Monday, September 7, 2026

Opening Scripture
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

Opening Prayer
Gracious Heavenly Father, you are holy and exalted! May your kingdom come and your will be done in my life, home, and community just as it is in Heaven. Help me to trust you today to meet all of my needs. Help me to forgive others just as you have forgiven me. Help me to resist temptation and overcome the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading
Jonah 1:1-3
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.

Reflection
This week, we start a new series entitled “Gone Fishing!” It seems appropriate to begin this series in the Book of Jonah, where a huge fish plays such a prominent role. Our Adult Bible Study groups will be studying Jonah on Sunday morning as well.

The events recorded in this book take place between 800 and 750 B.C. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was experiencing a time of relative peace because the Assyrians had defeated the Arameans, who were based in Damascus. This allowed Israel to reclaim land and resources that the Arameans had forcefully taken from them. However, Assyria remained a significant threat to the north.

The prophets Elisha and Jonah had predicted God’s deliverance of His people from Damacus and the recovery of the lost land, “in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher” (2 Kings 14:25). Jeroboam II, who reigned during Jonah’s ministry, was the most powerful monarch the Northern Kingdom ever had.

Unfortunately (and as usual), Israel quickly grew arrogant and self-sufficient as they enjoyed God’s divine protection and provision. God sent the prophets Amos and Hosea to warn the Israelites about their apostasy and unfaithfulness. Amos predicted the eventual conquering of the Northern Kingdom and captivity in Assyria.

“‘I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,’ says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty. ‘Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!’” (Amos 5-6 selected).

This season of peace, prosperity, and military strength produced a society given to idolatry, indulgence, and immorality. Wealth and luxury produced a culture of decadence and wickedness. Israel became politically secure and spiritually smug. Material abundance led to moral corruption. The collective pain of the nation’s earlier rebellion, punishment, repentance, and restoration was quickly forgotten.

Having rejected God’s covenant authority, and with no commitment to God’s law, the people had no standard for righteous living. There was no shared moral code or concern for social justice. The legal system became corrupt, and the poor were oppressed. Mercy, grace, and forgiveness were in short supply, replaced by a sense of arrogance and superiority. Israel’s religious rituals were an affront to God.

It was in this environment that the word of the LORD came to Jonah.

God’s instruction was clear and simple: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” That simple command from the LORD, rather than prompting swift obedience, instead revealed Jonah’s true sentiment and exposed his deep prejudice. The prophet had become like the society in which he lived.

The nation of Israel was once again prospering as “God’s chosen people,” and they had grown quite full of themselves in that privileged position. True, to Israel’s benefit, the wicked Assyrians had defeated the oppressive Arameans, but the Assyrians were a violent, pagan people that everyone despised, including Jonah.

Nineveh is understood to be the capital of the powerful Assyrian empire. The Hebrew word “great” (gadowl) means large, mighty, and important. It can refer to magnitude, weight, or seniority. In every respect, Assyria was “great” in strength, wealth, and wickedness, and Jonah wanted nothing to do with them!

“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.”

So intense was Jonah’s commitment to running from God that he paid a lot of money to go as far as possible in the opposite direction. Dennis Tucker says, “Jonah did more than just buy a ticket… The Hebrew term refers to the wages paid for something. Jonah did not just buy a one-way ticket; he actually hired the entire ship and its crew to sail him to the ends of the known world.”

Jonah was more committed to holding on to his prejudice than to trusting and obeying God. As we will see on Saturday, Jonah feared God’s mercy toward the Assyrians more than he feared God’s judgment on himself. “That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”

Jonah dreaded the wideness of God’s mercy toward his enemies!

Flourishing Habit
Flourishing Christians

Jonah appears to be the only Old Testament prophet who intentionally ran from God. Yet, he is one of only four prophets specifically referred to by Jesus, the others being Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah. One of these prophets seems out of place.

In his book, “Under the Unpredictable Plant,” Eugene Peterson says this about Jonah. “When Jonah received his prophetic call to preach in Nineveh, he headed out the other direction to Tarshish. Tarshish is Gibraltar, or Spain… the jumping-off place of the world. Jonah’s journey to Tarshish is initiated by the word of God. He does not simply ignore the word. He does not stay in Joppa. He goes, an act of obedience (kind of). But he chooses the destination.”

Jonah acknowledged the Lord’s command to “go,” but he went in the opposite direction. Prophet or not, responding faithfully to God’s divine initiative includes going when and where He tells us to go. Jonah was instructed to make the 500-mile land journey northeast to Nineveh. Instead, he chose to make the 2,500-mile sea journey due west toward Tarshish – the end of the known world.

The text literally says, “Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish away from the face of Yahweh.” The Hebrew word (paneh) means face, countenance, or presence. Jonah was trying to flee from the face of God, which – as he should have known and is about to discover – is impossible!

Here is how David beautifully describes God’s “everywhereness”: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence (paneh)? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:7-12).

The title of our Bible study series is “Jonah and the Wideness of God’s Mercy.” Truly, God’s presence has no limits, and neither does His mercy. It is sadly ironic that, after the Israelites had been forgiven time after time for their own idolatry and wickedness, they would be so harsh and disdainful of the Assyrians. But isn’t that just like us? Sometimes the forgiven can be terribly unforgiving!

Have you ever tried to run from God’s presence?

Do you recall the time when Jesus said to you, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people”?

Is there anyone that you believe is “too far gone” for Jesus to save them?

This week’s collective prayer: Father, place someone on my heart who needs to hear the Good News of Jesus. Give me the opportunity to share with them. Amen.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!