0226. Jonah Fleeing From God

Jonah Fleeing From God

"But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord" (Jon_1:3).

1. We have before us the picture of a deserter. A child of God fleeing from a definite call to service. Is not the Church filled with many such men and women? Nice folk, to be sure, but folk with no passion, and with no compassion for the lost. Folk who are wholly neglecting God’s command to go out into the byways and the hedges and bring them in.

He who "knows his Master’s will and doeth it not to him it is sin." There are many Christians who are living good and clean but self-centered lives. They are doing nothing toward winning souls. Such saints are backsliders, running away from God.

2. We might try to fathom the reason for Jonah’s disobedience. Why did he flee?

Perhaps he had no love in his heart for the Ninevites. Perhaps he counted them as the enemies of Israel. Perhaps he feared that his preaching against them, might lead them to repent and that God would hear their cry and spare them, when he, Jonah, did not want them spared.

Perhaps he feared the long trip, or felt he could be of better service nearer home; perhaps he felt the trip a dangerous one, too full of risk to himself. Whatever he thought or feared or felt, he held a controversy with God.

How unlike this controversy, was the prompt obedience of Philip. When the call came to Philip to go toward Gaza, in the road that was desert, immediately he arose and went.

How different was the obedience of Paul. When Paul was called to go far hence to the Gentiles, he obeyed the Heavenly vision.

3. Jonah went down to Joppa. The word means "beautiful." From Joppa he found a ship going to Tarshish, and he paid his fare and went down into the hold of the ship.

This presents to us a pitiful sight, but a sight not at all uncommon in our own day. Jonah lies asleep in the boat, while Nineveh is neglected and left unwarned of her approaching curse.

Many saints today are living in comfort and peace, oblivious to the conditions of the lost. The wicked are rushing on to hell, and the saved are doing nothing to rescue them. God has commissioned them as His ambassadors, to preach salvation, but they are running away, and refusing to lift a helping hand.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR