Can you run from God?

Today my message is ‘Can You run from God?’

We are looking at the book of Jonah today. This is one of my favorite stories of God reaching out to give direction and grace to one who has turned away from God’s leading. I relate to this story because I did the same thing as a young Christian and God used a miracle to redirect me back to a relationship with Him.

Let us now read the story of Jonah! Please open your Bibles to Jonah, just the 8th small book before Matthew. Open your Bible to middle, then split right side in half and you are close. Jonah is right after Obadiah and just before Micah.

In the Bibles in front of you, it is on page 654.

Read Jonah!

What an awesome story! So, who is Jonah and why Nineveh?

Lawrence O. Richards, in “The Bible Reader’s Companion” tells us:

“The book’s author is identified as Jonah the son of Amittai, who is also mentioned in 1 Kings 14. This enables us to set a date for Jonah in the mid-eighth century B.C., perhaps around 760 B.C. This is the only one of the later prophets that adopts a completely narrative style.” ¹

Earlier in his book, Richards shared:

“Jonah might well be called the Old Testament’s ‘patriotic prophet.’ A resident of Israel, his was the happy task of predicting the military successes won by Jeroboam 2, and the almost unprecedented prosperity of his era.” (2 Kings 14:25). ²

Henry H. Halley, in “Halley’s Bible Handbook states:

Nineveh was capital of the Assyrian Empire, a World-Empire from 900-607 B.C… Jonah was called of God to prolong the life of the enemy nation which was already in the process of exterminating his own nation. ³

Richards gives us thoughts as to the lessons God is teaching in this story.

Despite the simplicity of the familiar story, it is one of the richest of the Old Testament books in terms of teaching pointed spiritual lessons.

God is shown to be deeply concerned with the welfare of people of every nation, not just of Israel.

God is also shown to be gracious in dealing with His prophet. Even though Jonah was knowingly and willfully disobedient, God gave this patriotic prophet a second chance.

The significance of Jonah is that God’s grace toward Nineveh served as a vivid object lesson for Israel, His own people. If Israel would repent, she too could be saved. ⁴

E.M. Blaiklock, in “Today’s Handbook of Bible Characters” tells us:

God had not given Jonah up. He had called for mercy and he had obeyed. God meets man where man will meet Him, if he meets Him at God’s call. He took Jonah, and in an object lesson He taught him tenderness and the worth in God’s eyes of all the fragile life of His creation.

Earlier in his book, Blaiklock made this statement:

God’s hand was upon him and those on whom His hand is laid can find no rest or peace until they find their rest in Him. ⁶

Even Jesus talks about Jonah’s story!

Matthew 12:38-41 NIV

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible gives us this view:

The central point of this riveting little story is that salvation is ultimately for the whole world. Israel’s special calling is not simply for their own sake, but to be a ‘light to the nations’. ⁷

Henry H. Halley, in “Halley’s Bible Handbook sums this story up:

“So, all in all, the Story of Jonah is a grand historical picture of the Messiah’s Resurrection and Mission to All Nations.” ⁸

This story of Jonah always jogs me to remember what God did in my life as a new Christian who turned away from God to go back to my old self’s lifestyle.

(Then tell my story of running away to Mackenzie, God using an avalanche to bring young people to find me, the jolt back to God’s reality, the weeks of searching God’s presence and direction, the road back and future from then on.)

Max Lucado, in “The Inspirational Study Bible”, gives us this application: Did you ever try to run away from your shadow as a child? You can’t run from God either. When God tells you to go somewhere, listen and follow. Where is God sending you to tell others about Him – to your family, next door, your co-workers? Will you run from God’s call? ⁹

Think about when God gave you direction and how that changed your life. What an awesome time for you. For any of you who have not made the decision to allow God to lead in your life, I encourage you to consider it – you will not be disappointed!

Talk to me or any of these other believers here today about how to do that.

Let’s pray!