THE UNIVERSALITY OF GOD'S MERCIES: THE BOOK OF JONAH....EPISODE 43!

Welcome to Episode 43. As concluded in the last episode, it is appropriate to say that Abraham was God’s channel through which other humans including Jonah were reached. How? Firstly, the people who came out of Abraham lineage are meant to be custodians of God’s law. Secondly, they are meant to be stewards of the prophecies of the Messiah to come. In particular, the Messiah was being referred to, in (Genesis 22:18a), as the “Seed” or “Offspring.” We should not be surprised that apostle Paul supported this argument in (Galatians 3:16). Let’s read: Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. Importantly, the patriarch—Abraham, should be seen as God’s channel through whom the ancestral link would be connected to Jonah and the coming Messiah, who is Jesus Christ. That through Abraham all the people on earth would receive eternal life— this is in the context of (Genesis 22:18a) stating, “in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” In a nutshell, Jesus in the human form is an offspring of Abraham, but also as the Messiah or Christ according to (Luke 1:30-33). Not only that, Jesus once said, “Before Abraham I am.” Here, it is a universal programme and is not based on Nineveh alone. Let us read Luke 1:30-33 regarding the birth of the Saviour. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Having read the Bible passage, I suggest that through His mercies, God continued with His plan and Isaac was born. We can turn our attention to Isaac the son of Abraham not only as the heir to Abraham, but Isaac had archetypical symbols of Christ. Always remember this, what kept the ancestral line going was the mercy and kindness of God. Of course, Isaac was the promised heir and not the “seed,” as we noted in (Genesis 22:18). Who was the “seed” then? There are two ways to consider the archetypical symbols of Christ in that regard. First, Isaac was an archetype or a model of Christ by being the only son and loved by his father—Abraham, and willing to do his father’s will like Jesus did to His Father. Genuinely, Abraham was ready to offer Isaac to God, as expressed in (Genesis 22:9-13). Secondly, the ram which was caught in a thicket by its horns served as an innocent substitute, its blood was shed, it died and was offered to God as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah. It is worth remembering that Jesus remains the innocent Substitute which God provided for Himself for the redemption of humanity, although He—Jesus was crucified, killed, hanged on the Cross at Calvary, (a vicarious penalty for our sins), but He rose again on the third day, hallelujah! Another crucial statement which must be made relates to Israel being described as a chosen nation. Why was this so? This “chosenness” must be understood from the standpoint of one man through whom God brought out a nation by the patriarch Abraham’s grandson called Jacob who was one of the twin sons of Isaac. To recall, genealogically, the Messiah came out of this lineage. More on this shortly, but suffice to say that God is a Promise-keeper. And because of His covenant, God had to treat the Israelites of the Old Testament differently from the other nations and their people. Were it possible, especially as humans, people wouldn’t hesitate to say God was unfair towards other nations on this earth. However, the all-wise and all-knowing God will not do a thing without a reason. He chose the nation of Israel—a microcosmic group, that is a model, over other nations to be a showpiece for humanity, especially, for emulation in regard to the relationship He intended for Himself ahead of today, so that all peoples on earth can be blessed, (Genesis 12:3). Additionally, God’s intention has been to keep the Israelites as His special treasure above all people, and for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to Him. In return, the Israelites must obey God and keep His commandments, as narrated in (Exodus 19:5-6). Whether God’s intention has been achieved or not, is left for future research. Let’s read the scripture: 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” .