b e r 14 N ever A lo n e
EXPLORATION
Eph. 2:8 
CONCLUDE
The story of Jonah is the story of every Christian. It is about transformation— 
from self-reliance to God-reliance. It is about a journey—from skepticism to faith. It 
is about a relationship—between a wretched sinner and a forgiving God.The twists 
and turns in the life of Jonah are not unlike the ones we experience. But no matter 
how difficult the challenges we face, there is hope. Hope exists because we don’t 
journey alone. It’s about God and you—together.
CONSIDER
■   Drawing  a time  line, freehand  or on  a computer,  of the  past ten  years of 
your spiritual life. Color code the ups and downs and twists and turns you 
have experienced.
■   Finding  ways  to  offer  hope  to  groups  in  your  community,  e.g.,  latchkey 
children, the homeless, the elderly, school peers, etc.
■   Planting a tree in your church yard to symbolize the spiritual growth of your 
Sabbath School class.
■   Molding  a  sculpture with  clay  and  then journaling  your  understanding  of 
how this activity compares to the process of spiritual transformation.
■   Running  an  advertisement  in  your  local  newspaper about  God’s  offer to 
travel alongside us on life’s journey.
■   Collecting articles from this week’s newspaper that affirm the need for God’s 
amazing grace upon this sinful world.
■   Exploring the Internet to find out what percentage of the world’s population 
lives  in  cities.  From  a  marketing  point  of  view,  list  the  challenges  and 
opportunities  of  reaching  city  people  with  Christianity.  Brainstorm  it with 
your class.
CONNECT
Ephesians 2:1-9.
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2,  p. 179.
Calvin Miller, Into the Depths of God, chap. 9.
Fylvia Kline,  Banepa,  N epal 
72


Lesson  8 
N o ve m b e r 15-22
The Amazing
evangelist
" 'So shall My word  be which goes forth from My mouth; it 
shall  not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I 
desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which  I 
sent it'" (Isa. 55:11, NASB).


--------------  Any M eans Necessary

Sabbath
N o v e m b e r 15  ~   k
INTRODUCTION
Jon.  1:3
Living with my dad was not my favorite thing. I had just left my country, and my 
new home was with him and his wife. One day when  I  heard them discussing my 
going to the library after school instead of coming home and doing nothing,  I was
pretty upset—mainly because I 
was not the type to spend hours 
at a  library.  I  did  learn  how the 
subway worked, or so I thought, 
so after school, instead of taking 
the  train  and  getting  off  at  the 
library,  I decided to give myself a little tour of the famous little island. On television 
you always heard of “The Village,” and this was my opportunity to walk those famous 
streets.  I  exited the subway station,  but there was  no awe. It looked  pretty  much 
like any other place  I  had  been to.  I  decided to walk around a bit; after all,  I  had 
hours to kill. I actually saw a movie being made; no,  I don’t know which one.
When it came time to take the train home,  I couldn’t find the station. I was not 
lost, just confused.  Now this  is  Manhattan,  and you  do  not tell  someone  in  New 
York you are lost. I knew how to ride the subway and connect from place to place, 
but now I was above ground and I realized it’s a little different. So I walked around 
until I finally found a station, but it was an exit, not an entrance. I ended up walking 
for about two hours, and as I walked I found myself praying, “Please, Lord, help me 
to find a station.” I finally arrived at the Canal Street station,  only to discover that 
my school  pass applied only to a certain area, and  I  was way out of that vicinity. 
With  no money in  my  pocket,  I  explained  my predicament to the  attendant,  who 
had mercy and allowed me on the train.
“ ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness 
has come up before Me’ ” (Jon. 1:2, NKJVJ.This was the instruction given to Jonah, 
but he had other plans. He decided to disobey the Lord and flee to another city. Yet 
God’s determination was greater than his. Jonah’s eyes were opened only after he 
was tossed overboard and was swallowed by a big fish. From the belly of the big 
fish, he found himself crying for mercy and compassion.
Like Jonah, our eyes are opened to our need for the Lord only when we are in 
over our heads. We desire to live life according to our own rules, the way we want 
to without consideration for others. Then we find ourselves in so deep that the only 
way  out  is  to  stretch  our  hands  up  and  grab  the  hand  of  our  Savior,  who  was 
always there reaching for us.
S honelle Boucher,  Pom pano Beach,  Florida

You  do not tell someone  in 
N ew  York you are lost.
74


Sleeping it O ff ^ 

S unday
N o ve m b e r 16
EVIDENCE
Jon. 1:5
Jonah knew he had disobeyed the word of God to go to Nineveh. The fear and 
guilt was perhaps too much to bear. I  really wonder whether Jonah was so worn 
out that it caused  him to fall into a deep sleep in spite of the shaking of the boat 
and the shouts of the sailors. Could it have been the fear of answering the question 
“Where are you going?” from one of the sailors? He couldn’t face the reality that he 
was running away from a God who he knew was watching him.
“No part of our conduct escapes observation. We cannot hide our ways from 
the Most High.... Every act, every word, every thought is as distinctly marked as 
though there were only one person in the whole world and the attention of heaven 
were centered upon him.”1  In the words of Isaac Watts, “Creatures that borrow life 
from Thee / Are subject to Thy care; / There’s not a place where we can flee / But 
God is present there.”2
Perhaps,  unlike  Jonah,  we  prefer to  sweep  our  sins  under the  carpet  and 
pretend the room  is clean. On the contrary, the people of Nineveh  realized their 
sins and were  ready to submit 
to  God  and  plead  for  His 
mercies.  Christ’s  garment  of 
righteousness  is  given  only  to 
those who see and accept their 
nakedness. Acknowledging our 
sins  opens  the  door for  repentance  and  forgiveness. “Make  us  to  be  what  we 
pretend to be, /...  From lives untrue, O Lord now set us free, / And let our words 
be  echoed  by our ways.”3 This  should  be our prayer.  Hiding  the  evidence  does 
not obliterate the fact that a crime has been committed. Let us face and accept 
our sins and confess them while the door of mercy is still open.
REACT
1. What would  have  been  the  story  if Jonah  had  confessed  his sin while  he 
was in the boat?
2. Why did Jonah think he could outrun God?
3. In what ways do we think we can outrun God? Why?
4. How could Jonah sleep through the storm?
5. What forms of “sleep” do we employ to avoid responsibilities?
1. Patriarchs and Prophets,  pp.  217, 218.
2. The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, no. 88.
3. New Advent Hymnal, no.  201. 

"No  part of our conduct 
escapes observation."
S am uel O. Koranteng,  Pune,  India 
75


M o n d a y
N o ve m b e r 17 A  G o d   of
Second Chances
LOGOS
Jonah  3;  Luke  18:13;  1  Cor.  15:31;  Col. 2:6
Recently a  Bible  class that  I  was teaching  sat for their midterm  paper.  In  it  I 
asked them to place the Old Testament books in order. The marks varied greatly. 
Wanting  all  to  pass,  I  gave  everyone  the  choice  of  re-sitting  this  section  of the 
exam and asked how they felt about it. To those who had failed, it was good news. 
They  now  had  another chance.  Instead  of  receiving  a “fail” on  their  report card, 
they could show their parents a “pass.” I could sense the relief. Some of those who
had  received  a  “great”  mark, 
however,  began  to  complain, 
“Sir,  that’s  not fair,  they should 
have studied  harder,  or longer; 
they  shouldn’t  have  been  so 
lazy.”  While  I  agreed  that  they 
should  have  studied  harder,  we  needed  to  give them  a chance to  improve their 
marks. They failed to see  my point. What were they afraid  of? Was it that others 
would get a better mark than they? Would those who had studied so hard for the 
exam slip from being the “top” students in the class to number two?
I had made it clear that all I wanted was for every student to pass the exam. All 
I wanted was for those who had passed to show a little grace to those who hadn’t.
Isn’t that  God’s  desire for us too—for all  to  have  eternal  life?  Isn’t that what 
God wanted from Jonah—to be His instrument and give the message of repentance 
and eternal life to those in Nineveh?
Jonah  3 begins by saying, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second 
time” (verse  1,  NKJV).  Remember that Jonah  had  already hidden  from  God.  He 
had gone to the  local  port, jumped on a boat,  and  headed in the other direction. 
Then between a storm and a fish, Jonah was back to square one on the shore of 
Joppa. Despite his disobedience, God still chose to use him. Surprised? God gave 
Jonah  a second  chance. That’s great  news. God  gave Jonah  a chance to  make 
things right, a chance to make an eternal difference in the lives of people. When 
God spoke, this time Jonah obeyed. He had learned that it causes pain to self and 
others when you disobey God.
So Jonah  set out for  Nineveh  and  began  to  preach  that  God  would  destroy 
their homes and businesses in 40 days if they did not turn from their evil practices. 
The  people  listened  and  began  to  change.  There  is  no  indication  that  they 
complained;  rather,  they  believed  God  and from  the  greatest to the  least put on 
sackcloth. News  reached even the  king,  and the  king—the  ruler of the empire— 
came down from his throne, took off his robes, and repented, for he, too, recognized

All  I  wanted was for every 
student to pass the exam.
76


his sin and the sin of his people. The king issued a decree for both man and beast 
to turn from their evil ways. God had given them a second chance. Rather than a 
nation destroyed,  a nation was saved because a servant was willing to go out of 
his way and God was willing to demonstrate His grace. God’s word certainly brought 
about change—it did not return empty.
God is interested not only in giving you a second chance, but He wants to see 
the  difference  He  makes  in  your life. The  Bible  says that the  Ninevites  believed 
God!  It was  their  belief  in  God  that caused  a change  of  lifestyle. Their stealing, 
their  immoral  behavior,  their  lying  and  cheating  were  replaced  with  a  love  and 
desire to serve God fully.The Ninevites saw their need of God, and it was their love 
for Him that transformed their lives.
Jesus  told  a  parable  about a  Pharisee  and  a tax  collector:  Luke  18:9. The 
two men went to the temple to pray. The  Pharisee thanked God that he was not 
like all the sinful people he knew. He even boasted of the great things that he did; 
namely, paying tithe and fasting. The tax collector would not even look to heaven, 
but cried out to  God, “ ‘Have  mercy on  me, a sinner’ ” (Luke  18:13,  NIV). Jesus 
said, “ ‘I tell you that this man,  rather than the other, went home justified  before 
God’ ” (verse  14,  NIV).
Like the tax collector, the Ninevites’ lives were transformed because they saw 
their need of God. For us, that’s also where it all begins: seeing our own personal 
need of God. Joseph Stowell in his book Following Christ says this: “If Christianity 
is  dull  and  boring,  if  it  is  a  burden  and  not  a  blessing,  then  most  likely we  are 
involved  in  a  project,  not  a  person—a  system  not  a  Savior,  rules  rather than  a 
relationship.”*
Knowing Jesus causes us to change for the better. It caused Nineveh and the 
tax  collector to  change,  but  the  question  that  we  must  ask  ourselves  is,  Will  it 
cause me to change? You can be sure of one thing, that no matter what, God will 
keep seeking you as He sought Jonah,  because you are part of His plan.
And,  by the  way,  all  the  students  passed  the test  because their classmates 
were willing to show them grace. Are you showing others the grace that God has 
shown you so that they will be part of God’s kingdom?
REACT
1. How does Joseph Stowell’s quotation impact you?
2.  How do we feel when  other workers in the vineyard get paid the same for 
less work?
3. Why did God choose Jonah in the first place?
4. Why does God give second, third, fourth chances?
5.  How could  Jonah  accurately expose  Nineveh to a  God  he  understood so 
imperfectly?
'Joseph Stowell, Following Christ (Grand Rapids,  Mich.: Zondervan,  1998).
Wayne Boehm ,  M urwillum bah,  Australia 
77


Tuesday
N o ve m b e r 18 G race Revealed 
A m on g the H eath en
TESTIMONY
Jon.  1:2,  3, 5; 3:6-10
The  people of  Nineveh committed  many sins,  and their wickedness went up 
before God. “In the time of its temporal  prosperity Nineveh was a center of crime 
and wickedness. Inspiration  has characterized it as ‘the bloody city  ... full of lies 
and robbery.’ ”1
Concerned about the wickedness, God was now ready to pour judgment upon 
the sin-loving people. But just as in the days of Noah and in the time of Sodom and 
Gomorrah, God does not destroy without warning.
There’s hope for every sinner. God sees His own image even in His disobedient 
children. He realizes that the acts of sin in their lives are not of their own making.
The  devil  persistently  tempts 
them  till  they  forget  their 
Creator.  God  sees  in  His 
children  no  fault  of  their  own. 
God  has  put  in  every  heart  of 
humanity  space  that  only  He 
can  occupy.  It  is  through 
humanity’s  earnest  desire  to  fill  this  void  that  people  entangle  themselves  in 
idolatry and false worship. It was “perceived in that city many who were reaching 
out after something better and higher, and who, if granted opportunity to learn of 
the living God, would put away their evil deeds and worship Him.”2
In God’s first discourse with Jonah, He lets the prophet know his job description: 
Unless the Ninevites repent, judgment would fall on them.
Jonah did not trust the word of God. Fear blinded him from seeing beyond his 
own  effort  and  belief that  God  would  lead  him  on  his  mission.  He  was  looking 
through  his own fallible eyes.  He  decided that he would  not risk his own  life,  but 
disobey altogether by going in the opposite direction.
When we are told to do service for the Lord, regardless of where the commission 
bids  us go,  we must remember that it is  not in our power to  begin  and finish the 
work. God in His wisdom begins a good work in people’s lives and will bring it to an 
end at the  last day. Jonah  planted the seed of truth,  and the  Holy Spirit brought 
forth fruit. The runaway prophet became an effective instrument in saving the wicked 
city from destruction.

God  sees  His own  image 
even  in  His disobedient 
children.
1. Prophets and Kings,  p. 265.
2.  Ibid.,  pp.  265, 266. 
William Phiri,  New York City,  New York


W ednesday
N o t in  M y  Back 
N o ve m b e r 19yara  i
HOW -TO
Ps. 145:9; Mark 6:2; Col. 3:12
The ancient city of Nineveh had a bad reputation. When God said go plant a 
church  there,  it  probably  seemed  like  a  suicide  mission.  Exit Jonah,  last  seen 
heading  west,  followed  at  a  distance  by  God.  “God,  if You  want  to  save  the 
Ninevites that’s fine, but count me out.” Even as a successful evangelist in Nineveh, 
his  mind-set  had  not  changed.  He  had  a  bad  attack  of  NIMBY.  It  may  have  a 
different  name  where  you  live,  but the  idea  of “Not in  My  Back Yard”  is  known 
worldwide. The  main symptoms are  (1) agreeing  something  should  be done to, 
for,  or  about  a  group  of  people  or  a  problem  and  (2)  feeling  strongly that  the 
solution should  happen as far away as possible and it should  in  no way involve 
me.  As  the  condition  approaches  the  final  stages,  the  comfort  zone  sets  like 
concrete,  entombing the person while seemingly still alive.
Here are some approaches to overcoming this condition:
1. Exposure. Jonah had probably never met a citizen of Nineveh. He assumed 
they were all like the Assyrian army. As a visiting speaker, Jonah saw the citizens 
of Nineveh come to the Lord, but his heart wasn’t in it. He went to Nineveh because 
of God’s creative persuasion rather than out of love for the people there. The miracle 
of a whole city turning to God passed him by.
2. Change shoes. If you were  in their shoes,  would  you want to  hear God’s 
words from someone who thinks of you as the enemy?  If you don’t like what you 
see in your attitude, perhaps you and God have some things to talk over. You may 
find a trusted counselor helpful here too.
3. Check the foundations. Think through some basic questions. What barriers 
does my mind-set place in the way of the task God has given  me?  Did God ever 
promise not to shake my comfort zone? Is it possible that God knows something I 
don’t  when  He  sends  me  to 
unlikely  people?  Is  my  faith 
community a safe place to bring 
a  “ N inevite”  to?  How  can  I 
improve  that?  How  much 
overlap  is  there  between  the 
abundant  life  and  my  comfort 
zone?  If God can use a prophet with a bad  attitude and a case of fish-digestive- 
juice-induced dermatitis,  how much possibility does He see in you?
REACT
1. Who are the Ninevites in your life?
2. Why would the Assyrians listen to an emissary from their enemy?

H ow  much  overlap  is there 
between the abundant life 
and  my com fort zone?
C heryll Bird,  Bomaderry,  Australia 
79


T hursday
N o v e m b e r 20 M urderers, Adulterers, 
Th ieves W anted
OPINION
1  Sam.  16:7; Jer.  17:10;  Rom.  12:2
Have you ever seen a classified ad like this one: Murderers, Adulterers, Thieves 
Wanted?  I  can’t  imagine  what  type  of  job  would  require  this  kind  of  previous 
experience, but when  I think of some of the most obvious characteristics of God’s 
greatest servants, these titles come to mind.
King  David  lusted after Uriah’s wife,  Bathsheba (2  Samuel  11). Matthew and 
Zacchaeus were both tax collectors, a position famous for its dishonesty and cruelty.
Saul  was  one  of  the  most 
feared  persecutors  of  early 
Christians.  God  does  not 
need an  impressive  resume, 
a  list  of  credentials,  or  an
impeccable reputation to use 
you for the kingdom. He is not 
looking at what you’ve done but what you will do. There is nothing in your past that 
disqualifies you from  His service.
Think of it this way—every sin that you’ve ever committed and will commit has 
been nailed to the Cross. It is by His blood and sacrifice that we are accepted by 
God,  not by anything we have done.
I once heard a story of a doctor who liked to have some fun when buying cars. 
He drove the oldest, ugliest car to the dealership and dressed in the dirtiest clothes 
that  he  had. Virtually  ignored  by  all  the  salespersons,  he  browsed  through  the 
sports cars at  his leisure,  inspecting  each  one. When  he  made  his selection,  he 
approached the salesperson and said, “I’ll take the  red one,” while proceeding to 
offer the exact amount of cash needed for the car. I can just imagine the confused, 
embarrassed, and shocked look on the salesperson’s face. As the old saying goes, 
“You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Next time you sit in church,  scan the sanctuary.  Look at each  person  as you 
remember one thing: You can’t tell what is in a person’s heart by the way he or she 
looks, dresses, or smells. The Lord does not look at the things humanity looks at. 
Humankind  looks  at  the  outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord  looks  at  the  heart 
(1  Sam.  16:7). What sins  have  you  committed  that  make  you  feel  unable  to  be 
used by God? Where else in the Bible can you find examples of servants of God 
who didn’t have a very impressive history? Have you ever judged a person by their 
appearance and later found out that you were totally wrong about them?

Every sin that you've ever 
com m itted and  will  com m it 
has been  nailed to the Cross.
Jason Cork,  Deerfield Beach,  Florida


Friday
TUom  r  r I 1  I N o ve m b e r 21
1 n m  n  us  1
EXPLORATION
Isa. 55:11 
CONCLUDE
Jonah was stressed by having to go to such a large foreign city! He tried hiding 
from God, which sounds insane—until we realize we do it too. Luckily God is into 
giving  us  more than one chance!  Jonah thought Nineveh was so sinful that God 
couldn’t save its people—he barely believed his own gospel. And he didn’t empathize 
with or understand those outside his religious clique—a common problem today. 
We need to look past the image and see as God sees.
CONSIDER
■   Asking yourself: Is there part of my body that I don’t like? Do you dress to 
hide it? What aspect(s) of your character/personality do you find hardest to 
show to other people? To God? Why?
■   Questioning whether you  have ever “gotten away with it” or had a second 
chance? Write  down  your top three  as a diary entry or pages from  your 
autobiography.
■   Drawing a street scene from Nineveh, rich “center of crime and wickedness” 
and “full of lies and robbery.” Use a period or modern style.
■   Discussing  with  a  friend  what  types  of  persons  you  find  hardest  to 
understand  (e.g.,  Muslim  women,  neo-Nazis,  pimps,  drug  dealers,  etc.). 
Then arrange to meet someone representing this group and interview him 
or her about life—even if you’re a bit scared. Tell them it’s for a class and 
record it on videotape, audiotape, or just jot notes. Don’t forget to ask their 
views on God. Report to your Sabbath School class.
■   Talking  to  people  waiting  at  a train  station  or bus  stop  and  asking  them 
what they really think about God. If they could ask God any question, what 
would their first one be?
■   Taking  your  favorite  food  or  drink  today  to  a  neighbor,  classmate,  or 
workmate whom you don’t know well and  use  it as an  excuse to  begin  a 
conversation. Do the same thing in church next Sabbath (maybe announce 
it from the front).
■   Doing a content analysis on the book of Jonah. Log the  number of times 
foreigners/nonbelievers  (1)  do,  (2)  say,  (3)  and  believe  the  right  thing, 
compared to the number of times for Jonah.
CONNECT
The Desire of Ages, chap.  15.
G renville Kent,  W est Pennant Hills, Australia
81


Lesson 9 
N o v e m b e r 22-29
Conversing
with  God
" 'I  have no pleasure in the death of one who dies/ says the 
Lord God. 'Therefore turn and live!'" (Ezek. 18:32,  NKJV).


Sabbath
Breaking the Silence  |  November22
INTRODUCTION
Jonah 4
“Why?  I don’t understand,  God! Where are You?”
The  man  paced  about  with  a  red  face,  his  anger  evident.  “God?  Are  You 
listening? I did just as You said. I went down there, told those sinners what was up, 
and now, You’re backing out on what You said You’d do? You didn’t keep Your end of 
the  bargain. Come on, God!  Now  I  look like a fool! What will  people think of me? 
I’m  a joke—a  charlatan—a  loser!  I  just want to  die,  God,  OK?  Since You  didn’t 
destroy them, how about just letting me die instead. I’d be better off! God? Are You 
there?”
Silence. Only the sound of crunching gravel  under the  man’s shoes, followed 
by the whoosh of dust as he flung himself to the ground.
“God?  It’s  hot  and  I’m  tired  and  thirsty.  I  spent  my  valuable  time  preaching
there  in  Nineveh,  and  now  I
I

  look like an idiot. I didn’t want 
to go, did I? I didn’t ask for this 
job!  But  would  You  let  me 
alone?  No  way!  What  about 
me? I do all this stuff for You,  and what do  I  get in  return?”
Silence. A small plant is growing,  it’s roots pushing deeper into the soil.
“Well, that’s more like it. Finally some shade. About time You did something for 
me. Now,  if only You would do something for my image. My reputation  is shot!”
Silence. Only the faintest sound of a small worm,  crawling  up the vine,  biting 
off little pieces of leaf.
“God? You  call this fair?  My vine  is gone and  I  am even  more  hot and thirsty 
than  before. I follow Your will. I  do what You say,  and then  how do You  repay me? 
You  make  me look like a liar and  let me suffer in the  heat. What kind of God are 
You, anyway?”
Silence. And then God spoke.
“How is it that you care more about yourself than a city of people? How is it that 
you  care  more  about  your  present  comfort  than  the  eternal  comfort  of  others? 
How is it that you care more about a little vine than an entire city of people? What 
kind of prophet are you,  anyway?”
And there was silence as Jonah hung his head and cried.
A llison Zollm an, Mt. Vernon,  Ohio 
83


S unday
N o ve m b e r 23 Jonah's A m azing 
Ungrace
LOGOS
1  Sam.  16:1-3; Job  7:17-21;  Psalm  104; Jer.  15:15-18; Jonah  1; Zech. 3:1-7;
M att.  10:30;  Rev.  12:10
God's Attentiveness to Mere  Humans  (Job 7:17-19)
It’s just a fact: God is crazy about us! Yes, us! You and me—warts and all! How 
can this be? Although it’s tempting to say it’s too good to be true, it’s more accurate 
to say that it’s so good it’s got to be true! (Maybe that’s why grace is called amazing.)
From the moment God came looking for us in the Garden we were startled by 
the reality that He initiated the solution to the sin problem. We didn’t go looking for 
Him—we hid. He came looking for us! And as time passed, He hovered as close to 
His  people  as  He  possibly  could,  driven  farther  away,  at  times,  by  our  sin,  but 
never driven completely away.
Imagine  His  excitement  when  He  became  one  of  us.  No  longer  veiled  nor 
invisible. No longer distanced, but able to reach out and touch. This God-Man was 
the continuation of a search that commenced  in the Garden,  and  He still  knocks 
on our heart’s door.
What Job senses is a God who is deeply and intimately interested in us (7:17- 
19). This is no casual, obligatory interest, but an all-consuming,  no-fooling kind of
interest.  This  is  the  kind  of 
personal  interest  we  humans 
hunger  for  in  the  relationships 
that  matter  most  to  us.  And,  of 
all  things,  we  find  that  kind  of 
intense  interest  in  the  King  of 
kings,  Lord of lords,  Master of the universe, Creator of all things! A realization of 
this magnitude should leave us speechless.
Job is astounded (for very different reasons) that God makes such a big deal 
about  us  and  gives  us  so  much  attention.  Our God  is  intimately  and  constantly 
attentive to who we are and what we do. Isn’t that amazing?
So it shouldn’t be surprising that God is interested in and concerned about the 
people of Nineveh. Probably what surprises us the most is Jonah’s lack of interest 
and concern. Aren’t prophets supposed to care about what God cares about? And 
how does that cross over to church members today?
A Change of Clothing— A Change of Heart (Zech. 3:1 -7; Rev.  12:10)
Israel  has just come  back from  a captivity  brought on  by their refusal to stay 
away from  idols and worship the true  God. Their sin was  grievous and  cost them

Joshua's filthy clothing is 
replaced  by rich garments.


dearly.  In  this  passage  Joshua  (who  was  the  first  high  priest  after the  captivity) 
symbolizes the people of Israel—filthy and in need of new clothes. Again we must 
notice that it is not the human agent seeking or initiating a solution to the sin problem. 
It is God. In this passage Joshua only stands there. He does not speak. He stands 
there like a paper doll while the accuser (Satan) is rebuked by the angel of the Lord 
(Jesus). Satan doesn’t even speak. He gets his just reward in  Revelation  12:10.
Joshua’s filthy clothing is replaced by rich garments. God’s gifts are never scanty. 
Joshua hasn’t earned these garments. He isn’t entitled to them. He needs them and 
has accepted them. And God is eager to give them to him. Israel has finally understood 
their error and desire to change their ways. That desire is enough and God responds.
Although this allegory is specifically related to the nation of Israel, it is also an 
allegory about humanity in a broader sense. We are in need of clean clothes, and 
God is still just as eager to reclothe us as He was to reclothe  Israel of old.
Let’s back up a bit. If God was eager to clean up  Israel, wouldn’t He have been 
eager to clean up a dirty group of Ninevites too? This may be easy for us to grasp, but 
I doubt it was easy for Jonah to grasp. We have a bit more inclusive perspective on 
God’s desire to save people. Jonah’s perspective would have been a much narrower 
one. In his mind, God didn’t apply to those outside Israel. Why waste the time? But isn’t 
it amazing that the Ninevites respond quickly and easily versus the hardheaded Israelites 
who go  into  captivity even  after many  prophets are sent to warn  them?  In  Israel a 
prophet’s life was often cut short by the people’s dislike of the message. It would seem 
that working with the Ninevites would have been a joy, but the prophet finds no joy in 
the repentance of so many previously lost people. In this picture, who wore the filthy 
clothes? Who was in desperate need of a change of heart?
Low  Expectations and  Doomsayers  (Jonah 4)
Jonah  gets angry because God  had compassion  and did  not bring  upon the 
Ninevites the destruction He had threatened (Jon. 3:10). What a strange reason to 
be angry—especially for a follower of God!  God  exhibits  mercy and  His  prophet 
throws a temper tantrum. You can hear it in his pouting words:‘“ Didn’t I say before 
I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew 
that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with 
unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these 
people’ ” (4:2,  NLT). In essence, what Jonah unwittingly does is tell us a mouthful 
of wonderful things about our God!
Did Jonah even consider that the people might repent? Did he, in his wildest 
imagination, wonder what it would be like if they did respond? The stories he could 
tell when  he  returned  home!  (He had stories to tell, all  right,  but they were about 
himself—and they weren’t flattering.)
How do we relate to the unsaved world? Would we rejoice at their conversion 
or would we be disgusted at the mercy and compassion of our God?
Jan Yakush,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio
85


M o n d a y
N o ve m b e r 24 The  N e w  N inevites  I
TESTIMONY
Acts 18:9,  10
“The lesson  [of Jonah] is for God’s messengers today, when the cities of the 
nations are as verily in need of a knowledge of the attributes and purposes of the 
true God as were the Ninevites of old. Christ’s ambassadors are to point men to 
the nobler world, which has largely been lost sight of. According to the teaching of 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  only  city  that  will  endure  is  the  city  whose  builder  and 
maker  is  God. With  the  eye  of faith  man  may  behold  the  threshold  of  heaven, 
flushed with God’s living glory.Through His ministering servants the Lord Jesus is 
calling upon men to strive with sanctified ambition to secure the immortal inheritance. 
He urges them to lay up treasure beside the throne of God.”1
“God’s messengers in the great cities are not to become discouraged over the 
wickedness, the injustice, the depravity,  which they are called  upon to face while 
endeavoring to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation. The Lord would cheer every
such  worker  with  the  same 
message  that  He  gave  to  the 
apostle  Paul  in  wicked  Corinth: 
‘Be  not  afraid,  but  speak,  and 
hold not thy peace: for I am with 
thee,  and  no  man  shall  set  on 
thee to hurt thee; for I have much 
people  in  this  city.’  Acts  18:9,  10.  Let  those  engaged  in  soul-saving  ministry 
remember that while there are many who will not heed the counsel of God in His 
word,  the whole world  will  not turn  from  light and truth,  from  the  invitations  of a 
patient, forbearing Saviour. In every city, filled though it may be with violence and 
crime, there are many who with proper teaching may learn to become followers of 
Jesus. Thousands  may thus  be  reached  with  saving  truth  and  be  led  to  receive 
Christ as a personal Saviour.”2
REACT
1. List specific similarities between Ninevite culture and modern culture. What 
is different about modern culture that hastens or deters the spreading of the love 
of Jesus?
2. What great city is nearest to you? What specific obstacles do you see to the 
spreading  of the  gospel  there?  Are  the  greatest  obstacles  the  Ninevites  or the 
Jonahs? Explain your answer.
1. Prophets and Kings, p.  274
2.  Ibid.,  p. 277. 
Franke Zollm an,  Fredericktown,  Ohio

"God's  messengers in the 
great cities are  not to 
become  discouraged."
86


Tuesday
~"7  ~   ~   ~   I  b  N o ve m b e r 25A Prophet Is a Prophet  I— —----- 
Is a Prophet— or Not?
EVIDENCE
Exod. 32:32; Jonah 4:2, 3
The  dictionary  defines  the  word prophet  as  “a  person  who  speaks  for 
God,  or as though  under  divine  guidance.” Yet  most  prophets seem  to  have 
had  their  less-than-divine  moments.  Moses  struck  the  rock  in  anger.  Elijah 
turned tail and ran from Jezebel. Jonah whined about a shriveled gourd. John 
abandoned  his  best  friend.  All  these  Bible  heroes  struggled  with  needs  for 
self-preservation, self-control, and self-glory. All lost at some point— yet all of 
them  also won.
In  Exodus 32,  Moses is furious when his people worship an  image of gold. 
He returns to God the following morning feeling beaten. What a great sin these 
people  have  committed,  but 
now,  please  forgive  their 
sin— but  if  not,  then  blot  me 
out  of  the  book  You  have 
written. This presents quite a 
contrast to Jonah’s prayer for 
death because the Ninevites 
lived. The love for the people of God had led Moses to the place that his life, his 
needs, his reputa-tion were no longer the first priority. Jonah had an especially 
challenging call in that God directed him to go to a people whom he hated and 
feared. Most Old Testament prophets were sent to those who called themselves 
the children of Israel,  and those who were not of that lineage were considered 
unworthy of life, much less worthy of grace. When Jonah sat and sulked on that 
blistering  hillside,  though  he  had spoken the words of God to the  Ninevites,  it 
became very evident that the words of salvation  had proceeded from  his head 
and not his heart. He was loyal to Israel—not to Assyria. He was loyal to Jonah— 
not to God.
For  Seventh-day  Adventists,  who  feel  divinely  called  to  finish  the  work,  the 
point  is  very  clear.  No  matter where  our  personal  Nineveh  lies—in  a  culture,  a 
location, or just one certain person—there is no room for self-absorption. There is 
no one who is unworthy of our efforts,  no one who does not hold the capacity for 
repentance.  “For  if  Nineveh,  that  incarnation  of  evil,  that  symbol  of  all  that  is 
unrighteous,  if  Nineveh  could  turn  to  God,  then  any,  then  all. And  never did  we 
need to learn this truth more than in the days in which we live.”*
'Raymond Calkins,  The Modem Message o f the Minor Prophets (New York: Harper and Brothers,
1947), p.  173. 

No matter where our 
personal Nineveh lies, there is 
no room for self-absorption.
K andace Zollm an,  Fredericktown,  Ohio 
87


W ednesday
N o v e m b e r 26 Ticket to G race  |
HOW -TO
Jon. 4:2;  Rom.  11:5,  6; 1  Tim. 1:13,  14
One  day  I  accompanied  my  husband  on  errands  around  town.  Missing  our 
turn,  and  hoping  to  shorten  the  distance,  we  decided  to take  a detour,  but that 
didn’t help. Impatient to get where we wanted to be,  my husband opted to turn at 
the next opportunity. The large 20-foot arrow painted on the pavement prohibited 
turning left in the direction we wanted to go,  and the stop sign at the intersection 
also reminded us that there were to be no left turns.
I  protested  his defiance  in deciding to turn  left anyway. As traffic cleared,  he
made a quick dart in the direction that 
disobeyed  the  postings.  I  smiled 
inwardly at his unfortunate timing. He 
had turned directly in front of a police 
officer. I knew if my husband wouldn’t 
listen to me,  he would finally get the 
reward he deserved for doing something he knew to be wrong.
The  police  officer’s  lights  flashed  us  over.  I  gloated  silently  at  the  way  my 
husband squirmed while addressing the officer’s questions waiting for the ticket to 
be given. The police officer stunned us both. Giving my husband a verbal warning 
if he would promise to drive more carefully, we were soon on our way. Feelings of 
annoyance welled up in me at the injustice of it all. My husband didn’t deserve to 
go unpunished for behavior he knew was wrong. Justice would’ve written the ticket. 
Mercy pardoned it. Here are a few suggestions when tempted to side with justice 
instead of mercy:
1. Acknowledge our tendency toward works. In various aspects of life, we 
are conditioned that performance equals acceptance. Salvation is not earned but 
freely given to those who accept its invitation (John 3:16).
2. Look to the Cross for a sermon on grace. Its message is simple. Jesus 
whispers words of mercy in asking His Father to forgive those responsible for His 
death.  Justice  demands  retribution  on  the  sinner,  but  mercy  overrules  for  the 
repentant (Rom. 6:23;  1  John 1:9).
3. Accept our own unworthiness. God’s gift of grace deepens our understanding 
of His compassionate love for sinners and His desire to reconcile us to Him (Rom. 5:8).
REACT
1.  How can we  learn to celebrate when  grace  is extended to ourselves and to 
others?
2. Why do you think it is so difficult sometimes for us to accept God’s gift of 
grace? Why do we try so hard to earn salvation when  it is offered freely?

I  smiled  inwardly at his 
unfortunate timing.
Tina Paradis, Apopka,  Florida


Placing the  Blam e  [ 

Thursday
N o ve m b e r 27
O PINION
Ezek. 18:32
I’m  no  psychologist,  but  I  think  people  tend  to  define  God  by  their  own 
encounters  with  Him. Take  Jonah,  for  example.  His  view  of  God  seems  totally 
dictated  by  his  experience—which  isn’t  a  good  picture.  First,  God’s  in  his face, 
telling  him what to do. Jonah tries to circumvent that,  but God  intervenes, and in 
the process Jonah ends up looking like a doofus in front of a bunch of pagans.
Jonah then decides to martyr himself, but God slaps down that idea, too, which 
disturbs Jonah for a couple reasons: First,  nobody likes being forcibly shown that 
he or she is not really in control. And second, well, face it: That whole belly-of-the- 
fish thing is just plain gross.
So when Jonah finally gets around to carrying out God’s orders, it’s no wonder 
he’s blindsided by the outcome: God showing mercy on Nineveh? Where did that 
come from?  All Jonah  had  experienced  from  God  was  unyielding  pressure  and 
uncompromising  demands.  Of  course  he’s  annoyed  when  the  Ninevites  get  off 
scot-free.
You and I can recognize that God was displaying merciful discipline. Jonah, though, 
is looking only at his poor, pitiful self and from that point of view—despite his perhaps 
less-than-totally-sincere prayer from deep inside the giant economy-size guppy—God 
is little more than a harsh tyrant, one who sets His subjects up for failure.
Somewhere after God’s little speech about the vine that closes the book, I like 
to think that Jonah finally got it, and thinking that gives me a little hope for myself.
I do the same thing Jonah did: I try desperately to put God in a box (based on how 
He’s interacted with me in the past), then rail at Him when He dares to do anything 
outside my definition.
The  problem,  of course,  is that  He’s  God  and  I’m  not.  Regardless  of what  I 
think, He has the right—and the 
responsibility—to react to others 
completely differently from how 
He  reacts  to  a  stubborn 
curmudgeon like myself.
Like  Jonah,  I  look  at  any­
thing that seems  unfair from  my perspective,  and immediately blame God. Yes,  I 
realize that God is the living definition of fairness, but I don’t like to think about that, 
because it leads me to an awfully ugly reality: If God and I are involved in something 
that doesn’t seem quite right, the problem isn’t God. It’s me.
REACT
Was God’s response to Nineveh’s repentance fair or unfair? Explain your answer.
G eorg Turner, Atlanta,  G eorgia

It's no w onder he's blind­
sided  by the outcome.
89


Friday
N o ve m b e r 28 Frustrated or Fulfilled?  |
EXPLORATION
Ezek. 18:32 
CONCLUDE
Ancient Nineveh and the story of Jonah have parallels in the Western world in 
century 21. Godless Ninevites and  postmodern  humanity have much  in common. 
Both  live without  reference to God. Jonah  is an  illustration of Israel’s isolationism. 
The task remains the same: communicating God’s saving love to those who ignore 
Flim. God is not frustrated by human evil or His people’s failure to achieve His will. 
Today the struggle is the same: my will versus God’s will. God works in our lives to 
lead us to the place where, like Isaiah, we respond: “Here am I; send me” (6:8, KJV).
CONSIDER
■   Drawing a fish with a man inside and giving it a title. Draw yourself and the 
things that may constrain you from doing God’s will. How do the pictures 
compare?
■   Surveying ten people and asking them what they think constitutes success. 
What qualities make for effective witnessing? Was Jonah a success or a 
failure?
■   Finding how many people live in your city. What sections of the community 
does your church not reach? Could you do anything to change this?
■   Tuning into a local chat show on the radio. What do people’s concerns and 
problems tell you about their relationship with God? How does this compare 
with the people of Nineveh? How can God break through the barriers today?
■   Scanning a newspaper for references to God. What does this tell you about 
people’s priorities?
■   Thinking  about  Malcolm  Muggeridge,  a journalist  in  World  War  II,  who, 
desperately  discouraged,  attempted  to  commit suicide. At that  moment, 
he reportedly saw a light in a window in the shape of a cross and changed 
his  mind.  Browse  through  his  book  Jesus  Rediscovered at  chttp:// 
www.worldinvisible.com/library/mugridge/jred/jredcont.htm>.  Meditate  on 
this question: What do we mean by the “power of the Cross”?
CONNECT
Prophets and Kings, pp. 271-278; The Sanctified Life, pp. 80-96.
Michael Green, Sharing Your Faith With a Friend; Simple Steps to Introducing
Jesus. 
Audrey Andersson,  Lindesberg,  Sweden


Lesson 10 
N o ve m b e r 2 9 -D e c e m b e r 6
A Wind, a worm,
and a Plant
"Good and upright is the  Lord; therefore He instructs 
sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, and  He 
teaches the humble His way" (Ps. 25:8, 9, NASB).


Sabbath
N o v e m b e r 29 The  Fair Is in August  {
INTRODUCTION
Ps. 25:8, 9
Have you ever felt as if you’re in a catch-22 situation? As a parent,  I feel that 
way most of the time. When my kids are pressing me from all sides, I sometimes— 
OK, most of the time— rise to the bait and make a decision. Then it begins, “That’s 
not fair!” as they miraculously  remember previous decisions I’ve forgotten about. 
But while they’re taking a breath, I interject, “The fair is in August.” (Our county fair 
is in August.) Then they glare at me and say, “Dad,” in that rising tone of voice that 
lets you know you’re trying their patience.
Well,  I  think  God  may  have  wanted  to  say,  “The  fair  is  in  August” to  Jonah 
(chapter 4) and many times to His chosen,  Israel. To bring it closer to home,  how
fair is it that Jesus died for you 
and me? The wages of sin and 
the  road  to  salvation  are  the 
same for everyone. For some the 
Christian  road  is  long  and  for 
some it is short, e.g., the robber 
on  the  cross.  It  doesn’t  matter 
whether you have been on the road all your life or have just found the road, being 
on the road is all that matters.
Jonah didn’t like the fact that God gave Israel’s enemy, the Ninevites, a second 
chance and didn’t destroy them. You would have thought Jonah would have been 
happy for the Ninevites’ repentance. But instead, Jonah implied, “If You can’t bless 
Israel  by destroying  its enemies,  then  kill  me.” Jonah was trying to  put God  in  a 
box.  He  had  certain  expectations  of  God,  i.e.,  that  Israel  was  the  one  and  only 
chosen of God. God had other plans, however—plans that included the Ninevites, 
and maybe even you and me. Now, that goes way beyond fair.

The wages of sin and the 
road to salvation are the 
same for everyone.
Greg Tuttle,  Grand Rapids,  Minnesota


You Can  Run, 
b u t You  C a n 't H id e 

Sunday
N o ve m b e r 30
EVIDENCE
Gen. 3:9; Jonah 4
Hide and seek! What fun it was, running through backyards, hiding behind trash 
cans and up trees. Such an elemental game was probably played by little Cain and 
Abel, by Jacob’s boys, by young Moses on the palace grounds in Egypt. It’s a game 
that belongs to childhood, but even as grown-ups we play some form of hide-and- 
seek. We run from responsibility. We hide from life, from one another, from God.
Like Jonah.  He  ran.  He  hid.  But God  searched  him  out and found  him. David 
thought about running away, hiding from God. But where could he go? Where could 
he hide? If he goes up to heaven, God is there. If he descends to hell, God is there. 
David knew the folly of running from God in a way that Jonah didn’t.
In  Francis Thompson’s  poem ‘The  Hound  of  Heaven,” God  is  portrayed  as  a 
great, coursing hound dogging the trail of His wayward children. He never gives up 
and  is  never discouraged  by indifference  or neglect or anger,  but He  pursues  us 
relentlessly, even though we run and hide. The child hides behind trash cans in the 
alley; the grown-up hides on a larger playing field, sometimes behind trash cans of
the  mind. But no matter. God  is  ___________________________________ (
forever seeking  and  finding  the
wanderer. Even if we say, “I fled  The grow n-up  hides On  a 
Him  down the  nights and  down  larger playing field,
the deep ... I hid from Him,”1 He 
is still there, ever the seeker.
Now He seeks Jonah who had disobeyed Him, ignored Him, thumbed his nose 
and run. He finds the rebellious prophet pouting on the east side of the city, wallowing 
in his narcissistic grief. The man of the hour focused on his own little self, thinking, 
But me,  what about me? How will this make me look?
In spite of Jonah himself, God is on his trail saying as He said to Adam and Eve 
in the Garden,  not “What did you do?” but “Where are you?”
When God finds Jonah, He says, “Rise, clasp my hand and come.... Ah, fondest, 
blindest, weakest,  I am He whom thou seekest.”2
REACT
1. Is my focus on myself or something bigger?
2. When have you felt that God is pursuing you? Be specific.
1. Francis Thompson, "The Hound of Heaven,” in Ben Witherington III and Christopher Mead 
Armitage, The Poetry of Piety (Grand Rapids,  Mich.:  Baker Books, 2002),  pp.  122-126.
2.  Ibid. 
Rosalie Hunt Mellor,  Grand Rapids,  Minnesota


M o n d a y
D e ce m b e r 1 Parable o f a 
Sinful  Plant
LOGOS
Isa. 55:8,  9; Jonah 4;  Luke  11:9-13;  Rom. 8:32; 1  Cor.  13:11,12
Jonah  4  is  a  live  performance  of  a  parable.  Much  like  Jesus  when  He  drew 
parables from the fields around His hillside congregations, God teaches a lesson to 
the listener, Jonah,  using a plant. If Jesus had told the parable,  it might have gone 
like this: The kingdom of heaven  is likened unto a man sitting under a booth in the 
hot desert sun. One day a plant grows up and provides shade over this man. He is 
excited at the possibilities of a cool  nap in the shade of his plant for which  he has 
done no work. Then a worm attacks the plant, causing it to wither away to dry brittle 
sticks to be cast into the fire. The man becomes angry because his plant for which 
he did no work has withered away. Should not the Father be even angrier about His 
people for whom  He has worked if they do not repent? “ ‘I tell you  ... there will be 
more joy in  heaven  over one sinner who  repents,  than  over ninety-nine  righteous 
persons who need no repentance’ ” (Luke 15:7, NASB).
Jonah was upset about the repentant Ninevites because he thought he would be 
considered a false prophet to whom no one would listen. He would not be able to do
the  Lord’s  work  because  his 
prediction had failed. Who would 
believe that he heard messages 
from God? Voices maybe, but not 
from  God. God  responds,  “ ‘My 
thoughts  are  not your thoughts, 
nor are your ways My ways’ ” (Isa. 55:8, NKJV). They are as different as heaven and 
earth,  perfection  and  sin,  omniscience  and  pinpoint tunnel  vision.  Don’t  become 
discouraged,  God  says.  Even  you who  are  parents,  older siblings,  and  babysitters 
know how to give a child the good things for which they ask. You don’t give them a 
snapping cobra when they request a fish fillet. You know one egg, sunny-side up, isn’t 
substituted by a poison-tailed scorpion.‘“ If you then, being evil, know howto give good 
gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to 
those who ask Him!” ’ (Luke 11:13, NKJV).
You see, Jonah, God says,  I am going to send My Son, My only Son, to die for 
these dreadfully wicked Ninevites. I’m going to risk losing Him forever. I’m going to 
purchase these sinners with the blood of My very own Child  (see  Rom. 8:32). You 
liked that plant that grew from seed that wasn’t yours, on land that did not belong to 
you, by nourishment of water and nutrients you did not provide, through a process 
called photosynthesis you  know nothing about.  I gave you that plant. Now you are 
angry that a worm has eaten My plant and you didn’t even spray it with insecticides 
while you claimed it. Stop thinking as a child, Jonah. I gave you this plant. I gave you

W ho would  believe that he 
heard  messages from  God?
94


a message for Nineveh. I called you to be a prophet. I expect you to do the tasks I 
have given you. The results are My responsibility. You are looking through a tinted 
window from the outside, but one of these days you will be able to see things clearly. 
Then you will understand (see 1  Cor. 13:11,12). For now, trust Me with the outcomes.
Linda  Hogan  speaks  of  the  condition  that  afflicted  Jonah.  She  calls  it  “far­
heartedness.” Far-heartedness is the unique ability of our scientifically enlightened 
generations to look at everything objectively, to separate ourselves from feelings 
and emotions and look at just the facts. We want it reproduced in the lab, proven in 
a court, observed under a microscope, or viewed through a telescope. Otherwise, 
we don’t believe it. We no longer believe in dragons and mythical beasts; we now 
try to  prove the  existence of aliens.  Linda  Hogan  says, “This far-hearted  kind  of 
thinking ... is one that sees life, other lives, as containers for our own uses and not 
as containers  in a greater,  holier sense.”* Jonah was selfish. We are selfish. We 
see black and white, cause and effect, evidence and proof, but God again reminds 
us  that  His  ways  are  not  our  ways.  God  thinks  subjectively.  He  doesn’t  mind 
suggesting that  Nineveh would  be destroyed  and then changing  His mind when 
they repent. God thinks abstractly, creatively. Then He gives the more left-brained 
of us stories and parables to help us understand.
Jonah Is a parable for today. A parable is a story that teaches a lesson in a non­
threatening format. We look at the story of Jonah and we think, I would never run 
from God or refuse to witness, and I definitely wouldn ’t get angry if the people I were 
witnessing to repented.  But that isn’t the point of Jonah’s story. Too often we take 
responsibility for things that are God’s. We  gloat over sinners we brought into the 
church. We give testimonies about how many pieces of our literature we handed out. 
God tells  us,  through the parable of Jonah, that He  is the one who died for those 
people. The Holy Spirit softened their hearts. God leads us into contact with these 
people. He reminds us that the joy in heaven is over one sinner who repents, not the 
ninety-nine righteous. Too often we build ourselves a shelter, take credit for plants 
we didn’t grow, and get angry when they leave through the back door of the church. 
Maybe we forget to connect the branches to the vine instead of other branches. Or 
maybe, in the “Parable of Jonah,” we are too busy adding branches (or gloating over 
ones we have added) and forget to look for our worms.
REACT
1 .When Moses struck the rock, was he acting like Jonah (Num. 20:2-13)? Explain 
your answer.
2. In what other ways have we become “far-hearted”?
3. What is the significance of the shelter that Jonah built?
4. Do we resent God saving our enemies? If so, why?
5. Whom are we comfortable seeing saved? Whom are we not?
‘ Linda Hogan, Dwellings (New York: Simon and Schuster,  1996),  p. 45.
Homer Trecartin, Jr.,  Blackberry,  Minnesota


Tuesday
D e ce m b e r 2 Selfish  Rewards, 
W ith  a Twist
TESTIMONY
John 5:30
‘The Lord desires us to rest in Him without a question as to our measure of reward. 
When Christ abides in the soul, the thought of reward is not uppermost. This is not the 
motive that actuates our service. It Is true that in a subordinate sense we should have 
respect to the recompense of reward. God desires us to appreciate His promised blessings. 
But He would not have us eager for rewards nor feel that for every duty we must receive 
compensation. We should not be so anxious to gain the reward as to do what is right, 
irrespective of all gain. Love to God and to our fellow men should be our motive.”1
Like Jonah, we often look at the reward as essential In prompting us to believe 
and,  even  more  important,  when  used to witness to others. The  Ninevites did  not 
have a reward offered for repentance, but they repented anyway. “Christ... referred
declared, ‘shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because 
they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.’ 
Matthew  12:40,  41.  Into the  busy  world,  filled  with  the  din  of commerce  and  the 
altercation of trade, where men were trying to get all they could for self, Christ had 
come; and above the confusion His voice, like the trump of God, was heard: ‘What 
shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what 
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’ Mark 8:36, 37,”2
Jonah’s  desire for the  reward was selfishness. The  twist  is that when  we  are 
selfish, we cannot receive the reward. ‘The Saviour could say: ‘I seek not Mine own 
will,  but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.’ John 5:30. ‘And,’ declared John, 
‘the Father giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.’ So with the followers of Christ. 
We can receive of heaven’s light only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We can 
discern the character of God, and accept Christ by faith, only as we consent to the 
bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this, 
the  Holy Spirit  is  given without  measure.  In  Christ ‘dwelleth  all the fullness  of the 
Godhead bodily. And ye are complete In Him.’ Colossians 2 :9,10.”3
1. Christ's Object Lessons,  pp. 398, 399.
2. Prophets and Kings,  pp. 273, 274.
3. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8,  p. 334.

Jonah's desire for the 
reward was selfishness. 

to  the  good  wrought  by  the 
preaching  of Jonah  in  Nineveh, 
and compared the inhabitants of 
that  heathen  center  with  the 
professed  people of God  in  His 
day.  ‘The  men  of  Nineveh,’  He
Alisha Trecartin,  Blackberry,  Minnesota


W ednesday
H o w  to  Avoid the 
N in evite C o m p lex 

D e ce m b e r 3
HOW-TO
Isa. 55:8; Jon. 4:2;  Luke  6:3
Having  grown  up a  Christian,  I’m  embarrassed to  admit that  I tend  to  relate 
more to the condescending attitudes of Jonah, the older brother in the story of the 
prodigal son, and Martha—rather than the Nlnevites, the prodigal son, and Mary, 
respectively. I find myself, like Jonah, too eager to see justice carried out on sinners. 
Rather than seeing myself as an equally culpable sinner, I prefer to focus on other 
people’s  sins.  And,  as  an  attorney  who  wants  to  see  justice  applied  fairly  and 
equally, I grapple with God’s willingness to grant forgiveness and additional chances 
to seemingly hopeless people.
So how do we avoid this type of an un-Christlike, judgmental attitude?
1. Acknowledge that God’s thoughts and ways are not our own (Isa. 55:8, 
9).  Fortunately  for  us  and  everyone  else,  He  is  the  only  Judge  who  knows  the 
absolute truth, the genuine condition of each  person’s heart,  and the sincerity of 
each sinner’s plea for mercy.
2. Accept God’s mercy for our own sins and acknowledge His goodness 
in granting it to others. Jonah makes a halfhearted attempt at this in his prayer, 
“ ‘I  know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in 
lovingkindness’” (Jonah 4:2, NKJV). But instead of being thrilled by this truth about 
God’s goodness, Jonah is angered that God would apply this mercy to the Ninevites. 
Ellen White described Jonah’s reaction as follows: “When Jonah learned of God’s
I  find  myself,  like Jonah, 
too eager to see justice 
carried  out on sinners.
he lost sight of the infinitely greater value of the souls in that wretched city.”*
3.  Acknowledge that we are unable to see the whole picture. This idea is 
expressed by Paul in  1  Corinthians 13:12: “Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then 
face to face.  Now  I  know  in  part,  but then  I  shall  know just as  I  also am  known” 
(NKJV). Because of our inability to see the whole picture clearly, Christ warns us, 
“ ‘Judge not, and you shall  not be judged’ ” (Luke 6:37,  NKJV).
If we follow Christ’s simple advice not to judge others, we will find more time to 
acknowledge our own weaknesses and accept His abundant grace and mercy.
*Prophets and Kings,  p. 271.

purpose to  spare the  city  . . .   he 
should  have  been  the  first  to 
rejoice because of God’s amazing 
grace; but instead he allowed his 
mind to dwell upon the possibility 
of  his  being  regarded  as  a  false 
prophet. Jealous of his reputation,
S ara-B eth Swanson,  Bovey,  M innesota 
97


T hursday
D e ce m b e r 4 G o d   Provides
OPINION
Jonah 4
Jonah was an extremely immature and childish prophet. This could very easily 
be  determined  by  a  quick  read  of  Jonah  4.  Complaining  bitterly  about  God’s 
compassion and full of self, he asked to die. After all his hard work and prophesying, 
he was going to look bad because God was merciful.
But if there were a book that told  my life story, and you  read those chapters,
I’m certain you would be able to 
see the obvious immaturity in my 
life.  I’m  afraid  my  childishness
would  be  just  as  easily
discerned  as  Jonah’s.  So  God 
gently  nudges  me  out  of  my 
judgment seat and says quietly, 
Look with clear and honest vision at how I provide for you. See the circumstances 
that uplift, the trials that test, the strong winds that buffet, the hot sun that scorches. 
When you have failed Me, have you not welcomed My forgiveness and compassion?
Now from a position not quite so superior, I listen as God asks me to reflect on 
Jonah’s  attitudes:  his  immaturity,  his  anger.  And  I  see  how  closely  these  are 
paralleled in my own  life. How many times have  I  envied God’s love manifest in a
life that I was tempted to  think was less deserving than mine? How  often has my
anger been kindled over vines that have withered and left me with some discomfort, 
vines  He  provided  and  removed?  Instead  of acceptance  of  His  providence,  my 
reaction was childish and immature, just like Jonah’s.
We need God to give us a full measure of wisdom, pressed down and running 
over.  It  is a wisdom  to  understand  how  He provides the very things  we  need  for 
growth in our walk with Him. Most of all, we need to embrace His compassion, which 
reached out to Jonah on a hot and windy day. It also embraced 120,000 residents of 
Nineveh, who didn’t know the difference between their right and left hands. Now that 
compassion embraces you and me so intensely that it will not let us go.
REACT
1. Proverbs 3:11  tells us not to despise the Lord’s discipline and not to resent 
His rebukes because the Lord disciplines those He loves. Has God ever provided 
something in your life (a vine or a worm) that showed your level of Christian maturity?
2. How grateful are you that our books are clean and spotless and beautifully 
written, thanks to God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice?

H ow  often  has my anger 
been  kindled over vines 
that have withered?
D w ight L. Moody,  G rand Rapids,  M innesota 
98


Friday
M y  W ay or Goc 's Way?  I
i  D e ce m b e r 5
EXPLORATION
Ps. 37:3 
CONCLUDE
Jonah  was  like  a  child,  quick to  scream  injustice.  He  prophesied  Nineveh’s 
destruction,  and when  God showed  mercy,  his credibility was threatened. Jonah 
wanted to be known as the great prophet who told of the end of Nineveh,  Israel’s 
enemy.  And  when  his  plan  didn’t  coincide  with  God’s,  he  felt  it  was  unfair  and 
decided it was time to give up and die. To learn from Jonah’s experience we must 
realize that regardless of what we believe to be justice, God is all-knowing and in 
control. When  He  asks  us  to  do  something,  we  should  do  it  selflessly  and  with 
complete trust in God.
CONSIDER
■   Reflecting on your past experiences and seeing where you have completely 
submitted to God’s will and where you have just gone your own way. Think 
about  the  differences  it  would  have  made  in  your  life  if  you  had  acted 
differently.
■   Rewriting the story of Jonah in a modern setting.
■   Performing a skit based on the story of Jonah.
■   Celebrating God’s plan for us by having a social, in which volunteers share 
experiences of God’s leading.
■   Comparing Jonah’s reaction to God’s plan with other instances in the Bible 
in which someone’s idea of what should happen didn’t agree with God’s.
■   Praying that you will learn to trust in God and do His will selflessly.
■   Researching  Nineveh  to  find  out  how  sinful  the  city  was  before  Jonah’s 
warning. Compare Nineveh with other present-day cities.
CONNECT
Jonah 4.
Ellen G. White, Christian Experience and Teachings, chap. 5.
Paul Tokunaga,  Kevin Blue,  et. al, Faith on the Edge, chap. 21.
Jezaniah Fow ler Kline,  Banepa,  Nepal 
99


Lesson 11 
D e ce m b e r 6-13
The Last Word
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now 
commands all  men everywhere to repent"
(Acts 17:30, NKJV).


Finally! This  Is lt!~[ 

Sabbath
D e ce m b e r 6
INTRODUCTION
Jon. 4:3-5
Is it not interesting how we appreciate God’s mercy toward us but fail to accept 
His compassion toward others? Now, thousands of years after God spoke to Jonah, 
we can rationalize and criticize God’s actions versus Jonah’s. If we were in Jonah’s 
position,  however,  how differently would we  react toward God and the  people  of 
Nineveh?
Imagine  declaring  to  your  classmates  that  they  are  not  going  to  graduate 
because the  head  of your department  has checked their records and they  have 
been found to be cheating. Such 
a message is the last thing you 
of all persons would want to take 
to the class. You  know that they 
cheated, and you try desperate­
ly to extricate yourself from it, but 
the head of your department insists and  assures you  that they will get just what 
they deserve. Visualize the look on their faces as you deliver the message. They 
are disturbed.They become frantic.You’re content.You feel satisfied—actually happy. 
They deserve it,  don’t they? They become  repentant that they ever cheated and 
rush to the department chair’s office to beg for mercy.
It’s now graduation day. What happens? They graduate! They wear the same 
robe and  receive the same  award as you,  though  you  made  it clear quoting the 
chair’s instructions, “You will not graduate.”
What  on  earth  could  have  caused  this?  After semesters  of erring,  they  are 
pardoned,  and  their judgment  reversed.  How  could  this  be?  Not  only  has  he 
surprised you but also embarrassed you. He has caused your words to lose their 
weight and effect. How could he have pulled you out of your complacency to talk 
against such  lack of integrity just to prove you  a liar?  Now Jonah’s actions don’t 
seem  so irrational. Jonah 4:11  makes it easier for us—maybe  not to understand 
grace better, but easier to accept. It ends with God asking, “And should I not spare 
Nineveh?” We all need to see the relevance of this statement to us as modern-day 
Jonahs as we seek to proclaim the Lord’s word to the people of our land. We need 
not only to see, accept, and understand God’s mercy to us, but also to others. We, 
too, need to be merciful even in our thoughts and desire to others. This lesson has 
many  powerful  points  for  us  in  our  mission  to  call  to  repentance  this  world  so 
deeply sunk In sin. 

They will get just what 
they deserve.
Tara Collins and A llelt Duncan,  Mandeville, Jamaica
101


S unday
D e ce m b e r 7 Runaway P rophet  |
LOGOS
Job 39; Jonah 4; Matt. 18:11-14; Luke 4:24-28
The Prophet's  Instructions  (Jon.  1:2)
Jonah received a commission to go to Nineveh, a great, wicked city, to deliver 
a message from God, a warning about possible destruction if the Ninevites did not 
repent.  Undoubtedly,  Jonah  would  have  preferred  to  stay at  home,  continue  his 
daily chores,  and  gone  about  his  own  business.  Becoming  a seer,  a  prophet to 
Nineveh,  surely was  not part of his  program.  Did  he see this  commission  as  an 
impossible  task,  or  was  he  afraid  that  because  of  God’s  loving-kindness  and 
longsuffering he would be humiliated?
Functions  of  prophets  include  speaking  for  God,  revealing  God’s  purpose, 
protesting against evils.1  Other responsibilities include warnings that would result 
in  certain  courses  of  action. They  reproved  sin  in  individuals  and  nations;  they 
pronounced the judgments of God as consequences of sinful practices and actions.
Prophesying Even  If You  Don't Feel  It (Acts  18:9,  10)
Jonah  ran away from  his God-given  commission. He forgot that God was all-
seeing, that He would find him even when he was asleep In the bottom of the ship.
His  complacency  seemed  to 
suggest that he felt comfortable 
with  his  actions. Yet  since  the 
message was  not the  prophet’s 
own,  it was  not  his to  say what 
should be done with it. It was his 
duty  to  deliver  it  and  leave  the  outcome  with  the  Lord. The  sailors  in  the  ship 
believed in his God (Jon. 1:14). Apparently, reports of his adventure preceded him, 
for when  Jonah  gave  the  warning  to  the  Ninevites,  the  people  believed  in  God 
even though the message didn’t mention God’s name (3:4, 5). Could this suggest 
that  people  will  believe  our  message,  that they  will  respect  the  God  whom  we 
serve, and will expect our prophecies to come true? Did God want to teach Jonah 
a lesson as He did with  Peter in his vision of the sheet (Acts 10)?
Believe,  Repent, Accept (Jon. 3:5)
The  people  of  Nineveh  eagerly  received  the  message  Jonah  brought,  and 
repented,  beginning with the king  (Jon. 3:5). “ 1 “Who knows,  God may yet repent 
and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not’ ” (3:9) contains the last rays of 
hope on the part of the Assyrian king. He believed that since God granted them a 
time of final  probation, there was still  hope that God would turn and  relent of the

Jonah  ran  away from  his 
God-given  commission.
102


execution of the well-deserved punishment. Without conversion there would be no 
hope.”2 Jonah  became  angry  over  the  repentance  of the  Ninevites.  “He  should 
have  been  the  first to  rejoice  because  of  God’s  amazing  grace;  but  instead  he 
allowed his mind to dwell on the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet. 
Jealous of his reputation, he lost sight of the infinitely greater value of the souls in 
that wretched city.”3 God’s grace brings salvation to all (Titus 2:11).
God's  Response to Our Cry  (Ps.  107:13,  14, 20)
God provided a big fish to swallow Jonah (Jon.  1:17). He also provided a vine 
to shade him (4:6). He provided His Son to die for our sins (Mark 15). All these and 
more demonstrate to us that God is willing to go to great lengths to save us from 
our sins.
“None of us gets paid according to merit, for none of us comes close to satisfying 
God’s  requirement  for  a  perfect  life.”4  Much  of  the  biblical  narrative  speaks  to 
repentance, forgiveness, and God’s grace: David the king, the prodigal son,  Mary 
of  Magdala,  the  parable  of the  lost coin,  the  lost sheep,  how  He deals  with  His 
people in the parable of Hosea and Gomer,  Paul of Tarsus, the thief on the cross, 
and the servant who owed his master.
Trying to  Understand  God  (Job  11:7)
Can we really understand God? His thoughts and ways are not ours (Isa. 55:8). 
He delights in mercy (Mic. 7:18). Shouldn’t we remember that God has forgiven us 
our sins and trespasses, and we should do and wish the same for others? What is 
God’s “last word” to us? What is He asking of us?  Does His concern for Nineveh 
with “more than  one hundred  and twenty thousand  persons who cannot discern 
between their right hand and their left—and much livestock” (Jon. 4:11) have any 
relationship  to  us  in  the  21st  century?  God  is  interested  in  the  salvation  of  all 
nations.
Do we, too, have a false sense of security as did Jonah while in the ship? Are 
we  as  Christians  sleeping  while  the  world  is  in  turmoil?  When  we  speak to the 
world,  do  we  select  those  whom  we  wish  or  believe  should  be  saved?  Do  we 
dictate that those whom we favor (like Jonah’s vine)  should  live, and others (the 
inhabitants of Nineveh),  should die? Are we willing to have God work through  us 
for the salvation of souls,  or are we angry when  God saves those whom  He has 
sent us to warn.
1. T. Housel Jemison, A Prophet Among You (Mountain View, Calif.:  Pacific Press Publishing Assn., 
1955),  pp. 42-45.
2. Gerhard F.  Hasel, Jonah: Messenger o f the Eleventh Hour (Mountain View, Calif.:  Pacific Press 
Publishing Assn.,  1976),  p. 60.
3.  Ibid., p. 68.
4.  Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace? (Grand Rapids,  Mich.: Zondervan,  1997),  p. 62.
Beverly I. Henry, Mandeville, Jamaica
103


M o n d a y
D e ce m b e r 8 M o d e rn -d a y  Jonah
TESTIMONY
Isa. 43:10; Acts 5:20
Doesn’t it seem  strange that many of us  proclaim to  be  Christians  but find  it 
hard to call on God to use us to further His ministry? We think that He will use us 
after we finish high school or college or after the passing of some important event 
in our lives. If the call comes before we expect, we make excuses and often become 
angry with God for His timing and purpose, all the while forgetting that He is always 
on time. To make matters worse, when we find out that where God intends for us to 
go isn’t a bed of roses, an  unwilling spirit takes residence in our hearts. Well, the 
Son of Amittai, who was a prophet of God, felt the same.
Jonah  was  a  man  called  by God  to fulfill  a specific  purpose—to  spread  the 
Word. When Jonah heard that his assignment was to minister to the inhabitants of 
Nineveh,  however,  he was angry. Even though he was a man of God,  because of 
his spirit, Jonah was reluctant to go. “As the prophet thought of the difficulties and 
seeming impossibilities of this commission, he was tempted to question the wisdom 
of the call. He forgot for the  moment that the God whom  he served was all-wise 
and  all-powerful. While  he  hesitated,  still  doubting,  Satan  overwhelmed  him with 
discouragement.”1
Being a Christian is much more than going to church and following guidelines. 
Each  of  us  has  a  duty  as  Christians  to  spread  the  message  of  Christ’s  love for
humanity.  Do we  live  in  a world 
filled with modern-day Ninevites, 
people  who  may  be  willing  to 
listen  to  what  we  have  to  say 
about religion and repent, but are 
we, like Jonah, unwilling? Jonah 
did  not believe that  the  citizens 
of Nineveh would turn from their evil ways. What he did not know was that God had 
already guaranteed him the victory. You need not be concerned about what to say or 
how to say it. With God in your corner, everything will be taken care of. “At last Jonah 
had learned that ‘salvation belongeth unto the Lord’ (Psalm 3:8).”2 Just as God helped 
Jonah  in reaching the people of Nineveh,  He is more than willing to help us in our 
modern-day efforts. All He needs is a willing heart and soul.
1. Prophets and Kings, p.  266.
2.  Ibid.,  p. 269.

W ith  God  in your corner, 
everything will  be 
taken  care of.
Jerom e W ilson a n d  H ugh-B erk Sinclair,  M andeville,  Jam aica 
104


D ivine Forbearance 

Tuesday
D e ce m b e r 9
EVIDENCE
Ps. 139:7-10; Luke 11:29, 30; Acts 10; 34; 35; Gal. 3:28; 2  Pet. 3:9
The words of Jesus  in Luke 11:29, 30 give credence to the story of the prophet 
Jonah. It indicated a significant advancement to the process and progress of God’s 
redemption  plan  for this  world.  It  is  not just  the  story  of  a  disobedient  prophet 
running away from God who is providentially rescued by a great fish.
In  essence,  this  book  gives  us  a  scope  of  God’s  plan  for  the  salvation  of 
humanity. Salvation was not to be regarded as the sole province of Israel, but was 
inclusive of Gentiles and  people from  all walks of  life,  as the apostles  Peter and 
Paul came to realize.
Nineveh  could  be  described  as  the  capital  of  evil  of  Bible  times,  and  might 
have rightly deserved a similar fate to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. The words of 
Jesus, “ This is a wicked generation’ ” (verse 29, NIV), equate the attitudes of His 
people to that of the Ninevites, but they did not consider themselves as wicked as 
the  heathens around them.  Let  us  not  make a similar mistake. The  Bible states, 
“All  have  sinned  and  fall  short 
of  the  glory  of  God  and  are 
justified  freely  by  his  grace 
through  the  redemption  that 
came  by  Christ  Jesus”  (Rom.
3:23, 24, NIV).
This story of Jonah also furnishes  us with the evidence of God’s unrelenting 
love and  pursuit of  His wayward  children.  He did  not give  up on  His disobedient 
prophet, but provided for his rescue in a manner that only God can do. Like a type 
of the plan of salvation, there was no other possible rescue for Jonah.
The message to Nineveh seemed more like a doomsday message,  but it was 
one of hope, indicating that destruction was not inevitable but could be averted by 
repentance and acceptance of God’s will. The warning was needed, giving evidence 
that God’s messages are always timely and appropriate.
Finally, we should learn from the experience of Jonah not to give up on people 
because we have come to regard them as wicked and beyond  reconciliation and 
redemption. Only God has the final word.
REACT
Comment on  God’s approach to changing the  minds of the  Ninevites versus 
His  approach  to  changing  Jonah’s  mind. Was  there  direct  intervention  in  either 
case? Did God force the decision of either subject, or did He merely present them 
with a situation in which any decision was possible?  Explain your answers.
Johan Haakmat,  Mandeville, Jamaica

Nineveh could  be described 
as the capital of evil.
105


W ednesday
D e ce m b e r 10 R edem ption — 
N o t D estruction
HOW-TO
Matt. 9:12, 13; Mark 2:16
“The Lord, the righteous Judge” (2 Tim. 4:8, NIV) is a title that can be ascribed 
only to God. He is the only One who knows everything. Until you are made aware
of your wrongdoing, God will not 
condemn  you  (Acts  17:30). We 
often see people living contrary 
to God’s will  and write them  off 
as  destined  for  death  and 
destruction.  What  if  they  are 
unaware of God’s laws, ignorant of the error of their ways? What if God wanted to 
use you as His messenger to these “Ninevites”?
Christians  are called  upon to  be  messengers for God.  Like Jonah,  we  often 
lose  sight  of  the  objective  (redemption— not  destruction),  allowing  pride  and 
prejudice to hold sway.
In order for us to be effective messengers to Nineveh, we must get a few things 
straight:
•   “The  Lord  is  not  slow  in  keeping  his  promise  . . .   not  wanting  anyone  to 
perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9,  NIV).
•   “If we confess our sins,  he is faithful and just and will forgive  us our sins” 
(1  John 1:9, NIV).
•   “There is neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 
3:28,  NIV).
Though the knowledge that God keeps promises, forgives sins, and views everyone 
equally is good, the mere knowledge of these three will not spawn change. We need to 
work to spark this transformation from messengers of destruction to messengers of 
redemption. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Remember the message. Anyone can be saved through the death of Jesus 
and  belief  in  Him. This  message  is  to  be  given  to  everyone  everywhere  (Matt. 
28:18-20; John 3:16).
2.  Remember  that  we  are  the  messengers. We  are  the  medium  through 
which the message is transmitted. We must understand so that the message will 
be transmitted  clearly. Take time to  understand  His character,  become  aware  of 
any prejudices you may have and work to overcome these feelings.
3.  Remember  that  God  is  the  Judge. God  is  the  ultimate  Judge  and  the 
Giver of the message. It is the love and patience that emanates from His character 
that allows for sinners to be forgiven. He knows our thoughts and motives, so He 
can pass judgment. 
Wayne Duncombe,  Mandeville, Jamaica

Anyone can  be saved 
through the death  of Jesus.
106


Running to Tarshish \ 

Thursday
D e ce m b e r 11
OPINION
1  Pet. 3:9
Tarshish was a bustling, well-established center of commerce during the time 
of Jonah, situated on the coast of Spain. It was notorious for its wealth—conducting 
trade with the city of Tyre and other lands in silver, iron, tin, and lead. In the endless 
excitement of this place Jonah hoped to cancel himself out of God’s equation as it 
relates  to  the  destiny  of  Nineveh  (Jon.  1:3).  It  seems  that  Jonah  possessed  a 
“holy-righteous” character flaw—an inner spiritual high that causes one to esteem 
oneself better than another because of moral referents. Therefore, he lost sight of 
the people’s moral ignorance and the ever-abiding mercy of God.
Yes,  probation  was  possibly  about  to  close  for  the  people  because  of  their 
immoral  standing,  but  the 
issue  centered  on  God’s 
great  desire  that  everyone 
gets a chance to recognize 
the right (1  Pet. 3:9). Jonah 
placed  his  wishes  for  the 
people  of  Nineveh  above  God’s  conditional  will,  thus  leading  to  his  decision  to 
journey to Tarshish. He was God’s instrument who decided to be his own  player. 
God  wanted  to  help  Jonah  embrace  the  nature  of  His  merciful justice;  He  had 
important lessons of character to teach.
He  wanted  Jonah  to  realize  that  the  treasures  of  grace  He  bestows  bring 
salvation  to  all,  independent  of  ethnic  affiliation,  societal  class,  or dogma  (Acts 
11:18). God desires that every human being gain the full opportunity of weighing 
the benefits of living in Him as opposed to living within oneself—the way of Satan. 
He sets before  humanity the  road to  life and the  road  to death,  but omnisciently 
advises, “Choose life.”
Jesus  condemned  holy-righteous  Jonahs  (Matt.  12:41),  members  of  the 
religious sects of His day, along with all others who in  religious complacency and 
a false sense of soul  security deceive themselves  into thinking that they are the 
favored people of God, and thus assured of salvation. This was also evident in one 
of Satan’s subtle traps for God’s people: The selfishness we build within ourselves 
will  imprison us,  preventing  us from finding God’s salvation.
Jonah’s  experience  is  pertinent to the  modern  church,  because  many  of  us 
have the same attitude concerning God’s commissions.There may be many Ninevite 
people around or even among  us,  and we are quick in  passing judgment,  giving 
ourselves false highs above them and failing to remember that all sin is sin.
God desires that everyone has an opportunity to accept His salvation through 
repentance. Is He calling you? Are you  running to Tarshish?
André Milford,  Mandeville, Jamaica

Jonah  hoped to cancel himself 
out of God's equation.
107


Friday
D e c e m b e r   12 Saved to Serve  |
EXPLORATION
Titus 2:11
CONCLUDE
The  grace  of  God  is  hard  to  understand  but  easy  to  receive.  At  times  it  is 
harder to understand God’s grace working on others whom we see as less deserving 
than  we  are. We  have even  misrepresented  God’s character and  love to others. 
But God keeps giving us more chances to serve Him. Jonah’s story points out to 
us that we are indeed saved to serve others regardless of the differences. Knowing 
that we, too, are sinners forgiven by a merciful God, we must reach out to others 
needing help.
CONSIDER
■   Making a mobile with paper cut into various shapes and designs with words 
telling why you follow Jesus. Hang it in a convenient place to be seen.
■   Viewing the video Contact (1997) or reading the book of the same title. As 
you do, think about these questions: How is Dr. Arroway’s experience like 
that  of  a  Christian  who  seeks  to  defend  his  or  her  belief?  What  kind  of 
evidence of God’s existence would be convincing to unbelievers?
■   Comparing  plain  glass  and  mirrored  glass. Think  of  ways  by  which  one 
tends to see only oneself in a mirror because of the silver coating. Think 
about this question: What are the silver coatings in my life?
■   Emailing a friend to share an exciting event in which your perception about 
somebody was positively changed.
■   Singing John  Newton’s “Amazing  Grace,” slowly savoring the  meaning of 
each line and stanza.
■   Role-playing  the  part  of  Jonah  as  he  was  upset  when  God  forgave  the 
people  of  Nineveh.  Discuss  with  friends  about  how  Jonah  was  right  or 
wrong.
■   Writing a personal journal of opportunities to witness for God to others.
CONNECT
Deuteronomy 30:19, 20.
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6,  p. 418; Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 146.
Morris Venden, How to Make Christianity Real, chap. 6; Philip Yancey, What’s
So Amazing About Grace? chap. 4.
Prem a  Gaikwad,  Pune,  India
108


Lesson 12 
D e ce m b e r 13-20
The Greatest sign
" 'As Jonah  was three days and  three  nights in  the  belly of 
the great fish,  so w ill  the  Son  of M an  be three  days and 
three  nights in  the  heart of the earth' "  (M att.  12:40,  NKJV).


Sabbath
D e c e m b e r 13 The G reatest Sign
INTRODUCTION
Ezek.  11:19,  20
Martin, the main character in Proof, a little-known Australian movie, is reclusive, 
ill-tempered,  and  obsessed  with  photography.  He takes  photo  after  photo  of  his 
everyday surroundings—buildings, trees, people. The catch is, Martin is blind and 
has been so since birth. He grew up thinking that his mother was lying to him when 
she described the world to him. As an adult, Martin has developed a deep suspicion 
of those around him and asks his few friends to describe his photographs to him, 
as proof that the world really is as they say it is. Because of his continual need for 
proof,  Martin is lonely and resentful.
I  sometimes feel  that  I  experience  spiritually the character-stunting  blindness 
that Martin experiences physically. I sometimes wonder whether God really is who
He says He is. How can I be sure 
He  really  loves  me?  How  do  I 
know He can successfully guide 
my  life?  During times  when  I’m 
experiencing  hardship  or  when 
faced  with  making  difficult 
decisions,  I want proof that God 
is there. Many times  I  have wished for a postcard from heaven with a caption that 
reads: "I  really do  exist—God.” If God,  being the  all-knowing  Creator,  loves  us so 
much  and  wants  us to  serve  Him,  why  does  He  insist  on  being  so distant—why 
doesn’t He prove Himself?
When Jesus was on earth, the Jewish leaders asked Him for an attesting sign. 
Instead  of a  miracle,  the  Pharisees  received  a divine tongue-lashing. “ ‘No sign 
shall be given  .. . but the sign  of Jonah the prophet’ ” (Matt.  12:39,  NASB). What 
kind  of  response  is that? What  is the “sign  of Jonah”?  During the  coming  week 
we’ll look at what Jesus meant by the sign of Jonah and its relevance in your life.
The Pharisees asked Jesus to prove His divinity but received a rebuke because 
their attitude  of  self-serving  arrogance  clashed  with  Jesus’ desire  to  glorify  God. 
When I want God to prove Himself to me in some spectacular way, the chances are 
I’m  motivated  by the  same selfish  spirit that  blinded  the  Pharisees. And  if such  a 
wish were granted, like Martin, I would never be satisfied. I would end up demanding 
more of God and remain in a perpetual state of spiritual dysfunction. That is not to 
say,  however, that God never reveals Himself. The Ninevites found God, thanks to 
Jonah,  and  all  were  miraculously  converted.  In  The Desire  of Ages,  Ellen White 
explains that the sign of Jonah, the greatest sign of a loving Savior, is the miracle of 
transformation from a life of sin to a consistent life in Christ. The greatest sign that 
there is a loving God is the change in your life when you accept Him.

M artin  has developed  a 
deep suspicion  of those 
around  him.
Lyndon Hawke,  M elbourne, Australia 
1 10


B order Crossing 

S unday
D e ce m b e r 14
EVIDENCE
John  10:14-16
The  Queen  of Sheba is  mentioned only briefly in the  Bible. The story is well 
known, though, with the queen coming to visit Solomon In search of wisdom. Even 
today,  people are still  wondering where  Sheba was. A quick Internet search  will 
show that there are two main theories. One theory places Sheba in the Yemen; the 
other,  in  Ethiopia.  But  wherever  Sheba  was,  it  was  well  beyond  the  borders  of 
Solomon’s kingdom.
Like the story of Jonah, the story of the Queen of Sheba is one of the few times 
in the Old Testament that the Word of God extends beyond the borders of Israel. 
So  many of the ancient  Middle  Eastern  kingdoms  believed that their gods were 
only for their nation or kingdom. Even some of the ancient Israelites seem to have 
believed that God was their God alone and didn’t care for anyone outside of His 
chosen people. So it must have come as a shock to Jonah when he was told to go 
and preach to the Nlnevltes. Not only were they Gentiles; they were also enemies.
So why did Jesus mention the queen and Jonah when asked for a sign? The 
example of Gentiles testifying against those who thought of themselves as God’s 
chosen must have shocked the Pharisees and scribes. The story of Jonah included 
the prefiguring of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but by including both these stories, 
I  think He was also suggesting 
that  it  was  time  that  God’s 
message  was  spread  farther 
into the world. It was time for the 
Jews to  overcome  their  beliefs 
about Gentiles and  realize that 
they were  all  part  of  God’s  plan. The  experience  of Jesus’  resurrection  and  the 
Great Commission inspired His followers eventually to take the message of God’s 
love, justice, and mercy to the whole world.
So often  we  allow  God’s  message  to  be  restricted  by our  human  prejudices 
and preconceptions. Like the ancient people of the Middle East, we believe ourselves 
to be God’s chosen people and can be tempted into believing that God cares more 
about  us  than  anyone  else.  Like  Jonah,  we  sometimes  believe  that  God  can’t 
possibly  love  or  care  for  anyone  outside  our  own  group.  But  the  stories  of  the 
queen  who  sought  out  Solomon’s  God-given  wisdom  and  Jonah’s  message  of 
God’s Word to  God’s enemies suggest that we should  be prepared to cross our 
carefully  constructed  boundaries  and  realize  that  God’s  Word  is  for  everyone, 
regardless  of  what  we  might  think  of  them.  God  does  not  recognize  human 
borders—His compassion, love, and justice are for everyone.

God  does not recognize 
human  borders.
Jonathon Lee,  Crem orne,  Tasmania
111


M o n d a y
D e ce m b e r 15 M akin g   Light o f the 
"Sign  o f Jonah"
LOGOS
M att. 12:38-45;  16:1-4;  Luke  11:29-36
The Crowd  Pleaser
Rather than  use deep theological terminology to impress the scholars of the 
day, Jesus told simple stories that reached to the grassroots of society. Farmers, 
fishermen, prostitutes, and children flocked to hear His words and see His works. 
Jesus presented a  message of timeless truth  in the terminology of the common 
people. His preaching had power because it made sense. Jesus talked about seeds, 
fields, treasure chests,  landowners,  parties, lost coins, sheep, and sons.
When questioned by the Pharisees,  He used common phrases that are used 
even today. When asked for a sign that He was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Red
sky  at  night,  sailor’s  delight; 
red  sky  by  morning,  sailor 
take warning.” Jesus implied, 
“You can  look at the sky and 
tell the weather patterns,  but 
you  look at  Me and all that  I 
am  doing and still  question who  I  AM!” Jesus  healed the sick,  cast out demons, 
and raised the dead, yet they couldn’t pick Him out in a lineup as the Messiah.The 
healed could.The cleansed could.The raised could. But the preachers and teachers 
of the law? No. To them  He was a nuisance and a crowd pleaser.
Signs for Seekers
Signs were often given to those honestly searching for God’s will. Gideon’s 
fleece was moistened and dried as a sign; the sun went backward for Hezekiah; 
a pillar of fire and cloud led the children of Israel through the desert. Although all 
three of these recipients of signs failed to obey God at one point or another, they 
were  sincere  in  their  searching  for  His  guidance.  The  scribes  and  Pharisees 
were not.
A  demon-possessed,  blind  mute  was  brought  to  Jesus.  Coming  to  Jesus 
sightless, speechless, and spirit possessed, he left his Savior seeing, shouting for 
joy,  and  demon free. The  people who saw the  healing  exclaimed, “Could this be 
the Son of David?” And the  Pharisees interrupted the  rejoicing and thwarted the 
recognition  of  the  Messiah  by  suggesting  that  Jesus  was  receiving  His  mighty 
powers from the devil himself! After hearing Jesus’ passionate reply, they responded, 
‘“ Teacher... show us a miraculous sign’ ” (Matt 21:38, NLT). It was an insult. They 
called Him “Teacher” to harass Him rather than honor Him. Had they been sincerely

Jesus instead  offered them  a 
sign  incognito. 
112


seeking signs of Jesus’ divine  identity, they would have already  recognized  Him. 
There were walking-talking-seeing signs all around them.
Jesus  instead  offered  them  a sign  incognito. The  sign  of Jonah. Jonah  was 
entombed in the belly of a large fish for three days. Likewise, Jesus was swallowed 
by  the  tomb  of Joseph  from  Friday  until  Sunday. This  part  of the  sign  of Jonah 
would be recognized only after Jesus rose from the dead. Another aspect of Jonah’s 
ministry was already being mirrored by the Messiah. Jonah’s message was heeded 
by the people of Nineveh. Many people had already begun to believe in Jesus and 
follow  His teachings. The  Pharisees,  however,  rejected  Jesus  and  sought to  kill 
Him. They were,  according to Jesus,  worse off than the  Ninevites  because while 
Nineveh  repented and  received mercy, the scribes and Pharisees hardened their 
hearts and brought judgment upon themselves.
Sign  on the  Dotted  Line
The Gospels draw something more out of the sign of Jonah than the two already 
mentioned aspects. In both Matthew and Luke, the sign of Jonah passage is followed 
by a challenge to the reader.
Matthew refers to the demon-possessed man healed by Jesus just prior to the 
Pharisees’ questioning. The message is clear: “If Jesus casts a demon out of you 
and then you are unwilling to invite Him into the place vacated by the demon, that 
demon will round up some demonic friends and repossess you with a vengeance.”
The  opposite end  of the  spectrum  is described  in  Luke. Jesus chides,  “Who 
lights a candle and then sticks it under a bowl?” “Instead,” Jesus continues, “when 
you  have a light you  put it on  a high  place so that it is visible to all and  provides 
vision to all those around it.” Then Jesus challenges the  listener: “Make sure that 
the light you think you have is not really darkness.”
What do these two endings have to do with the sign of Jonah? Everything really. 
They  beg the  reader to  declare  allegiance. What  has your encounter with  Jesus 
eventuated? Are you enlightened and shining brightly? Or are you swept clean but 
left empty because you continue to power along on your own steam?
The people in Nineveh heard Jonah’s message, and his words spread like wildfire. 
Within the day the entire city had come to its knees before the Lord and, at the king’s 
command,  even the animals were  left  unfed  until every man  and  his dog  (literally!) 
repented. Have you  experienced the plea for repentance from the  Savior?  Has the 
sign of Jonah impacted you? If you have repented and been filled with the Holy Spirit, 
then you are enlisted in the light-bearer’s brigade! What has the sign of Jonah done in 
your community? Is it spreading to the four corners of the earth or being snuffed out by 
one bowl or another? Take Jesus’ challenge: “Make sure that the light you think you 
have is not really darkness.” Jesus died and rose again; the message of the Messiah 
is yours to share. Will you place your candle on a lampstand for all to see? Imagine if 
we all placed our burning lights up high what effect it would have on the world. Red sky 
at night, Savior’s delight, red sky by morning, Savior sent warning.
D avid Edgren,  M elbourne,  Australia 
113


Tuesday
D e ce m b e r 16 "S how  Us a Sign!"~|
TESTIMONY
Matt. 12:40
A deputation of Pharisees and scholars came to Jesus and demanded a sign. 
“Teacher, we want to see your credentials. “How about a miracle?”
Jesus said, “You’re looking for proof,  but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All 
you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles” (Matt. 
12:38, The Message).
But  there  had  already  been  many  signs:  “the  song  of  the  angels  to  the 
shepherds... the dove and the voice from heaven at His baptism,” while “every miracle 
that Christ  performed  was  a sign  of  His  divinity.”1  The  most  powerful  sign  was  the 
conviction of sin and offered salvation that Christ’s own words provoked in their minds.
Jesus said, “The only proof 
you’re going to get is what looks 
like the absence of proof: Jonah- 
evidence. Like Jonah, three days 
and nights in the fish’s belly, the 
Son  of  Man  will  be  gone  three 
days and nights in a deep grave” 
(verses 39, 40, The Message).
Jonah’s preaching was a sign to the Ninevites,  and Christ’s preaching was a 
sign to His generation.
Jesus warned the deputation that “on Judgment Day, the Ninevites will stand 
up  and  give  evidence  that  will  condemn  this  generation,  because  when  Jonah 
preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah  is 
here, and you squabble about 'proofs’ ” (verse 41, The Message).
“When the message of truth is presented in our day, there are many who, like 
the Jews, cry, Show us a sign. Work us a miracle. Christ wrought no miracle ... in 
the wilderness in answer to Satan’s insinuations. He does not impart to us power 
to  vindicate  ourselves  or to  satisfy the  demands  of  unbelief  and  pride.  But the 
gospel is not without a sign of its divine origin.”2
“The change  in  human  hearts,  the transformation  of human  characters,  is  a 
miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. A consistent 
life in Christ is a great miracle. In the preaching of the word of God, the sign that 
should be manifest now and always is the presence of the Holy Spirit, to make the 
word  a  regenerating  power to  those  that  hear. This  is  God’s  witness  before the 
world to the divine mission of His Son.”3
1. The Desire of Ages, p. 406.
2.  Ibid.,  p. 407.
3.  Ibid. 
Donna Pascoe,  Mill Park, Australia

"A far greater preacher than 
Jonah  is here, and you 
squabble about 'proofs/ "
114


Looking for a Sign?  | 

W ednesday
D e ce m b e r 17
HOW-TO
1  Cor. 1:22-24
A friend and  I  have a running joke whenever we are having trouble  making a 
decision. We say we  are waiting for our “clear sign” from  God.  Unfortunately,  we 
never seem to receive it. What about you?  Have you asked God for a miraculous 
sign  lately?  How do  you  keep your faith  strong  if you  don’t  receive the  sign  you 
asked for?
1. Look for the evidence you already have. The Pharisees asked for a sign 
that Jesus was from God, yet they didn’t need any more proof than they already 
had. Jesus’ birth and ministry fulfilled numerous prophecies of the Messiah (e.g., 
Isa.  61:1,  2;  Mic.  5:2). Though  He  doesn’t  completely  remove  the  possibility  of 
doubt,  God will always provide enough  evidence to believe in  Him if you choose. 
Before you ask Him for a sign, check out the evidence you already have.
2. Ask the right questions. When we ask for a sign, we usually want to know 
what to  do,  where  God  is  leading  us,  or how  He is going to work in  a  particular 
situation. God doesn’t always answer these questions directly. Oswald Chambers 
writes, “God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who  He 
is.”* The story of Jonah reveals to us God’s incredible love, mercy, and forgiveness 
to the Ninevites, and points ahead to these qualities manifest in Jesus’ sacrifice for 
us. Seek to know more of the character of God, and let Him reveal what He wants 
in His time.
3. Be open. Jonah had definite ideas about how he wanted God to work and 
was most upset when God didn’t follow his plan. We often expect God to work in a 
particular way,  but He chooses to amaze  us in totally different ways. Don’t try to 
manipulate God into a particular 
course  of  action.  Enjoy  the 
surprises He has in store for you.
4. Act on what you do know.
Jesus  rebuked  the  Pharisees 
when they asked for a sign  but 
hadn’t acted on what they already knew to be true. Make sure you are obedient to 
all God has revealed to you. God has promised that all will eventually be revealed 
(1  Cor. 13:12). In the meantime, He asks you to trust Him. This trust is to be based 
on the ultimate sign—the death and resurrection of Jesus to pay for your sins and 
make you right with God. This act declares that the God who created the universe 
loves you  infinitely,  He  has a plan for your life,  and  He wants you to be with  Him 
forever. What greater miracle could you ask for?
'Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (New York:  Dodd Mead,  1963), January 2.

Have you asked  God for a 
miraculous sign  lately?
Julie Douglas,  Rosanna,  Australia 
1 1 5


T hursday
D e ce m b e r 18 Signs o f M e rc y  or
C ondem nation?
OPINION
M att. 12:38-42
Is the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:38-42) a sign of condemnation? It appears that it 
was to the generation of Christ’s day. But perhaps it is also a sign of mercy, grace, 
and compassion.
Many Christians know of the wrathful judgments of God. Some may even have 
a mistaken theological notion that God is willing or able to save only a few—perhaps 
only a small and privileged remnant. Like Jonah, some may feel robbed of meaning 
or a sense of fairness when  God  shows  His  mercy and  love to a wicked  people 
who,  like those in Nineveh,  repented unconditionally. Would it be fair if multitudes 
were  given  the same  opportunities today in  a similar outpouring of mercy?  Can 
such  a  life-changing  transformation  take  place  in  such  a  short space  of time— 
even as short as the repentant and forgiven criminal who hung with Christ on the 
cross was assured of salvation (Luke 23:38-43)?
What  about those  Christians  who  have  faithfully  served  a  lifetime  in  religious 
devotion? Is this fair? These feelings may be natural to the sinful human condition, but
the One who is “ ‘greater than 
Jonah’  ”  (Matt.  12:41,  NKJV) 
and who reads the hearts of all 
people,  can  and  will  surprise 
us with  how far and wide  His 
mercy  extends.  We  gain  a 
glimpse  of  this  from  Elijah’s 
experience when, in despondency, he cried,‘“ I alone am left’ ” (1  Kings 19:10, NKJV). 
He was mistaken. God had preserved thousands, “ ‘all whose knees have not bowed 
to Baal’ ” (verse 18,  NKJV). We should not dismiss any as beyond redemption. Even 
Christ Himself said, “ ‘Other sheep I have which are not of this fold’” (John 10:16, NKJV).
The conversion and repentance of Nineveh were arguably far more miraculous 
signs than Jonah’s big-fish experience. Unfortunately, the Pharisees and teachers 
of the law could not see this. They sought external signs in the heavens that would 
have little effect on their inner condition.
“God’s grace,  patience and compassion are not only designed for His people 
Israel  but for all  men,  even the  most wicked! This  is  Israel’s  need; this  is  Israel’s
problem; this is the problem of God’s people  This is what seems too much for
many—God’s mercy for all  nations and all people.”*
'Gerhard Hasel, Jonah: Messenger of the Eleventh Hour (Mountain View, Calf.: Pacific Press Publishing 
Assoc.,  1976),  p.77. 
Darren W. Jackson,  Melbourne, Australia

W hat about those Christians 
w ho  have faithfully served 
a lifetime? 
116


Friday
A  Sign for M arveling 

D e c e m b e r  19
EXPLORATION
Matt. 12:38-42;  16:1-4;  Luke 11:16, 29-31 
CONCLUDE
When asked for a sign, Jesus refused to comply. His life was the sign of God’s 
mercy  for  hurting  sinners  of  all  kinds  and  an  opportunity  of  marveling  for  the 
witnesses. But some, with a wicked pharisaic spirit, saw Him as a threat. Feeling 
worthy of God’s covenant, they considered sinners and foreigners unworthy. Like 
Jonah they refused to extend God’s mercy to them. But God showed mercy to the 
Ninevites  and  to  Jonah.  Jesus’  death  and  resurrection  were  to  be  the  greatest 
signs of marveling to all who would recognize their sin and accept God’s grace.
CONSIDER
■   Discussing with a friend about human groups you feel are the farthest away 
from your religion and analyzing what prevents you from thinking they are 
close to God’s grace.
■   Listing what you think are the ten biggest walls between people and God’s 
mercy.
■   Finding in a park, zoo, or other natural setting, one or two examples of how 
vastly different species build bridges of partnership for the benefit of both.
■   Paraphrasing  Ephesians  2:11-19  for terrorists  or whatever group  you  feel 
very distant from.
■   Praying and thanking God for what marvels you find in His deeds of mercy in 
your life and experience. Marveling will help you see God’s signs every day.
■   Browsing the Internet to explore a culture that is radically different from your 
own. As you do, compose a list of similarities between the two cultures.
■   Building with  pieces of wood or other materials a small fence  and  a small 
bridge. Bring them next Sabbath to your class and use them to share part of 
what you learned this week.
CONNECT
Prophets and Kings, pp. 273-278; The Desire of Ages, pp. 406-408.
The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5,  pp. 397, 398.
William  Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary.  Exposition  of the  Gospel
According to Matthew, pp. 532-541.
B ernard Sauvagnat,  C ollonges-sous-Salève,  France 
117


Lesson 13 
D e ce m b e r 20-27
" 'Comfort, O  comfort My people/ says your God. 'Speak 
kindly to Jerusalem; and  call  out to her, that her warfare 
has ended, that her iniquity has been  removed, that she 
has received  of the  Lord's hand double for all  her sins' " 
(Isa. 40:1, 2,  NASB).


If I W e re   G o d   . . .   [ 

Sabbath
D e ce m b e r 20
INTRODUCTION
Jonah  4; M att. 20:1-16;  Luke  15:11-32
One of the things that at times I still find  hard to fathom is God’s love. From a 
purely human  perspective,  I’ve often asked  myself, Who  in  His  right mind would 
send His only Son to be tortured and killed to save people who hate and despise 
Him?  Logical?  I don’t think so,  not by our standards anyway.
If I were God,  I would have wiped all the humans out and started again with a 
clean slate. Thank God that our Creator and  Father is not bound by our logic and 
is graceful enough to accept us for who we are.
This quarter we have studied Jonah, a strange paradox: a prophet of God yet a 
runaway from God; a man drowned yet alive; a preacher of repentance yet resents 
repentance. Yet Jonah, saved from the jaws of death himself on repentance, was the 
fittest to give a hope to  Nineveh,  doomed though  it was. The  patience and  pity of 
God stand in striking contrast with the selfishness and hard-heartedness of people.
Jonah seems to be your archetypical angry young man. How many of us, though, 
have at one time or another been resentful for something good that has happened 
to  another?  That  naughty  kid 
whose  parents just bought  him 
a new toy, or that girl who copied 
your homework and got a higher 
mark  than  you.  Or,  in  biblical 
terms,  that  prodigal  brother  of 
yours  whom  your  father  just 
threw a party for, or those tardy workers who received the same pay as you even 
though you started many hours before. James reminds us that “the anger of man 
does not achieve the righteousness of God” (1:20, NASB).
Did Jonah have a right to be angry? He was going to be ridiculed because his 
prophecy and message of doom would not eventuate; his reputation as a prophet 
was on the line. His pride was going to be dented, as God was too gracious and 
compassionate, much too slow to anger, too abundant in loving-kindness and much 
too relenting concerning calamities!
As there  is joy in  heaven and earth for the conversion of sinners,  so there is 
grief for the follies and infirmities of saints. In all the Bible we scarcely find a servant 
of  the  Lord  so  very  much  out  of  temper  as  Jonah.  Human  badness  and  God’s 
goodness  serve  as  a  stark  contrast,  that  the  former  may  appear  the  more 
exceedingly sinful and the latter the more exceedingly gracious.
“Our God is a God of mercy. With long-sufferance and tender compassion He 
deals with the transgressors of His law.”*
"Prophets and Kings,  p. 275.
Michael Grau-Veiiz, Broadway, Australia

Jonah seems to  be your 
archetypical angry 
young man.
119


S unday
D e ce m b e r 21 A nd Jonah  . . . 
Becam e A ngry
LOGOS
Gen. 3:1-7; Ezek. 18:4; Jonah 4; Matt. 7:7-11; 20:1-16; 27:46; Luke 15:11-32;
John  11:49-52
It is interesting that the first time Jonah  remarks on God’s character,  it is with 
certainty of his omnipotence: “ ‘I  worship the  Lord, the God of heaven, who made
the sea and the  land’ ’’ (Jon. 1:9, NIVJ.Yet he  is quite perturbed by this very same
God when he says that He is “ ‘a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger 
and abounding in  love, a God who relents from sending calamity’ ” (4:2,  NIV).
Ellen White states: “He should have been the first to rejoice because of God’s 
amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his 
being  regarded as a false  prophet. Jealous of his reputation,  he  lost sight of the 
infinitely greater value of the souls in that wretched city.”1
Although Jonah made lovely theologically orthodox statements (with his head), 
in  his heart he seemed to  have a very different view of God. We see  in Jonah’s
death  wish  a  parody  of  the
prophet  Elijah  in  1  Kings  19.
Having  proclaimed  the  truth  of 
God for a  number of years,  the 
prophet  was  tired  of  being 
ignored and  hunted for death. If 
he could not do the will of God and spread the news effectively, there was no point 
in  his  going  on. Jonah,  though  theologically  sound,  was  not so  hopeless  in  his 
reasons for death, yet he wished to die. In a way, Jonah was a false prophet himself, 
for he  did not truly  care to  prophesy hope and  the  God  of love. Like  other false
prophets  in the  Old Testament,  he was  more concerned  about his own  life than 
that of God’s own people.
In Jonah 4:6-8 Jonah is taught using an object lesson through the vine and the 
worm, and he became even angrier with God for having given him the shade only 
to take it away. The compassionate side of God that Jonah had complained about 
was now the side of God that he wanted expressed. Jonah did not care about what 
happened to others,  but was very concerned about himself (if only in  regards to 
his earthly life). How do you feel about others? Are you a self-preservationist like 
Jonah? What was  God’s  view  on  non-Jews,  and  how  does  that  relate  to  us  as 
Christians and Adventists today?
It is truly sad that Jonah was more concerned about the shade of a vine than 
the  lives of the  120,000+  people  in the city. Christ would  later say, “ ‘What will  it 
profit a man  if he gains the whole world,  and  loses  his own  soul? Or what will a 
man give in exchange for his soul?’ ” (Mark 8:36, 37, NKJV).

In  a way, Jonah was a false 
prophet himself. 
120


God was compassionate to the Ninevites and perhaps not so to Jonah in those 
final  few verses.  Perhaps  in  its  most  simplistic  form,  God  was  showing  that  no 
matter what it may look like to us, He is in control and He is the only One with the 
right  over  life  (and  death).  One  of  the  greatest  desires  of  humankind  is  to  live 
forever, whether through reincarnation or some eternal paradise. The extension of 
life and its good qualities is what makes our race as a whole so self-centered. It is 
up to  Christians to fight this  mold  and  strive for what God would  have  us  be,  to 
think of others above our own lives and reputations. What is it that stops you from 
acting on God’s love for others, and how can you combat that?
Jonah was not all  bad,  however. In the end,  it was his testimony that caused 
his shipmates to worship the Lord, and the Ninevites to repent and be saved. It is 
a shame that such good deeds are worthless when the heart is not in concert with 
the love,  grace, and compassion of God.
Perhaps  Jonah  was  not  so  much  the  prophet  as  he  was  the  one  being 
prophesied to, and perhaps we Christians are too.
“The lesson is for God’s messengers today, when the cities of the nations are as 
verily in need of a knowledge of the attributes and purposes of the true God as were 
the  Ninevites  of old.  Christ’s  ambassadors  are to  point  men  to  the  nobler world, 
which has largely been lost sight of. According to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, 
the only city that will endure is the city whose builder and maker is God.”2
Jonah’s ultimate reaction is not given in the story, and perhaps there is a reason 
for this. Perhaps we are to put ourselves in Jonah’s shoes and take the story from 
there. What will you learn? How will you apply the truths of God’s complete character 
to the way you  live your Christian walk and how you treat those around you?
REACT
1. Jonah worried more about his tree than about thousands of people’s (eternal) 
lives. Compare or contrast this attitude to our own.
2. Read the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9). Did Jesus pray for Himself or others first? 
Why? Is that like the in-flight instructions to fit your own oxygen mask first? Explain 
your answer.
3. Was Jonah’s faith and theology a private security blanket for himself, a lifeline 
to throw to others, both, or neither? What about yours? Your local church’s generally? 
What should it be?
4. Is it possible to care for nonbelievers as friends without becoming relativistic, 
or feeling you  have to  say “Their  belief  is  right for them”?  How can  you  respect 
others while wanting them to change their minds?
5.  Is it possible to be too jealous of your reputation to do Christian outreach? 
Explain your answer.
1. Prophets and Kings,  p. 271.
2.  Ibid,  p. 274. 
Olivia Toumazos,  Bracknell,  England.
121


M o n d a y
D e ce m b e r 22 Love Your Enemies!
TESTIMONY
M att. 5:43-48;  Luke 6:27-36
The Israelites probably had about as much love for Assyrians as the Americans 
have for al Qaeda (and vice versa), yet it was to the Assyrians that God sent Jonah 
on a mission of mercy.
“The Saviour said to His disciples: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse 
you.’We are to love our enemies with the same love that Christ manifested toward 
His  enemies  by  giving  His  life  to  save  them.  Many  may  say,  This  is  a  hard
commandment; for  I want to  keep 
just  as  far  as  I  can  from  my 
enemies.’ But acting in accordance 
with your own inclination would not 
be carrying out the principles that 
our  Saviour  has  given.  ‘Do  good,’ 
He says, ‘to them that hate you, and 
pray for them which despitefully use you,  and persecute you; that ye may be the 
children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil 
and  on the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on the just and on  the  unjust.’ This scripture 
illustrates one phase of Christian perfection. While we were yet enemies of God, 
Christ gave His life for us. We are to follow His example.
“I  must write  still  more  of the  scripture,  ‘Love  your enemies,  bless them  that 
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use 
you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: 
for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the 
just and on the unjust.... Be ye therefore perfect,  even as your Father which is in 
heaven is perfect.’ I have been deeply impressed by these words. We must understand 
their  real  meaning.  If  we  would  represent  Christ’s  character  by  obeying  this 
requirement,  there  would  be  a  great  change  in  evildoers.  Many  souls  would  be 
convicted  of their sinfulness  and  converted  through  the  impressions  made  upon 
them by our refusal to resent the evil actions of those controlled by satanic agencies. 
We must prayerfully and determinedly work on the Lord’s side. In all the issues that 
provoke the soul we should resist the evil and refuse to abuse the evildoer.”1
“That which selfish hearts would regard as humiliating service,  ministering to 
those  who  are  wretched  and  in  every way  inferior  in  character and  rank,  is the 
work of sinless angels. The  spirit of Christ’s self-sacrificing  love  is the spirit that 
pervades heaven and is the very essence of its bliss. This is the spirit that Christ’s 
followers will possess, the work that they will do.”2
1. Medical Ministry, pp. 253,  254.
2. Steps to Christ, p.  77.

"W hile we were yet 
enemies of God, Christ 
gave  His life for us."
Beng Yong Tang,  Nottingham ,  E ngland 
122


History, H um or, 
Evil, and G race 

Tuesday
D e ce m b e r 23
EVIDENCE
Jonah  4:2
Jonah,  one  of the  12  minor  prophets,  is  a  book  of  history,  humor,  evil,  and 
grace. Jonah is identified as a historical character (2 Kings 14:25), originating near 
Nazareth,  around  800-700  b . c . Jesus  Himself referred  to  him  (Matt.  12:39). The 
Assyrian  kingdom  (of  which  Nineveh  became  the  capital)  was  infamous  for  its 
cruelty. It inflicted inhuman tortures on victims in order to instill fear in their vassals 
and enemies.1 When  God says  He will  lead away the Assyrian  king  by putting a 
hook  through  his  nose  in  2  Kings  19:28,  He  is  referring  to  an  actual  Assyrian 
practice.2 How could God possibly love such a people?
For  someone  whose  name  means  “dove,” Jonah  adopted  a  rather  hawkish 
attitude. Ironically, it is only when God showed attributes of tenderness and mercy 
that Jonah was resentful. Before this, his “doveiikeness” came to the fore—with his 
cowardice in fleeing the task set before him.
Jonah—the  book  and  the  man— may  not  appeal  to  some.  He  is  not  the 
courageous Paul of the New Testament or the Jezebel-defying Elijah of the Old. Yet, 
the Jonah narrative presents God’s unbelievable favor to undeserving humanity.
The last chapter humorously shows us Jonah’s honesty and humanity. He knew 
God was a merciful God. He did not want this cruel, proud nation to have a share in 
that mercy, but to get what was coming to them. But, isn’t that what we all deserve?
Looking around us today, we might be forgiven if we judge some more harshly 
than  others.  With  September  11,  2001,  vivid  in  our  memories,  the  bombing  of 
Afghanistan  may  be  deemed 
justified.  According  to  radical 
Islam,  however,  attacking 
America  was  right.  As  Jonah 
wished  God  would  destroy  the 
hated  Ninevites,  both  the 
terrorists and the U.S. have plotted the other’s demise with righteous anger. However 
justified Jonah’s/our hate may have been/is, God had/has other plans.
We  should  be  careful  before  we  condemn  others,  however despicable  they 
seem.  We  have  all  fallen  “short  of  the  glory  of  God”  (Rom.  3:23,  NIV). Thank 
goodness that God is a lot more merciful than we are!
1. Evidence of the pride and cruelty of the Assyrians is recorded in their own cuneiform inscriptions, 
which can be seen in various museums around the world.  See for example, the translation of King 
Ashurbanipal  M's annals:  <http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ASSYRIA/INSCRA02.HTivl>
2. See 2 Chronicles 33:11;  The SDA Bible Commentary on 2 Kings  19:28.
Sujoya Elin Paul,  Cwmgors,  South Wales

Jonah  adopted a  rather 
hawkish  attitude.
123


W ednesday
D e ce m b e r 24 M y   Right or 
G od's Right
HOW-TO
Jon. 4:1-11
Jonah was greatly displeased and angry (Jon. 4:1); he wanted the worst for the 
people of Nineveh, his enemies.They didn’t deserve to live, so he wasn’t pleased with 
God when  he was chosen to go and witness to them.  It’s good that God  is not like 
Jonah! Rather, God is a gracious God who enjoys giving to those who deserve nothing.
If things had been left to Jonah, he would have made the decision himself. He 
would have decided that the people in Nineveh ought to die and it was not worth
wasting any time or energy over 
them. The  reality  is  that  Jonah 
did  not have the  right to decide 
anything,  but it is God’s  right to 
decide  who  receives  His 
forgiveness,  mercy, and grace. 
All too often we feel that it is 
our responsibility to be God, when what God asks of us is to be like Him.
So, how can one be more forgiving and gracious to others? Here are some ideas:
1. Recognize and accept that you have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 
3:23). You are helpless and can do nothing without God’s loving grace. You are a 
dirty sinner. You deserve nothing, yet God sent His Son to die in your place!
2. Write out your testimony of how God has been gracious to you. What has 
He done for you that you could not do for yourself?
3. Show grace to someone who, in your mind, doesn’t deserve it. Forgive him or 
her for having wronged you. Show love and compassion to another sinner just like you.

All too often we feel that 
it is our responsibility 
to be God.
REACT
1. What was  Jonah’s  biggest  problem? Was  it  prejudice,  pride,  selfishness, 
jealousy,  burnout, anger, depression, or something else?  Explain your answer.
2. In what ways can we be more loving, kind, and considerate to those around 
us, as God is to us? Be specific.
3. If you’re giving gifts for Christmas,  how will you  honestly feel if you  receive 
one  from  someone  you  haven’t  given  to?  How  will  you  feel  if  you  gave  one  to 
someone  who  didn’t  give  to you? What  do these  questions  suggest  about  God 
and the gospel of free grace?
4.  Is  it  OK to  be  happy when  our enemies  get what they deserve  from  life? 
Explain your answer.
5. Why do  polite,  educated, tax-paying,  basically good and  moral  people still 
need grace? 
Daren Bullock, London,  England
124


R eluctant Preacher 
to the  N inevites 

T hursday
D e ce m b e r 25
OPINION
Jon.  1:10
Have you ever been asked to do a little task and then forgotten about it? How 
about shirking a responsibility? What would you do if you were asked by God to go 
to a great city and single-handedly preach His Word and bring them back to God? 
Would you do it without any hesitation? Or would you run as far away from the city 
as you could?
At times, as humans, we can be scared of responsibility, of being given tasks 
to do, as it could mean a lot of hard work, on top of other things that we do. Or we 
can fear what would happen if we fail. No one likes to fail; the word failure means 
“lack of success.” Who wants to be labeled a failure?
This is what I suspect happened to Jonah. Faced with the task of going to the 
great city of Nineveh and telling them what God would do if they didn’t repent of 
their wicked ways, he got scared and ran. At the prospect of what they might say or 
do to him when  he proclaimed the message he was given,  he did what I suspect 
we would do: run.
We could laugh and call him a chicken, but what happened on the ship during 
the storm? When faced with a trip to the bottom of the deep, along with his traveling 
companions,  he realized that their impending doom was his fault and told them to 
throw  him  overboard,  sacrific­
ing his life, for the sailors.
A  byproduct  of  Jonah’s 
attempt to  run  away  was  that 
he was  able to witness to the 
sailors  (1:10),  and  after  the 
storm was calmed—once they were rid of Jonah—they offered a sacrifice to God!
By now Jonah was probably pretty fed up, even more so when snapped up by 
a passing fish,  but realizing he couldn’t get away,  he repents.
God forgives him, and he gets another chance, and he is successful at his task.
We all have inner strengths that come out only under a challenge. God doesn’t 
want to see us suffer (He sent a fish) or fail (the Ninevites repented), so we need to 
put our faith  in Him, not us.
Sometimes  God  chooses  the  people  to  do  His work who think they  are the 
least suitable for the job because only He knows what they are capable of doing. 
And,  more important,  He forgives us if we struggle to accept the task that He has 
given!  Do our earthly task givers do the same?

By now Jonah  was  probably 
pretty fed  up.
Ian M. Cort,  Sale,  England
125


Friday
D e ce m b e r 26 Love U n lim ited 
and Steadfast
EXPLORATION
Ps. 86:5 
CONCLUDE
Gracious  and  compassionate.  Slow  to  anger.  Abundant  in  loving-kindness. 
Relenting concerning calamities. God—unlike us selfish, hard-hearted humans— 
delights  in  seeing  something  good  happening  to  people—even  to  a  city  full  of 
sinners, as was Nineveh. He dispenses His salvation to undeserving humanity.
That’s who God is. He is gracious not only to His promised people but also to 
the  heathen  world—even  if  some  of  His  messengers  do  not  want  heathens  to 
have a share in that mercy,  but to get what was coming to them.
You, too, can be a recipient of God’s mercy and grace. Ask Him.
CONSIDER
■   Writing your own version of Jonah 4:2, including a commentary that reflects 
God’s gracious deeds done on your behalf during the past month.
■   Going house-to-house in your neighborhood and placing on each doorstep 
a tract about God’s love.
■   Listening to and then memorizing any song that tells about God’s love for 
humanity.
■   Celebrating  your  birthday  (or  any  significant  event  in  your  life)  together 
with street children, homeless, or shut-ins.
■   Listing  the  names  of  people  whom  you  need  to  forgive,  and  then  truly 
forgiving them.
■   Drawing  or  painting  a  picture  of the World Trade  Center  in  flames,  then 
praying that the living comrades and family of the Al-Qaeda terrorists who 
wrought the 9/11  havoc might somehow get to know and accept Jesus as 
Lord and Savior.
CONNECT
Titus 2:11,  12.
Prophets and Kings, chap. 22.
Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?
E leazor Famorcan,  Pinole,  California 
126


Next Quarter’s Lessons
John: The Beloved Gospel
If you have not received a copy of CQfor first quarter 2004, here is a summary 
of the first two lessons:
Lesson 1: THE UNIQUE PURPOSE OF JOHN’S GOSPEL
Logos: Luke 1:1-4; John  15:1-8;  17:20; 20:24-31; 21:20-25
Key Thought: The Gospel of John tells us that the absence of physical contact 
with  Jesus  is  no  disadvantage  to  those  seeking  a  relationship  with  Him  today. 
Jesus’ word is as powerful as His touch.
Have you ever wished you could have known Jesus in the flesh, as His disciples 
did?  Have you  ever wished  He  lived at your house? Wouldn’t  it be great to take 
your problems directly to Him? To go to Him and share what’s on your heart and 
then see Him go to His knees and pray earnestly to His Father for you? Wouldn’t it 
be  easier  to  have  a  relationship  with  Jesus  if  He  lived,  breathed,  walked,  and 
talked at your house?
But that privilege has not been ours. Yet, the good news is that the Gospel of 
John  helps assure us that we don’t need physical  contact with Jesus in  order to 
have a relationship with Him.
Lesson 2: JESUS IS THE  BEST
Logos: John  1:1-18
Key Thought: At the  beginning of his Gospel,  John  describes Jesus as the 
Word who was God from eternity, yet who became flesh. Thus, He alone is worthy 
of our worship.
Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. John 1:1-18 functions as a prologue to 
the story of Jesus in the Gospel. It tells an amazing story. The King of the universe, 
the eternal Creator, became a human being. The One who walked this earth, who 
became sweaty, tired, and hungry, was intimate with God before the world began, 
because  He  Himself was one with God. Although  He  became part of the  human 
race,  and  was  subject  to  human  limitations,  He  was  the  One  who  created  the 
human race and the world in which it lived.
To order your personal copy of CQ, contact your Adventist Book Center or write:
Pacific Press Publishing Association 
P. O. Box 5353 
Nampa,  ID 83653-5353 
U.S.A.
Prices: U.S.A.
Outside U.S.A 

One-year subscription—$15.40 
Single copy—$6.29 
One-year subscription—US $18.40 
Single copy—US $6.29
127


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It's a big plan for a big world— and it starts with you!  For information on how you can 
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Sow 1  Billion is a General Conference initiative funded by Adventist-Laymen's Services 
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MI
P
R0 
F
1
L 

Grace Cartan grew up 
in  M auritius, an  island  in 
the  Indian  Ocean. W hen 
she wanted to study 
abroad after high  school, 
her m other could  not 
afford to send  her. So 
Grace w ent by faith and 
prayer.
She arrived  in  France w ith  little  m oney and  no 
place to live.  Her only resource was God. W hen 
she asked God fo r an  affordable  room   in w hich to 
live, God gave her tw o —free. W hen  she needed a 
job, God  provided one. At every step God gave 
her m ore than she asked for.
Read  her testim ony in this quarter's M ission 
and Teen  M ission.
The Thirteenth Sabbath Offering:
Part of the Thirteenth  Sabbath  O ffe ring  this 
quarter w ill  help build an evangelistic center in 
the heart o f Paris,  France, and a sem inary in 
Bulgaria. 
*ECQ031001*