Some people love being on the sea. Others of us get sick just thinking about the up and down of all the waves. Whether Jonah was an experienced sailor or not, the rough seas did not seem to bother him as we will see in our Scripture text today.

Transition

As we study Jonah’s Voyage, we are going to learn several facts about God’s chastening in the life of one of His children which we need to apply to our own situations.

The Lord Began to Chasten Jonah (v.4)

  1. Chastening comes from the Lord
    1. We must not miss the phrase “But the LORD”.
    2. The events that Jonah was about to experience were not just flukes of nature or coincidences. They were superhuman events sent into Jonah’s life by the Lord God of the universe.
    3. God promises us that He always chastens His children when they do wrong. If God does not chasten you when you sin, you are not truly saved.
      (Hebrews 12:5) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
      (Hebrews 12:11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
    4. God’s chastening is always for our good to bring us back to Him. The fact that God chastened Jonah and did not leave him to remain in his sin was an act of grace and mercy. God always has our best interest in mind.
  2. Jonah’s chastening began with a storm
    1. God uses a variety of methods to chasten us when we get out of line. The most common method is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If God convicts you when you do wrong, that assures you that you are His child. The wise thing to do is immediately to get right with God (Pro 28:13).
    2. If we ignore God’s conviction, as Jonah did, He will get more severe. God sent (lit. hurled) a “great wind into the sea” and a “mighty tempest in the sea” (v.4). This was no ordinary story. It was extremely severe. Everyone on board thought the ship was about to break apart.

The Sailors Identified Jonah as the Problem (v.5-8)

  1. The sailors (mariners) are fearful (v.5).
    1. They prayed to their gods. They feared death. For a person who has no sure hope of eternal life, death is fearful.
    2. They cast out the wares. “Wares” were articles or vessels that held cargo. All the heavy things in the ship went overboard to lighten the ship.
    3. Jonah was hiding down deep in the sides of the ship and was soundly sleeping. He was fearlessly determined to ignore God’s conviction.
  2. The sailors questioned Jonah (v.6)
    1. As the sailors were dragging cargo up to the deck to lighten the load, they found Jonah.
    2. The shipmaster (chief sailor) questioned and rebuked Jonah. God used this unbeliever to rebuke backslidden Jonah.
    3. Today, people who reject the Lord often know how Christians ought to act. When a Christian fails to live right, God gets cursed and blamed for it.
  3. The sailors cast lots to find the guilty one (v.7-8)
    1. After all human effort failed and no man’s prayer helped, the sailors cast lots to see who among them was to blame for the storm. Casting lots was like drawing names from a hat. Casting lots were sometimes used by God’s people in conjunction with prayer to find God’s leading.
    2. When the lot fell on Jonah, they demanded to hear the whole story (v.8).
    3. We must remember that if we try to run from God and not obey Him, our choice may very well affect the lives of those around us.
      1. You cannot pray for lost loved ones if you are living in sin.
      2. It may bring shame or heartache to our family.
      3. It may make life miserable for those around our miserable life.

Jonah Admitted His Guilt (v.9-10)

  1. Jonah told them his story of rebellion (v.9)
    1. He said he was a Hebrew, one of God’s people.
    2. He feared the LORD who is God of heaven and Creator of the sea and dry land. Though he respectfully feared God, he chose not to obey Him.
    3. He admitted that he fled from the presence of God (v.10). Admission of guilt can be terribly difficult, but it is the first step to getting right with God. If in your heart you are not right with God, take the first step and admit it.
  2. Now the sailors were greatly afraid (v.10)
    1. They now knew that this terrible storm was caused by God to chasten Jonah. Charles Feinberg points out that, “These heathen mariners were more aroused and alarmed by the flagrant disobedience of Jonah than the prophet of God himself was.” The Minor Prophets, p. 136
    2. They feared that they too would die with Jonah.

Jonah Presented the Solution (v.11-12)

  1. The sailors asked Jonah what they were to do.
    1. The storm continued to rage violently.
    2. Now that they knew Jonah was the cause of the storm, they hoped he had a solution.
  2. Jonah said they were to toss him overboard.
    1. Jonah said that this action would calm the sea.
    2. He knew that he was the cause of the storm, not them.
    3. Did Jonah say this as a prophecy from God or was he just willing to die to save the ship and sailors? We cannot tell. One commentator suggests that if Jonah had truly repented, he could have asked the sailors to return to Joppa. Constable’s Notes I believe Jonah thought his end was come and he was about to enter the presence of the Lord, yet we find not word of repentance.
    4. My friend, one day each of us will stand before the Lord our Judge. It may be today. Jesus may come today or you may die today. Are you ready to face Him? The Bible says, (Romans 14:12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. No sane person wants to stand before God with unconfessed sin.
    5. Thankfully, we can be forgiven of any sin. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 86:5, For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. The Apostle John added in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Conclusion

Jonah’s voyage brought him to the brink of death. It has reminded us that no true Christian that sins can escape the chastening of God. God’s chastening is motivated by His love to bring us back into His close fellowship.

If God is chastening you for some sin, accept His invitation for forgiveness. Admit your guilt and confess your sin to Him.

If you know something in your life does not please God, yet God has not and is not chastening you, according to Hebrews 12:8, you are not really one of God’s children. You need to become a child of God today.

Song: I Surrender All – 394
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Jonah’s Voyage
15 November 2015 AM – Jonah 1:4-12 – Jonah2015 – Scott Childs