Divine Presence

In the Bible the words used to describe the presence of God convey three main senses. First, there is the sense in which God is present everywhere or omnipresent (Ps 139:7-10). Second, there is the special presence of God with his people. In the Old Testament this is often tied to God's dwelling in the tabernacle and temple (Ps 48). In the New Testament this special or manifest presence of God is linked with Jesus as Immanuel, God with us (Mt 1:23), as well as with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16-17). Third, there is the direct, unmediated presence of God in heaven, before which the angels receive their messages (Lk 1:19).

The main emphasis of the Bible is not on the divine presence as immanent everywhere (omnipresence), even though this is a valid and important theological point. The focus typically is on the second sense of God's special presence with his people. Thus, it is natural for Jonah to try to flee from God's presence by leaving his dwelling place among the people of Israel (1:3). I do not think Jonah was so naive as to try to escape God's omnipresence; for, he even admits later that the Lord is the God of heaven, who made the sea and land (1:9). Rather, if we understand the phrase "from the presence of the Lord" to refer to Jonah's standing before the presence of God in a special or even in a direct sense as a prophet (note how Elijah speaks about standing before God in his prophetic role in 1 Kings 17:1 and 18:15), the verse calls attention to his blatant rebellion and unwillingness to continue to serve God.

- Michael