Jonah 1
Jonah is loved by God. His righteousness must have been pleasing to God for he would not have been sent by God to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh. Yet when he was called, he ran away to flee from God.
That is funny.
He clearly knows who God is and what he can do.
He displays his understanding of how big and how powerful God is when he was on the boat and has no fear of the circumstance.
This is the question or questions:
The crew on the boat believed and worshiped God because Jonah was there.
If Jonah was not defiant, would the crew have come to know God?
Was this God's plan?
Did God know Jonah was going to run?
Was God trying to reach the crew on the boat?
The answer is, yes.
According to the Bible, God knows all and his plan will be carried out.
One thing I know and am learning more and more, God uses us to be representations, or ambassadors for him so that people will know who he is.
Because we are such visual based beings, we come to believe when we see. As Job puts it, I can hear and understand, but to believe in something I cannot see is more challenging.
To see another human being doing something, or saying something, connects the understanding side of our brain.
That is why we need to go and spread the gospel and be like a light to the world so men/women will know who God is.
I know I can be like Jonah, not wanting to do something because I, the selfish me, thinks I know better and can determine what is best for God's kingdom.
