Jonah, Running From God

It’s no wonder they were terrified when they heard that Jonah was running from the God who made the sea! That’s when they realized that Jonah’s disobedience was about to seal their own doom.

And that is an important lesson for all of us. When you disobey God, you will not be the only one to suffer. Disobedience affects everyone around us … especially those closest to us! It’s comforting to know that if we run from God, he will pursue us. But the hard truth is that any time we turn away from God, we will suffer for it … and worse than that, the people who depend on us will suffer along with us.

The best lesson to take from Jonah is: Don’t run from God in the first place! No matter how hard life gets … even if you feel like God has let you down … even if you think God is asking more than you can give … don’t turn your back on God and take off running! Don’t make your children and loved ones go through a storm that you have created by your defiance of God.

That’s what Jonah did to the sailors on that ship, and it brought him to the end of all hope. He finally told those men, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Jonah 1:12

They didn’t want to do it. But as they tried to row to the shore, the storm grew even wilder. Finally they cried out to God to forgive them for taking a man’s life, and they threw Jonah overboard. Immediately the raging sea grew calm. And verse 16 says, At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. Jonah 1:16

Jonah obviously had the gift of evangelism! Even while he was running from God, his testimony … and God’s grace in stopping the storm ... brought these men to faith in the one true God. God turned this disastrous situation into an opportunity for grace and salvation for the sailors.

And Jonah was about to learn that …

3. If you’re running from God … God will provide a way back.

Now, the way back may not be the way you prefer … it may not be a comfortable ride. The way back always brings us to a place of humility and prayer and patience. The way back teaches us that we can’t make it on our own … that we desperately need God in order to survive.

In Jonah’s case, the way back was slimy, wet, stinky, and scaly … but it was immensely better than the alternative. You see, Jonah knew he was a dead man. Whether he knew how to swim or not, he knew he was done for.

We don’t know what those last moments were like for Jonah. He was expecting to drown … and then later he discovered that he was still conscious. Nothing in chapter 2 indicates that Jonah knew he was in the belly of a fish. He was in absolute darkness. He was conscious and seemed to be breathing, but in his own words, he called that place “Sheol” which is the Hebrew wording for the grave.