Tarshish Bound

Jonah 1:1 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 hurled a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. "

As my Sunday school teacher meticulously worked through these verses of recounting the beginning of Jonah, there were things that just began to stand out to me in some profound ways. One, when we run from the call of God and reject doing what He's asking us to do- it is a direct rejection of the person of God... not just the task. Jonah was not just defiantly turning his back on the call. Verse three says "he ran away from the Lord ." Verse four reemphasizes that "he sailed to Tarshish to flee from the Lord." When it boils down to it, our decisions are really not in response to the task at hand but a crystal clear reflection of our heart's willingness or lack thereof to trust our Good Father and walk by faith or to relentlessly cling to unbelief and our attempt at control. Otherwise known as pride. Ooof... Did you feel that sting?

The unknown holds no weight to the One that should be anchoring us. How does it all fit together? How will it all turn out? What will they infamous "they" think? None of justifies delay. None of it justifies disobedience... And yet here we find Jonah. Here we often find ourselves.

Jonah ran away seeking something that might hold him - carry him - to a different place with a different perspective and was willing to pay the price for it. He would dig down into his self sufficiency... This journey was one he could do. If only he knew that he was boarding a ship that had cargo too heavy for the journey... The baggage would be so significant... As is life when we run away from the Lord, we too accumulate cargo that will have to go when the storm comes.... but above all this...

It's verse four that captured my attention. "Then the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up." As I read it the first time, I thought, wow- what is it that we are putting our trust in to hold us? That very thing is misplaced and is serving us as an idol. Jesus is to hold us. Jesus is to carry us. My trust must be in Him alone and when we find ourselves running head long in disobedience wrongly relying on another for what only God can do, we can expect a storm or two. In the midst of the storm, we may even expect the prompting to release a few things... As I dug deeper, I found that hurled means to send forth. Wind is derived from the root words of Ruah and Ruach meaning to breath, Spirit, or to make quick understanding. It is the same word used in John 20:22 where it says He breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit. We also see in Genesis that God breathed life into man through his nostrils. And when the words "threatened to break up" or in other places " would be shakened" are stated they refer to original definitions of "brokenhearted, break off, or to bring to the birth." So, to connect it altogether by expounding on the verse using those root words and definitions we see, Then the Lord sent forth a completed event, the storm, as He breathed it out via His Spirit to make quick understanding that that which held Jonah must be broken off but in the heartbreak of it He would bring to birth Life... because Life is what Father births over and over again...Remember Christ said in John 10:10 that He came that we might have life abundant.... The storm was a completed event. As He sent it forth, He sent it on purpose for purpose and He knew His expected end would come to pass. For what he sends out will accomplish its purpose. For it is written that even the mountains will cry out to Him. His Word does not return void much less the storm He sends forth.. Psalm 19:1 "The Heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

May Jesus be the only thing we trust in to carry us through the storms of life...Anything else when beaten and battered will fall apart. Jesus when beaten and battered on our behalf rose again and now is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. There is no storm too great, no sky too dark, no shaking too tumultuous for our God. Allow Him to be the calm through it all.... Eventually you may run aground, your trip may be rerouted but His purposes will indeed be accomplished... We see Paul testify to this after having instructing the sailors to take a different route and they refused to comply in Acts 27: 13-26.

"When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

So friend, do not be afraid, keep up your courage and know that despite the storm God will indeed have it happen as He has said. Victory is the Lords!!

Worship with me!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YUGwUgBvTU Praise you in this Storm, By Casting Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOVrOuKVBuY Burn the Ships, by For King and Country