Running From God
Jonah 1:1-17
The story of Jonah is one of the great literary masterpieces of the Old Testament. It begins with Jonah, the revered prophet of God, called by God, directed by God, hearing from God--and then running from God, "fleeing from the presence of the Lord."
The temptation for readers today is to stand at a distance from the prophet, to respond with surprise, even incredulity, at his blatant rebellion. Surely if we had heard a word from the Lord as clearly as Jonah did we would listen! We would obey! Wouldn't we? The story of Jonah gives us reason to pause and wonder.
The Lord was calling Jonah to go to Nineveh, the land of Israel's enemies, and give them an opportunity to repent and be saved from God’s just judgment. Nineveh (of Assyria) is described in 1:2 as a place of “wickedness.” And, in fact, soon they would become the oppressors of Israel.
How could God ask Jonah to help save the nation that would soon overtake and destroy them? God's call on Jonah's life is indeed perplexing and unsettling. Imagine God asking you to do good to a sworn enemy. What would you do?
As it turns out, if we're honest with ourselves, we aren't all that different from Jonah. We, too, are those who, when given a hard word from the Lord, an uncomfortable word, a challenging or inconvenient word, we too "flee the presence of the Lord." Even simple things that the Lord asks of us we can have a difficult time doing. Even when we know God’s will for our lives we can resist and go the other way.
Questions:
1. Jonah heard the word of the Lord and ran from the Lord. Describe a time in your life when you were clear about something God was asking you to do (or not to do), but you chose instead to go your own way, "fleeing the presence of the Lord."
2. A. What are some of the reasons why we choose to go our own way, despite knowing that God has called us to go His way? B. What does our rebellion reveal about our faith, our commitment, or our desires?
3. When Jonah fled from the Lord, we’re told that the Lord “hurled a great wind on the sea” which “threatened to break up” the ship. Why does the Lord send this storm Jonah’s way?
4. How does the Lord use storms in our lives? What do such storms, “hurled” by the Lord, reveal about God and God’s priorities?
5. Is God just in sending such storms for Jonah to endure? Is this fair to Jonah? Is this loving of God to do? Why or why not?
6. Jesus says that the story of Jonah is ultimately fulfilled in him. Read Matt 12:38-41. How is Jonah’s story a “sign” that points to Jesus?
