1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3But 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. 4But 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).
Jonah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom (Israel) during the reign of Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:22-25). Nineveh was an important Assyrian city (2 Kings 19:36). So Jonah probably assumed he would not be very ‘welcomed’ in Nineveh, especially since he was going to be telling them that they were angering God. Jonah ‘bailed’ on his assignment. God would not be ‘bailed’ on. The result: God=1, Jonah =0.
In the book of Jonah, several qualities or abilities of the Creator are revealed. These qualities or abilities include the control of the physical world according to His choosing, and the choosing of individuals for specific tasks as a sovereign action on His part. In short, the Creator chooses, and if He chooses, no amount of resistance will change the outcome. We can all learn from Jonah. Resisting the Creator’s calling is not in our best interest. This does not mean that God is capricious; it does mean that He is sovereign over all creation. Remember too that in the end Jonah preached to the Ninevites, and they repented and turned towards God (Jonah 3:1-10). This was God’s plan all along. God has plan for you, for your good and His glory. When God calls you, hear and obey His call. The Creator is the irresistible chooser.
Jonah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom (Israel) during the reign of Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:22-25). Nineveh was an important Assyrian city (2 Kings 19:36). So Jonah probably assumed he would not be very ‘welcomed’ in Nineveh, especially since he was going to be telling them that they were angering God. Jonah ‘bailed’ on his assignment. God would not be ‘bailed’ on. The result: God=1, Jonah =0.
In the book of Jonah, several qualities or abilities of the Creator are revealed. These qualities or abilities include the control of the physical world according to His choosing, and the choosing of individuals for specific tasks as a sovereign action on His part. In short, the Creator chooses, and if He chooses, no amount of resistance will change the outcome. We can all learn from Jonah. Resisting the Creator’s calling is not in our best interest. This does not mean that God is capricious; it does mean that He is sovereign over all creation. Remember too that in the end Jonah preached to the Ninevites, and they repented and turned towards God (Jonah 3:1-10). This was God’s plan all along. God has plan for you, for your good and His glory. When God calls you, hear and obey His call. The Creator is the irresistible chooser.
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