Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

You Can’t Outrun God

Catherine Martinez

Jonah 1:3

I like using a treadmill to exercise, but running in one place also makes me bored. I feel like I’m working hard to get nowhere, running without a destination.

Today’s reading reminds us that running from the presence of God is like trying to go somewhere on a treadmill: You won’t get very far. Because God is present and sovereign over all His creation, fleeing from Him is impossible and only leads to misery, confusion and frustration.

Once Jonah heard his assignment from God in Jonah 1:1-2, he decided to go in the opposite direction of Nineveh; he "rose to flee to Tarshish" (Jonah 1:3). While scholars are unsure of Tarshish’s location, it was likely in the western Mediterranean, as far as Jonah could go from Nineveh.

Scholars give a few possible reasons why Jonah did this:

1. He didn’t want to see the Ninevites, Israel’s enemies, receive God’s grace (Jonah 4:2).
2. He feared social shame if associated with Nineveh's redemption.
3. He feared for his safety since prophets who brought messages from God to evil people were often persecuted (1 Kings 19:1-3; 2 Chronicles 24:20-21; etc.).

Whatever the reason, Jonah was disobedient. Fleeing “from the presence of the Lᴏʀᴅ,” a Hebrew idiom used twice in Jonah 1:3, shows rebellion against God and His Word. The ESV Study Bible notes that "went down" also appears twice in today’s key verse and is a biblical euphemism for death (e.g., Psalm 30:9). Jonah’s attempt to flee God was a march toward destruction.

Scholars note that Jonah "paid the fare" to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3), reminding us that running from God comes at our expense. Like Jonah, we may try to flee His calling, but James 4:17 says, “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Sin always costs more than we can pay.

Thankfully, when we obey God by grace through faith in Christ, He pays on our behalf (Romans 6:23) and works all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus does not run from people needing redemption but runs toward us in love.

Even in Jonah’s rebellion, he could not outrun God’s presence or grace. And the same is true for us. Whenever we feel tempted to run from God, let’s run toward Him instead.