Go, for the Blessing of the Nations (Genesis 12:1-3)

“The love and power of God must address not only the sin of individuals but also the strife and striving of nations; not only the need of human beings but also the suffering of animals and the curse of the ground…What can God do next? Something that only God could have thought of. He sees an elderly, childless couple in the land of Babel and decides to make them the fountainhead, the launch pad of his whole cosmic redemption. We can almost hear the sharp intake of breath among the heavenly hosts when the astonishing plan is revealed.”

—Christopher Wright, The Mission of God

Setting the Stage (Jonah 1:1-3)

“At odds with God, Jonah typifies those who see the divine attributes of justice and mercy as functioning for their own convenience; mercy for themselves, but justice for their enemies. Fortunately, however, these attributes are not directed by human motives or desires. As the book of Jonah makes plainly obvious, God is sovereign, his justice is totally impartial, and his mercy may extend to anyone.”

—Desmond Alexander