Relentless Mercy: Running from God

Josiah Kenniv
Jul 1, 2025
4 min read

Jonah 1:1-3 Cornerstone Youth – Week 1

Jonah: A Book That Confronts Us

The book of Jonah is one of the most surprising books in the Bible. It confronts our assumptions and offends our sensibilities. It is not a tame story. It’s a narrative where everything gets flipped upside down. It’s supposed to challenge us.

The prophet is the villain.
The wicked Ninevites repent.
The sailors cry out to the Lord.
A fish listens to God better than Jonah does.

The question Jonah forces us to ask is this: What do I do when God shows mercy to people I don't think deserve it?

God uses Jonah’s story to draw out our hidden motivations, expose our idols, and remind us of His compassion, not just for His people, but for the nations. He is a God of relentless mercy.

Historical Context

Jonah was a real person. He appears in 2 Kings 14:23-25 as a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam II. He proclaims God’s favor and expansion to Israel. That makes Jonah a contemporary of Amos and Hosea.

In 2 Kings, his message would have been well received. He delivers good news about national blessing. But now, in the book that bears his name, God gives him a very different assignment.

Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, one of the cruelest and most violent empires in the ancient world. Their brutality was infamous. Within a generation, they would conquer and destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel. These were not just foreigners. They were Jonah’s enemies.

The Real Reason Jonah Ran

Jonah doesn’t run because he’s scared. He runs because he’s offended.

In Jonah 4:2, we hear his confession:

“I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

Jonah isn’t afraid of failure. He’s afraid of success. He doesn’t want the Ninevites to hear God’s message, repent, and be spared. He wants justice. He wants judgment. He wants grace for himself, but not for them.

He doesn’t want mercy to reach people he considers unworthy.

Jonah 1:1-3 – Two Questions We All Must Answer

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’ But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”– Jonah 1:1-3

1. When God Speaks, Will You Respond?

God’s command is clear. “Arise, go… and call out.” There is no ambiguity. Jonah knows exactly what God is asking. He just doesn’t want to do it.

The phrase “the word of the Lord came” appears more than one hundred times in the Old Testament. The expectation is that God’s servants will listen and obey. But Jonah doesn’t just hesitate. He rebels.

This raises an important question for us today: Where in your life has God already spoken, and you haven’t responded?

Maybe you’re not confused about what God wants. Maybe you just don’t like it.

It could be something as simple as an apology you need to make, or as significant as a relationship that needs to change. Maybe you’ve been convicted about sharing your faith, about trusting God in a hard circumstance, or about letting go of bitterness, but instead of obeying, you’ve been stalling.

Sometimes our issue isn’t uncertainty. It’s reluctance.

“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”– Psalm 29:4 “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable…”– 2 Timothy 3:16

The real question is not, “Is God speaking?” The question is, “Am I listening? And if I’m listening, am I willing to obey?”

2. When God Leads, Will You Follow?

“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…”

Jonah doesn’t argue with God. He gets up and leaves. He finds a ship, pays the fare, and heads toward Tarshish—the farthest place he could think to go.

Tarshish was the western edge of the known world, possibly located in modern-day Spain. It was in the complete opposite direction of Nineveh.

Jonah isn’t hiding his disobedience. He’s committing to it. He deliberately walks away from God’s presence and God’s call.

We might not board a boat, but we run in our own ways.

We delay.
We avoid.
We fill our time with noise.
We convince ourselves it’s not that urgent.
We downplay what we already know God has said.

Running doesn’t always look like open rebellion. Sometimes it looks like a distraction. Sometimes it looks like busyness. Sometimes it looks like silence.

When God says, “Forgive,” and we don’t—that’s running. When He says, “Speak truth,” and we stay quiet—that’s running. When He calls us to identity in Him, but we look for approval elsewhere—that’s running.

The heart behind all of it says,

“God, I hear You. I just don’t want to do what You’re asking.”

You can run from God’s commands, but you can’t outrun His presence.

Personal Reflection

This story asks us to pause and consider: Where am I running? Where has God already spoken—and I’ve gone in the opposite direction?

Maybe you’re not confused. You’re just unwilling. Jonah’s story is a mirror. And if we’re honest, Jonah is us.

The Good News

Jonah’s disobedience isn’t the end of the story. He runs, but God pursues.

Jonah is thrown overboard. Jesus walks willingly into the storm.

Jonah deserves what he gets. Jesus takes what we deserve.

In Luke 22:42, Jesus prays, “Not my will, but yours be done.”Where Jonah fled, Jesus obeyed. Where Jonah hardened his heart, Jesus gave His life. His obedience secured our salvation.

Now we obey—not to earn God’s love, but because we already have it.

“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” – John 14:15

This Week’s Challenge

Spend time in reflection and prayer. Ask yourself:

Where has God already spoken in my life?
Where am I resisting what I know He’s calling me to do?
What would it look like to say yes, to trust Him and obey?

Then pray:

“Lord, help me to trust Your voice and follow where You lead.”

Next Up: Jonah 1:4-17 – The Storm of God’s Discipline.