JONAH: A Devotional Journey is about a small Old Testament book called, unsurprisingly, Jonah. The four-chapter narrative is tucked into a section of 13 books known as the Minor Prophets. Many people who have never read the Bible know about Jonah and the whale. The story catches the imagination and challenges credulity. Was Jonah a real person or just a made-up character to make a point? Is the book fable or fact? One article I saw bore the title, "A Whale of a Tale."
My approach in this series of meditations is straightforward; I believe the text to be historical and accurate. Jonah, the son of Amittai, was a real person (II Kings 14:25), and Jesus certainly regarded him as such. While the big fish portion of the narrative is fascinating, the overall message is about the wideness of God's mercy and his love for a city of wicked Gentiles. Interestingly, the City of Nineveh is smack in the middle of much of the carnage and brutality we see in the news today.
A companion theme to God's mercy is the recalcitrance of God's prophet, Jonah. Though at times he seems to fall in line with God's loving nature, he quickly succumbs to his own prejudices and bitterness. Because of this, the story of Jonah lacks a happy ending.
As you enter this eBook of meditations you will find that I have focused on one verse at a time. That means 48 individual meditations for either daily devotional use or more rapid reading. The slow-motion approach allows you the luxury of pondering smaller segments over time. Truth received through contemplation is often more revealing, applicable, and lasting.
At the end of these meditations you will find six devotionals that look back over the narrative and explore major themes. This should help you pull together the main truths that are universal and applicable to every age.
