Guest Contributor: Pastor Terrense Barbero
Jonah 1: 3-17.
V3. But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
Jonah tried to escape from the Lord’s presence. He is an omnipresent GOD! It is very impossible for us to escape from the sovereign God.
Psalm 139: 7 – 8 (NLT)
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
When Jonah probably bought a ticket, he thought that it is part God’s provision.
V4. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.
When God commanded the wind and the sea cause trouble to the ship, the elements obeyed God.
Mark 4: 39 – 41 (NLT)
39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
He is capable of causing all things work for your life, or AGAINST your life. Isn’t it incredible: That the wind and the sea obeyed God, and yet Jonah, the prophet, servant and missionary of God disobeyed Him?
V5. Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.
V6. So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”
At this point, Jonah were sleeping, enjoying his ride, enjoying his cruise. On the contrary, the crew were all panicking for what is happening, and they believed that there is a divine power at work here. God uses this pagan captain to wake up the sleeping prophet to do and fulfil his task and duties.
V7. Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.
Isn’t it incredible: Jonah, a living breathing man of God is running away from God in disobedience and yet, the dice obeys Him. It identified Jonah as the culprit
V8. “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”
V9. Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
V10. The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned.
He even professed that he “worship the Lord” but didn’t manifested in his actions. The sailors criticized Jonah for disobeying God.
We should not act as a stumbling block to the lost. But instead, we need to show the love of God through our words, actions, deeds and thought.
At times, in our Christian walk, we are also like Jonah, we introduce ourselves to people in our family, workplace, circle of friends as a man of God, a Christian by faith, but not a Christian by walk.
Matthew 5:13-16 (NLT)
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
V11. And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
V12. “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”
V13. Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.
Jonah confessed that it is his fault why is it happening to them, but he needs to face the consequences. And other lives are also at stake for his disobedience.
V14. Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
V15. Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!
V16. The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Isn’t it incredible: Jonah, a living, breathing man of God is running away from God in disobedience?
And yet…The pagan turned away from being a pagan and worship and obey God. They vowed to serve Him.
V17. Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah.
Isn’t it incredible: Jonah, a living, breathing man of God is running away from God in disobedience? And yet, the great fish obeys Him.
Take home and message:
When Jonah ran away from God, God didn’t ran away from him.
God holds everything, He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.
Walk the talk, we need to be salt and light of this world.
God is capable of turning the mess, into a message. Jonah’s flight was not without spiritual fruit.
God is so amazing that all living and non- living things can be used by God for His own glory.
When God is giving us difficult assignment, we must obey Him knowing that His purposes will prevail. Psalm 33:11 (NLT) ‘the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken’
revdotdavid 