The Book of Jonah. Pt 3.

Good evening to everyone reading this Bible study.

It is such a privilege to share the word of God with all of you, and it is a labor that I joyfully undertake. Thank you again, to each one of you who are sharing this blog with other people. Please continue to share this blog with your family and friends because the word of God will not return void.

Well, we are still in the first chapter of this short book but we will get through it today.  We are going to see the immediate response of Jehovah to his disobedient prophet, Jonah. First, let's look at the text.

Jonah 1:1-4 ¹ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 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.⁴ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 

I see some important things in the way the text unfolds. Verses 3 & 4 begin with conjunctions that join them to the first verse and God's command to Jonah. The first conjunction is "But Jonah...." and it preceded Jonah's disobedience. However, the more dramatic conjunction is the second one which says "But God...." and it preceded a swift rebuke of Jonah by God. Jehovah is going to teach Jonah a lesson about disobedience. 

GOD’S RESPONSE TO JONAH’S DISOBEDIENCE WAS SWIFT & DECISIVE.

JONAH 1:4 "But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

Swift judgment from Jehovah Elohim puts Jonah's life in jeopardy. Let's look at a few of the words in this text. The word "great" describes the intensity of the storm and means it had a great magnitude of violence. 

This wind is referring to a strong, angry blast of wind, a violent wind like a hurricane or tornado. A tempest is a word that means to be violently shaken, tossed about, agitated. Their ship was in danger of breaking apart under the stress of such forceful pounding. 

The following texts provide an idea of what is happening with this storm. Jehovah sent His word swiftly to stir up a storm of judgment for Jonah's failure to obey. Whenever God does something like this, He does so with the intent to bring His children back to where they need to be. He does it in righteousness and with love. In this case, we see that it is not good to disobey God and risk incurring His chastening and corrective power. 

PSALMS 147:15 ¹⁵    He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

PSALMS 33:4-5  For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. ⁵    He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

PSALMS 76:7-9  ⁷   Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?⁸    Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,⁹    When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.Selah

Who is causing this storm? The LORD of Glory. 

Jehovah is making a specific storm in order to bring Jonah to repentance, and to reset his path, so that he will do what God commanded him to do. The following texts illustrate the Creator's control over the elements of nature. 

PSALMS 88:7 ⁷    Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah

PSALMS 89:9 ⁹    Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

PSALMS 93:3-4   The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.   The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

Pay special attention to this text because it is a clear explanation of what is happening to Job and the ship that he boarded. 

PSALMS 107:23-31 ²³    They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;²⁴    These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.²⁵    For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.²⁶    They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.²⁷    They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.²⁸    Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.²⁹    He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.³⁰    Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.³¹    Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

God is going to save a rebellious city and deal with a rebellious prophet with this storm.

The sailors knew that this storm was not natural and called on their gods to save them from sinking. 

JONAH 1:5 "Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep."     

They were clearly experienced, seasoned sailors as the term "mariners" indicates. This storm was beyond the realm of their expertise. They had never seen a sudden, intense storm like this one.

The mariners attempted to lighten their load by throwing valuable cargo overboard and dumping any excess weight. This strategy was not working, and they started taking on water and began to panic.

They cried in futility to their gods. Imagine, having to call upon little statues of clay, ivory, gold or silver to help you. Lifeless lumps of material shaped by men, that cannot feel, cannot hear, cannot speak, cannot do anything. Yet this is who they called on for help. It is a sad situation to be in darkness, worshipping idols. 

PSALMS 115:4-8     Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.⁵    They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:⁶    They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:⁷    They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.⁸    They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

The sailors call out the spiritual slothfulness of Jonah. 

It is pretty sad testimony that a man of God like Jonah had to be rebuked by unsaved sailors, all because he did not listen to his LORD. He was sleeping, selfishly shirking his spiritual duties as a representative of Jehovah. They could not understand why Jonah was not doing his part and praying to God for help. 

JONAH 1:6 "So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

The words of the Apostle Paul also help us understand what God is doing to get Jonah's attention. 

EPHESIANS 5:13-14 "But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."     

God used casting of lots to finger Jonah as the guilty party.

Casting lots was initiated by God when He gave the law to Moses. Other cultures also used lots to find an answer to their questions, but those answers were mere chance. Whereas, the God of Israel did answer His people when lots were cast.

JONAH 1:7 "And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah."     

PROVERBS 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

The hand of God forced Jonah to face the realities of his sin.

It is telling to see what Jonah does not say, in addition to what he does tell the mariners. He tells them that he is a Hebrew who feared the LORD, the God of heaven. They asked him why he has done this, since they now understood that this storm was because Jonah was on their boat. 

Up to this point, Jonah has not told them that he is a prophet of Jehovah. Jonah has not said he was from northern Israel where he had seen the effects of war with Assyria. Jonah has not said he is an Israelite prophet who represents the living and true God. Like Lot, he had a poor testimony at this juncture in the story.

JONAH 1:8-10 "Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?"    "And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land."     "Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them."     

Hebrews were known to be monotheistic in contrast to Assyrians.

He said he feared the LORD, who created all things.The mariner's reaction is excessive fear because they likely remembered the dramatic stories of how Jehovah led Israel out of Egypt.

Jonah finally obeys Jehovah's commands but learns a hard lesson. 

The sailors asked Jonah what they should do. Jonah responded by telling them to throw him overboard. He confessed that he was the cause of all their troubles.  

JONAH 1:11-12 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you."     

The mariners are going to display some courage and honor in what happens next. They will struggle mightily to do all in their power to avoid throwing Jonah overboard. They would fail because the hand of God was bringing this issue to a head. 

JONAH 1:13 "Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

They tried hard not to throw Jonah into sea, but their fleshly efforts were in vain. God had a purpose for this storm and Jonah exercised faith, and trusted that Jehovah would still the storm when they threw him in. He also trusted Jehovah with his life, since he knew he would be in grave danger of drowning. 

This first chapter has a remarkable conclusion, and a beautiful display of God's plan to make Himself known to these pagan sailors. 

Jonah must have been faithful to tell the mariners about Jehovah because he knew the One, True God of all creation, and he knew that they needed a Savior.

The sailors felt immense guilt from potentially causing Jonah's death by throwing him overboard. They complied with Jonah's request, but they cried out to Jehovah for forgiveness. 

The name Jehovah is used 3 times in this verse. It is an amazing change of heart taking place in these mariners. A dramatic change occurred as they went from being idolaters to worshippers of Jehovah. 

This is praiseworthy. God can and will save all those who confess their sins in repentant faith, and call upon HIs name.

JONAH 1:14-15 "Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows."

The storm stopped immediately when Jonah was cast in the sea. The mariners learned the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. They offered sacrifices to Jehovah. The former pagan sailors were now newly converted worshippers of Jehovah.       

Points to Ponder....

• God can turn Jonah's neglect of his commission into something that is used for His glory.

• Jonah had to face up to the realities of his sin and that he imperiled the lives of other innocent men. 

• Jonah confessed his wrongdoing and told the sailors what to do to calm the storm and save their lives. 

• The sailors called out to Jehovah, something they had never done before.

We are almost at the end of chapter 1. We will look at the last verse as we move into the next chapter of the book. 

I see an awesome display of God's sovereign will being exercised, even when His prophet failed the test of obedience. God had a purpose in all that transpired and He was not taken by surprise when Jonah ran away. 

He had some sailors that He wanted to save. He wanted to turn the heart of his wayward prophet so that Jonah would carry out his commission. God was glorified in all of this. 

We can celebrate this wonderful account of God overcoming Jonah's stubborn will. Jehovah showed us His heart to save souls and bring the lost into His kingdom. May we always strive to do His will and seek to lead others to Christ for salvation. May we seek to have a good testimony before others that they might be attracted to Jesus Christ. 

Bob