How is the ancient story of Jonah the prophet a microcosm of the human story in the 21st century? How does the prophet’s rebellious spirit and his resulting circumstances demonstrate the surprising and unstoppable grace of God?
Bible Gateway interviewed Anthony Carter (@eastpc) about his book, Running from Mercy: Jonah and the Surprising Story of God’s Unstoppable Grace (B&H Books, 2018).
Briefly describe the story found in the book of Jonah.
Anthony Carter: The story of Jonah is the story of God. It’s the story of God’s desire to use sinners in sharing the message that God saves sinners.
Jonah was a prophet called upon by God to go preach the message of salvation to those whom Jonah had determined did not deserve the mercy of God. Jonah refuses to go but soon discovers that God’s will does not get compromised by the will of men. Jonah suddenly finds himself in the middle of a storm—both naturally and spiritually. From the depths of the storm, he’s thrown into the depths of the sea; Jonah finds himself running from God, but he can’t outrun God. God finally gets Jonah’s attention, and Jonah repents of his sin while in the belly of a fish. The greatness of God’s mercy is seen in that God commissions Jonah a second time. And this time, Jonah preaches to the people of Nineveh. They repent and are the recipients of the mercy and grace of God as well. Jonah is frustrated at their repentance because he believes God’s mercy is too wide. Yet, God reminds Jonah that the mercy that was wide enough for him is also wide for all who call upon his name.
By Craig Groeschel
By Bryan Loritts
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The Believer’s Bible Commentary, Newest Addition to Bible Gateway Plus
There’s a brand-new title in the Bible Gateway Plus library—the Believer’s Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson). This commentary tackles difficult passages head-on using a balanced approach. It offers a concise, yet thorough set of passage notes that cover every verse of the Bible, which you can open in Bible Gateway right alongside the passages you’re reading (see how Bible Gateway Plus works here).
Unlike other commentaries in the Bible Gateway Plus study library sidebar, the Believer’s Bible Commentary illuminates the meaning of Bible passages by bolding key words and phrases to make it easier to focus on the ways in which God moves through the text. Whereas other commentaries are exceptionally thorough—sometimes overwhelmingly so—Believer’s treats each verse to a comparatively shorter note that concisely explains one or two important points.
I’ve found this particularly helpful when reading poetic and wisdom books like Psalms and Proverbs. In the case of these books, too, the Believer’s Bible Commentary actually has more notes to offer than longer commentaries, such as the well-known Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Zondervan).
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