Jonah 1 Part 5: Jonah Asks to be Thrown into the Sea
Jonah 1:11-16 - The sailors on Jonah’s ship go from casual belief in gods, to turning their focus to Jonah’s God, to avowed belief in the true God.
“So they said to him, “What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” However, the men rowed desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them. Then they called on the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased.” So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.”
Jonah 1:11-16 NASB1995
After hearing that their passenger is not only a Hebrew prophet who is running away from God, but that he also fears God, the maker of all things, the crew of the ship is aghast. They ask Jonah what can be done to calm the sea, as the storm is getting worse. Jonah realizes that he is the cause of this calamity and he tells them to pick him up and throw him into the sea. The crew is valiant, however, and tries desperately to row back to land and save Jonah and themselves, but the sea becomes even stormier. These pagan sailors earnestly pray to the true God that they not perish on account of Jonah’s life and to not be tainted with innocent blood. They pick up Jonah and toss him into the sea. The sea stops raging.
This is a serious conversion event - the storm is obviously supernatural, caused by Jonah’s disobedience to commands from God. The storm’s sudden cessation after Jonah is dispatched into the sea logically creates great fear and wonder in these men and they offer a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows of faith. They come to faith through seeing signs and wonders and a sacrifice. They go from a casual belief in gods to thinking about the God of Jonah to seeing that God has all the power to save. Does that sound familiar? There are many parallels between the adventures of Jonah and the story of Jesus, as we will see in later verses. Jesus was obedient and innocent, though, while Jonah was disobedient and guilty of great sin.
I find it interesting that Jonah makes the crew toss him into the water, rather than jumping in himself. I think we can give him some slack for this reluctance; he is fearful that not only will he die, but will be eternally punished, so (according to a reader I had a discussion with), perhaps he felt it was best to have his sacrifice done by others. As we all know from reading this story of a minor prophet, God plans to intervene again in Jonah’s life. Here is commentary from Enduring Word on parts of these passages:
Pick me up and throw me into the sea: Jonah was willing to sacrifice his life to save everyone else on the ship. We may consider what his motive might have been.
Perhaps it was compassion for the sailors.
Perhaps it was a desire to be forced into complete dependence upon God alone. After all, there is no safer place than casting yourself totally upon God.
Perhaps it was a feeling that anything was better than his continual resistance against, and running from, God.
Perhaps because he had already truly repented. If this is the case, it illustrates that repentance is not only a matter of heart and mind but also a matter of action.
….
And took vows: Notice that the vows of the sailors came after they were delivered. Based on this, many commentators believe that the sailors came to true faith in God.
[Charles] Spurgeon preached a sermon with four wonderful points based on the actions of the crew in this chapter. [NOTE: I tried to find this sermon in a collection of Spurgeon sermons but was unsuccessful]
Sinners, when they are tossed upon the sea of conviction, make desperate efforts to save themselves.
The fleshly efforts of awakened sinners must inevitably fail.
The soul’s sorrow will continue to increase as long as it relies on its own efforts.
The way of safety for sinners is to be found in the sacrifice of another on their behalf.
We can’t bring ourselves to salvation through our own effort - salvation relies on the sacrifice of another on our behalf. Christianity is the only religious belief in this world that rests on a sacrifice by One for all of the sins of humanity. Praise the Lord!
My next devotional examines Jonah 1:17, God prepares a great fish that swallows Jonah.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Your power and glory have been demonstrated to many through signs and wonders and have brought people to faith. But it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that saves me! Thank you, God!
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Those are nice thoughts about the sailors. Jonah is a wildly successful evangelist of people that he isn't trying to preach to and doesn't want saved. I can't help but wonder what his ministry among his own people was like.