You can Run, but you Can’t Hide
Thomas Dixon
All Scripture reference taken from the New Living Translation
Good morning. You don’t have to be religious to hear today’s Bible story. Almost everyone heard the story of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish. If you are like me, you may even have stayed up at night wondering what it was like for him to live in the belly of a fish. And for most, that is where the story ended. But there is a lot more to this story.
Before getting into the story, I would like to lay a little background. Nineveh was the capital of the nation of Assyria. The nation was evil; they worshiped idols instead of God. Their king was mighty and conquered many countries, and they were getting closer and closer to the border with Israel.
The people of Israel worshiped God and were afraid of the Assyrians. Now living in Israel at the time was a prophet named Jonah, who delivered messages from God to the people. God saw the wickedness of the people of Nineveh and wanted them to repent. So, this is where we pick up the story in Jonah chapter 1 and verse 1: 1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah, son of Amittai. 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”
Let me stop here for a minute. You know Las Vegas is called the sinful city? Nineveh was no Vegas. It was much, much worse. So, to Jonah, this request from God was no simple request.
Here is a better comparison. Assume Jonah is a Rabbi in Israel, and God asked him to go to Gaza, Palestine. And God told him, I want you to tell them who you are, and they need to repent of their evil ways. And if they do, I will forgive them. How do you think that would play out? Not Good. So, what did Jonah do? He did what any of us may have done. Let’s read on in verse 3: 3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
I must admit that when I read this, I burst out laughing. The Bible didn’t just say he disobeyed. It said he went in the opposite direction. And the funniest part to me was that it said to get away from God. He decided to go to the port, buy a ticket, and get onboard, hoping to escape from the Lord. But the Lord wasn’t done with Jonah. Let’s read on in verse 4: 4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.
Look at that. He was on board, heading in the opposite direction. He was probably thinking all would be well now. But when we believe it is peace and safety, here comes a storm. Note that the Bible didn’t just say a storm; it said a violent storm. It probably felt like a category-five hurricane. Let’s continue the story in verse 5: 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.
There are two things I noticed in this verse. First, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods. Not to God the heavenly Father. That tells me that the people Jonah was traveling with did not serve the true God.
Secondly, despite disobeying God’s command, Jonah was so comfortable that he was asleep. All hell was breaking loose outside, but he was sound asleep. That is how comfortable we can get in our sinful ways. Let’s read verse 6: 6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your God! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.” Jonah gets a wake-up call. Literally. The captain realized that their god was not helping. They wanted Jonah to call on the true God. Even they realized that they needed the true God.
Let’s read on in verse 7: 7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. Jonah wanted to get away from God. But he couldn’t hide from God. It was no surprise that Jonah was identified as the culprit. They decided to have a serious talk with Jonah.
Let’s drop in on that conversation in the following two verses. Verse 8: 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?” 9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
Look at Jonah’s response. He still did not say what his line of work was. He did not admit that he was a prophet. He, however, acknowledged that he worships Jehovah. Let’s read on: 10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
Look at that. Although these crew members did not Serve the Lord God, they were still terrified. They wanted to know why he had done it. The Bible said they groaned. They must think to themselves: Jonah is out of his mind.
Then, it was time to get down to business. They asked the question. What should we do to you to stop the storm? This time, Jonah was upfront. Look at his response in verse 12: 12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”
This was a turning point for Jonah. He accepted responsibility. He knew the cause of the storm was his fault. He asked them to throw him into the sea for the storm to stop. If they throw him overboard, the storm will stop. It is that simple. So, let’s see what they did in verse 13: 13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.
Does that sound familiar? They asked the question. What can we do to get the storm to stop? They received an answer. A simple answer. Just throw him overboard. But instead of obeying, they decided to do their own thing. They rowed harder. They put in more work, more time, more effort. But nothing was working. And the next verse explains why. Let’s read verse 14: 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
That’s it. It was a conversion moment. Jonah disobeyed God and did the wrong thing. But God was still able to use the situation for good. They cried out to the Lord, the true God. The Bible said they pleaded. See the difference between what they did in verse 5 and verse 14. In verse 5, they shouted to their god. But now they are more humbled. They are pleading.
They are right and right again. If you look at the end of verse 14, the storm came on them for God’s good reason. It was a teaching moment for Jonah that he cannot outrun God. And it also presented an opportunity for the other sailors to pray to the living God. Let’s read on in verse 15: 15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!
Obedience brings reward. They threw Jonah into the sea, and the storm stopped at once. Let’s read their reaction in verse 16: 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Let me read that again because it sounds like you are sleeping: 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
If you haven’t said amen yet for the day, this is an opportunity for you to say amen. Through this horrible experience, these sailors get to witness God’s power and glory. They decided to serve the Lord God. Let’s get to the more familiar part of the story in verse 17: 17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
This is the part of the story we all remember. Jonah is being swallowed by a big fish. And he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Jesus referred to this in his teachings. Keep your Bible in Jonah, but let’s look quickly at this in Matt 12: 38-40: 38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.” 39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
So, if there were any doubts that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, Jesus cleared that up for us. If Jesus validates it, enough said. Let’s get back to the story of Jonah.
Like I said, this is the part of the story everyone remembers. A great fish swallowed Jonah. And this is what kept me up at night as a kid. Trying to determine what it must have felt like living in the belly of a fish. How was he able to breathe? What did he eat? Ok, we can spend the rest of the day on the million and one questions that went through my mind.
You see, for most people, that is where the story ends. And for a long time, I was one of those people. But there is more to the story, a truckload more.
If you follow the imagery of the story, Jonah is going down. Physically, he went down to the seaport, down into the ship’s hold to sleep, down into the sea, and then down into the belly of the fish. What that shows is how far from God Jonah was. Here was an opportunity to save people, but instead, he ran away.
Let’s continue the story in Jonah chapter 2 and verse 1: 1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish.
Sometimes, God puts us where he can talk to us. From the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God in verses 2 to 9. Verses 2 to 9 is a deep, sincere prayer Jonah poured out to God. It sounded like Jonah had a change of heart: 2 He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead,[a] and Lord, you heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. 4 Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’ 5 “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! 7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. 8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. 9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”
And why wouldn’t he? He knows who God is. He knows he was trying to run from God. He knew he was caught. He was defeated. And even from the belly of the fish, God heard Jonah. No matter how far you are from God, he hears you when you sincerely call out to him. Now, let’s see what happens in verse 10: 10 Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.
That is where God wanted him to be. That is why I titled today’s message, “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Jonah was now again on dry land where God could talk to him. And that is precisely what God did. Let’s read Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2: 1 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”
This reminds me of the verse in 1 Samuel 15:22: 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. The Bible says obedience is better than sacrifice. Look at how much Jonah had to endure to hear the same instruction. Go and deliver the message I have given to you. Don’t run, don’t hide. Just do it. I am sure this has happened to many of us. We know what we must do but try to run away from it. Only to find ourselves right back where we need to be, doing what we should have done in the first place. That is what happened to Jonah. Let’s look at verse 3: 3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.
Jonah was scared to go to Nineveh. And as a human, he probably had a reason to be. He thought getting these people to turn to God must be impossible. But that was not for him to decide. Let’s read on in verse 4: 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.
Look at that. Just that quickly, the Bible says they believe God’s message from the greatest to the least and declare a fast to show their sorrow. Let’s continue in verse 6: 6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes.
Remember earlier, we described the king as powerful who conquered many armies. After hearing the word of the Lord, he humbled himself.
Not only did he humble himself, but let’s see what he did next by reading on in verse 7: 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all.
I looked up the meaning of the word decree. A decree is a statement that something must happen. It is not a suggestion. It is an order. Let’s read the rest of the decree: 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”
The king ordered the people to wear garments of mourning and pray to God. Remember, the people of Nineveh prayed to idols. They did not want to have anything to do with God. Now, they are praying to the true God. But I want you to notice that they were not just praying to God, but they were praying earnestly. There must be sincerity in our prayers.
They did all manners of evil. They were so bad that Jonah did not want to go to them to deliver a message from God. In fact, the Bible says he ran in the opposite direction to get as far as possible for these people. Now, the king commands the people to turn away from their evil ways and stop all their violence.
Look at the end of the decree in verse 9: 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”
The king is hoping that God will change his mind about destroying them. But this is not just a baseless hope. They did work. They made changes. Let’s review some of the changes they made:
- They humbled themselves.
- Prayed earnestly to God.
- Turned from their evil ways.
- Stopped all their violence.
Was their effort rewarded? Let’s see what happens next in verse 10: 10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
Yet another example of obedience equals Rewards. The people of Nineveh heard the warning of God. They took action. They humbled themselves. They prayed earnestly to God. They turned from their evil ways. And God rewarded their obedience and actions. God changed his mind. He did not carry out the destruction he had planned for Nineveh.
That is good news. But as you know, not everyone is happy when there is good news. Let’s read on in Jonah chapter 4 and verse 1: 1 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
Let us stop here for a little bit. Nineveh was a city that did not serve the Lord God. God sent a messenger to warn them of their evil ways. They humbled themselves and turned away from their wicked ways. God saved the destruction of an entire nation. But the messenger of God, the prophet, is not happy. The Bible said he was upset and became angry. Let’s see just how angry he got by reading on: 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
Can you believe that? He was so angry that he asked the Lord to kill him now. That was a severe temper tantrum. But the bigger question is, why is he so angry? Here is why. If you remember, at the beginning of the message, I told you Israel was afraid of the city of Nineveh. Jonah is angry because he wants to see the city of Nineveh destroyed. The destruction of Nineveh meant security for the nation of Israel.
Look at God’s reply in verse 4: 4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
God already knows the answer to the question. But he still asks the question. Jonah has no right to be angry about God’s decision. Let’s see what happens next by reading on from verse 5: 5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.
Mission completed. The message was delivered. Now, it is a wait-and-see moment. Jonah decided to take a front-row seat. He found a spot to sit and watch to see what would happen next. He built himself a shelter, sat down, and waited. I can only imagine him being there, still angry, fuming with God. Now, look at what God did to Jonah, who is furious at him. Verse 6: 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
I have heard the phrase, “If God were like a man.” I prefer the phrase, “I am glad God is not like man.” Because while he is there, he is angry at God. God provided shade for him. Jonah was grateful for the shade from the plant. I didn’t hear him say he did not want the shade because he was angry at God. No, he welcomes the relief. You see, God would use this as another teaching moment for Jonah. Let’s see what happens next in verses 7 and 8: 7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
I can picture Jonah. He is still angry at God. He was sitting in the shade and waiting to see what was happening to Nineveh. But when there is peace and safety, there comes sudden destruction. God caused a worm to eat through the plant, and it withered away. Then, the Lord caused the sun to grow hot and the east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun was so hot that he grew faint and wished to die. But, instead of repenting and asking for mercy, he continued with his tantrum. He claimed death was better than living like that.
Now, God could have left him there to either wish for death or die. But God was not done with Jonah. Let’s read on in verse 9: 9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
As I read this story, I thought Jonah stayed angry for a long time. I would have expected this from someone who doesn’t know God. But this is a prophet. He should know better. But he stayed angry for a long time. So, look at what God said to him in verse 10: 10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
God said Jonah felt sorry about a plant that came and went quickly. There wasn’t even much time to form a connection. Yet he feels sorry for the plant. But he is angry because God felt sorry for the people of Nineveh. There were over 120,000 people in spiritual darkness. You would think Jonah, as a prophet, would understand the importance of bringing the message of salvation to them. But he didn’t.
Let’s bring the story home. There is a lot to that story. Let’s look at a few of the lessons from the story.
So here we go:
- God is the hero of the story, not Jonah. God is displaying incredible love for everyone. Even the worst people in Nineveh. He also shows love to Jonah. Jonah keeps messing up, and God keeps showing him love.
- Jonah’s heart was in the wrong place. Jonah was more concerned about his and his people’s safety than saving an entire city.
- God is a God of second chances. Throughout the story, God is shown to be giving second chances to both Jonah and the people of Nineveh. God offers patience and grace to them. God did not give up on them. And this brings me to my final and most important point.
- God won’t give up on you either. He wants your heart to reflect his more than ever, but he won’t force it. In the meantime, he will display patience and grace towards you.
So, I will close with this: the story of Jonah reminds us that we can’t hide from God’s calling or His love. Jonah tried to flee, but God’s love chased him down, offering not just one but multiple opportunities to align his heart with God’s will. Just as Jonah received grace, so too do we. God doesn’t give up on us; He pursues us relentlessly, offering second chances to get it right. So, when God calls, don’t run, don’t hide—answer because you can’t outrun His love.
Trick or Treat – Origin
“Trick or treat” began in Ireland when people went from house to house begging for food on Halloween. They promised good luck to those who gave something, and bad luck to those who did not. A group of Irish Celts, called Druids, who lived in Ireland and Scotland about 2,000 years ago, were devil worshipers who celebrated on this holiday. They believed evil spirits roamed the earth on Halloween. Spooky costumes were worn to fool the spirits into thinking that those wearing the costumes were spirits, too. The spirits would not bother them if they thought they were ghosts and goblins!
The Jewish people also celebrate a special holiday towards the end of October called the Feast of Ingathering or the Feast of Tabernacles or Trumpets. This is also their New Year celebration. It includes their most holy day of the year, the Day of Atonement. This is the day when all the Jewish people are to repent of their sins.
This Jewish feast was to remind the people to give thanks for the harvest they had just brought in. They also had to sleep in tents during this time. The reason they were to sleep in the tents was to remind them that they were still pilgrims and strangers on this earth.
The October festival was to remind people to look to the spiritual side of life, to remember there is a Hell and there is a Heaven. We get so caught up in our everyday lives that often we almost forget the hereafter. The Jewish people were commanded to remember this every year. They have been doing this for over 4,000 years.
It is obvious that the Druids and Celts did not invent this holiday. They merely modified it 2,000 years after the Jewish people had been celebrating it. They changed it from a holiday that honored God to a holiday that glorified death and the devil. It is no coincidence that the devil worshipers have taken the most holy Jewish season of the year and declared it a high satanic holiday. Ever since then, the debate has raged over whose holiday it really is.
Halloween means “All Hallow’s Eve.” How did this happen? Halloween became a Christian holiday around the eighth century. They started to call the night before “All Saints Day,” which is November 1, “All Hallows’ E’en,” or “Holy Evening.” “All Hallows’ E’en” was later shortened to “Halloween.” The very name means “All Hallow’s Eve” or “All Holy Eve.” “All Saints Day” or “All-Hallows’ Day” is the day set aside by the church to remember the saints that had gone on before us.
According to pagan custom, this special day began as the sun set the evening before. It is interesting that this is how the Jewish people count their days, starting with the evening before, showing some of the Jewish roots to this holiday.
Is it true that the birth of the Protestant Reformation started on Halloween? Halloween has a great Christian heritage behind it. Anyone who calls themselves a Protestant should know that the birth of the Protestant movement started on Halloween. This is the day chosen by Martin Luther to nail his 95 theses to a church door in 1517. He was complaining about the unbiblical things being practiced by the church of his day and was calling for the church to get back to Biblical Christianity. The result of this action was the great Protestant Reformation.
It is not exactly clear why Martin Luther chose this day to do this, but he clearly chose this day over any other day. He knew many people would be coming to church the next day. November 1 was the day set aside by the church to remember and honor all the saints who had died. He hoped this would challenge them to look to the Bible for their answers instead of traditions. It started the Protestant Reformation that swept throughout all of Europe.
Is there any Biblical basis for remembering those who have died and gone on to be with the Lord? Some people say we should not participate in this holiday because it was birthed from the devil. Some people feel that to celebrate this holiday is just taking the devil’s holiday and dressing it up so Christians can use it.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 11 & 12, we are told to remember the saints of old as an encouragement. Name after name is listed, and their great feats of faith are recorded. Then in Chapter 12:1, we read, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”
Halloween used to be a Christian holiday. The very name means “All Hallows’ Eve” or “All Holy Eve.” It was the night before “All Saints Day.”
This holiday should be a reminder about the simple truths of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came and died to save all mankind. Those who partake in the work of the cross will be able to spend eternity with a Holy Righteous God, and those who continue to rebel will spend eternity in Hell.
Isn’t it true that much of what goes on today during the Halloween celebrations is rooted in the occult? Yes, much of what goes on during Halloween is rooted in the occult. Parents ought to take a stand against letting their children dress up as ghosts, devils, skeletons, witches, and go out trick or treating. They should not allow their children to dress up as a dead person or a witch.
On the other hand, the scriptures encourage us to emulate or follow the example of good godly people. The concept of honoring somebody is not contrary to the scriptures. The question is, whom are you going to honor? We should seek to honor God and look to Biblical role models as our examples. Paul says in Philippians 3:17, “Join in following my example, and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern.” Dressing up as someone is a great way to emulate them.
It is not safe to send children out into neighborhoods to collect candy anymore, but it can be done. It might be better for local churches to have a harvest party.
Harvest parties are also Biblical, as we read in the Old Testament that God ordained one of the Jewish holidays to be the “Feast of Harvest.” The people were to gather and give thanks for what God had provided.
Ultimately, each person has to come to some kind of decision as to what to do with Halloween. At least consider the fact that the devil does not have any rights to this holiday. We are aware he has convinced many that it is his holiday, but maybe it’s time the Church takes it back. If you do decide to celebrate it, make sure you use it to bring glory to God.
How did this holiday get started anyway?
Halloween is actually a combination of holidays. Samhain (Sah-win), which meant “end of summer” to the Celts, was a festival marking the end of the food-growing season. Spirits of the fruits and vegetables were believed to visit the earth on October 31. This was their New Year celebration. Huge bonfires were lit on hilltops to scare the ghosts of the harvest away. They also believed that “Jack-o’-Lantern” was the spirit of the pumpkin. They carved a pleasant-looking face to show Jack as a good spirit, not a nasty one.
