Published via Ecency

##It is necessary that we always remember that if we choose to rebel against God, we will experience pain.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 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 his fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship and was fast asleep. 6 The captain of the ship came to him and said, “What are you doing, sleeping? Get up and call on your God. Perhaps he will take pity on us so that we will not perish.”

7 Then the men said to one another, “Come, let’s cast lots, so we may know who is responsible for this calamity.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us, why has this calamity come upon us? What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” 9 He replied, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” 10 The men were terrified and asked him, “Why have you done this?” For they knew that he was fleeing from the Lord, because he had told them.

11 So they asked him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea may become calm for us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy. 12 He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me.” 13 So the men tried hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not lay innocent blood on us, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

17 But the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1

Jonah had fled to Tarshish, hoping to escape God's plan for him, believing that in this way God would forget about him or simply change His mind. But the reality is that God intervened even when Jonah was on another path, and all of this ultimately led Jonah to submit to God's command.

2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish, for 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 4:2

Jonah believed he had a very good reason not to go and judge the Ninevites. They were a people determined to conquer Israel. Just the thought of walking through the city of Nineveh shouting, "Nineveh will be destroyed!" is terrifying. Jonah worried about whether God would forgive the Ninevites if they repented. We see that Jonah simply wanted them destroyed for all they had done to the people of Israel. When we see Jonah escape, it seems like the right thing to do, especially in his own eyes, but God did not break His word.

Here we understand that there is nothing that can justify rebellion. God simply wants us to obey His word, and if we have to make a choice or decision about something we don't know, where we have complete certainty, if God has asked it, He will move all the necessary resources to fulfill His purposes. Just thinking about any kind of rebellion is something God didn't know, since He only desires obedience.

We must always remember that God never changes; He also adapts to our plans and will use people, specific events, different circumstances, and above all, the Holy Spirit to lead us to fulfill His will. He does everything for our good, even when the assigned task isn't what we expect. God needs us to trust Him, because all of that is part of our spiritual development and growth.

LINK

Link

##Es necesario que recordemos siempre que si decidimos revelarnos contra Dios, experimentaremos dolor.

Vino palabra de Jehová a Jonás hijo de Amitai, diciendo: 2 Levántate y ve a Nínive, aquella gran ciudad, y pregona contra ella; porque ha subido su maldad delante de mí. 3 Y Jonás se levantó para huir de la presencia de Jehová a Tarsis, y descendió a Jope, y halló una nave que partía para Tarsis; y pagando su pasaje, entró en ella para irse con ellos a Tarsis, lejos de la presencia de Jehová.
4 Pero Jehová hizo levantar un gran viento en el mar, y hubo en el mar una tempestad tan grande que se pensó que se partiría la nave. 5 Y los marineros tuvieron miedo, y cada uno clamaba a su dios; y echaron al mar los enseres que había en la nave, para descargarla de ellos. Pero Jonás había bajado al interior de la nave, y se había echado a dormir. 6 Y el patrón de la nave se le acercó y le dijo: ¿Qué tienes, dormilón? Levántate, y clama a tu Dios; quizá él tendrá compasión de nosotros, y no pereceremos.
7 Y dijeron cada uno a su compañero: Vend y echemos suertes, para que sepamos por causa de quién nos ha venido este mal. Y echaron suertes, y la suerte cayó sobre Jonás. 8 Entonces le dijeron ellos: Decláranos ahora por qué nos ha venido este mal. ¿Qué oficio tienes, y de dónde vienes? ¿Cuál es tu tierra, y de qué pueblo eres? 9 Y él les respondió: Soy hebreo, y temo a Jehová, Dios de los cielos, que hizo el mar y la tierra. 10 Y aquellos hombres temieron sobremanera, y le dijeron: ¿Por qué has hecho esto? Porque ellos sabían que huía de la presencia de Jehová, pues él se lo había declarado.
11 Y le dijeron: ¿Qué haremos contigo para que el mar se nos aquiete? Porque el mar se iba embraveciendo más y más. 12 Él les respondió: Tomadme y echadme al mar, y el mar se os aquietará; porque yo sé que por mi causa ha venido esta gran tempestad sobre vosotros. 13 Y aquellos hombres trabajaron para hacer volver la nave a tierra; mas no pudieron, porque el mar se iba embraveciendo más y más contra ellos. 14 Entonces clamaron a Jehová y dijeron: Te rogamos ahora, Jehová, que no perezcamos nosotros por la vida de este hombre, ni pongas sobre nosotros la sangre inocente; porque tú, Jehová, has hecho como has querido. 15 Y tomaron a Jonás, y lo echaron al mar; y el mar se aquietó de su furor. 16 Y temieron aquellos hombres a Jehová con gran temor, y ofrecieron sacrificio a Jehová, e hicieron votos.
17 Pero Jehová tenía preparado un gran pez que tragase a Jonás; y estuvo Jonás en el vientre del pez tres días y tres noches.

Jonás 1

Jonás había huido hacia Tarsis, lo hizo para uir y escaparse del plan que Dios tenía para el creyendo que de esta manera Dios se olvidó de área o simplemente cambiaría de opinión. Pero la realidad es que Dios ha intervenido aún cuando Jonás estaba transitando otro camino, todo esto hizo que al final Jonás se someta al mandato de Dios.

2 Y oró a Jehová y dijo: Ahora, oh Jehová, ¿no es esto lo que yo decía estando aún en mi tierra? Por eso me apresuré a huir a Tarsis; porque sabía yo que tú eres Dios clemente y piadoso, tardo en enojarte, y de grande misericordia, y que te arrepientes del mal.

Jonás 4:2