📣Running Away from God 📖Jonah 1:1-3 [1] Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” [3] But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. Let us begin our study of the book of Jonah: ❗1. The author Jonah is the author of the book. But unlike secular authors who highlight their successes in their books, Jonah began with a humble introduction. He didn't flatter himself in the book. The book is also not about Jonah's faithful obedience to God. Rather, it is about his disobedience and failure as a prophet of God. Now, imagine if God wants you to write a book, but the book is all about your shameful mistakes, will you ever write such kind of book? In spite of this, Jonah was very open about how he felt when he disobeyed God. He had nothing to hide. He shared his story so that Israel will change their attitude toward the Gentiles, which we will see later on. For now, suffice it to say that God used Jonah's mistakes as a lesson to guide us. ❗2. The book The book of Jonah contains many miraculous events, hence, doubted by the skeptics. Miracles include the storm, the selection of Jonah by lot, the subsiding of the sea when Jonah was thrown out of the ship, the preservation of Jonah inside the great fish, the gourd, the worm, and the repentance of the entire city of Nineveh. While unbelievers say that these events are fiction, we believe that all miracles recorded in the Bible are simple for God to perform. If God cannot perform a single miracle, no one would believe his almighty power. 📖Jeremiah 32:17 [17] ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. ❗3. The name Jonah means dove. But in his story, he didn't have the heart of a dove. His heart is hardened toward the Gentile nations. This is why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh, a Gentile city. We know so little about him. Based on the record, he was a prophet from Gath-heper, serving under king Jeroboam II. 📖2 Kings 14:25 [25] He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. ❗4. The setting During the time of Jeroboam II, Israel lived under a period of peace and prosperity because there were no foreign threats. Due to their success in military, the neighbouring nations didn't dare to challenge them. This resulted to their nationalistic pride that blinded them from God's purpose for them. They forgot that they have to be the channel of blessings for the Gentiles. That is, they have to carry God's words to the Gentile nations. 📖Genesis 12:3 [3] I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ❗5. The mission Jonah didn't go to Nineveh because he didn't understand what he should do. God's instruction is clear. 📖Jonah 1:2 [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” Jonah's mission is quite unique among all prophets. Never before had God sent a prophet to a Gentile nation. And never before God had a prophet who refused his commission. Instead of going to Nineveh, he went to the opposite direction. 📖Jonah 1:3 [3] But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. Did Jonah know that there is consequence to disobeying God? Did he know that no one can hide from his presence? As a prophet, he absolutely knows. We cannot really blame him, for there are also times when we know what the scriptures say but still chose to sin. ❗Conclusion: While Jonah was running away, God interrupted his plan by sending a great fish. The lesson we can learn from this is that sometimes, God will destroy our plan if it isn't good for us. Sometimes, we question God's love when our plan is ruined. Especially if we have already made efforts and prepared long enough for the plan to work. But when God sees that our plan is not good for us, he will destroy it. He always has a better plan for us, and his plan is best. follow me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18gzbPnL1M/