Thoughts on Jonah

Jonah 1:11-16

Mariners: “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

Jonah: “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.”

Mariners instead tired to row back to land but they say the sea grew even wilder than before

Mariners: (they cried out to the LORD), “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.”

Jonah thrown overboard and the raging sea grew calm

At this the men greatly feared the Lord they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him

When I read this passage various thoughts came to my mind.

One was when Jonah told a solution to calm the waves the mariners didn’t listen and tried to get out of the situation themselves. There are times I plan things or try to solve things on my own but as the sea grew wilder with the mariners the problem grew wilder it went out of hand.( Jer. 29:11)

Another thought was that I saw Jesus in Jonah the mariners were in the captivity of fear and I love the words they used for Jonah saying killing an innocent man, what came to mind was when Pilate said to the crowd that “I find no fault in Him at all” during Jesus trial. (John 18:38)

So Jonah innocent man

Jesus no fault in Him

Both sacrificed

Mariners captive in fear preventing them to reach there destination

Us captive by sin preventing us from having a relationship with God

So Jonah was sacrificed by being thrown overboard freed the mariners from captivity of fear due to sea

But later feared the Lord and offered a sacrifice to the LORD

In the same way Jesus was crucified for us, to be free from the captivity by sin

When I was thinking about how I would live if I was in the old testaments times sacrificing animals for each wrong I do every day. I think my entire flock will be gone, the sacrifice had to be the best of the best for everyday that. I think all the animals inhabited in a country will be gone in one month. But we don’t have to do that because instead of me dying for the things that I have done wrong to God …the God I have done wrong to... sinned against came down for me for the wrong I did against Him...it always got me sad, frustrated and at times annoyed with guilt of doing sin after sin yet He pours out His love to me every day … there is always a reason to worship Him wont u agree?