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Jonah: A Prophet's Pride and the Relentless Grace of God
The little book of Jonah from the Hebrew Old Testament has often been dismissed as a fairy tale better suited for Sunday school flannelgraphs. And yet, in spite of its diminutive stature, it may very well be one of the most relevant books of the Bible, with one of the most urgent messages, especially for the modern reader. We know Jonah ran from God. But the reasons he ran, the internal struggles that compelled him to refuse extending God's grace to Nineveh, are less clear. As we examine the prophet's heart and the Hebrew culture of the day, a subtext steeped in nationalism and ethnocentric pride becomes painfully visible. And in turn holds a mirror up for the modern Christian and the American Church.Drawing from his experiences in Northern Iraq, from the same plains of Nineveh where the book of Jonah plays out, author Mark Langham gives us new insights into the minor prophet, his life and mission, and how these 48 short verses are a cautionary tale for today's church.With an economy of words and livable, biblical wisdom, Langham shows us what a life imprisoned by pride becomes and what a life enraptured by grace can be.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2018
68 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 5, 2019
Not scholarly enough for my taste, but I liked it a lot anyway. Enjoyed particularly Mark’s discussion of nationalism and how it’s a great evil that plagued Jonah and similarly plagues the modern church, particularly within America. Easy to read and makes some really good points. My points of disagreement were fairly minor, basically only consisting of the desire to view Jonah as literal history (which didn’t play much into Mark’s actual analysis) and the implicit references throughout to penal substitutionary atonement as “the Gospel.”
December 28, 2020
"True patriotism still allows for us the objectivity of pointing out the good, the bad, and the ugly of the nation we love. But the idol of nationalism doesn’t and that is dangerous."
“In any given Christian congregation, there will be people who do not feel empowered by the ways that social, political, and economic structures work in our country–and who may feel vulnerable, forgotten, or violated. What message is communicated to them when Christian “worship” becomes a celebration of a nation–a nation that they experience as not having their interests at heart?”
God is NOT on our side. He is on His side. He will fight for us, when it aligns with His will and to keep His covenant. But He will not be an indiscriminate object of blunt force for us to defeat those we call enemies.
Spiritual pride causes the timbre and temper of our conversation to be condescending if not completely tone deaf. But grace makes us kind, concerned, and always bending toward reconciliation.
Johnathan Edwards spells them [the symptoms of pride] out clearly in his essay on Undetected Spiritual Pride. They are: fault-finding, a harsh spirit, pretension, being easily offended, presumption, hunger for attention, and the neglect of others.
Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col. 1:15-20)
Paul tells us in this passage from Colossians that grace is actually the person of Christ. That “all things were created through him” and that “in Him all things hold together.” And this is why His pronouncement on the cross “it is finished” [51] holds such weight, such rest for anyone who puts their trust in Him, because He alone has the authority to proclaim it. He did all the work, and in turn applies it to our account. He paid the eternal price, and the death sentence for our sins is commuted. That is the good news, the wonderful, incomprehensible, mind-blowing, earth-shattering, good news. This one thought should wake us every morning with a smile on our face, and tuck us peacefully in to bed each night.
“In any given Christian congregation, there will be people who do not feel empowered by the ways that social, political, and economic structures work in our country–and who may feel vulnerable, forgotten, or violated. What message is communicated to them when Christian “worship” becomes a celebration of a nation–a nation that they experience as not having their interests at heart?”
God is NOT on our side. He is on His side. He will fight for us, when it aligns with His will and to keep His covenant. But He will not be an indiscriminate object of blunt force for us to defeat those we call enemies.
Spiritual pride causes the timbre and temper of our conversation to be condescending if not completely tone deaf. But grace makes us kind, concerned, and always bending toward reconciliation.
Johnathan Edwards spells them [the symptoms of pride] out clearly in his essay on Undetected Spiritual Pride. They are: fault-finding, a harsh spirit, pretension, being easily offended, presumption, hunger for attention, and the neglect of others.
Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col. 1:15-20)
Paul tells us in this passage from Colossians that grace is actually the person of Christ. That “all things were created through him” and that “in Him all things hold together.” And this is why His pronouncement on the cross “it is finished” [51] holds such weight, such rest for anyone who puts their trust in Him, because He alone has the authority to proclaim it. He did all the work, and in turn applies it to our account. He paid the eternal price, and the death sentence for our sins is commuted. That is the good news, the wonderful, incomprehensible, mind-blowing, earth-shattering, good news. This one thought should wake us every morning with a smile on our face, and tuck us peacefully in to bed each night.
October 25, 2024
Thank the Lord for His Life-Changing Grace
Mark Langham walked in the footsteps of the Prophet Jonah. The best portions of this book recount his time working as a relief worker in a trauma hospital in Mosul (modern-day Iraq). Throughout his story, he weaves Jonah's story which is really a story of God's grace. As a former U.S. Army Chaplain who also served in Mosul, I found Langham's story to be very personal. As a sinner saved by God's grace, I found Jonah's story to be even more personal.
Mark Langham walked in the footsteps of the Prophet Jonah. The best portions of this book recount his time working as a relief worker in a trauma hospital in Mosul (modern-day Iraq). Throughout his story, he weaves Jonah's story which is really a story of God's grace. As a former U.S. Army Chaplain who also served in Mosul, I found Langham's story to be very personal. As a sinner saved by God's grace, I found Jonah's story to be even more personal.
June 1, 2020
Justice or grace!?
Mark very clearly points out that Jonah wanted justice for the evil Ninevites! Just what everyone wants for evil people. But we long for forgiveness and grace for us and our friends and loved ones. Not our enemies. Great book to see who we are inside.
Mark very clearly points out that Jonah wanted justice for the evil Ninevites! Just what everyone wants for evil people. But we long for forgiveness and grace for us and our friends and loved ones. Not our enemies. Great book to see who we are inside.
November 9, 2020
Unique
Well written book, continues to gather pace. Very timely and thought provoking. Sections on personal reflection or group study at the end of each chapter would have been ideal.
Well written book, continues to gather pace. Very timely and thought provoking. Sections on personal reflection or group study at the end of each chapter would have been ideal.
May 8, 2023
Rediscover Grace through Jonah
Jonah is more than just the guy who got swallowed by a fish, he was angry with God and through him we can learn about God's grace and how pride drives us away from God. A really good read and food for the soul.
Jonah is more than just the guy who got swallowed by a fish, he was angry with God and through him we can learn about God's grace and how pride drives us away from God. A really good read and food for the soul.
July 10, 2025
I loved this book. It is a wonderful study, and it would be awesome for a group study or individual. I want to get an actual book copy of this, so I can make notes & highlight passages. I did learn from this, but I know it would be even more beneficial to use as an in=depth study.
January 4, 2022
Excellent book
Excellent book 📚 really enjoyed it, it deals with very important issues concerning doctrine and how the church usually find it's self entangled with worldly things
Excellent book 📚 really enjoyed it, it deals with very important issues concerning doctrine and how the church usually find it's self entangled with worldly things
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews