But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish

 Jonah 1:1-6

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. 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.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 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.”

Called by God to go to Nineveh and denounce the wickedness of the people. Jonah takes the ship in the opposite direction.

The book is about justice and mercy. Jonah has to learn that Israel's special relationship with God does not make him their exclusive possession. God's care and concern - his purpose to save - extends to the whole world, even the Assyrian enemy that in 722/1 destroyed Isreal. The story must have conveyed a strong message to those of the Jewish establishment who shared Jonah's view.

Why?

Jonah loves the Lord but he also hates the enemy, But the Lord loves the whole people in the world.

Jonah ran away from the Lord, but he couldn't for the Lord has authority overall in the world.

The captain wondered why Jonah could sleep, for Jonah knew why the wind was so strong.

Sometimes we may focus on our own problem or pain, but the Lord has a higher view than us.

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神呼召，人為什麼要躲？

從宗教來看：這樣的人怎那麼可以讓這種人得救。坐船是往反向走。尼尼微在東北方路地上。

神是路上也是海上的神。約拿睡覺神讓船長叫他起來。

當我們用各種方式逃避，都沒有用。使我們失去裏子，面子。當神的呼召難還判斷對不對？

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How?

 Obey the word of the Lord is good to us. For God is good.