Jonah

Jonah is often called the most missional book in the Old Testament. In it, God calls Jonah, the prophet, to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, and preach a message of judgment. However, he initially rebels as the Assyrians were Israel's enemies and greatest threat. Jonah's reluctance to share God's message was a reflection of Israel as a nation. They were called by God to be his chosen people. They were to be stewards of God's temple and his Word, and one day his Son, the messiah, would come from them to die for the sins of the world. The Israelites were blessed so they could be a blessing to the world by drawing others to worship the true God (cf. Gen 12:3, 22:18, Isaiah 42:6, 60:1-3). However, they became prideful instead of humble, exclusive instead of inclusive, concerned with themselves instead of others, and therefore, failed to be God's missionaries to the nations. We, as the church, are no different. Like Jonah and the Israelites, God has called us to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20), but it's easy to neglect and rebel against that call-leaving many unreached and hopeless. As we study Jonah, may it convict and change our hearts to make us more missional so we can complete the great commission our Lord Jesus gave us! Let's study Jonah together with the Bible Teacher's Guide. "The Bible Teacher's Guide ... will help any teacher study and get a better background for his/her Bible lessons. In addition, it will give direction and scope to teaching of the Word of God. Praise God for this contemporary introduction to the Word of God." -Dr. Elmer Towns, Co-founder of Liberty University