Jonah:
‘Throw me into the Sea’
by Simon Whitton
4
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the
sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break
up.
5
All the sailors were afraid and each
cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to
lighten the
ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a
deep
sleep.
Jonah
1:4-5 (NIV)
God’s
wrath surrounded the
sailors, their lives were in jeopardy.
In vain they threw the cargo into the sea, prepared to
give all they had
in order to save their lives. But
Jonah,
like Jesus, fell asleep in the boat in the midst of the storm.
11 The
sea was getting rougher and rougher.
So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down
for
us?"
12 "Pick
me up and throw me into the
sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my
fault that this great storm has come upon you."
Jonah
1:11-12 (NIV)
‘The
sea was getting rougher
and rougher’ with a growing sense of judgment and fear. The gods of the sailors
had not helped them
and giving all they had wasn’t enough to save them. In desperation they turned
to Jonah, who like
Christ, took all the blame upon himself and offered himself as a
sacrifice.
13 Instead,
the men did their best to row
back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than
before.
Jonah
1:13
(NIV)
Despite
Jonah’s offer, ‘the
men did their best to row back to land.’ They
tried to save themselves by their own
strength, the works of their hands.
But
the sea only grew wilder as God’s wrath increased, because He
opposes men who try to
save themselves.
14 Then
they cried to the LORD, "O LORD,
please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us
accountable
for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."
Jonah
1:14
(NIV)
With no
other recourse, the
sailors cry out to the Lord, the God of Jonah. They
ask that their lives be spared,
acknowledging that they are killing an innocent man, for this is the
will of
the Lord.
15 Then
they took Jonah and threw him
overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.
Jonah
1:15
(NIV)
Do you find
yourself out to
sea, with no land in sight? Are
you
struggling with sin? Perhaps
you are in
a desperate situation and the sea is raging. You
possibly sense the judgment of God.
It may seem like Jesus is sleeping during all
this, as though He doesn’t care if you drown?
You’re
aware of Christ’s
sacrifice, but you think there’s something you must do, that
God expects
something of you, that your own strength and willpower is needed. Whatever you try will
fail, all your efforts
are futile, only an innocent sacrifice will appease God. Jesus is willing to be
thrown overboard in
order to save you.
Later Jonah prays:
"Those
who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will
sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes
from the
LORD."
Jonah 2:8-9 (NIV)
Don’t
forfeit the grace that
could be yours. Forsake
all other hope except
the Lord’s sacrifice, for salvation comes only from Him. Throw Christ, the innocent
one, overboard in
order to save yourself, and the wrath of God will be satisfied, the sea
will
grow calm.
Who is
a God like you, who pardons sin
and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You
do not
stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the
depths
of the sea.
Micah 7:18-19 (NIV)
---
Copyright:
Simon Whitton ©2007 www.spiritsword.org
Copyright
Policy: All rights reserved. If
you would like to duplicate this material please email me: Email SW
