3 The consequence
Jonah was a ship going to Tarshish, running from the mission, but little did he know that his actions were about to catch up on him, his sin was about to find him out.
Our Disobedience endangers the lives of others (v4)
It is so unfortunate that at times we include others in our actions and endanger their lives: however, in this situation, the persons in the boat did not even know who Jonah was and what he was about, but they were about to have the defining moment of their lives. God sent a great wind on the sea, Jonah was wilfully going in the wrong direction and God was making sure that he did not reach that destination:
If the men had known who Jonah was and why he was going to Tarshish, they most likely would have left him at the port,
In the same way we must be careful of the persons we take on into our lives for some of them will bring trouble into our lives.
The culprit Came Clean (vs. 5-12)
Jonah for some reason seemed comfortable on his way as far away from Nineveh as possible: he was sleeping in the bottom of the ship, he was not to stay there long as he was awaken to call on his God for help, it seems he did not foreknew that God was grabbing his attention through the tempestuous event. It is disappointing to know that some of us are at times comfortable in our backslidden and disobedient state, and that’s when God often shakes us up. Jonah soon had to come clean, for they cast lots and it fell on him. When questioned he came clean: but God was not yet finished with them, the sea raged more and they did all they could but could not escape the hand of God. They themselves seemed to be displeased with Jonah for they asked him “Why have you done this?” .
Jonah had to face the reality that he could not run from God (9-12)
God must have decided that he was not going to allow Jonah to get of that easily, trouble had crept on them, the men had already called upon their Gods which by the way was to no Avail, they then asked Jonah what was to be done to him so that they sea could be calm, Jonah simply said to them “Throw me over board, i know that it because of me why this is happening to you”
There is an old Jamaican proverb that says “Jump out a frying pan and jump in a fire” (jump out of the frying pan and into the fire) Jonah was running away from the mercy mission that he was sent on to preach to his enemies and ended up being on a rough sea, he probably wanted to die, so he told them to throw him overboard, it is so interesting to note that God will use whatever he can to get our attention when we are going in the wrong direction, whether we do it unknowingly of presumptuously.
God Works blessings even in the midst of our Disobedience
The men did throw Jonah overboard, but not before they tried hard to bring the boat back to land: they soon realized that their efforts to do so were hopeless so they prayed to the Lord Adonai before they threw him in the sea, asking God not to charge them with Jonah’s death for they were sure that he would have died. It is interesting to note that after they threw him overboard, the sea grew calm and the men, who were calling on their pagan deities earlier, now sacrificed to God and vowed to serve him according to verse 16 while God had prepared a fish to swallow Jonah. So then, even though Jonah had to face the consequences of trying to run away from the mercy mission that he was sent on, it ended up being a defining point for the other men on the ship who were introduced in a rough way to the great and terrible God of heaven. This is not to say that we should do evil and look for good, but that God even through our disobedient choices can work it out for his glory.
The mercy mission that God sent Jonah on was to preach to the Nineveh, Jonah did not want to go and as such ventured to get as far away from the appointed place as possible, however God had plans for him for he was commissioned by God for the mercy mission and made the choice to go somewhere else. With every commission that we receive from God, there is a choice whether we want to go or not, but we must remember that there are consequences for our actions. We must make it our greatest ambition to go where the master sends us, even if it is to our enemies.
Jonah was a ship going to Tarshish, running from the mission, but little did he know that his actions were about to catch up on him, his sin was about to find him out.
Our Disobedience endangers the lives of others (v4)
It is so unfortunate that at times we include others in our actions and endanger their lives: however, in this situation, the persons in the boat did not even know who Jonah was and what he was about, but they were about to have the defining moment of their lives. God sent a great wind on the sea, Jonah was wilfully going in the wrong direction and God was making sure that he did not reach that destination:
If the men had known who Jonah was and why he was going to Tarshish, they most likely would have left him at the port,
In the same way we must be careful of the persons we take on into our lives for some of them will bring trouble into our lives.
The culprit Came Clean (vs. 5-12)
Jonah for some reason seemed comfortable on his way as far away from Nineveh as possible: he was sleeping in the bottom of the ship, he was not to stay there long as he was awaken to call on his God for help, it seems he did not foreknew that God was grabbing his attention through the tempestuous event. It is disappointing to know that some of us are at times comfortable in our backslidden and disobedient state, and that’s when God often shakes us up. Jonah soon had to come clean, for they cast lots and it fell on him. When questioned he came clean: but God was not yet finished with them, the sea raged more and they did all they could but could not escape the hand of God. They themselves seemed to be displeased with Jonah for they asked him “Why have you done this?” .
Jonah had to face the reality that he could not run from God (9-12)
God must have decided that he was not going to allow Jonah to get of that easily, trouble had crept on them, the men had already called upon their Gods which by the way was to no Avail, they then asked Jonah what was to be done to him so that they sea could be calm, Jonah simply said to them “Throw me over board, i know that it because of me why this is happening to you”
There is an old Jamaican proverb that says “Jump out a frying pan and jump in a fire” (jump out of the frying pan and into the fire) Jonah was running away from the mercy mission that he was sent on to preach to his enemies and ended up being on a rough sea, he probably wanted to die, so he told them to throw him overboard, it is so interesting to note that God will use whatever he can to get our attention when we are going in the wrong direction, whether we do it unknowingly of presumptuously.
God Works blessings even in the midst of our Disobedience
The men did throw Jonah overboard, but not before they tried hard to bring the boat back to land: they soon realized that their efforts to do so were hopeless so they prayed to the Lord Adonai before they threw him in the sea, asking God not to charge them with Jonah’s death for they were sure that he would have died. It is interesting to note that after they threw him overboard, the sea grew calm and the men, who were calling on their pagan deities earlier, now sacrificed to God and vowed to serve him according to verse 16 while God had prepared a fish to swallow Jonah. So then, even though Jonah had to face the consequences of trying to run away from the mercy mission that he was sent on, it ended up being a defining point for the other men on the ship who were introduced in a rough way to the great and terrible God of heaven. This is not to say that we should do evil and look for good, but that God even through our disobedient choices can work it out for his glory.
The mercy mission that God sent Jonah on was to preach to the Nineveh, Jonah did not want to go and as such ventured to get as far away from the appointed place as possible, however God had plans for him for he was commissioned by God for the mercy mission and made the choice to go somewhere else. With every commission that we receive from God, there is a choice whether we want to go or not, but we must remember that there are consequences for our actions. We must make it our greatest ambition to go where the master sends us, even if it is to our enemies.