QT 12/11/2025 Wed. Jonah 1 “You Can Run, But You Can’t Outrun Grace” “你可逃避，却逃不过恩典”

QT 12/11/2025 Wed. Jonah 1 “You Can Run, But You Can’t Outrun Grace”
READ http://www.esv.org/jonah1

Jonah prophesied during the time of Joroboam II’s reign (782–753 B.C.) with the book written much later. Jonah 1 spoke of rebellion, mercy, and God’s relentless pursuit of His runaway prophet.

Scripture Focus: Jonah 1:3, 17 (ESV)
3 “But Jonah rose 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, away from the presence of the Lord.”

17 “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

Devotional Reflection

Jonah’s story begins with a call and a refusal.
God’s voice was clear: “Arise, go to Nineveh.” But Jonah arose to flee. Instead of going up to Nineveh, he went down to Joppa. Down into the ship. Down into the sea. Down into the belly of a fish.

That downward spiral is the geography of disobedience. Every step away from God feels like freedom—until the storm hits.

Jonah wanted distance from God’s call, but he found out you can’t sail out of God’s reach. The wind and the waves still obey Him. Even the pagan sailors recognized God’s sovereignty while Jonah slept through the storm of his own making.

When Jonah hit rock bottom—in the dark belly of the fish—he discovered what grace looks like when it corners you. That fish wasn’t punishment; it was rescue. God’s discipline is often His mercy in disguise.

And there’s a whisper of Jesus here: three days and three nights—the same phrase Jesus used to describe His own burial before resurrection (Matthew 12:40). Jonah’s descent and deliverance point us forward to the greater Savior who entered death itself to bring us back to life.

Jonah ran from his calling; Jesus ran toward the cross.
Jonah’s rebellion brought a storm; Jesus calmed it with His word.
Jonah was cast into the sea to save others; Jesus was cast into death to save the world.

Reflection & Application

(1) Where are you running from God?
Maybe not geographically, but spiritually—avoiding a call, a conviction, or a command. God’s pursuit is patient, but He won’t stop until He wins your heart back.

(2) Are you in a storm of your own making?
Don’t mistake hardship for rejection—it may be God’s mercy steering you home.

(3) Will you surrender before the ship breaks?
The sooner you stop running, the sooner grace begins to work redemption from your rebellion.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for pursuing me when I run. Forgive me for choosing Tarshish over obedience. When I go down into the depths, remind me that Your mercy still reaches there. Lift me up again, and use my life to show Your saving grace—just like You did with Jonah. In Jesus’ name, amen.

QT 12/11/2025 星期三.  约拿书 1 “你可逃避，却逃不过恩典”
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/jon/1/

约拿在耶罗波安二世统治时期（公元前782-753年）传讲预言，其著作成书于更晚时期。约拿书第一章讲述了叛逆、怜悯，以及神对逃亡先知不懈的追寻。

经文聚焦：约拿书1:3,17
3 可是约拿却起来，要逃往他施去，躲避耶和华；他下到约帕，找到了一只要开往他施去的船；他给了钱，就上船（“上船”原文作“下船”），要和他们同往他施去，离开耶和华。

17 耶和华却安排了一条大鱼，把约拿吞下。约拿就在鱼腹中三日三夜。（本节在《马索拉抄本》为2:1）

灵修默想

约拿的故事始于呼召与抗拒。
神的命令清晰明确：“起来，往尼尼微去。”但约拿却起身逃跑。他没有前往尼尼微，反而下到约帕。下到船舱。下到深海。下到鱼腹。

这向下的螺旋轨迹，正是违命者的地理图景。每一步远离神的脚步都看似自由——直到风暴来袭。

约拿试图逃离神的呼召，却发现无人能逃离神的掌权。狂风巨浪仍听从祂的命令。当约拿沉睡在自己招致的风暴中时，连异教水手都认出了神的主权。

当约拿跌入人生谷底——在鱼腹的黑暗深处——他领悟了恩典在绝境中的模样。那条鱼并非惩罚，而是拯救。神的管教常是伪装的怜悯。

这里隐含着耶稣的预表：三日三夜——耶稣复活前描述自己埋葬时用的相同措辞（马太福音12:40）。约拿的沉沦与拯救，预示着那位更伟大的救主——祂亲身进入死亡，为要将我们带回生命。

约拿逃避呼召；耶稣奔赴十字架。
约拿的悖逆引发风暴；耶稣以话语平息风浪。
约拿被抛入海中拯救他人；耶稣被抛入死亡拯救世界。

反思与应用

(1) 你正在逃避神的哪些领域？
或许并非地理上的逃离，而是灵性上的躲避——逃避呼召、逃避良心的责备、逃避神的命令。神的追寻充满耐心，但祂绝不会停止，直到夺回你的心。

(2) 你是否身陷自酿的风暴？
莫将困境误认为被弃——这或许是神以怜悯引领你归家。

(3) 你会在船只沉没前投降吗？
逃避得越迟，恩典就越迟开始从你的叛逆中成就救赎。

祷告
主啊，感谢祢在我逃离时仍追寻我。求祢赦免我选择他施而非顺服。当我坠入深渊时，请提醒我祢的怜悯仍能抵达那里。求祢再次将我扶起，并使用我的生命彰显祢的救赎之恩——正如祢在约拿身上所行的。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。