Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3
Call
Get up and Go! Arise and go
Shocking call for Hebrew prophet to go to Gentile city
Surprising choice to send Jonah – He supported Jeroboam’s aggressive military expansion. He was seen as an extremely patriotic nationalist.
Message
Preach against the evil they are doing. Repent!
More shocking that the God of Israel would warn Nineveh of coming judgment.
Response
Jonah got up and ran! Says he arose and fled from God’s presence. He didn’t like the place he was called to go and he definitely didn’t like the message he was told to deliver.
Instead of going east he went west as far as he could!
Take Aways
Your sin cuts you off from God. It messes up your relationships with others in your life. It may be physically dangerous to your health. But eventually it will spiritually kill you.
Or maybe you have been a church goer, a rule follower. You’re doing your best to live a good life, to follow the ten commandments and you hope God will accept your best. In Isaiah 64:6 God says we are all unclean and all our good works are filthy rags and our sins take us away from Him. We can’t measure up to God’s standard of goodness and our sins separate us from Him.