Jonah Ch.1

Holy Spirit, we welcome You here, in our respective spaces and hearts. Speak to us, draw our hearts closer to the presence of the Father and give us understanding as we read and share Your Word in the name of Jesus, amen. Thank you LORD.

Last week we saw Jonah's disobedience to God's instructions. God sent him on a mission to Nineveh to cry out against the people's sins but instead, he opted to go to a different city. During his voyage on water, the sea that he was aboard encountered a mighty tempest that affected their journey (Jonah 1:4). Everyone who had boarded the ship started crying out to their respective gods for safety. It's interesting to note that Jonah was asleep in all of this until the captain of the ship asked him to wake up and also pray to His God (Jonah 1:6).

In addition, the men on the ship also decided to cast lots to determine which person was the cause of this trouble and coincidentally, the lot fell on Jonah (Jonah 1:7).

At this moment, I believe it became clear to Jonah that no one can flee the presence of the LORD. Jonah then went on to tell them the story of his disobedience and in Jonah 1:10, "Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?"

These men were not believers of the LORD God, who created the heaven and the earth. As mentioned earlier, they all prayed to their respective 'gods' when the storm arose.

However, these men understood the importance of obedience and could not understand why Jonah would choose to disobey God. I believe this moment caused repentance in Jonah's heart as he asked the men to pick him up and throw him into the sea for he acknowledged his responsibility for this terrible storm (Jonah 1:12). The men, however, were reluctant to throw him into the sea but they eventually had to (Jonah 1:13-14).

Surely, when they threw Jonah into the sea, the storm ceased and the men feared the LORD exceedingly (Jonah 1:15-16).

In this chapter, we see the importance and power of obedience. God, just like any parent, desires for His children to always obey Him. However, He will not impose His decision on us because He has created us with free will. Most times, there is a tendency to think that obedience serves God more than it does you, but the reality of the matter is, obedience serves you more and glorifies His name. When you listen to your parents and did your homework and graduated from school and got that job, or started that business, you reap the rewards of that obedience more than your parents! Just with God, obedience positions you to receive God's best while at the same time giving glory to His Kingdom.

This chapter also shows us the mighty power that is the LORD God, Creator of heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Ancient of days and the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ. There is none like Him. Psalm 89:8-9 says, "O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them." When the LORD calmed the storm when Jonah was thrown into the sea, it was a great witness of His power to the rest of the people that had stayed on the ship despite their belief in other gods. Jonah 1:16 "Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows."

What a testimony - that the LORD God's name was still found worthy of all praise and glorified despite Jonah's disobedience! Halleujah, glory to God.

TO BE CONTINUED...