The Book of the Twelve for Lent 2016 - Jonah (1)
The Book of the Twelve for Lent 2016 A Whale of a Tale – Jonah (1) Jonah is doubtless the most well-known book in the Twelve. But not as a part of the Twelve. Usually we heard it in Sunday School when we were young, perhaps on a flannel graph. Then we were thrilled or perplexed at how the whale could swallow a man and yet he lived to do God’s bidding. We debated whether the story was “historical” or some kind of parable or literary creation. We took away the lesson that this entertaining little story is about Jonah’ unwillingness to proclaim God’s mercy to the wicked Nineveh. And if this is the case, we missed the thrust and importance of Jonah. First of all, Jonah is some kind of a story (even if there be some kind of “historical” event underlying it). It is literary artistry of a high order. ...