May 28
A study in separation - Jonah, part 1
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah… “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” Jonah 1:1-2 (NKJV)
The book that bears Jonah’s name wastes no time. Right from the start, it tells us that God commanded this man to go to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh and warn them that their wickedness was about to be punished.
That’s about as straightforward as it gets, and for Jonah there was no question what God’s will for his life was. Was Jonah obedient to it? Not only did he not go to Nineveh, but he went in the opposite direction:
But Jonah arose 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 from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:3 NKJV)
Just to put this in perspective, when you account for the distances, this is like a person in Detroit—who is supposed to go to Washington D.C.—going to San Francisco instead! It’s as far from where Jonah is supposed to be as possible. In no uncertain terms, Jonah is telling God, “Not thy will, but my will be done.”
And as so many of us try to do when we sense a collision between our will and God’s will, Jonah tries to escape His presence. “Maybe if I run far enough, turn up the volume loud enough, or close my heart tight enough, the Lord will forget about me and leave me alone!”
Alone was what Jonah wanted, and alone was what God was going to give him…although in a much different way and for a much different purpose than the reluctant prophet expected.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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