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For the discriminating traveler, Tarshish really did have a lot going for it. Nineveh, however, might not be your first choice. There are reasons for this. Lots of them. We won't look at all of them here. But at least one of the reasons that Jonah found Tarshish much more attractive than Nineveh had as much to do with Jonah as it did to do with either of those places.
Jonah's story is an intriguing one. A prophet who flees from the presence of God. Already we get the idea that there are some strong ironies going on here. It wasn't that Jonah didn't like to travel - Tarshish was 4 times further away than was Nineveh. It wasn't that wasn't able to travel if he wanted to - it appears that Jonah didn't just book an ticket on a discount cruise ship, but that he actually chartered a boat - that takes some means. Furthermore, the journey took about a year - that's a long time to charter a crew! Jonah was serious about running, and he had the means to do it!
Tarshish was actually a nice place. The only problem was that Tarshish was not where God was sending him.
Nineveh. An evil place. The capital of a brutal empire that despised Jews and treated its own citizens in brutal ways. We won't get into it all here, but you would not like it there. One can understand a little of why Jonah might find running an attractive option. But God has something else in mind. Jonah's not sure he wants to be a part of it. Not just because of what Nineveh is like, but because he also knows what God was like . . . but that is getting ahead of the story . . .
So Jonah runs. The storm hits, and the sailors who knew less of the God Jonah represents respond more appropriately to that God than Jonah did. Ironic.
This is a story where nothing happens the way it is supposed to - at least the way we think it is supposed to. Those who we would not expect to "get it" are the ones that do. Those who should, don't. God is gracious when we don't want Him to be, and we don't like it. God resists being recreated into an image that is more about us than Him. Interesting.
That's what Pastor Jon invites us think about this morning. If you'd like to listen to his sermon again, or perhaps for the first time, you can access it by clicking here and going to our sermon library. If you have a little more time, reflect once again on the first chapter in this intriguing and challenging story.
Words to the David Wilcox song (The Carpenter) referenced in the sermon
Jonah 1 (TNIV)
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."
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 so that 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. 8 So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
9 He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
10 This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"
12 "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."
13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the LORD, "Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased." 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
[a] 17 Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Footnotes:
Jonah 1:17 1:17 is numbered 2:1 in Hebrew texts.
How do you find your own experience connecting with that of Jonah?
. . . in our attraction to Tarshish?
. . . in our reluctance to go to Nineveh (whatever Nineveh is for you)?
. . . in our resistance to a grace that is extended to those from whom we would withhold it?
. . . in our appreciation of the grace that continues to be extended to us?
. . . in our response to the God Who calls us?
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