Читать книгу Lessons Learned from Jonah - Robert Snitko - Страница 5

The devotional you hold in your hands is rather unique. For starters, it has a unique author. The first time I met Rob was when he walked into my office as a summer intern after his first year in college. It didn’t take long for me to be impressed by two things—his love of Jesus and his impressive work ethic. Rob’s story and life have been marked by a radical love for Jesus in ways that can only be attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit in him. All the more, in an age where acceptable study methods consist of typing questions into Google, Rob has committed himself to hard work of deep, thoughtful, and labor intensive study of Scripture without shortcuts. That you will find yourself in these lessons is proof of Rob’s ability to understand and communicate well.

I also appreciate this devotional for its unique perspective. Studies in the Minor Prophets have a tendency toward moralism and allegorization. You won’t find that here. With a Spurgeon-esque approach of taking the text straight to the cross, the points of the text are allowed to become pointers to Christ. Why more devotions don’t take this approach is a mystery. After all, this is the approach Jesus himself takes in Matthew’s gospel, as he reinterprets the Jonah prophecy to be ultimately understood through the lens of his own life, death, and resurrection (Matthew 12:38–42). This approach makes these lessons invaluable to the new Christian as well as the seasoned saint.

The combination of a unique author with a unique perspective ultimately yields a work with a unique goal: transformation. These lessons are not designed to leave us where we started. In wrestling with the immediate story of Jonah and the wider story of Redemption, we are forced to consider those areas of our lives that need refinement and progress.

As you read these lessons, I’m sure you will, like me, admire Rob’s pastoral heart, helpful guidance, and ability to demystify the story in a way that speaks to our real lives today.

Dan Jacobsen

Campus Pastor

Bethel Church