“Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, / Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. / But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. / But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”
Jonah 1: 1-4
“So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. / Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. / Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Jonah 1: 15-17
Have you ever played a game of hide-and-seek? It’s a game my daughter loves playing, but she’s now taken up a new habit since she has learned how to play. Keep in mind, she is two-years-old. When she needs to use the bathroom, sometimes she is too busy playing. So instead of going to the potty, she goes and hides. If she wants to tear up tissue paper, she goes and hides. This shows me that she knows that she isn’t supposed to do something because I’ve told her and taught her not to. Basically, she is running away from me and trying to hide.
Running from God
Jonah tried to do something very similar with God. In Jonah 1:2, God commanded Jonah to “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.” God instructed Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh. Keep in mind, the people of Nineveh were viewed to be very cruel and evil during this time. Because of this, of course Jonah didn’t want to go. I’m sure he was even a little afraid! Who wouldn’t be? Instead of doing what God asked, Jonah “rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3).
Many have harsh views about Jonah and can’t believe he wouldn’t just do whatever the Lord said. However, I see myself in Jonah. How many times has the Lord asked me to do something, and instead of just doing it, I find myself running from Him? How many people has the Lord asked me to witness to and I wouldn’t because they seemed so evil? I’ve even tried to hide from His presence a few times, just like my two-year-old daughter and just like Jonah. The funny thing is none of us can hide from God.
But the Lord…
Notice also, when Jonah fled the presence of the Lord, it says Jonah “went down.” We see this phrase three times in that chapter. When I try to run from God, I am no different than Jonah. I quickly find myself going down to a low place also. I’ll pay whatever fare is necessary to get away from God’s will because I don’t want to be uncomfortable. It’s always about me and what I want when I get this way. Hence, I imagine Jonah was in the same boat.
However, in verse 4, it starts the verse by saying “But the Lord…” I’m thankful that even when I try to run from God and hide, there’s always a ‘but’ in there. God doesn’t give up on me, and He didn’t give up on Jonah. God loved Jonah and the people of Nineveh so much that He sent a storm to blow Jonah off course. When Jonah still tried to run from God’s plan, God sent a big fish in verse 17.
Thank You for The Fish & God’s Mercy
In hindsight, that fish seems like an awful answer to running. But to me, I see the grace of God in that fish. By God’s mercy and grace, He didn’t let Jonah go his own way. God used that fish to show Jonah where he truly needed to be, and God’s will for him was in Nineveh.
What kind of fish has God used to swallow you and save you from your own will? Be thankful for God’s love for you and the many fish He has sent your way to save you from yourself. It may not always seem like it at first, but He knows what’s best. So for that, I say ‘God, thank you for the fish!’
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