Awakened By A Pagan Series

Jonah and Paul were alike in that they were both

commissioned by God as missionaries to the Gentiles, and

both were alike in their desire to go to Spain. Both of them

had the experience of being on a storm tossed ship with

pagans. These superficial similarities, however, become

material for a study in contrast when we consider the

motives involved. Jonah fled to the sea to escape obedience,

while Paul went to the desert to prepare for obedience.

Jonah wanted to reach Spain to avoid serving God, but Paul

wanted to get there to serve Him, and to proclaim the good

news to those in darkness.

Paul on the storm tossed ship was the source of the

pagan's deliverance, but Jonah in the same situation was the

source of their danger. Paul was wide awake directing and

assuring the pagans, but Jonah was fast asleep and had to be

awakened and directed by the pagan captain of the ship. In

this event it is the children of darkness who are active and

central, while the rebel believer is passive, and even an

obstacle. It is no wonder that the conclusions of these two

sea stories should also be in utter contrast. Paul's situation

was such that the only hope was to remain with the ship. In

Jonah's case the only hope was for Jonah was to be tossed

off the ship. We want to look at this story that reveals how

even a pagan captain can be used of God. We want to

consider three things about this captain. First-

I. HIS REBUKE OF THE PROPHET. v. 6

Just why it was the captain who came to awaken Jonah

is not certain, but it is likely his authority was needed, for

Jonah had paid his fare, and was a model passenger as far as

staying out of the way. If one of the sailors had gone and

awakened him he may have told him to get lost. There is

nothing wrong with sleeping in a storm at sea. Jesus did so

Himself when He was exhausted. His disciples rebuked Him

because they felt sleep in such an hour of danger seemed like

a callous indifference to their safety. This was likely the

motive that brought the captain to wake Jonah as well.

Jonah was sound to sleep when every hand was needed on

deck. The sailors were likely aggravated as they had to

sacrifice their cargo by throwing it into the sea, and Jonah

sleeps as if nothing was wrong. Even a pagan has enough

sense and fight for life. After all the racket of hauling things

up and throwing them into the sea did not wake Jonah, the

captain felt it was his duty to go and wake this foolish

sleeper. Jonah was fleeing from God, and yet he was not

deeply troubled, but could sleep soundly. Even a godly man

can be going in a direction out of God's will and not

necessarily be troubled by his disobedience.

Jonah was not the first servant of God to be rebuked by a

pagan. Even Abraham, the father of the faithful, was

rebuked by Abimelech because he lied about Sarah. He said

she was his sister, and because of that lie Abimelech almost

took her as his wife. When he learned the truth he rebuked

Abraham in Gen. 20:9 by saying, "What have you done to

us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such

guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to

me that should not be done." Can it be that sometimes the

world can justifiably rebuke the church? It is a sad day

when it is so, but such sad days do come. Almost all of the

criticism that the church has received has been valid at some

point. Christians need to pay attention to the rebuke of

unbelievers, for often they are correct, and Christians can

learn from this rebuke.

I once talked to an atheistic professor of history who said

the church in his thinking is totally irrelevant. He said, "I

live in a world of desperate need and anxiety, with great

ignorance and prejudice on every hand. I am constantly

compelled to disillusion my students about the glories of

history and their heroes. I try and shatter their illusions so

they can see life as it really is-tragic, fearful, and awful. All

the church does is to try and support their illusions." He

was thoroughly disgusted with the church's lack of concern

for the critical problems in the world. Even though he was

compelled to admit his agreement with Christ's principles,

and with the fact that only theology could give ultimate

meaning to values, I could never bring him to change his

view of the church, for his view is often true that it is hard to