Most of us think we understand the biblical story about Jonah and his rebellion,

but our assumptions may be challenged today.

You see, Jonah's attempt to run away from God exposed his rebellion, but his greatest sin was far more egregious,

and you might find it shocking. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall continues his biographical

study on Jonah, the reluctant prophet. In this next study, we'll discover that Jonah's sin

and defiance were rooted in racism.

Chuck titled today's message, Resistance of a Racist Rebel.

Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Jonah.

Way back in the Old Testament among the minor prophets,

minor only in the sense that they are,

for the most part, smaller, shorter than the major prophets.

These minor prophets often have a major message for all of us, and this one perhaps more than

most speaks to us in our times.

Jonah chapter one, I'll be reading verses 1 through 12 in the new living translation.

The Lord gave this message to Jonah, son of Amatai.

Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh.

Announce my judgment against it, because I've seen how wicked its people are.

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa,

where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape

from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened

to break the ship apart.

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