Jonah was from the northern kingdom, Israel, during the days of Jeroboam II. When the LORD called Jonah to be His prophet to proclaim repentance to the city of Nineveh, Jonah refused and tried to flee by boat from the LORD. When the sailors recognized divine activity against them, Jonah unwittingly preached the truth to them, even if he was not living according to that truth at the moment. Despite Jonah’s attempt to avoid the LORD’s Word, the LORD still accomplishes His will of revealing Himself to these pagan sailors through the storm and its stilling.  

Rev. Sam Beltz, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Oskaloosa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Jonah 1:1-17. 

To learn more about St. John Lutheran, visit stjohnosky.org.

“Majoring in the Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Although the books of these prophets are shorter, the Word of God they preached was important in the years leading up to the coming of the Christ, and that Word remains important for the Church today. Just as we still need to listen to their call to repentance over our idolatry, so we still need to heed their call to trust in the Savior, Jesus. 

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org