7. Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8. So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
9. He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
10. This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
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."
13. Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.
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."
15. Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.
16. At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him
When we rebel, it affects others. Jonah’s rebellion affected the whole ship. There was a great tempest. They called on their gods for help.
They didn’t know the true God, but cried out to worthless, foreign gods. People in danger cry out to whoever they imagine is greater than them.
they found out by casting lots Jonah was the reason, he told them he was a Hebrew and he was running away from the Lord, the Creator of the earth, the sea, and the dry land.
In their pagan religions and superstitious environment their fear of angering the gods was very real. It is still true in pagan lands today. They make sacrifices to appease the gods. If the God of the Hebrews caused this tempest, what could they do, but pray to Him?
They rowed harder, but the storm raged worse. Vs 14 says, “Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.”
We must remember that these men were not Jews and so did not worship the God of the Jews, they had their own so-called gods that they worshipped, but here they are clearly praying to the Lord God of the Jews.
In spite of himself, Jonah was instrumental in leading a few men to the knowledge of God without doing any preaching. Strangely, he was supposed to be fleeing from exactly this – preaching - yet here, without preaching, he saw people come to know the Lord. It is in times of great danger and anguish people turn to God.
In spite of everything else they could think of, they sacrificed Jonah to the God of the sea. The Lord used this tempest to do two things, if not more – He took care of Jonah’s rebellion and He even revealed Himself to non-Jewish people. “…And they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to Him.”
Application: Ask God today how you can walk in obedience.
Prayer: Father, help me to see where you want me to be walking with you. Speak and strengthen me through Your Holy Spirit who lives in me.
*****************************
If you wish to get the fuller version of this daily devotion, send a request via email to pastordale@outlook.com
