Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “You Can’t Hide From God” – Wednesday, 11 June 2014 - Scripture: Jonah 1:1-16

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “You Can’t Hide From God” – Wednesday, 11 June 2014 - Scripture: Jonah 1:1-16
1 Now Yahweh’s[a] word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. 4 But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep. 6 So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God![b] Maybe your God[c] will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”
7 They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”
9 He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God[d] of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy. 12 He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14 Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. 16 Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
Footnotes:
a. Jonah 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
b. Jonah 1:6 or, gods
c. Jonah 1:6 or, gods
d. Jonah 1:9 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
“You Can’t Hide From God” by Bill Manning
God’s call to Jonah was clear: “Go to . . . Nineveh and preach” (Jonah 1:2). Jonah should have been proud that God had chosen him. But he resisted God by heading for Tarshish which was at the other end of the world from Nineveh. He knew there is no satisfying alternative to God’s will, yet he went his own way.
Jonah’s efforts “to flee from the LORD” (v. 3b) were futile. While the storm raged, where was Jonah? He was sound asleep. Since he knew he couldn’t hide from God, he was simply ignoring Him. In the fury of the storm, the pagan sailors said prayers. But this preacher, who claimed to worship the Lord, had no prayers to offer.
Chapter 1 ends with Jonah being thrown into the sea. We are left asking ourselves: Which was worse? What Jonah imagined might happen in Nineveh? Or what actually happened on the ship to Tarshish?

• Do I sometimes live as though I am outside the presence of God?
• Am I living now in obedience to God’s known will?
• Do I find it a comfort or a threat to recall that God is aware of everything I do?

Hymn for Today:
“O Thou in Whose Presence” by Joseph Swain
1. O Thou, in whose presence my soul takes delight,
On whom in affliction I call;
My comfort by day, and my song in the night,
My hope, my salvation, my all.
Where dost thou at noon-tide resort with thy sheep,
To feed them in pastures of love?
For why in the valley of death should I weep,
Or alone in the wilderness rove?
2. O why should I wander an alien from thee,
Or cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice, when my sorrows they see,
And smile at the tears I have shed
Ye daughters of Zion, declare, have ye seen
The Star that on Israel shone?
Say, if in your tents my beloved has been,
And where with his flocks he is gone?
3. This is my beloved, his form is divine,
His vestments shed odors around;
The locks on his head are as grapes on the vine,
When autumn with plenty is crowned.,
The roses of Sharon, the lilies that grow
In vales on the banks of the streams;
On his cheeks, in the beauty of excellence blow,
And his eyes are as quivers of beams!
4. His voice as the sound of a dulcimer sweet,
Is heard through the shadows of death;
The cedars of Lebanon bow at his feet,
The air is perfumed with his breath.
His lips as a fountain of righteousness flow,
That waters the garden of grace;
From which their salvation the Gentiles shall know,
And bask in the smiles of his face.
5. Love sits on his eye-lids and scatters delight
Through all the bright mansions on high;
Their faces the cherubim veil in his sight,
And tremble with fullness of joy.
He looks, and ten thousand of angels rejoice,
And myriads wait for his word;
He speaks--and eternity, filled with his voice,
Re-echoes the praise of the her voice.
6. His vestments of righteousness who shall describe!
Its purity words would defile;
The heavens from his presence fresh beauties imbibe,
And earth is made rich by his smile.
Such is my beloved in excellence bright,
When pleased he looks down from above;
Like the morn, when he breathes from the chamber of light,
And comforts his people with love.
7. But when armed with vengeance, in terror he comes,
The nations' rebellions to tame,
The reins of omnipotent power he assumes,
And rides in a chariot of flame.
A two edged sword from his mouth issues forth,
Bright quivers of fire are his eyes;
He speaks, the black tempests are seen in the north,
And storms from their caverns arise.
8. The thousand destructions, that wait for his word,
And ride on the wings of his breath,
Fly swift as the winds at the nod of their Lord,
And deal out his arrows of death,
His cloud-bursting thunders, their voices resound
Through all the vast regions on high;
Till from the deep center loud echoes rebound,
And meet the quick flames in the sky.
9. The portals of heaven at his bidding obey,
And expand ere his banners appear;
Earth trembles beneath, till her mountains give way,
And hell shakes her fetters with fear.
When he treads on the clouds as the dust of his feet,
And grasps the storm in his hand;
What eye the fierce glance of his anger shall meet,
Or who in his presence shall stand?
Thought for Today:
“It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it” (B. J. Miller)
Prayer Needs:
Developing Christian Leaders in the Congo Republic!
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