Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet-6

Introduction: Jonah, the mariners, and the shipmaster find themselves in the midst of the tempest. Each group reacts in a different way. Jonah is met with his knowledge of disobedience and will soon find himself in the belly of a great fish and in the bottom of the sea.

Text: Jonah 1:5-17

“Precepts, not providences, are to guide believers. And when Christians quote a providence against a precept—which is to set God against God—they act most strangely. There are devil’s providences as well as divine providences, and there are tempting providences as well as assisting providences, so learn to judge between the one and the other.”

Spurgeon. (2017). The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (p. 1218). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

A. The Word of the LORD Came v1,2

B. The Prophet Rose Up To Flee v3-7

The Mighty Tempest v4

The Mariner’s Fear v5

Notes:

The reaction of the mariners, which was to be expected, was one of fear.

This storm (by God’s action), according to the reaction of the mariners must have been severe.

These mariners, the Bible says, “cried every man unto his god…” There was a fervency with which they cried out in prayer.

It would not be uncommon for heathens to seek to appease what they would consider national deities or the gods of the land.

Superstitiously, gods were associated with different nationalities and therefore were worshipped predominately by those people groups. We find in old sea lore that there were “gods of the seas.”

This text in II Kings that I have given to you in your notes is after the deportation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrian. The Assyrian King then seeded the land with other people groups. Notice with me the thought concerning the “god of the land” which happens to be the God of the universe, Almighty God.

II Kings 17:25,26 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

Again, another example is found in I Kings chapter 20, where God fought for Israel, not because of Ahab’s spirituality, but because of God’s Holy name.

I Kings 20:26-28 “26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. 28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.”

Notes:

We would have to say several things about this:

(1) This validates God’s Word that tells us there is a built in knowledge of God’s existence. We can see this in all people groups the belief in a god or gods… (Romans 1:19 “19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.” )

(2)There is spiritual warfare taking place in different parts of the World. (Daniel 10:13 “13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” )

(3) People today still view different people groups in relation to their “god or gods.”

(4) There are certainly strongholds in different parts of the world and spiritual warfare continuing today.

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12 “12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

We see also that the mariners cast out the wares of the ship.

Their purpose was to lighten the ship to make it more agile in the turbulent waters.

Think about this also, these mariners were willing in the situation to place their lives above their possessions.

To them it was more important because of the situation preserve the ship and their own very lives.

How much more should we as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ value our spiritual lives; our walk the Lord?

Are there things in our lives that we need to part with.... cast out…?

The Messenger’s Sleep v5

Up until this point, we really have not spoken much about Jonah’s actions, except for His disobedience.

Remember Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the Lord. He declined to see God face to face, He left His fellowship, His Worship and His Walk behind in disobedience.

“Our own devotional habits will also reflect whether we are living an obedient life or not. Disobedience will produce a decline in our interest in reading and studying the Word of God and in praying. These things, as we noted above, reflect the presence of God; and we will flee from them when we walk in disobedience. Our church attendance will oftentimes reveal our obedience or lack thereof, too. Disobedience does not like the presence of God; and since worship speaks of the presence of God, church attendance will frequently suffer when disobedience enters our lives.” - John Butler

Jonah is surrounded by heathens. He is headed the direction of the world.

“One of the telltale marks of disobedience is the worldly crowd with whom the disobedient person chooses to associate. A person advertises their spiritual condition very conspicuously by whom they choose as friends and associates.” - John Butler

The Bible tells us that Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship and there he slept.

There are several things you and I should consider as we see Jonah down in the side of the ship.

Jonah went to sleep before the storm. (This that we find in our text is not Jonah’s reaction to the storm, but rather his attempt to “dull his conscience” as one expositor put it.)

Jonah left in a hurry in his flight to Joppa and along with the weight of disobedience and fatigue associated with this kind of life falls into a deep sleep.

“A pagan ship was a strange place for a prophet of God, not as a prophet, but as a fugitive; and so, probably, ashamed of what he had completed, he had withdrawn from sight and notice.” - Albert Barnes

I want you to think of this about that statement for one second; and realize the vital importance of the fellowship of believers.

By way of example, Acts 2:42 tell us that from the beginning Christians in fellowship one with another. This holds a vital function for you and I as believers. “42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

The word used for fellowship in Acts 2:42 gives the idea of having communion one with another or having things in common.

What is that common bond that joins us together as believers?

It is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jonah however is out of fellowship with God as well as other believers and is found in our text to be asleep.

One Bible expositor said this, “His deep sleep in the midst of a storm also symbolizes his spiritual condition. It may have been a symptom of depression stemming from his willful disobedience.”

Not only do we see this sleep as a symptom of his disobedience but I believe you and I can see another typical reaction to our disobedience and that is to try to ignore the problem.

Look down at Jonath 1:12 again and notice the Bible says that Jonah communicates to the mariners his understanding that this tempest was because of him.

Jonah Ignores the Problem

v12 tells us “And he said [Jonah] 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.”

I would say, that many in disobedience are found in this way, ignoring the problem or we might better say, attempting to ignore the problem.

Remember first, that Jonah was fast asleep prior to the storm, but as we will see shortly, it had to be drawn out of him by questioning and the casting of the lot for his responsibility in this matter.

Verse 6 The Shipmaster awakens and questions Jonah.

Verse 7 The mariners cast lots.

Verse 8 The mariners question Jonah.

Verse 9-11 Jonah finally speaks about his disobedience. (Either by direct admission or inference by the mariners and the shipmaster).

I am reminded of the Lord’s admonishment to the nation of Israel relating to this matter of hiding from our disobedience. In the book of Isaiah,

Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 11 states, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.”

In verse 13 the Lord continues “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.”

We could say this, that the nation of Israel here in Isaiah chapter 1 was attempting to ignore the problem of their departure from the Lord. They were going through the motions and acting as if nothing was wrong.

The Lord’s solution is of course is found in the person of Jesus Christ and is stated in this way in verses 16,17

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

In verse 18, we find this admonishment to do away with this ignoring of disobedience.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

There is a recognition of disobedience that must take place by the transgressor.

The Lord says, “Come now, and let us reason together...”

Just the same, we find another example of this same type of reaction when we read the account of Adam and Eve hiding from the Lord.

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8

When we read through that narrative in the book of Genesis, we see that the Lord confronts Adam and Eve specifically with their transgression.

The same holds true when Cain murders Abel. The Lord questions Cain as to the whereabouts of his brother Abel. We understand of course that Lord already knew of Abels murder.

You see as the Lord knew about Abels murder the Lord also already knew of Adam and Eve’s transgression.

And so it is with you and I.

Before restoration of fellowship can take place there must be a recognition of our disobedience.

We must be ever watchful against our carnal tendency to ignore our disobedience or try to cover our disobedience by putting on a show of external righteousness.

God’s desire for Jonah, as it is for you and I, is to fellowship with us.

It is for our joy to be full. It is for us to “walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (I John 1:7)

The Master’s Question v6

V6 “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.”

What is the purpose of the Shipmaster’s question?

Notes:

We see in out text the Shipmaster’s diligence.

Here this shipmaster (pilot) knew his job and responsibility.

He was diligent in his task as being in charge of the ship.

So we find, “the Shipmaster came to him...” [Jonah]

We see secondly, the Shipmaster’s demand.

Notice his question, “What meanest thou, O Sleeper?...”

Based on the language of the question, the shipmaster having found Jonah in such a way is asking, “Why are you asleep at a time like this?”

It reminds us of the Biblical admonition found in Romans 13:12-13, “12 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 13 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

The expression we hear in the movies concerning mariners is, “All hands on deck!!” and might be a fitting thought for what we see here.

It has also been commented concerning the language here that the Shipmaster could be asking, “What aileth thee...”

In other words, surely you must be sick!

The shipmaster in his surprise is questioning Jonah shocked that someone could be sleeping through this very event.

Next week we will continue down through this next week to see Jonah’s response as well as the Shipmaster’s command.

Let’s Pray.