The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to
the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has
come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and
headed for Tarshish…
~Jonah 1:1-3a
Modern day Nineveh isn’t the loveliest of places, but it is
nothing in comparison to the ancient city of Nineveh which stuck terror into
entire regions.
Modern Day Nineveh:
As the capital of Assyria, Nineveh sat along the eastern bank
of the Tigris River. At the time of
Jonah, this city, which was referred to as the ”city of bloodshed” in Nahum
3:1, was considered to be one of the most powerful and unforgiving cities in
the entire region.
Let’s answer the
following “Why’s” about this Biblical story:
Why run?
There could be any number reasons that aren’t found in the
direct Biblical text as to WHY Jonah ran away from where God was calling him.
However, God did give us insight into the city of Nineveh when he talks about its
treachery in the book of Nahum, specifically in verses one through four of
chapter three.
Knowing what a scary place it must have been, especially for
a prophet of God, it is easy to see why Jonah’s immediate inclination would be
to run. Going to Nineveh would likely mean being mocked, treated as a fool,
attacked, and even possibly killed.
Why Tarshish?
Many scholars believe that Jonah fled to Tarshish because
the city was considered in that time to be towards
the end of the earth, and was literally as far east as you could go. The
city of Tarshish sat on the coast of today’s Spain and to Jonah looked like his
best option for getting away from the city of Nineveh
Why us?
As we read this story of Jonah, we see a man who hears from
God and runs the other direction. It sounds so silly doesn’t it? Yet…we do it every
day. We run from things that make us uncomfortable and things that frighten us.
Dear ones, we can’t let ourselves be led astray by our fears. In fact, 2
Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love,
power, and a sound mind.
Hear this: everyone has a Ninevah – a place that we feel God
calling us to. We have two options in the midst of a calling: to answer or to
flee. Beloved if there is one simple plea that I can make with you today, it
would be this: Do not fear and do not flee! Answer the call. Take the
challenge. Go to Nineveh.
I promise that God will not forsake you or leave you, and
that you will feel his presence even more in the midst of your obedience.
