21 September 2024 |
Many people do not consider the book of Jonah worthy of serious attention. It might provide wonderful images for use in children’s Bibles—a huge fish swallowing and then regurgitating a prophet fascinates everybody—but this simply underlines that the book cannot be taken seriously. Those who pass that kind of judgment are wrong.
First, the book was not addressed to children but to adults.
Second, it was addressed to certain kinds of adults.
Namely, to those who have their theology all sorted out, their fundamental beliefs memorized, with the proof texts to ram them home. Third, the book of Jonah is written for those who believe they are members of God’s chosen people but who don’t show God’s compassion to those they believe are not the chosen.
In our Adventist Today Sabbath Seminar we will discover why the book of Jonah is considered to be not only one of the most exquisitely fashioned biblical books but also one of the most challenging for twenty-first century believers. By understanding Jonah’s vice—the bias of the pious—we might be better placed to confront it in our own lives.
Teacher:
Laurence Turner is Principal Lecturer Emeritus in Old Testament at Newbold College of Higher Education.
