Runaway – Part 1 – Running from God
Please open up your Bibles to Jonah 1 – we will be walking through the whole chapter today!
Jonah is a story about overcoming prejudice and bitterness and embracing God’s heart to redeem and rescue people and to go wherever he calls us.
The task:
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai: ‘Arise, go to Nineveh , that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’ (Jonah 1:1-2)
The prophet runs from God’s Presence:
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. (Jonah 1:3)
Jonah here was not only saying he disagreed with God’s plan – he disagreed with God –
And so he runs from God – the text continues
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” (Jonah 1:4-6)
- We see that God doesn’t allow Jonah to sit in rebellion for long. God chases after him in the midst of the storm.
“Where shall I run from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7-10).
- Jonah may have run from God – but God didn’t run from Jonah
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)
They cast lots and it lands on Jonah – he draws the short stick. And all the sailors begin to barrage with questions 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
- They just start asking Jonah all these questions all these questions about himself – Jonah replies
9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:9-11)
Jonah admits to everything that he had been running from – his calling – God’s presence – his relationship with the Lord –
Well the sailors don’t want to throw Jonah overboard.
- 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. (Jonah 1:12-16)
even though Jonah really had messed things up here – even though he runs a thousand miles in the wrong direction God still uses him.
- When the sailors throw Jonah overboard – we see that the storm silences – and all these sailors who have never met God before – these are not Jewish people – these are pagans – they see how powerful God is and it says they make vows and sacrifices to him – meaning they begin to worship God – they became believers!
- Now that wasn’t Jonah’s intention – He didn’t sail that way intending on being a witness –
But through the situation – even Jonah’s mistakes – God’s glory and power rang through and impacted the people around Jonah.