Obedience follows trust. Right? Isn't that what the song says, "Trust and Obey"? I believe it does and it goes even further than that because it says, "trust and obey for there's no other way"! Can you believe that!? I can believe that. Do I follow it every time? No. Do you believe that there's no other way than to trust and obey the Lord?
Jonah must not. Not this time any way. Read Jonah 1:1-3. The word of the LORD comes to Jonah and says, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." But what does Jonah do? He goes the opposite direction to Tarshish! He wants to get completely away from the Lord. What's the matter with this guy? Who is he any way? Doesn't he know we are to "draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to us"? (James 4:8a) Or is it that he already knows "their wickedness" in Nineveh? Wouldn't you want to get away from where there is wickedness being done by the people of any city?
God and Jonah both knew about the going ons of Nineveh... and it wasn't good. Wickedness in Hebrew is also translated "trouble," "misery," difficulty," and "harm." The Spirit Filled Life Bible note, which is what I study from, says that God is concerned about Nineveh's distresses and its evil ways. Its situation is extreme enough to get the attention of God. Ouch! It's so bad in Nineveh that God is alerted and now goes to Jonah with a word for him. Why Jonah? This word to Jonah is to, "go." Jonah, though, goes another way. Another way instead of God's way.
Tomorrow and the next few days we'll answer why Jonah and see where Jonah goes. What happens to Jonah by going another way and not God's way. Not God's way but his own way. He chooses to not obey.
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