mos 5:27). Any patriotic Israelite would have longed for Assyria's destruction! Shortly after Jeroboam's death and the ministry of Jonah, Assyria entered a period of aggression and expansion under Tiglath-Pileser III. It would eventually conquer Samaria and exile the people of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C.
             The word of the Lord came to Jonah, "Arise and go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up against me" (Jonah 1:2). We soon see that Jonah did not want to go. Why? Was it because Nineveh was a chief Assyrian city, a foreign, Gentile city? Was he afraid that the people would not receive him as a prophet from God? Was Jonah like some of us in the Church are today when we think that we have "Arrived"? Whatever the reason, Jonah tries to flee by going down to Joppa and get a ticket to heads the opposite direction: toward Tarshish, which is on the other side of the Mediterranean. But the Lord sent a great storm upon the sea and the ship threatened to break up, the men on board was terrified. Every man on the ship called upon his gods and even through the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But of course Jonah was downstairs fast asleep like many of us are today when the storms are raging in other people's lives. As long as it is not disturbing us, we say it's not our business. Or is it? When God calls us to go to our brother or sister we often times try to do just as Jonah. Speaking to all the Jonah's of the present day world, you know what? "You can't run, you can't hide"
             When the Captain found Jonah sleeping he cried out to him and commanded him to call upon his God to have mercy on them so that they would not perish. So the me
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