TEXT [Commentary]

  B.   Jonah and the Sailors (1:4-16)

4 But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 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. 6 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.”

7 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. 8 “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?”

9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 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. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

13 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. 14 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.”

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the LORD’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

NOTES

1:4 the LORD. The Hebrew construction here emphasizes the person (“the LORD”) rather than the activities of the narrative. Like the availability of the Tarshish-bound ship, the sudden storm was an event of God’s superintending providence. Several scholars have suggested a concentric (or chiastic) structure for vv. 4-16, but the pattern of these verses is more likely determined by the necessary constraints of the progress of the narrative. Stuart (1987:457) is probably correct in terming all such attempts “elaborate” and “forced.”

hurled a powerful wind over the sea. The verb tul [TH2904, ZH3214] (hurled)occurs in three other verses in this chapter (1:5, 12, 15), always depicting energetic action. Much as a man may hurl an object (cf. 1 Sam 20:33), so God, like a mighty warrior, hurls the storm at the sea. The word “powerful” translates the oft-recurring adjective gadol [TH1419, ZH1524] (see Introduction) and is used of the violent storm that follows.

threatened to break the ship apart. Lit., “the ship thought to be breaking up.” The NLT gives the sense of the personification here. While the Hebrew verbal phrase is not normally used of inanimate objects, here it provides not only vividness to the narrative but picturesque sound play: khishebah lehishaber [TH2803/7665, ZH3108/8689].

1:5 Fearing for their lives. “Fear” (yare’ [TH3373, ZH3707]; see Introduction), has many shades of meaning—from outright deathly fear to anxiety, awe, respect, and reverence. The first alternative is indicated here. Though they were experienced sailors, they feared for their very lives.

sailors. Limburg (1993:49) points out, “The word translated ‘sailors’ occurs only here and in Ezek 27, where ‘the good ship Tyre’ is described (Ezek 27:9, 27, 29). That text gives some idea of the sort of vessel that was sailing the Mediterranean in the sixth century BC, with cypress planks, a mast of cedar, pine deck (27:5-6), and powered both by oars made of oak (27:6) and by linen sails (27:7).”

shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard. The frightened sailors take two actions: Religiously, each cries out to his god, and practically, all begin to jettison the ship’s cargo so as to help it to ride out the storm. Ezekiel 27:25 indicates that the ships of Tarshish were filled with heavy cargo. Accordingly, there would be considerable activity and effort expended in the lightening of the ship. The word translated “threw” is the same verb rendered “hurl” in v. 4.

Jonah was . . . down in the hold. Jonah went down below deck, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep. The noun translated “hold” is literally “the far recesses” of the ship (yarkethe hassepinah [TH3411/5600, ZH3752/6208]). The word for “ship” (sepinah) is different from the usual ’aniyah [TH591, ZH641] found elsewhere in this chapter (1:3-5), possibly due either to the full phrase’s assonance with the following wayyishkab [TH7901, ZH8886] (and he lay down), or more probably, for stylistic variation. If an etymology for sepinah can be demonstrated to lie in the root sapan [TH5603, ZH6211] (cover, conceal, hide), a pun may be intended: Jonah’s descent to the far region of the ship was as much for concealment as for rest.

sound asleep. The LXX humorously reports that an exhausted Jonah immediately began to snore!

1:6 the captain went down after him. The verb translated “went down” is not the same as the one in vv. 3 and 5. Rather, it carries the idea of approaching or drawing near to someone or something. While the NLT properly translates according to the constraints of the context, the implication of the Hebrew is that while going down to fetch further cargo or equipment, the captain discovers Jonah and comes up to him. “Captain” reflects the reading of some Greek versions (kubernētēs [TG2942, ZG3237]; cf. the Vulgate gubernator), while the LXX’s prōreus understands the term as the first mate. The Hebrew noun seems to intend “chief of those who pull the ropes.” As the chief officer on board, captain is probably a good English equivalent.

Get up and pray to your god! The captain’s words would doubtless strike a familiar chord with Jonah. D. Alexander (1988:103) observes, “By repeating the imperatives qum [TH6965, ZH7756] (arise), and qera’ [TH7121, ZH7924] (call), the captain parodies closely Jonah’s initial summons from God (1:2). Each word mocks him.” Jonah had been told to arise, go to Nineveh, and call down judgment against it (qera’ ‘al [TH5921, ZH6584]); here the captain tells him to arise and call to his God (qera’ ’el [TH413, ZH448]).

Maybe he will pay attention to us. The captain does not presume upon Jonah’s God. The sentiment is that expressed in Zeph 2:3. The verb “pay attention” occurs only here in the MT and appears to have the nuance “have favorable thought toward.”

spare our lives. Lit., “and we will not perish.” This clause is dependent upon the preceding one: “Perhaps God will think favorably toward us so that we will not perish.”

1:7 Then the crew cast lots. The NLT turns the direct speech of the Hebrew text into descriptive narrative. Lit., the text reads: “And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots so that we may know on whose account that we have this evil (calamity).’” Limburg (1993:52) points out that the casting of lots was practiced in biblical times for many reasons, one of which was the detection of a person guilty of committing an offense (Josh 7:14-26). Jonah is singled out much like Jonathan, who had unknowingly violated his father’s vow (1 Sam 14:27, 40-42). As for the procedure in the casting of lots, Limburg (1993:51) says that “The process involved putting stones into the lap of one’s garment or into a container and shaking it until a stone came out.” Stuart (1987:459-460), however, suggests that the casting of the lots probably involved dice with alternatively light or dark colored sides. “Two dark sides up meant ‘No.’ Two light sides up meant ‘Yes.’ A light and a dark meant ‘Throw again.’” Probably various systems were in use in the ancient Near East (see Laetsch 1956:223-224).

1:8 Why has this awful storm come down on us? Lit., “Because of whom do we have this evil/calamity (ra‘ah [TH7451B, ZH8288])?” Just who was the God against whom Jonah had sinned?

What is your nationality? While this question may seem at first to duplicate the preceding query regarding Jonah’s homeland, because many ethnic groups could make up the population of a given country, the question is quite apropos. Allen (1976:209) remarks, “Nationality and religion went together in the ancient Near East.”

1:9 I am a Hebrew. “Hebrew” (‘ibri [TH5680, ZH6303]) is derived from the root ‘abar [TH5674, ZH6296] (cross [over]). The origin of its application has been traced to the early Hebrew migrations from across the Euphrates River or to the eponymous ancestor Eber, the seventh descendant from Enoch. Others have linked it with the Hapiru, foreigners who at times made up a lower stratum of society or foreign personnel in military contingents. Whatever its origin, by Jonah’s time the term had long since been established as a designation for the Hebrews, especially by foreigners (Egyptians—Gen 39:14; 40:15; Exod 1:15; Philistines—1 Sam 4:6, 9; 13:19), and Israel’s traditional territory was known as the “land of the Hebrews.”

I worship. Lit., “I fear.” Here, yare’ [TH3372, ZH3707] (fear) indicates Jonah’s confirmation of faith in the Lord. It is the same verb translated “fearing” in v. 5 (see note on 1:10).

the God of heaven. Heb., ’elohe hashamayim [TH430/8064, ZH466/9028]. By declaring that Yahweh (“the LORD”) was the God of heaven, Jonah affirms that Yahweh is the true and supreme deity. The phrase would be particularly meaningful to pagan sailors, especially if, as seems likely, the sailors were Phoenicians who worshiped Baal Shamem (“Baal [is] heaven”). This deity, a storm god, was well known for his victory over Yamm, the sea god, as recorded in the earlier Ugaritic texts. As a controller of both the storm and the seas, he could be responsible for causing shipwrecks. This god was known to the Egyptians from the fourteenth century BC onward as a Semitic god of the heavens, mountaintops, and thunder. Thus Pharaoh’s “battle cry is like (that of) Baal in the heaven” (see ANET 249). This deity was known also to the Assyrians. For example, a curse in a treaty between the seventh- century BC Assyrian King Esarhaddon and the king of Tyre reads: “May Baal-Semame . . . raise an evil wind against your ships” (see ANET 534).

who made the sea and the land. Using the merism (a figure of speech in which two opposites stand as a symbol of totality) of sea (yam) and dry land (yabbashah [TH3004, ZH3317]), Jonah indicated that the LORD is the Creator and controller of all the forces of nature. Not only was Yahweh the true master of the waves but also of the terra firma the sailors would have liked to see just then. Stuart (1987:461) affirms that Jonah’s testimony “has the ring of an Israelite credal confession, and indeed a credal formula of this kind might have its basis or reflection in such hymnody as Ps 95:5 . . . (cf. Ps 135:7; Exod 10:13-19; 14–15; Num 11:31; Isa 50:2; Jer 49:32-36; Amos 4:13; Job 26:12).”

1:10 The sailors were terrified. Lit., “feared a great fear.” The key terms “fear” and “great” appear together here to express the sailors’ emotions. The Hebrew construction “is known in English as a cognate accusative and in Hebrew grammar as an internal object, which serves to strengthen the verbal idea” (Baldwin 1993:560). See notes on 1:16.

running away from the LORD. Ratner (1990:299-300) suggests that the sailors understood ancient Near Eastern protocol with regard to runaway servants. Although they were harboring a runaway servant, by returning him they might expect leniency from a human master. Since Jonah was fleeing from his God, however, they had been placed in great peril.

Oh, why did you do it? Lit., “What is this you have done?” Because the sailors knew that he had confessed to running away from the Lord, the NLT follows the lead of most commentators in treating these words as an expression of shock and terrified incredulity: “Oh no, how could you do such a thing!”

1:11 the storm was getting worse. The increasing severity of the storm only heightens the sailors’ anxiety. The Hebrew construction forcefully expresses the gradually increasing ferocity of the stormy sea.

What should we do to you . . . ? Ellison (1985:372) remarks, “In a culture in which correct procedure in the service of the gods was essential, they had not merely to do the will of Yahweh but also to do it correctly. Only Jonah could guide them.”

to stop this storm? Lit., “to make the sea calm around us.” Although the sailors hoped for a calming trend, the storm that descended upon them so suddenly had worsened and would only intensify.

1:12 Throw me into the sea. Lit., “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea.” The verb translated “throw” has appeared previously in vv. 4-5.

all my fault. Jonah was aware that the dangerous situation they all faced was due to his disobedience. He realized his guilt before God and resigned himself to its consequences—death in the sea. Jonah wished for death two other times later in the story (4:3, 8). His confession of sin may well be an occasion for God’s mercy that follows (cf. Prov 28:13).

1:13 rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. The verb translated “rowed” basically means “hollow out,” “dig”—the picture here being that of breaking through the waves (Keil 1954:396). “To the land” translates the noun “dry land,” which appeared in Jonah’s confession of God’s creative acts (1:9). The noun indicates that the boat itself was probably following a coastal route within sight of land.

stormy sea was too violent. The Hebrew syntax indicates that all the while the storm kept growing in intensity. Boats customarily put out or stayed out to sea so as to ride out the storm. It was a dangerous thing to make for shore.

1:14 they cried out to the LORD. Once again the verb qara’ [TH7121, ZH7924] is employed (cf. 1:2, 6). This time it is the sailors who call on Yahweh. The short prayer is given in typical fashion: (1) opening address (“O LORD”), (2) petition proper—for absolution from guilt in committing Jonah to the sea, and (3) motivation for the request—it was simply not their fault, for God himself had sent the storm in accordance with his good purposes.

“O LORD,” they pleaded. The sailors addressed Jonah’s God by his covenant name. As Sasson (1990:131) points out, “This verse is the heart of Jonah’s first chapter, for it catches the moment in which illumination finally strikes the sailors. The sailors utter the name of the Hebrew God for the first time, recognizing—as they did not in v 11—that mercy must be obtained not from the sea, but from that very God.”

don’t make us die. The sailors’ double request asks first that their lives be spared through the great storm. It was Jonah’s sin that necessitated the storm so that there was no reason that they should die for his transgression.

And don’t hold us responsible for his death. The second request asks that because Jonah himself had given instructions to throw him into the sea to calm the storm, they should be absolved from any criminal charges in this situation. The force of the Hebrew text is that they not be charged with shedding innocent blood (dam naqi’ [TH1818/5355, ZH1947/5929]; cf. Joel 3:19). The killing of an innocent person was considered a heinous crime (Deut 19:10, 13; 27:25; Prov 6:17; Jer 26:15).

for your own good reasons. The motivation for the sailors’ request stresses the fact that the Lord can do as he pleases but acknowledges that he has good and sufficient reasons for doing so. The sentiment recalls that of Pss 115:3 and 135:6. Limburg (1993:56) records Rabbi Eliezer’s version of the casting of Jonah into the sea, which emphasizes the sailors’ reluctance in throwing Jonah overboard. “They put him in the water up to his knees and the storm stops; but when they take him out, it starts up again. Next, they put him in the water up to his navel and then to his neck; each time the storm stops but starts up again when they pull him up out of the water.”

1:15 threw him into the raging sea. Once again, the root tul [TH2904, ZH3214] is used. Earlier, God had “hurled” a powerful wind over the sea (1:4) and the sailors had reacted by throwing the cargo overboard (1:5). Jonah subsequently instructed them, “Throw me into the sea” (1:12) in order to calm the waters. Now that instruction is carried out.

the storm stopped at once! Lit., “the sea ceased from its raging.” Jonah’s prediction came to pass. The verb “stopped” is not the same one as that in vv. 11 (“stop”) and 12 (“become calm”). Rather, it is customarily used of humans and refers to ceasing from something (e.g., Gen 29:35). Likewise, the word for “raging,” used of the stormy sea, normally appears with the actions of personal beings (e.g., Prov 19:12; Isa 30:30). The narrator used personification for vividness of effect.

1:16 The sailors were awestruck by the LORD’s great power. Lit., “And the men feared the LORD with a great fear.” The verb yare’ [TH3372, ZH3707] occurs once again (cf. 1:5, 9-10). While it describes physical or emotional fear in 1:5 and 10, it is used of Jonah’s reverence for God in v. 9. The latter meaning is felt here. The sailors were awestruck by God’s might and majesty in stilling the storm. But their fear moves on to reverential worship as they make a sacrifice to Jonah’s God.

they offered him a sacrifice. The question of how the sailors could make a sacrifice on shipboard has perplexed scholars through the ages. The Targum suggests that they promised to make sacrifices later (cf. Allen 1976:212). Jerome proposed that it was a sacrifice of the spirit. Sasson (1990:139-140) points out ancient testimony of sacrifices actually made on shipboard and indicates that such could indeed have taken place. Stuart (1987:464-465) observes that such would have been impossible, granted the jettisoning of the cargo and the fact that sacrifices customarily were made at shrines or temples. Therefore, the sacrifice probably took place later on shore at some Yahwistic shrine. The narrator simply does not elaborate on how and when the sacrifices took place, so the precise scenario is speculative at best.

vowed to serve him. Likewise, the sailors made a vow (i.e., a solemn promise; cf. Deut 23:21-23) to the Lord. Jonah would later promise to make sacrifices and pay his vow to the Lord (2:9). The sailors’ full acknowledgment of the Lord is stressed in the syntax of the verse, which uses three cognate accusatives to indicate their newly found reverence: “They feared a great fear,” “They sacrificed a sacrifice to the Lord,” and “They vowed their vows.” True acknowledgment of the person and power of the Lord is followed by genuine sacrifice and solemn promises to him. Hailey (1971:65) points out that, “God is able to use all incidents in the life of His servants for their good and His glory. Some good can come even from mistakes such as Jonah’s. In his flight from God and in the storm that arose, a tremendous impression was made on the seamen. They were caused to fear Jehovah, offer sacrifices, and make vows to Him.”

COMMENTARY [Text]

The narrative moves along smoothly and climactically in accordance with the notices of the storm. In the first section (1:4-6) of Jonah’s adventurous voyage, God suddenly hurls a ferocious storm against the boat in which Jonah has booked passage in an attempt to escape God. Like a mighty warrior hurling his heavy spear, God sent a storm so fierce that the experienced sailors feared the worst. Even the ship was pictured as expecting to break up and sink to the bottom. In the face of seemingly certain disaster, each of the sailors called upon his god for deliverance, and as a practical measure, they began jettisoning the cargo.

As the ship’s captain went below to search for additional items for disposal, he discovered Jonah fast asleep. How could Jonah sleep at so critical a time? Shouting at him at the top of his voice, both to overcome the noise of the fearsome gale and to rouse this passenger who was deep in sleep, he urged Jonah to get up and to pray to his God just as all of them had. At this point, the captain’s sense of religion was greater than Jonah’s.

This opening section contains several theological truths. From the onset, it is clear that if Jonah thought he could escape God’s call to service, he was mistaken. God’s claim upon his life was neither conditional nor to be fulfilled in an option of Jonah’s choosing. Further, as Jonah would later confess (1:9), God is the creator and controller of the sea and the dry land. Therefore, any thought of really escaping God’s presence by running away to another heathen land was surely doomed to failure. In any case, he knew better than that. He was doubtless familiar with such Scriptures as Job 23:10: “But he knows where I am going.” Yet a person in willful sin does not usually behave rationally and seldom calls upon biblical knowledge. Accordingly, God’s sovereignty and prior claim upon individual lives are strongly emphasized in this section.

God’s omnipotence is also underscored. He had the power not only to bring the storm but to destroy any who were in his way. Likewise, the inadequacy of the foreign gods is also seen. None of them could still the storm or deliver either the crew or the ship. Once again, the impotence of the so-called “gods” is exposed (cf. Isa 40:18-26; 41:21-29; 42:8-9, 17; 44:9-20; 46:5-7; 48:3-8).

The captain’s charge to Jonah is instructive. As can be seen in the exhortation of Zephaniah 2:1-3, one should not presume upon divine grace. Although it is true that God is gracious and merciful, and longs to deliver his people in time of trouble (Pss 41:1; 46:1; Isa 43:2), one must not assume that God will choose to do so in every instance, particularly if a person’s sinful behavior has occasioned his plight. It is better to petition God to intervene in one’s case and to desire that God’s will be accomplished.

In a second movement (1:7-12), Jonah is identified as the cause of the storm. The lot falls upon Jonah in no uncertain fashion. Therefore, the sailors pepper him with a barrage of questions. What has Jonah done to cause such an awful storm? Just who was Jonah, and what was his business? From what country did he hail, and to what nation did he belong? All of this would be important to determine what god had been offended and why their fortunes had been cast with Jonah. His offended God could claim their lives as well.

Jonah’s confession only confirmed their worst fear. Jonah was a Hebrew, a worshiper of Yahweh. Was it not this God who had led his people into Canaan and had established such powerful kings as David and the famed Solomon? If it was this God, the creator of all things, including the very sea that was even now tossing them about, and if Jonah was running away from such a one, what hope did they have? Absolute terror gripped them. How could he have done this to himself and to them?

As the storm grew even more intense, they asked Jonah how they could appease this God. Jonah’s reply was direct: If he were thrown into the sea, it would become calm, for he was the cause of it all. Was Jonah penitent, generous, even noble? One wonders whether Jonah was simply resigned to death. At least in that way he would not have to go to Nineveh. He would have a Pyrrhic victory.[66]

Theologically, this section further emphasizes God’s absolute supremacy over the world that he created. The Lord is the creator of land and sea (Ps 95:5). Jonah’s admission displays the folly of attempting to run away from God. No one can hide from an omnipotent and omnipresent God; there is no way to evade his authority. The sailors’ reply recognizes humanity’s finitude. The Lord is the God with whom all have to deal (cf. 2 Chr 6:28-31; Acts 17:24-31). What a pity that their practical perception was superior to Jonah’s own dogmatic knowledge. For throughout this episode one never reads of Jonah praying to the Lord.

One is reminded of another story in the Bible in which a believer was cast together with a group of men sailing on the Mediterranean Sea (Acts 27). The apostle Paul was among a group of prisoners that had been entrusted to a Roman centurion. Their destination was Rome. Despite Paul’s warning, the ship set sail only to be overtaken by a tempestuous northeaster. The sailors on this occasion likewise threw the cargo overboard, but to no avail. All aboard gave up hope of survival—all, that is, except Paul. Although we are not specifically told that Paul had prayed, it is obvious that he did, for he kept close to the Lord through it all and moreover was visited by an angel who assured him that none would perish, despite the impending shipwreck (cf. 2 Cor 11:25-26).

Instructive comparisons can be drawn between the two incidents. Both Paul and Jonah were aboard pagan ships on the Mediterranean Sea. Both were involved in a tumultuous storm that resulted in the sailors’ efforts to save the ship by jettisoning the cargo. By way of contrast, however, one may note that although the crew on Jonah’s ship addressed their gods, such was not the case on Paul’s ship. While Paul obviously trusted the Lord through the terrible storm and even received an angelic visitation, Jonah could only resign himself to being cast into the sea. Thus, whereas Paul’s presence could be a source of encouragement to his companions, Jonah could merely cause them trouble—trouble that could only be alleviated by his expulsion.

There was a basic difference in the two occasions. Despite the unhappy circumstances, Paul went in the assurance that God wanted him to minister in Rome (Acts 23:11). Because Jonah was abandoning his commission to preach in Nineveh, however, he caused the disastrous circumstances. How important, then, it is for us to be responsive to the call of God in our lives and to serve him faithfully. In doing so, we will accomplish his wise and holy purposes and be a source of blessing to others (Pss 1:1-3; 118:26; Prov 3:5-7; 31:10-12, 28-31; Jer 17:7-8).

The third portion of this section (1:13-16) indicates that, although the sailors attempted to avoid so disastrous a solution as throwing a man overboard, the worsening storm forced them to comply with Jonah’s advice. Therefore, they picked him up and threw him into the sea. When this was done, the storm instantly abated and the sea became calm. This miracle caused the sailors to acknowledge the power of Yahweh and to worship him. Whether the sailors merely added Jonah’s God to the other deities they worshiped or became exclusive worshipers of the Lord cannot be determined with certainty. Their response in both sacrifice and vows, however, indicates at least that they genuinely believed in God’s might so greatly that they would henceforth acknowledge and serve him.

One cannot but admire the humanity and magnanimity of the crew.[67] When disaster struck, they prayed. They even challenged God’s prophet to do likewise. After they learned that Jonah was the reason for the storm, they nonetheless further endangered their lives despite the increasing severity of the storm by trying to put Jonah safely ashore. Because they were conscious of the high ethical standard of not shedding innocent blood, they did not want to have a charge of murder added to their already impossible predicament. At last, when all human effort to right the circumstances failed and their casting Jonah overboard resulted in the miraculous calming of the sea, they worshiped the Lord.[68] They were convinced by the sufficiency of the evidence. Oh, that all people everywhere would respond to the established facts of the gospel message (e.g., 1 Cor 15:20, 56-57).

As noted before, the whole passage repeatedly emphasizes the sovereignty of the Lord. He is the creator and master of all nature, including the sea (cf. Pss 89:9; 95:5; Ezek 28:2; Nah 1:4; Hab 3:8; Acts 27:13-44). Not only does he rule over all things he created (Gen 1:1; Ps 103:11; John 1:3; Col 1:16), but he is also sovereign in the affairs of nations (Ps 66:7; Acts 17:26) and people (Pss 75:6-7; 139:16; Prov 16:33). Both Jonah and the sailors came to realize the force of these truths. Indeed, the Lord was not absent from the sea but directing its events.

The drama on the Tarshish-bound ship, where God’s prophet lay fast asleep, is reminiscent of another such occasion. The Gospel accounts (Matt 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25) tell of a day when the Prophet lay fast asleep on board a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. Here, too, a strong storm suddenly burst upon the craft. Here, too, the sailors feared for their very lives and awakened the man of God. Here, too, the storm was stilled through the instrumentality of God’s Prophet.

As in the case of Paul in Acts 27, however, the contrast with Jesus is also significant. Whereas Jonah tried to hide from God, Jesus was doing the Lord’s work. Although a sinful Jonah needed to be cast overboard so that God would still the winds and calm the waves, the sinless Lord Jesus accomplished the same with a simple, “Silence! Be still!”

The conclusions to both episodes record the viewers’ wonder at the spectacular miracles. The sailors in the Jonah account worshiped the Lord with sacrifice and vows, while the awestruck disciples marveled at Jesus’ great power and authority (Matt 8:27; Luke 8:25) and feared him (Mark 4:41). How paradoxical! Jesus’ disciples had hoped that somehow he could do something to help. Yet they were amazed when he did! With the Prince of Peace on board, they, too, as he, should have known peace, despite the fiercest tempest.

Yet, how many times we, his modern disciples, need to be reminded of his presence when the “winds of adversity” and the “storms of life” seem too great for us. How often, too, we need to remind ourselves that as believers who have been taken into union with Christ (Gal 2:20), we have all the potential for perfect peace. Since that is true, the captain (Heb 2:10) of peace (John 14:27; 16:33) is “on board” (Col 1:27) for all of life’s situations, giving peace however dark the “seas of circumstance” may appear. Such peace is based on the presence of God, however, and those running away from God, like Jonah, shouldn’t expect it!

Jonah’s instructions to the sailors to cast him into the sea provide a further comparison with the Lord Jesus. Jonah went into the water seemingly to perish and by that act brought safety and knowledge of God to the crew. So also Christ willingly offered himself on Calvary’s cross and entered the shades of death for the redemption of mankind (Isa 53:4, 12; Rom 5:6-8; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:21-24) in order that all may have the knowledge of “the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).

Unlike Jonah, however, Jesus was not a victim of circumstances. Neither was he simply resigning himself to death, either as an offender or someone finding yet another way to avoid God’s will. Christ was no runaway. Rather, he came to do the will of God the Father (John 6:38) and he always did that which pleased him (John 8:29). Further, he was conscious of his determined end as the Savior of the world (John 12:23-27).

Unlike Jonah, who although he did not pray, was graciously rescued by God and did not die, Jesus did pray (John 17:1-26), died a real death, and rose bodily from the dead (1 Cor 15:3-4). Now as believers’ great High Priest, he “lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Heb 7:25). Accordingly, unlike Jonah, who apparently chose not to pray when he sinned and fell into difficult circumstances, believers have an Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1-2). They, therefore, have the assurance of both sins forgiven (1 John 1:8-9) and God’s guidance through life’s most trying experiences (Ps 23:4; Isa 43:2; 1 Pet 4:19).

We who have received Christ and have the full light of the gospel can respond to God’s working in our lives in a far deeper way than the sailors of Jonah’s day. May ours be a daily worship of the Lord and a consistent walk before him. May we live with such trust in the Lord that we will acknowledge his hand in whatever occurs in our lives, so that we may grow in appreciating God’s grace (Prov 3:5-6; 2 Pet 3:18). Above all, may we not be “runaways” but those who respond positively to the challenge of God’s gracious call to let Christ be seen in all that we do (cf. Gal 1:15-16).