Podcast 61, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Jonah, Ch 4 b”

Isn’t the true story of the Book of Jonah that God is creator of all things, that God created the twelve tribes of Israel, that God created the Assyrians, and that God created all the children of the earth, and that he loves them all; Furthermore, that God is no respecter of persons. Consider the following scripture.

Deuteronomy 10:17

For the LORD your God is God of gods… a great God… which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.

2 Chronicles 19:7

…for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

Job 34:19

How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor…

Acts 10:34

Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.

Romans 2:11

For there is no respect of persons with God.

So there would be food, God also created all plants and their fruit.

Genesis 1:29-31

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The story of Jonah is the story of all mankind. Jonah was an elitist. Being of the chosen race, he undoubtedly felt superior to the Assyrians and to all others who were not of the seed of Abraham. We are all somewhat narrow in our vision. It is the common lot of all mankind to feel superior over someone: educated vs uneducated, rich vs poor, famous vs the ordinary, powerful vs the weak, people of authority vs the workers. People will find something to elevate themselves above others.

Appeal to authority is one of the most dangerous fallacies among many other fallacies of reasoning. No matter how silly or illogical or even nonsensical the criteria, People will always find something to elevate themselves above others. That is the natural man vs the spiritual man.

In the Book of Jonah, God tries to expand our perspective. In his sight we are all equal. We are all children of God, and God is no respecter of persons.

That same lesson had to be taught to the early Christian church. After the Lord’s resurrection and ascension into heaven, Peter, the chief apostle, received the following vision.

Acts 10:9-16

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Peter did not readily understand the vision for it was a foreign concept. As with Jonah, rather than teaching him through words, the Lord taught Peter by example.