Who Ran From God In The Bible

The Inerrancy Of Scripture

The doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture is in some ways very straightforward, and in other ways rather complicated. The doctrine simply stated is that the Bible does not affirm anything that is contrary to that which is true. In other words, the Bible does not contain any falsehoods. This doctrine is directly related to the doctrine of inspiration. If the Bible is inspired by God , and God knows all things and does not lie, then an error in Scripture means that God is either lying or limited in his knowledge, both of which the Scriptures refute. Lets unpack this a bit more.

First, the Bible clearly says that God knows all things . Scripture tells us that Gods understanding is beyond measure , that he knows everything , that the hairs of every human head and the stars are numbered , and that no creature is hidden from Gods sight and that all things are laid bare to Gods eyes . In short, God is omniscient, meaning all knowing. There is nothing that God does not know or understand.

Second, the Bible also definitively declares that God doesnt lie . Hebrews 6:18 says, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. God is honest, true, and reliable.

Jonah : 3 Jonah Rose Up To Flee Unto Tarshish

Jonahâs life and experiences, like Jobâs, provide a universal lesson similar to an allegory, and the application to all men is drawn from one manâs actual experiences.

Jonah was a type of Christ in that he was in the belly of the whaleâin âhell,â in his own words âjust as Jesus was in the grave for three days, and then came forth again. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch showed that the significance of Jonahâs story is broader than that:

âThe mission of Jonah was a fact of symbolical and typical importance, which was intended not only to enlighten Israel as to the position of the Gentile world in relation to the kingdom of God, but also to typify the future adoption of such of the heathen, as should observe the word of God, into the fellowship of the salvation prepared in Israel for all nations.

Jonah : 59 What Is Signified By Sackcloth And Ashes

Jonahâs words appear to have had an immediate and very positive effect upon the Ninevites. Why a non-Hebrew people would believe a Hebrew prophet one can only conjecture. Perhaps they were shocked into repentance by the appearance of a foreigner who, apparently without thought of personal safety, would come such a distance to unveil the sins of a people he did not know. At any rate, his mission had the intended result: Nineveh repented in âsackcloth and ashes.â Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

âA coarse, dark cloth made of hair of camels and goats and used anciently for making sacks and bags was called sackcloth. It was also used for making the rough garments worn by mourners, and so it became fixed in the prophetic mind as a symbol for sorrow and mourning. It was the custom for mourners, garbed in sackcloth, either to sprinkle ashes upon themselves or to sit in piles of ashes, thereby showing their joy had perished or been destroyed.

âSackcloth and ashes became a symbol of the most sincere and humble repentance.â

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Jeroboam Vs A Man Of God And Ahijah

In the north, Jeroboam had a new, big kingdom, but he also had a problem. The presence of the Lord remained in the south, so his people continually went to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. He feared his people would wind up back under Rehoboams rule, so he created his own worship system in the north, erecting two golden calves for the people to worship. This didnt go well for Aaron in Exodus 32, and it doesnt go well for Jeroboam here.

He is confronted twice with the prophetic word. First, in 1 Kings 13 a man of God opposes him at the altar in Bethel, denouncing his idolatry and announcing the end of the northern kingdom. Jeroboam tries to buy this prophets favor, but the man of God shuts him down, refusing to disobey the word of the Lord.

Then, in 1 Kings 14, Jeroboam is opposed by Ahijah . Jeroboams son gets sick, so he sends his wife to Ahijah to find out what will happen. The prophet speaks on Gods behalf. His son will die, but his death will be more bearable than what is about to unfold for the nation. The Lord is going to cut off Jeroboams house because of his brazen idolatry. The prophetic word is confirmed by his sons death the minute his wife arrives home. In another showdown between a king and a prophet, the word of the prophet wins the day.

Kings 1: 2529 How Long Did The Priests Of Baal Call Upon Their God Why

Elijahâs mocking words recorded in verse 27 furnished cause for a renewed frenzy among Baalâs prophets. Elijah was really saying, âCry louder if he is a god, he can surely hear you. But then, perhaps, heâs away on a trip, or heâs out hunting , or maybe heâs asleep.â Such taunting kept the priests of Baal in action all day long. Clarke commented: âFrom morning even until noon. It seems that the priests of Baal employed the whole day in their desperate rites. The time is divided into two periods: 1. From morning until noon this was employed in preparing and offering the sacrifice, and in earnest supplication for the celestial fire. Still there was no answer, and at noon Elijah began to mock and ridicule them, and this excited them to commence anew. And, 2. They continued from noon till the time of offering the evening sacrifice, dancing up and down, cutting themselves with knives, mingling their own blood with their sacrifice, praying, supplicating, and acting the most frantic manner.â

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Kings : 3 Who Is Baalzebub

âThis name for Satan signifies his position as the prince or chief of the devils. It is the same name as was given to an ancient heathen god. In their rebellion against light, the ancient Jews applied the name Beelzebub to Christ , and also said that he cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub. â

Kings 1: 1921 Twelve Yoke Of Oxen

Elisha must have been wealthy to have been plowing with twelve yokes of oxen, for each yoke pulled a plow and was driven by a servant. The feast of two oxen also indicates wealth. Eating the oxen and burning their equipment symbolically represents Elishaâs rejection of worldly wealth as Elisha prepared to follow Elijah and to make the considerable material sacrifice involved in responding to the prophetic call.

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Kings 1: 38 What Was The Fire Of The Lord

âThe fire proceeding from Jehovah, was not a natural flash of lightning, which could not produce any such effect, but miraculous fire falling from heaven, as in , the supernatural origin of which was manifested in the fact, that it not only consumed the sacrifice with the pile of wood upon the altar, but also burned up ⦠the stones of the altar and the earth that was thrown up to form the trench, and licked up the water in the trench. Through this miracle Jehovah not only accredited Elijah as His servant and prophet, but proved Himself to be the living God, whom Israel was to serve so that all the people who were present fell down upon their faces in worship, as they had done once before, viz. at the consecration of the altar in , and confessed âJehovah is God.ââ

Jonah Reveals Why He Actually Ran From God

When Jonah entered the great city of Nineveh, he called the whole city to repentance.

The king and all the people received Jonahs message. They repented, called for a fast, put on sackcloth, and turned away from evil and violence. They received the word from God and they listened, praying that God may indeed turn away His anger. They believed God and they sought mercy.

Many psalms declare that the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Indeed, the people of Nineveh see Gods gracious, merciful, and loving character. They experience His mercy and love.

God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.

Jonah doesnt like finding this out. He sees the Lord turned away His anger from Nineveh and he thinks its evil. He believes that Nineveh and the Assyrians are enemies so wicked and evil that they should not be spared ever for any reason. They should pay for what theyve done.

He prays to the Lord, O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my own country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.

So instead of rejoicing in the repentance of Nineveh, Jonah throws a pity party and wishes to die.

He wants justice, judgment, and condemnation. He wants Nineveh to suffer for their sins. He wants Nineveh to be dealt with according to their wickedness.

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Kings 1: 2224 The Challenge

The contest that Elijah proposed should have appealed to the prophets of Baal, since their god, the âSun-god,â could surely send down fire if anyone could. Added to the four hundred and fifty priests of Baal were four hundred priests of his female counterpart, Ashtoreth, or Venus, whom Jezebel worshiped. Elijah commented on the number of prophets of Baal in contrast to the number of prophets of the Lord .

Ashtoreth

Kings 1: 19 What Was The Mantle Of The Prophet That Was Placed On Elisha

A mantle is a coat or similar covering.

âWhen Elijah walked up to the plow where Elisha was standing the prophet simply removed his rough mantle and placed it across the shoulders of Elisha. The astonished Elisha seemed to have known exactly what this emblematic gesture meant. He was being designated for the prophetic calling and being chosen as the understudy and future successor of Elijah. No lengthy discussion or art of persuasion was employed to induce Elisha to accept the call. It was not needed. He was one of the choice 7,000 referred to by the Lord who had not bowed the knee to Baal but respected the Holy Priesthood of God and accepted with enthusiasm the discipline and obedience required by such a calling.â

Out of this simple act, the phrase âmantle of the prophetâ has come to mean the calling and office of the prophet.

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Why Did Jonah The Prophet Run Away From God

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Question: Why did Jonah run away from God although he was a prophet?

Answer: God commanded Jonah to go preach to the wicked inhabitants of Nineveh the message of repentance or they will be destroyed by fire. But Jonah instead of obeying Gods command, he ran away to Tarshish, a city in southern Spain, which is more than 2,500 miles in the opposite direction from Nineveh.

The Storm

God sent a great storm that endangered the ship Jonah was boarding. The people on board felt that God was punishing someone among them. So, they drew lots to find who is the offender? The lot fell on Gods prophet who asked them to throw him in the Sea so that the storm will cease. And they did. But the Lord, in mercy, sent a whale to swallow the prophet to save him from drowning. And Jonah realized that no one can actually run from God .

The Whale

Jonah stayed in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. But when he prayed and confessed his sin, God heard his prayer and ordered the whale to throw him out at the shore. At that point, Jonah obeyed and went to warn the city of Nineveh as God has commanded. And the city of Nineveh repented fully and God forgave them and did not destroy.

The Lesson

In His service,

Jonahs Call And Response

As is typical with Twelve Prophets, the Book of Jonah begins with a call from God to the prophet . Unlike the others, however, Jonah rejects Gods call. Foolishly, he attempts to flee the presence of the Lord by taking a ship to foreign shores . This imperils not only him, but his shipmates, foras we have seen throughout the Book of the Twelvebreaking covenant with God has tangible consequences, and the actions of individuals always affect the community. God sends a storm. First, it ruins the mariners commercial prospects, as they are forced to throw all the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship . Eventually it threatens their very lives . Only when Jonah offers to be thrown into the seawhich the sailors reluctantly acceptdoes the storm abate and the danger to the community subside .

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Daniel And His Friends

Another beloved story in the Bible is in the book of Daniel. Many people would know the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego when they were put in the fiery furnace. Even more would remember the story of Daniel in the lions den. Did you know Daniel was somewhere around 80 years old when that took place?

We dont know precisely when Nebuchadnezzar build the statue that he wanted the people to worship. But, it was sometime between the 3rd and 23rd year of the Babylonian captivity. It is believed that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were cast into the fiery furnace when they were between 10 and 30 years old. They certainly were many years younger than Daniel was when he faced the lions.

However, there is another interesting story about these four young men in Daniel chapter 1. They may have only been about 8 years old when they stood up for what they believed. They were offered food and drink that were against their traditional Jewish beliefs. They had already gained favor with their captors and requested that their diet be changed to something more familiar. They stood up for their beliefs even as very young men.

The result of their decision to honor the Lord with their eating habits was that God gave them knowledge and skill in learning and wisdom . This verse also says that Daniel was given an ability to understand dreams and visions which is basically what the rest of the book is about.

Kings 1: 1 What Is A Tishbite

Elijah is here called âthe Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead.â Some scholars say that Elijah came from Tishbeh, in upper Galilee . Adam Clarke suggested a different place. Elijah came, he said, from Gilead beyond the Jordan in the land given to the tribe of Gad . Whichever is correct, it is clear that the title Tishbite refers to the place from which Elijah came.

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Your Story Is Still Being Written

The only way that failure can get the last word in our life is if we choose to let it. We serve a God who is able to take our defeats and missteps and still use us to bring glory to his name.

Whether youve been walking with him faithfully or youve had a few stumbles along the way, hes encouraging you to help build his kingdom. If youre ready to get serious, download a free copy of “We Are All Missionaries.” This 4-week group study takes a closer look at what it means to share the gospel, and explores biblical examples of how to do it.

Incredible Stories Of Rescue In The Bible

Sharon Fairchild

The word rescue causes many different dramatic pictures to flood our minds. It stirs our emotions. We will ask, Who was rescued? What happened to get them in a situation where they had to be rescued? Who rescued them? and on and on. We love rescues, and we love heroes. That is why I want to share with you some of the most dramatic, amazing, and exciting rescues in the Bible. These are true stories of men and women just like you and me who were rescued and used by our loving heavenly Father.

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The Prophet Who Ran Away

Message Title: “The Prophet Who Ran Away”Broadcast date: July 13, 2014 Radio pastor: Rev. Carl Haak

Dear Radio Friends,

Gods will for our lives is holiness, obedience, and trust. But that will of God clashes with our sinful will. At times so strong is that clash that we deliberately set aside Gods will and then attempt to remove or get away from anything that would remind us of Him, whether that be in the family or in the church whether that be as parents or as husband or wife whether that be in prayer or in the Bible. At first it seems that everything is going to go well. But if you are Gods child, it will not be long before God begins to break your life up into little pieces. The question then is: Do you go Gods way, or do you try to run as Jonah ran? If you run, as a child of God, God will trouble your life. For God is committed to doing whatever it takes. He chastens us, corrects us, and teaches us the good of obeying His will.

Let us pray.