Jonah fled because of personal hatred against those who had been sent.
Jonah knew God.
Jonah knew the Ninevites.
He knew that if the people of Nineveh heard the message and repent, God would forgive them and save from destruction.
However, he wanted them all go to hell! "-No, no, a thousand times no! Go to hell because it is what they deserve!" These were the thoughts of Jonah.
Later, after God persuade him to go (actually, grudgingly), Jonah ends up sulking and asking God to let him die. His personal feelings were trying to interfere with God's way of acting. Apparently, Jonah did not understand, but in the eyes of God he was not better or more just than those whom he hated.
Jonah knew God.
Jonah knew the Ninevites.
He knew that if the people of Nineveh heard the message and repent, God would forgive them and save from destruction.
However, he wanted them all go to hell! "-No, no, a thousand times no! Go to hell because it is what they deserve!" These were the thoughts of Jonah.
Later, after God persuade him to go (actually, grudgingly), Jonah ends up sulking and asking God to let him die. His personal feelings were trying to interfere with God's way of acting. Apparently, Jonah did not understand, but in the eyes of God he was not better or more just than those whom he hated.
I fear that today, many Christians have the same false assumption.
Jonah is determined to escape the order of God, but God is infinitely more determined to make him obey.
Disputing who has the strongest will to God is not a fair competition!
Jonah could have been stopped at any point in his journey to Joppa, but God allowed him to buy the ticket and embark on Phoenician ship going to Tarshish. Exhausted from walking, Jonah enters the hold of the ship and falls asleep. While he is sleeping, God prepares a great storm at sea - in fact so great a storm that the sailors begin to pray for each of their gods. They are terrified and the captain wakes up Jonah and asks him to pray to his God! The crew begins to cast his lot (we would say today, "sticks out") to determine because of who came all the evil. Jonas is identified as the culprit, and they wonder to know why all this trouble.
Jonah is determined to escape the order of God, but God is infinitely more determined to make him obey.
Disputing who has the strongest will to God is not a fair competition!
Jonah could have been stopped at any point in his journey to Joppa, but God allowed him to buy the ticket and embark on Phoenician ship going to Tarshish. Exhausted from walking, Jonah enters the hold of the ship and falls asleep. While he is sleeping, God prepares a great storm at sea - in fact so great a storm that the sailors begin to pray for each of their gods. They are terrified and the captain wakes up Jonah and asks him to pray to his God! The crew begins to cast his lot (we would say today, "sticks out") to determine because of who came all the evil. Jonas is identified as the culprit, and they wonder to know why all this trouble.
To meditate:
Jonah´s book teaches us:
- salvation is for all men. God wants every men saved (I Timothy 2:4),
- what matters is God´s will to be fulfilled, not ours (Luke 22:15),
- reminds us that to obey is better (easier) than to sacrifice. (I Samuel 15:22)
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