I Quit
As the volunteer leaders gathered, a pastor exhorted us: "Remember, this event is not just about serving the community. It is about declaring the gospel! Do not be afraid to tell people about Jesus! That is what everyone needs. Jesus was not ashamed to save us, do not be ashamed of him!" I thought to myself, "No way. I don't know these people. I'm not blasting them with a message they don't want to hear."
God gave Jonah three commands: Get up, go, preach. Jonah responds with seven verbs: Got up, fled, went down, found, paid, went down, and went. Jonah was certain that God had spoken to him. But he got up to go down, in the opposite direction. God gave him one destination: Nineveh. The book tells us Jonah's determination to go elsewhere: Tarshish, Tarshish, Tarshish. It's as if getting there was all he could think about. It's preposterous. When God sends prophets, we expect them to go. Tarshish was likely in southern Spain, nearly 2,500 miles west of Israel, in the opposite direction of Nineveh. Isaiah 66:19 tells us it's the kind of place that has not heard about God or seen his glory. If you wanted to get away from God, it's an ideal destination. And Joppa was a Gentile town. So Jonah is willing to go to a foreign nation, as long as it isn't named Nineveh. James Nogalski explains that "paid the fare" means Jonah didn't merely buy a ticket. He commissioned the boat. This was necessary because boats didn't sail until they were fully stocked. But Jonah wasn't willing to wait. The price he paid indicated the hurry he was in. Was Jonah foolishly thinking he could get away from God. Wasn't he a prophet? Didn't he know God controlled the land and the sea? But when Jonah left "the Lord's presence" he wasn't hiding. He was resigning his prophetic commission. He no longer stands before God as his servant. He's walked out. By the time Jonah is on the boat, sailing west, everything seemed to be going well. He's found a good ship, experienced sailors, and a new life awaits him. In Acts 13, Paul and his companions went to a new city to plant another church. But John Mark quit. He left them and returned to Jerusalem. It wasn't a happy goodbye; Paul viewed this as a desertion, and refused to take him on future missionary journeys. There's no obvious reason John gave up. But he still went the other direction. Years later, Paul wrote to Timothy, "Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). We don't know yet why Jonah or Mark didn't want to be missionaries. But we do know that wasn't the end of their stories. That event is taking place again this year, and I'm planning to talk about Jesus this time.
Jonah doesn't say anything to explain his decision. What do you think his reasons were?
At first, Jonah's decision to run away went well. When your decisions lead to success, how do you interpret that?
What are you paying for as an alternative to obeying God?
Write down one thing you've decided you won't do to honor God. Put it in your pocket, and keep it there until you talk about it with a friend.