逃避呼召的约拿
约拿书一章1至5节
1耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿，说：
2你起来往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为他们的恶达到我面前。
3约拿却起来，逃往他施去躲避耶和华；下到约帕，遇见一只船，要往他施去。他就给了船价，上了船，要与船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和华。
4然而耶和华使海中起大风，海就狂风大作，甚至船几乎破坏。
5水手便惧怕，各人哀求自己的神。他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些。约拿已下到底舱，躺卧沉睡。
信息分享
书中对约拿本人描述不多，但所提到他的态度和经历，我们可以对他有一个大致的了解。书中所表现的，是一个不大关心别人的人，以及一个时时看顾人的神。其中一个要旨是要表明，神的慈悲怜悯，绝不仅仅只临在犹太民族。
神呼召约拿为祂传递信息的时候，约拿已经是个先知；他的事奉期大概是在以利沙时期或稍后（见王下十四25）。神曾透过约拿向以色列民说话，一直以怜悯对待他们。如今，神想差一个使者去到信奉异教的尼尼微城，警告他们审判即将临到。
神的呼召似乎突如其来，但却非常清晰：「你起来往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为……」（拿一1）呼召是如此清楚，目的地和内容都有了。圣经中没有其他先知得到过如此清晰的呼召。我们的神知道如何用不同方式向各人说话，祂永不受规限。
约拿对神的回应，实在出人意表。他立即动身，却赶往相反的方向──不是东北面的尼尼微城，而是往西。我们读到：「约拿却起来逃……去躲避耶和华。」（拿一3）我们真的能够躲避神吗？我们或许可以不再与神相交，却永远无法躲避神。
悖逆神也许只意味着我们失去与神同在的感觉，但神始终与我们同在；祂会用一切可能的方法引领我们回到祂的祝福里。明天，我们将会看见神如何引领约拿回到祂的旨意中。
反思：
神的呼召显明了祂的心意，让我们知道该怎样服侍祂。
JONAH - THE MAN WHO SKIPPED TOWN
Jonah 1:1-5
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
3 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.
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
Message
We know only a little about Jonah but we are able to build up quite a lot about him from his attitude and experiences. It is the story of a man who didn't care very much about people but it is also a story about a caring God. One of its purposes was to show that God's mercy was not confined to the Jewish race.
The man God called to speak for Him was already a prophet in Israel, possibly near or just after the time of Elisha. (See 2 Kings 14:25) God had spoken to Israel through Jonah and had dealt mercifully with them. Now God wanted a messenger to warn the heathen city of Ninevah of coming judgment.
The call God gave seems sudden, almost abrupt, but at the same time very clear: 'Go to the great city of Ninevah and preach against it.' (v.1) It was a clear call that included both direction and details of the need. No other prophet we know of was called in the same way. But God is not limited and He knows how to speak to each one of us.
The answer God received was not what we might expect. Jonah immediately left town and went in the opposite direction - west instead of north-east to Ninevah. Our reading says: 'But Jonah ran away from the Lord.' (v.3) Can you really do that? You can certainly get away from fellowship with the Lord but you cannot hide from God.
Disobedience may mean we lose the sense of God's presence but He is still with us and will use every means possible to bring us back into blessing. Tomorrow we will see how God dealt with Jonah for just that very purpose.
GOD'S CALL REVEALS GOD'S WILL FOR OUR SERVICE FOR HIM.