3. But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
4. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
5. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6. The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish."
7. Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
someone is in rebellion against God, sometimes they show overt defiant disobedience by running away from what God is asking or commanding. Nineveh was 500 miles north. Jonah traveled 1,000 miles South and West traveling by sea. To travel to Nineveh was to go by land. If God is the God of Israel, Jonah wanted to get out of Israel.
rebellion says, “No” to God. Disobedience is always downhill. He went down to Joppa. He went down in the ship. He went down to the lowest depth of the sea and down into the belly of the fish. Jonah’s reactions were to turn away and run from all that he knew God wanted of him. Rebellion is like that. It uses emotions - it doesn’t use brains. It reacts according to our desires to live our own lives without God.
Psalmist 139,“Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence If I go 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. “
Another response might be more covert like hiding. That is what Adam did and Cain did. Rebellion isn’t always acting out; it is ignoring what we know we should be doing. Perhaps that is what happened when Jonah fell asleep into a deep sleep. Let’s just pretend that God doesn’t know where I am. Going down into the depths of the ship was his attempt to get away from God. Some people think they are getting back at God for instance by giving up on church, or quitting their responsibilities of service.
is not uncommon when they live in disobedience. They no longer read the Bible, pray, worship, or associate with God’s people. Their spiritual fire dies out. They want to be left alone.
Application: Think on this, “If God seems far away, who moved?”
Lord, keep my heart attentive to Your call on my life. I pray that Your hand will always guide me and Your right hand will hold me fast.
