Verse 4: God hurls a great wind and causes a storm to arise. This reminds me of the fierce storm Paul encounters as his ship is trying to sail to Rome. The storm was vicious, but in the end, no one died. The ship found its way to an island and the people were able to seek shelter there (Acts 27). God used the storm for His glory. The storm gave Paul a platform to share God with the people on the ship. The same situation arises with Jonah. The storm causes people to call on their gods. And soon, Jonah is asked about his God.
Verse 5 seems reminiscent of the storm Paul encountered in Acts 27. The people do everything they can to endure the storm. They hurl the cargo into the sea in an attempt to lighten the ship and prevent it from sinking. People call on their gods, but nothing happens. Relief only comes when Paul and Jonah talk about their God and tell the people what they must do to endure the storm. (Paul tells the people they must eat food and wait for morning. Jonah tells the crowd he must be thrown into the sea.)
Verse 5 It seems to imply from later in the text that Jonah has already disclosed to the men he was fleeing from his God. This probably did not disturb them because they were sailing into international waters where the territorial gods had no power. As the storm hits, each man cries out to his own god in a vain hope. And perhaps there was a thought that the various deities summoned might get together and mount and international rescue effort. When that fails, they seek out Jonah.
Verse 5 also states Jonah had fallen fast asleep. The word used here is the Hebrew word radam. It means deep sleep, deaf to sound, sleep of death. In other words, Jonah was unconscious and was not going to be waking up on his own. He needed the captain to personally wake him up from sleep.
This makes me think about our own lives. How many times are people crying out all around us for help, for prayer or for someone to listen, and we are deaf to their pleas? Although our eyes are fully open, our hearts and minds are closed and cannot be easily aroused from our stupor.
Verse 7 states lots were cast. Ancient cultures were very superstitious. Lots were drawn and cast for many reasons. We see the soldiers cast lots to divide up Jesus’ clothes when Jesus was being executed
35And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among themselves by casting lots. (Matthew 27:35)
23Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts: a part to each soldier, and the tunic also; but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.” This happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “THEY DIVIDED MY GARMENTS AMONG THEMSELVES, AND THEY CAST LOTS FOR MY CLOTHING.” Therefore the soldiers did these things. (John 19:23-24)
***Note: John 19:24 is quoting Psalm 22:18:
18They divide my garments among them, And they cast lots for my clothing.
Another place were lots are cast is in the Book of Esther. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, casts lots to determine the date when the Jews should be slaughtered.
7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. 9If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” 10Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11And the king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.” (Esther 3:7-11)
Ultimately, every one of these instances shows us that although we may cast lots, it is God who determines the outcome. 33The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD. (Proverbs 16:33)
Verse 10: The men of the ship were fearful after Jonah told them he was fleeing from the presence of God. This is interesting. We were told in verse 5 they were all crying out to their gods, which was not the God of Israel. The people on the ship must have known about the God of Israel or may have heard stories about the God of Israel. We are told people from all around Canaan heard what God had done to the Egyptians and the splitting of the Red Sea. Perhaps, God’s reputation and His abundant miracles still were told to the nations surrounding Israel.
When Joshua sends the two spies into Jericho, they come to the harlot Rehab’s house. Rehab tells the two Israelite spies about God’s miracles.
8Now before the spies lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. 10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. (Joshua 2:8-11)
Verse 11-13 tell us about the sea-farers asking Jonah what they should do to appease God. Jonah says to throw him into the sea. The people do not want to do this. Instead, they disregard God’s word and try to do things their own way. They use their own strength to row the ship back to shore. When everything they do fails, only then do they listen to Jonah and throw him into the sea. When the people obey God, the sea stops raging.
This passage is extremely apropos for us. We are often told in God’s word what we have to do to have peace in our lives. Many times, though, we do not want to follow God. We do not want to do things God’s ways. We will do everything we can think of to get our selves out of a bad situation, but when that fails, only then, do we turn to God. Often, it is like turning on a light; everything becomes clear what we should do. And soon we are able to navigate our way out of the storm. It would have been much easier if we would turn to God and listen to Him first, but we, like the people on the ship. We want to do everything in our own power to correct the situation. Only when all other hope is lost do we do what God tells us to do.
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