God’s Heart for Mission in the OT Page | 16
Dr. Don Fanning ICST 420 Theology of Missions
being sent by God to cross geographical, religious and social frontiers in order to win others to
faith in Yahweh" (Bosch, 1991, p. 17). It would take major persecution, a dynamic conversion
and special revelations to transform the Pharisaical rabbi, Saul of Tarsus, into the first Jewish
global missionary in the history of God’s dealings with mankind.
For many years it has been customary to argue that the Old Testament views mission
centripetally - the nations coming towards Israel - whereas the New Testament understanding of
mission is centrifugal - from the center, Israel or the Church, missionaries move outward, into
the world. It is undoubtedly true that the Old Testament views mission predominantly in
centripetal categories. This is however not exclusively so. “The metaphor of light in Isaiah
42:6, 49:6, and elsewhere, is particularly appropriate to give expression to both a centripetal and
a centrifugal movement. A light shinning in the darkness draws, people towards it, centripetally,
yet at the same time it goes outward, crossing frontiers, allowing, in the words of Isaiah 49:6,
God's salvation to reach ‘to earth's farthest bounds’” (Bosch, 2000, p. 60).
Olson uses the expressions “Come and See” as the general OT methodology, and “Go and
Tell” as the NT Church mandate (Olson 2003: 32).
Ralph Winters describes the four-fold techniques that were used through this period. “The
four different "mission mechanisms" at work to bless other peoples: 1) going voluntarily, 2)
involuntarily going without missionary intent, 3) coming voluntarily, and 4) coming
involuntarily (as with Gentiles forcibly settled in Israel - 2 Kings 17)” (Winters, 2000, p. 197).
Though there are very few examples of the voluntary obedience of His people, most of the
spreading of God’s message was through involuntary means, such as Joseph in Egypt, Jonah in
Assyria and the nation as a whole when they were sent throughout the world in the Captivity of
Assyria and Babylon. The Queen of Sheba came voluntarily to seek out the source of Solomon’s
unusual wisdom.
Jonah$
However reluctant the protagonist, the story of Jonah is also important for catching a
glimpse into the deep resistance this mandate encountered from Israel whom God has chosen to
discharge his worldwide work. There was no question about the revealed will of God for Jonah.
He was never a willing servant. For whatever reason(s) Jonah refused to be as compassionate as
he knew God would be concerning Assyria. He knew God was a caring and forgiving God who
loved all the nations, but Jonah refused to be like God.
The prophecy of Jonah is a foreign missionary book, designed to show that Yahweh is the
God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. Glover wrote of the purpose of Jonah being written:
“As a reproof to Israel in the picture it presents of a great heathen city heeding God’s call to
repentance in contrast to Israel, favored and blessed of God above other nations, turning a deaf
car and hardening its heart against Him. The story is also a fine illustration of God’s tender
concern for the heathen and His patience in dealing with them. Incidentally it furnishes an
instance of a runaway missionary, whose bad example, it is to be feared, has been followed by all
too many in modern times. And yet it is to be noted that Jonah finally came in line and became
an obedient and successful missionary” (Glover, 1936, p. 108).
Jonah’s crafty evasion efforts, represent a lazy and unfaithful Israel (as well as the Church)
which does not heed its Lord's command. God even worked through a reluctant, half-hearted,
indifferent, and particially obedient servant. Enough of God’s Word was proclaimed to produce
faith and repentance in Assyria. Johannes Verkuyl wrote concerning Jonah’s representation of
Israel how “God has to wrestle against Israel's narrow ethnocentrism which tries to restrict his