Then they said to him, What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us? For the sea was growing more tempestuous. And 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 this great tempest is because of me." (vs12)
Trouble comes upon us and others when we refuse to do God's will. Jonah sinned, went his own way, and the storm now comes. We read, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord”. Now, Jonah requests to be thrown into the sea, because he knows that he is to blame for its raging. Let us learn to repent and do good works, when we have sinned. The sea stopped for the mariners, and they were saved, but the misery didn't stop for Jonah until he repented. He said, “Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:8-9). Let us NOT think to do things our way and still succeed.
Misery began in the Garden of Eden with rebellion, and while we feel ourselves wiser than the Almighty and able to endure the pain of sin, it is not so. We are BETTER to live God's way and face the trials of life in His care, rather than to depart from Him in self-will, leaving His presence behind. He says, “For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled (Titus 1:7-8). He is not a God who allows people to sin with impunity. He punishes the wicked in hell, and He chastens His church wisely and justly to bring us to obedience, so that His elect may be saved, and Himself honored.
Jonah thought the sea would stop, but he didn't know the misery that he'd endure. He thought that saying, “I'm the problem” was good enough, but he didn't know that God demands REPENTANCE and faith, not merely confession that I am a sinner. We read, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”. He commands an active change in behavior, whereby obedience to God's will in saving sinners, is the fruit.
Jonah was told to do what he didn't want, but he didn't look to the end result, the souls who'd be saved and the honor it gives to God. He said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2). He only thought about his own plans and fled from what God had to say. If we could but see the love, compassion, and wisdom of God in obedience... in the things that He tells us to do... then we wouldn't flee in the opposite direction. It may seem easier for Christ to sin or come down from the cross, but it is BETTER that He die for us obediently and successfully, so that we can be redeemed.
God is going to bring Jonah to repentance and use even his evil for good, and God is going to make Jonah regret his sin. Be obedient now. Do the Lord's will: it is more than “I'm wrong”; it is, “God, I'm trusting you to make me right, please”.
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