Today's Favorite Verse: Jonah 1:3, 12

Today's Favorite Verse: Jonah 1:3, 12

"But 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.

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

I pondered on why Jonah fled. I've heard of the violence of the people of Nineveh, yet it doesn't seem like Jonah's motivate was fear of death or to save his life. He was willing to have the men throw him overboard. Jonah didn't want this call to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Nineveh was a heathen nation, Jonah just didn't want to preach repentance to them.

"Jonah tries to escape from the command to proclaim the word of God in Nineveh by flight to Tarshish, because he is displeased with the display of divine mercy to the great heathen world, and because, according to ch. iv. 2, he is afraid lest the preaching of repentance should avert from Nineveh the destruction with which it is threatened. In this state of mind on the part of the prophet, there are reflected the feelings and the general state of mind of the Israelitish nation towards the Gentiles."

(Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi, "Jonah: One Should Not Flee from His Responsibilities" (9-39) Jonah 1:3, page 98)

It made me ponder on no matter how upset we are with others or feel they are worthy of God's wrath, we still need to be an instrument in God's hand to help them repent. We shouldn't be so ready to see people destroyed.

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

(Matthew 5:44)

Day 3049