Introduction
There are a lot of famous Bible stories. But what about the characters who ran away from God? In this post, I’ll introduce you to four of them.
First up is Adam and Eve. As you probably know, they were the first humans God created. But after they sinned, they ran away from God and hid in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve’s Disobedience
When I read about Adam and Eve in the Bible, their story always fascinates me. They were the first humans created by God and had everything they could ever want. But despite all this, they ran away from God.
I can’t help but wonder why they did this. What could have been so bad that it made them want to leave the Garden of Eden and God’s presence? I don’t know for sure, but I imagine it was something pretty big.
It makes me think about how we all make mistakes sometimes. We might not run away from God as Adam and Eve did, but sometimes we might disobey Him or go against what we know is right. When this happens, it’s important to admit our mistakes and ask for forgiveness.
Jonah’s Flight From God
I think I can speak for many people when I say that we’ve all felt the desire to run away from God at some point or another. Maybe we’re going through a tough time and feel like we can’t handle it. Or maybe we’re just not living up to our own expectations.
For me, that’s what Jonah’s story is all about. He’s just not feeling it with God anymore. He’s tired of being faithful and obedient and ready to take things into his own hands. So he decides to run away—literally. He hops on a boat and sets sail opposite where God is waiting for him.
But as we all know, God is always watching and waiting for us. And sooner or later, He catches up with us no matter how far we try to run. In Jonah’s case, it only takes three days for Him to track him down. Talk about persistence!
When God finally catches up with Jonah, He doesn’t berate him or chastise him for running away. Instead, He offers him compassion and understanding. He knows that we all make mistakes, and He’s always willing to forgive us if we’re willing to come back home.
Abraham’s Lack of Faith in God’s Promise
I can certainly understand Abraham’s lack of faith. It was a huge commitment when God called him to leave his home and travel to an unknown land. Abraham had no idea what the future held, and I’m sure it was scary not knowing if he was making the right decision.
God had already promised Abraham that he would be greatly blessed, but Abraham still hesitated. He was worried about his safety and the well-being of his family. But in the end, Abraham trusted God and followed His lead. Even when things got tough, Abraham never lost faith in God’s promise.
Moses’ Doubt in His Ability to Lead
When God called on Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Moses had every right to be doubtful. He was, after all, just a simple shepherd. And yet, God saw something in Moses that Moses didn’t see in himself.
But despite God’s assurances, Moses still doubted his ability to lead the Israelites. So much so that he ran away from God and ended up in the desert, where he lived for 40 years.
It wasn’t until after those 40 years that Moses finally realized that he was exactly where God wanted him to be. And it was only then that he could lead the Israelites to freedom.
Elijah’s Despair and Depression
Elijah was a great prophet of God who was used mightily by the Lord. He was also human, and he felt all the emotions that we feel. After defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah ran for his life because Queen Jezebel wanted to kill him (1 Kings 19:3).
Elijah ended up in a cave on Mount Horeb, the mount of God. There, God appeared to Elijah and asked him what he was doing there (1 Kings 19:9). Elijah responded by telling God how zealous he had been for the Lord and how he had destroyed the prophets of Baal. Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Kings 19:10).
Elijah was discouraged and ready to give up. But God wasn’t finished with him yet.
Jacob’s Deception of His Father-in-Law
I’m sure you remember the story of how Jacob deceived his father-in-law, Laban, in order to take his livestock and get away. Well, that wasn’t the first time Jacob had run away from someone.
Earlier in his life, Jacob had stolen his brother’s birthright by disguising himself as Esau. And once he had tricked his father into giving him the blessing meant for Esau, he knew he had to get out of there before his brother found out and killed him. So, he took off and didn’t look back.
But even though Jacob was a deceiver and a liar, God still loved him and pursued him. And eventually, Jacob came to a place of repentance and turned his life around.
Conclusion – Running Away From God
I was running away from God, and He relentlessly pursued me.
He pursued me in the middle of the night, in the middle of a storm. He pursued me in the middle of my sin. He pursued me when I was running as fast as I could.
And He still does.
Even when we run away from Him, He never gives up on us. He is always pursuing us, always ready to forgive us and welcome us back into His arms.
