約拿書1:1-4

1:1 耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿，說：

1:2 「你起來往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因為他們的惡達到我面前。」

1:3 約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華；下到約帕，遇見一隻船，要往他施去。他就給了船價，上了船，要與船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和華。

1:4 然而耶和華使海中起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎破壞。

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. 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.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

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    這是一個有趣的記載：因為上帝要約拿去尼尼微大城去，是往東邊走。約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華，是往西邊走。實在是超故意的！

    為甚麼是這樣呢？約拿因為討厭尼尼微大城的亞述人，不希望上帝拯救他們。所以他單純的認為，不去尼尼微大城，上帝就拿他沒法子了！但是事實是如此嗎？上帝在此就興起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎要壞掉了！

    我們平常也是如此的，常常以為我們有能力阻止上帝的作為，其實這種想法和約拿的作為差不多，相信這卷書要引導我們知道上帝的主權是人無法抗拒的，人必定會伏在祂的主權之下！