But Jonah arose to flee

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. – Jonah 1v1-3

I really like to study Jonah. I think I like him so much because he is so real and so normal. He is far from a spiritual superstar, but he still has a book of the Bible about how God uses him.

We have Jonah apparently going about his own business when God comes to him and tell him to go to Ninevah and preach against their sin. Fair enough, no big deal right? Just go and preach.

But Ninevah was a really, really bad place. They were not nice people. They were scary. Their levels of violence and cruelty stand out in the annals of history. Nobody wanted to go to Ninevah so I can’t imagine being told to go there and preach against their sin.

Let’s just put this in context by talking about where Ninevah is. The area is not even as bad today as it was then, but it still makes us stop and think. Where Ninevah? Today her ruins are in northern Iraq, not too far from the Iranian and Turkish borders.

I am certain that there are some spiritual giants out there who would say ‘Just give me a chance! I would love to go to Iraq and preach!’

I, however, would be scared to death.

I like to think that if God directed me to Baghdad or Kabul or Tehran or wherever that I would just jump on a plane and go and confront them with their sins. But I wonder. Every Sunday our church prays for a country where the church is persecuted. One of the situations that has come up is the now well-known case of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani who has just been sentenced to death for his faith in Christ. Do I really want to go someplace like that?

It doesn’t excuse Jonah for running from God, but it does make me examine my life to see what I would do.

What would we do?