1. Adult Bible Study Guide Apr May Jun 2013 Adult Bible Study Guide Apr May Jun 2013 powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com

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3. Zdravko Stefanovic Principal Contributor “Seek the Lord and Live!” Major Lessons From Minor Prophets

4. “Seek the Lord and Live” Contents 1 Spiritual Adultery Hosea 2 Love and Judgment: God’s Dilemma Hosea 3 A Holy and Just GodJoel 4 Lord of All Nations Amos 5 Seek the Lord and Live! Amos 6 Eager to ForgiveJonah 7 God’s Special People Micah 8 Trusting God’s Goodness Habakkuk 9 The Day of the Lord Zephaniah 10 First Things First! Haggai 11 Vision of Hope Zechariah 12 Heaven’s Best Gift Zechariah 13 Lest We Forget! Malachi

5. “Seek the Lord and Live” Our Goal {169} IT’S PRESENT TRUTH — God’s message to us today just as it was a message to those who lived in the time of these twelve writers who, though long gone, still speak. The question is, will we listen?

6. “Seek the Lord and Live” Lesson 6, May 11 “Seek the Lord and Live” Lesson 6, May 11 Eager to Forgive (Jonah)

7. Key Text Jonah 2:9 NIV “ ‘BUT I, WITH a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”

8. Eager to Forgive (Jonah) Initial Words {231} J ONAH HAD BEEN sent by God to warn Nineveh of coming destruction. He suspected that these non-Hebrew people might repent of their sins and that God would forgive them. The story shows how God patiently was teaching His narrow and stubborn prophet what grace, mercy, and forgiveness are all about.

9. Eager to Forgive (Jonah) Quick Look 1. Forgiving a Pagan People (Jonah 1:1, 2) 2. Forgiving a Pig-headed Prophet (Jonah 2:1, 2) 3. Forgiven, Yet Unforgiving (Jonah 4:2, 3)

10. Eager to Forgive (Jonah) 1. Forgiving a Pagan People Jonah 1:1, 2 NKJV “NOW THE WORD of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come before Me.’ ”

11. 1. Forgiving a Pagan People The Disobedient Prophet {232} NINEVEH WAS HISTORICALLY one of the three great cities of Assyria, an important country situated by the Tigris river. Assyrian cruelty was notorious. Nahum called Nineveh a “bloody city…full of lies and robbery” (Nahum 3:1).

12. The Disobedient Prophet Reasons for Disobedience {232} 1. Did not want to do God’s will. 2. Does not know Him personally. 3. Reject even the idea of God and His Word. 4. In order to not feel guilty about the way in which they live. 5. Does not want to do what goes against their inherently selfish and sinful nature.

13. 1. Forgiving a Pagan People Reluctant Witness {233} The Lord wants to halt Jonah’s escape, so He stirs up such a severe storm that it threatens to wreck the ship. The seamen feel that someone must have provoked the anger of the gods. They cast lots and it falls on Jonah, who now confesses his sins and urges the seamen to throw him into the sea.

14. 1. Forgiving a Pagan People Reluctant Witness {233} Although the non-Hebrew seamen worship many gods, they show a great respect for the Lord to whom they pray. They are also tender- hearted toward the Lord’s servant, so they try to row back to the land. Finally, they agree with Jonah. The storm stops and the seamen sacrifice to the Lord and praise Him.

15. 1. Forgiving a Pagan People Reluctant Witness {233} Jonah’s confession of faith in God as Creator underscores the futility of his attempts to escape from God’s presence. The immediate cessation of the storm shows the seamen that the Lord, as Creator, has control of the sea. They worship the Lord all the more. They learn something about Him from this experience.

16. Eager to Forgive (Jonah) 2. Forgiving a Pig-headed Prophet Jonah 2:1, 2 NKJV “THEN JONAH PRAYED to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And He said: ‘I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and he answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.’ ”

17. 2. Forgiving a Pig-headed Prophet Jonah’s Psalm {234} JONAH MUST HAVE thought that death indeed was going to be the only way to escape the mission to Nineveh. But the big fish was an instrument of salvation for the prophet. Unlike Jonah, this creature responded promptly and obediently to God’s commands.

18. 2. Forgiving a Pig-headed Prophet Jonah’s Psalm {234} Jonah’s psalm celebrates God’s deliverance. He was grateful that, though he deserved to die, God had shown him extraordinary mercy. Jonah still considered himself loyal to God because he had not succumbed to idol worship. He now determined to try to be faithful to his calling.

19. The picture of a strong Assyrian monarch humbling himself in ashes before God is a sharp rebuke to many of Israel’s proud rulers and people. Because of the book of Jonah’s emphasis on God’s grace and forgiveness, the Jewish people read it every year at the climactic point of the Day of Atonement. 2. Forgiving a Pig-headed Prophet A Successful Mission {235}

20. Eager to Forgive (Jonah) 3. Forgiven, Yet Unforgiving Jonah 4:1-3 NKJV “BUT IT DISPLEASED Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed…, ‘Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!’ ”

21. 3. Forgiven, Yet Unforgiving Mistaken Priority {236} JONAH WAS A prophet of rebellious spirit and mistaken priorities. He could not control his desire for vengeance. He was small-minded and ill-tempered. Instead of rejoicing in the grace that God also showed to the Ninevites, Jonah allowed his selfish and sinful pride to make him resentful.

22. 3. Forgiven, Yet Unforgiving Mistaken Priority {236} Jonah’s last word is a wish for death while God’s last word is an affirmation of His immeasurable grace, an affirmation for life. Jonah’s book is left open-ended. Did the miraculous change of hearts in Nineveh eventually result in a radical change of Jonah’s heart?

23. Eager to Forgive (Jonah) Final Words {237} “WHENEVER THEY ARE in need the children of God have the precious privilege of appealing to Him for help. It matters not how unsuitable the place may be, God’s ear of mercy is open to their cry. … It can be turned into a veritable temple by the praying child of God.” —EGW The SDA Bible Commentary 4:1003.