21/10/11

Fleeing from the Lord unto Tarshish

Jonah 1:3 - But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

We all know that the Lord is everywhere and David says in his Psalms that anywhere he goes the Lord is there. He goes to the extent to state even in Hell he cannot run away from the Lord, for the Lord is omnipresent.

In today's message we read Jonah a man of faith, close to the Lord tries to flee from the presence of the Lord. The scripture says he 'rose up to flee unto Tarshish' to flee from the presence of the Lord. Later we read when he reached Joppa he found a ship going to Tarshish. We need to ask, is Tarshish more than Hell that Jonah would flee from the Lord, by going there?

We can to understand this scripture by understanding Tarshish. This Hebrew word means 'yellow jasper'. All names of all important places in the Bible have relation to scriptures and their understanding. So also the gems in the Bible in the spiritual world have an understanding like the 12 stones on the breast plate of the High Priest represented the 12 tribes and the same stones are of which Heaven is made of, as stated in the book of Revelation.

I stated in one of my posts long back that these 12 stones represent the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Like the stone sapphire symbolizes mercy and therefore the Throne of God is symbolized as made by sapphire. Coming to the stone Jasper, which is on the last row represents the Spiritual Fruit temperance or self-control. The stone jasper is found in many colours, but here the colour yellow is specifically specified. If one looks at the way the Lord defines the identification of leprosy there too He specifies the colour yellow. Leprosy was given great importance not because it was the most dangerous disease but because of its spiritual understanding. Jesus bought dead to life but for the lepers after He healed them He gave them instructions to see the High Priest.

Yellow jasper represents the worldly way of self-control or the self confidence that one has in one's works or in one's ability. We need to remember however much of worldly assets we may have or even of spiritual gifts; at no point should we be self-confident. We should always remember if the Lord is not with us it would not take a micro-second for our world to come crashing down.

The Lord is telling us greater than Hell is the self-confidence of man which can keep the Lord away from him and this Truth we need to always remember.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we thank You for this message of warning which we really did not understand the grave danger of. Lord, keep us always meek and humble before You. You bless us with gifts and abilities which are from You and for a purpose and that purpose is the glory of your Kingdom. Lord, help us remember without You we are nothing and therefore help us live for You and You alone...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Psalms 139:8 - If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

Psalms 118:8-9
8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Exodus 28:17-21
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

Revelation 21:19-21
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Exodus 24:9-10
9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Leviticus 13:30 - Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

Job 28:12-21
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

Ezekiel 10:1 - Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.


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