264

JONAH’S DISOBEDIENCE.

CLUXXXI.

pONAHS PIsSOBEDIENGE,

  

aE TER the death of Je-
hoash, his son Jeroboam
\; reigned over Israel. He
was a very wicked man,
as wicked as the other
kings of Israel who had reigned
before him. God had long punished
israel with many troubles; but He
still loved His people; and now He
looked upon their sorrows and pitied
and saved them by Jeroboam ; not
because Jeroboam pleased Him,
but because He was so merciful
that He would not destroy Israel.

A prophet was hving in Israel at
this time, named Jonah; and God
commanded him to go with a mes-
sage to the city of Nineveh. Nine-
veh was a very large and rich
city in Assyria, and a great many
people lived in it; but, unhappily,
Nineveh was a very wicked city.
The king and the people worshipped
idols, and not God. ‘They were
proud of their greatness, and of
their riches 3 but they thought noth-
ing about Him who gave them all
they possessed. We may fear, that
there are many great cities now,
very much like Nineveh ; cities full
of fine houses, and buildings, and
carriages, and beautiful things, and
busy people, buying and_ selling,
and making money; thinking only
of worldly business, and worldly
pleasures; and that they care noth-
ing about God, and Heaven, and
their own souls.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh,
and warn the people of their sins,
and tell them how angry He was.
But Jonah did not like to obey.

 

Why not? Was he not glad to be
useful, and to do the work which
God gave him to do? No; he liked
his own ease better than being use-
ful. Perhaps he thought the jour-
ney would be very long and trouble-
some; or he was afraid the Nine-
vites might be angry with his mes-
sage, and try to kill him. These
were very sinful feelings. When
God gives His people a command,
they ought to obey it directly,
whether it pleases them or not.
God’s pleasure ought to be His
people’s pleasure too. And when
we are doing the will of God, we
need never fear any danger; we may
trust all to Him, and not be afraid.

But what did Jonah do? He
would not go to Nineveh; but he
arose directly and went to Joppa;
and there he found a ship just
going to a place called Tarshish.
Jonah was very glad when he saw
the ship. Perhaps he thought,
“This is what I wanted: I will go
to ‘Tarshish in that ship; and then
I shall be far away from Israel,
and from the God of Israel, and
He will give me no more messages
to take to Nineveh.” So this re-
bellious prophet paid the fare to the
captain, and went into the ship, and
sailed away. Jonah thought he was
safe now, and far away from God;
but he forgot that God is every-
where. His eye can see us wher-
ever we are; we cannot hide from
God. “Can any hide himself in
secret places, that I shall not see
him, saith the Lord?” Jeremiah
XX. 24,