Audio links:
2011 May 29 2011 June 5 2011 June 12
2011 June 26 2011 July 3 2011 July 10
In the 8th century BC the ancient Near Eastern world was ravaged and dominated by a savage imperialistic superpower: Assyria, with the city of Nineveh as its capital. Nineveh was an ancient city with a harsh and bloody past: the name of its first king (Nimrud) sounds in the old language like “we shall rebel!” Nineveh was a culturally and technologically advanced society for its time — but also full of the darkness and corruption that happens in humans when we’re not close to God. Nineveh’s national gods were gods of wealth, power, nature, sex, war. These gods represented what the people valued the most. There was no consideration of the value of human life, and no concern for making life better.
The Jonah document is a story of God’s heart: He truly hates the terrible things people do to themselves and to each other, and He will intervene to stop it. But His heart is also very generous and kind. If there is any hope for people, He will find a way to help!
It tells the story of Jonah, a man from a small country that had been brutalized by Assyria — how he hated the Assyrians, and wanted God to destroy them. But something happened to Jonah, even though his feelings about Nineveh didn’t change. In one of the strangest twists ever, he became the very one to show the Assyrians the road of hope! “This ain’t yo’ momma’s prayer-walk we’re doing here.” It’s a crazy story, a true story of hope for people who were very, very far from the way. You may even get to live this story in your own life, in your own world! Enjoy the audio!
