The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Jonah 1:3,
"Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish."
Here is a fascinating point in the narrative of Jonah. He "ran away from the Lord"! I wonder how far he thought he could get from God? Proverbs 15:3 tells us, "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." David acknowledges the impossibility of escaping God. In speaking of the wonderful benefit of not falling from God's presence he says, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." Psalm 139:7-12.
Wasn't Jonah aware of this fairly basic fact of God? Surely he must have been. He seems to know God very well, probably in ways many don't. In Jonah 4:2 he confesses he knows the Lord well. He says, "I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." Certainly Jonah must have known he could not flee the presence of the Lord.
That being the case, why did he run away? I don't have to look very far for the answer - I only need look at myself. Although a very distinct and unique man as a prophet of God, Jonah was a man like me. With an indwelling sinful nature, Jonah had desires that did not coincide with the Lord's agenda. He did not want to see the ruthless and wicked people of Nineveh become the objects of God's forgiveness and grace. I don't know about you, but I know that I struggle with an indwelling sinful nature and it is often at odds with the Lord's agenda as well. Sometimes it causes me to say and do things that are as insane as Jonah attempting to flee from the Lord.
I am reminded of these insane choices we make when we fail to acknowledge these aspects of our omnipotent and omnipresent God. I can't fall in to any sinful impulse without doing so right in the very presence and full view God has of me at any given moment! I am sure this is a part of why we read, "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil." Proverbs 16:6. The fear of the Lord is all about acknowledging what we know to be true of him. Were I to have the presence of mind that the Lord is close at hand, I might make other choices, think different thoughts, do different things. As we read in Proverbs 15:33, "The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor."
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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