JONAH 1:5
SLEEPY SAILOR SCARES SEASONED SEAMEN
I. STORM:
A. Sudden.
B. Similar.
C. Savageness.
II. SAILORS:
A. Sinners.
B. Struggling.
C. Seeking.
III. SLEEPER:
A. Spent.
B. Shadow.
C. Squandering.
The ship in which Jonah was sailing was never given a name in the Bible. However, we could probably give that craft some good names now-after the fact. What about “Rough and Ready?” or, “Steady?” or what about, “Heart Stopper?” even, “Sea Chopper?” None of these names really apply to this vessel which carried Jonah, but the results of that eventful voyage marked everyone on board and no one who sailed in that craft ever forgot its name until the day of that one’s departure from this Earth.
While we spend a few moments talking about the ship which was carrying Jonah we have to look beyond the vessel to see that the real fault of the whole near death experience for that vessel and for the people on board was due not to the ship, but to one of the passengers-Jonah. Safely ensconced within the boughs of that vessel, Jonah was sure that he was at home safe and sound. All that remained for him was to simply get to Tarshish and there he would live out the rest or at least part of his life in ease while the people of Nineveh would never miss seeing or hearing him preach to them about God’s love and coming judgment.
Jonah probably never heard the men telling the captain that all was ready for sail. I doubt if Jonah heard the final words of good-by spoken by the sailors as they quickly prepared the vessel for its journey from one end of the Mediterranean to the other. I am not too sure if Jonah heard the command of the captain to loosen all the ropes which tied the vessel to safely placed moorings nor am I certain if Jonah heard the captain call out to hoist the sails, etc. What I am certain of is the fact that Jonah was asleep, the vessel was sailing away from land, and each worker was doing his duty tending to this and to that as the vessel sailed further and further away from land and on out to open waters when the storm hit the ship. Being unable to return to land for safety, the ship, the contents and the crew were left to the fate which was bearing down upon them and from what was stirring up from underneath them.
As I study verse five of Jonah chapter one, I see three things which strike me about Jonah’s trip and which remind me of today’s world-specifically the Church world. The first thing I note has to do with this most unusual STORM. The next thing I note is in regard to the SAILORS. Then, I note the SLEEPER, Jonah, and what he means to today’s world as well as to the world of his day.
I. STORM: Repeating what has been stated in my previous sermon, this tempest was something very unusual. Not only was it on the water but it was in the water, churning up from below. The seamen were well within their rights to be afraid of this squall because it was so unusual.
Besides the obviousness of the storm as is related in the Bible, I can not but reflect on how Sudden it appeared.
We do not know the exact location of this ship when the STORM arose, but we know it was of a rapid development. How typical this storm is to life. Just when we might be lulled to thinking that all is okay, the storms of life break over our bows and we are tossed on the sea of life as helpless as this vessel was. Not only did the tempest appear quickly, but it also had one other frightening feature to it. It appears from the text that this squall grabbed the ship and held it in its grip with a deathlike seizure. There was nothing anyone could do to break this storm and there was no way to outrun it. Life can hit us just as hard as this event hit the boat.
Yet, there appears to be more here than meets the eye. Not only did this tempest sweep down upon the vessel in full force, but it seemed to be Similar to the Church of today. As I study the text before me, I think of how this SHIP represents today’s Church. Here we have a vessel that is sailing from one point to another. The captain is aboard, the workers are in place, and the vessel is heavy laden with “stuff.” The Church today has its Captain on board, with the workers ready to do the job, and the Church is laden down with so much “stuff.”
This vessel should not have encountered such sever strife upon the Sea, because the captain knew enough to read the charts and the weather and he would have known if the conditions were going to be rough for his vessel. Yet all appeared calm on the outside and to make it more discouraging, God‘s man was safe asleep. This should have been the time when Jonah took to his knees and begin to call upon God; he did not do so and the craft almost went down because no one stood up and called on the God of the universe for help. The sailors did pray but they did so without Jonah’s help. Left to themselves they became afraid because they could not face the onslaught of what was happening. Is it too far a field to say that today, too many of God’s people are asleep while the Church is struggling with the storms it faces from without and from within? The Church is also laden down with debts, high salaries, fine buildings, the best of so much in the world and the sinners who are within and without the Church are afraid for their lives and God’s people are asleep.
Here was a man of God who did not care about anything or anyone else except himself, asleep while all else struggled. What will it take for God’s Church to arise and take its stand for God?
Not only was the STORM Sudden in its appearance it was also very Similar to what is happening in today’s world regarding the Church. There is one more point about this tempest as it related to the men on board that particular ship so long ago, and it is important to remember just how Savage this tempest was. It was so bad that the sailors jettisoned all the “stuff” in order to save their lives, but that still did not stop the ferociousness of what was happening.
God meant to get the attention of His wayward and disobedient child and He was not going to let up on His efforts until Jonah came to his senses and submit unto God’s call.
I am a firm believer that God is trying to get His Church back to its first love and He is not going to stop His pleas with His people until He gets their attention and His Church says yes to Him or the Church will go out of existence. What is keeping us from being revived when we see that the Church of God is under attack by the Moslems, an ever increasing Federal Government who is trying to gain more control over His Church, and an ever increasing secular world who disregards God’s House and His people?
We are in a life and death struggle and the battle is not going to subside until we who are called of God wake up from the boughs of our Church and help get rid of the “stuff” that weighs us down then fall on our knees to worship God and beg for His forgiveness and His help. That vessel of long ago entered a storm that was ferocious and it was struggling at sea, but all found it was useless until they all turned to God. Our Church will continue to struggle as that vessel did until we acknowledge God in all things and turn to Him for help from our laziness and lethargy.
II. SEEKERS: It is a mystery how some things lead people to God. These sailors were certainly not God fearing men, because they each were praying to his own god.
The one thing which strikes me about these sailors is that they were Sinners. The Bible is silent about which god they reverenced; the Word implies that these sailors were a mixture of different religious’ beliefs because each was praying to “his god.” Some commentary writers think these sailors came from the East carrying forth each one’s own family religion with the god of one’s particular persuasion.
It is worth speculating that these sailors never needed to exercise their personal belief in such a public manner before this time. We also do not know if these sailors were very religious in public or in private, but in the storm in which they were involved, they were not afraid to pray to each one’s own god. Some postulate that it does not matter what one believes, just so one is sincere in one’s faith. I contend on the Scripture before us that that belief is erroneous. It was not too long after verse five where we see these public praying sinners seeking the true God. These sailors were sincere, but they were believing in the wrong deity to help them. I note that Jonah was missing the prayer meeting which was in progress on deck. Here he was sent to Nineveh to tell them about God and to watch them fall on their knees to pray to God for His forgiveness. Instead of seeing people in prayer for forgiveness for their sins at Nineveh, he was far away in the hold of the ship fast asleep while the lost and scarred sailors were calling out to their gods for help in a prayer meeting out on the Sea.
I cannot help but see how this whole situation is relevant to today’s Church. While so many of God’s saints are asleep, the sinners of other faiths are busy praying to their separate gods. Oh, that these sinners would call upon the real God, then we would see a great revival!
Not only were they Sinners who were praying openly to each one’s own god, but they were Struggling Sinners. They realized after a short time that their prayers were not going to save them so they did what they had to do and that was to cast away all that was not needed on ship. They began throwing overboard all of their cargo. Again, I return to the Church as a comparison with today and with the scene before us. When anyone comes to Christ, one must be willing to cast overboard all that is weighing one down. One cannot hold on to illicit drugs, sex and morals and still take up the name of Jesus. Jesus calls us all to rid ourselves of everything that would hinder our walk with Him. These sailors were struggling with calling out to their own god and nothing was helping so they began to rid the boat of the cargo they were carrying in order to make it through the storm. When push comes to shove, people who are desperate to find God will do all that is necessary to meet Him and to keep Him in their souls.
Besides these SAILORS being Sinners, Struggling Sinners, they were also Seeking Sinners. When all of their efforts proved fruitless, they continued to seek for some type of help and safety from the STORM which was upon them with such furry. I have to admire these seamen, they were persistent. They were determined to find relief for as long as they could carry on their search for help. What makes it so sad is the fact that they are so reflective of people who are seeking help from the storms of life and the Christian friend, relative, co-worker, etc is so close but offers no help to the desperate ones of today who are seeking help from their storms of life.
Latter, when Jonah was discovered and he was found to be a Hebrew who worshipped God, he was the one who could point them to their only Salvation, but that was not until he was awaken from his dead like sleep.
III. SLEEPER: I have noticed the STORM which was hitting the vessel so ferociously, and I noticed the SAILORS who were struggling for safety. These two points then point to the third part of my sermon, Jonah, the one man who caused all of this turmoil.
As has been noted before, Jonah was asleep in the hold of the ship. He was exhausted from his flight from God. We do not know how long he struggled with this call while he was in Israel but we do know that he was still at war with God over God’s call upon his life.
He no doubt had to walk to Joppa and it can be assumed he was in a hurry to get to the city so he could secure passage away from his dealings with God-so he thought. We do not know how long he stayed in Joppa nor do we know how long it took him to get a ticket for his venture to Tarshish. What we do know is that he was like everyone else from time to time: he was exhausted from all that he had done and he was in need of sleep. Add to his physical being the emotional and spiritual stress he was under and it is plain to see why he was asleep.
Besides this SLEEPER being wore out from all that he did it is worth noting that his Shadow, his influence, was affecting so many other people, even while he was fast asleep. The Bible is correct when it says that, “No man lives unto himself, nor dies unto himself.” We all influence others in so many ways every day. This man’s rebellion was influencing an entire ship of hardened seamen and any others who might have been on board at the time of his passage.
Not only was he influencing the people around him, but he was absently influencing in a remote manner, the people to whom he should have gone to be their missionary-the people of Nineveh.
Dad, mom, uncles, aunts, grandparents, etc., it is necessary to watch one’s influence. The way one lives, conducts one’s affairs, goes to church, claims to be a Christian-all are making an influence on someone somewhere. Jonah was not aware of his influence being so strongly felt but it was, and in this case-it was a negative influence.
Finally, besides being tired and having the wrong influence on others, this SLEEPER was guilty of Squandering necessary money and funds from the ship as well as the ship’s owners and those who paid or were to pay for the items being tossed overboard. Jonah thought only of himself and in his rebellious stage of heart; he was taking money from others because he was so self-centered.
It is of importance to remember that the person who smokes, drinks alcoholic beverages, uses drugs, gambles, and does all other types of sin is taking money from some innocent person and casting all to the wind; that one lives for one’s own self gratification. Again, the Bible is correct, “the wages of Sin are death.” There is death in starvation and usually the innocent are starving because the rebellious person is Squandering some much needed money for survival from one’s own family.
The STORM hit with a vengeance; the SAILORS, although sinners, were seeking help and never gave up hope. All of this happened because of a SLEEPING rebellious person whose influence cost everyone who came in contact with him, a great deal of sorrow and money. It does not pay to rebel against God. Jonah will soon learn this vital life’s lesson.
