Jonah Overboard

Then they said to him, “…where do you come from…And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven…Then the men were exceedingly afraid…

With Jonah, at sea, God sends a great wind upon the sea where the ship was sailing. The ship’s crew throws overboard the cargo and, now, they are considering which one of the gods has brought this storm upon them. Jonah is asleep in the belly of the ship. The ship’s captain awakens Jonah to plead with his god, as the sailors have done, that maybe Jonah’s god would cease the storm. Then, they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah. The sailors asked Jonah who he is and where did he come from. When Jonah responds that he is a Hebrew who worships God Almighty, they become exceedingly afraid for they already knew Jonah was fleeing from his home. In speaking to Jonah, the sailors were reluctant to do as Jonah had told them to do, throw Jonah overboard. The sailors continued to work hard to get the ship to land but the sea grew more tempestuous against the ship. Then, the sailors called to the Lord to not make them perish for Jonah’s life. So, the sailors picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea. The sea immediately calmed and the fear of the sailors increased exponentially! You may recall the incident on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat and a fierce wind came upon them suddenly. The Disciples awakened Jesus with their fear of the sea’s turmoil. Jesus spoke to the sea and the wind and both ceased immediately! The Disciples’ reaction to Jesus was the same as the sailors on Jonah’s ship, fear gripped them, not of the calming but, of the Authority with which Jesus demonstrated over nature. A similar fear gripped the sailors after they hurled Jonah into the sea! If commands from God Almighty to natural events in His Creation can cause men to shrink in fear of His Divine power, humans have no chance of surviving in the presence of Holy God! God has known this since before He created anything. That is why God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to be our substitute in living a sinless life and dying a sacrificial, atoning death to enable us to enter the presence of Holy God to worship Him, praise Him, glorify Him and live with Him eternally. Are you a trembling sailor, who has no hope, or, are you a child of the Living God, who will enjoy God throughout eternity?

Source: S C Ball September 18, 2023