Skip to main content

flight 🏃‍♂️

Jonah 1:3&4
"3 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.
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken."

Sermon Summary: Epic Fails, God Prevails
Jonah’s story warns against fleeing God’s call. God commanded him to preach against Nineveh, the brutal Assyrian capital infamous for torture, mutilation, and conquest (it later destroyed Israel’s northern kingdom; 2 Kings 17). Jonah saw the Ninevites as irredeemable enemies deserving judgment, not mercy. He feared his preaching might save them.👀

The city was vast (120,000+ people; Jonah 3:3; 4:11), and as a lone foreigner proclaiming repentance, Jonah risked rejection or death amid Assyrian hostility. He refused to extend grace to those he wanted destroyed. His flight (Jonah 1:3) reveals deep resistance. 😡

“But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea…” 🌬

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!

God’s purpose

1 Kings 19:17&18 "17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." God shows Elijah his true impact and future plan. He commands Elijah to leave hiding and anoint three figures: Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. These appointments signal judgment and renewal, as Hazael and Jehu will help overthrow the Omride dynasty, including Ahab and Jezebel. God provides not just succession but a plan to purge Baal worship. His work persists through new agents beyond Elijah. The passage stresses that God’s purpose depends on no single person; Elijah is not alone—7,000 in Israel remain faithful to God, unbowed to Baal. This remnant upholds God’s covenant amid apostasy. Elijah’s story teaches: our isolation and despair are illusions. Focus on God’s greater,...