According to 2
Kings 14:25, Jonah was a prophet to Israel under Jeroboam the second. His name
means “dove.” He may have lived up to his name when he tried to flee from God,
but he was certainly no dove when it came to hoping God would wipe out Nineveh.
Jonah prophesied about eight centuries before the time of Christ. The book that
bears his name is a painfully transparent view of God’s dealings with a man.
The theme of Jonah
is not the famous fish. When I was a little boy, I was more interested in what
was going on inside the fish than what was going on inside Jonah. The fish is
only mentioned four times and has a small supporting role. And Nineveh is not
the theme. The city Jonah was sent to warn about God’s judgment is mentioned
only nine times. In fact, the theme of the book of Jonah is not even Jonah.
He’s mentioned only 18 times. The theme of the book of Jonah is God. God is
mentioned 38 times in four chapters, 38 times in 48 verses. God is the central
figure in Jonah’s story.
We learn from the
book of Jonah that our God is a loving, merciful, caring, patient, pursuing
God. And when He lays His hand on your life, it’s there for good. You can run,
but you can’t hide. You may struggle and rebel, but when you do, God is coming
hard after you.
We could subtitle
the book of Jonah, God in Pursuit. That’s the big lesson from that minor
prophet. God loves His children and won’t let them rebel and get away. He goes
after them whether they fill a city like Nineveh and must be called to
repentance or whether they are a single, stubborn prophet who knows God wants
to give those evil people of Nineveh a chance but he doesn’t want to have any
part in it. Isn’t that good news? I mean, it’s a thrilling thing to realize how
God’s Word reveals God’s heart for each of His children. He loves us and He
pursues us.
·
What instances from my own life have
demonstrated God’s pursuit of me?
·
How do I relate to Jonah’s experience of running
from God in certain areas of my life?
Prayer - Thank You,
Father, for all the subtle and not-so-subtle ways You pursue me. Forgive me for
all those times I insist on ignoring the evidence of Your pursuit and try to
run a different way. In my moments of truth, I realize I can’t outrun You or hide
from You. And I don’t want to. Forgive me for believing the lie that You won’t
welcome me if I turn with all my sin toward You and surrender. Thank You, Lord
for the grace You have shown me every time I have stopped running away and
started running toward You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Adapted From: http://www.jamesmacdonald.com/teaching/devotionals/2012-06-01/
