The Sovereignty of YHWH
(Jonah 1:1-17)
YHWH Sent a Prophet (1:1-3)
11 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." 3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
Exegesis: YHWH called Jonah to preach to the great city of Nineveh. The scene (paragraph) talks about YHWH’s notification to Jonah and what Jonah did in response. Jonah fled to Tarshish. Verse 4 begins the next scene with Jonah on the ship. Verse 1-3 is about Jonah and YHWH. A clear break and scene change from YWHW and Jonah and what happens on the ships at sea. The point is also clear YHWH called Jonah to go on a mission and Jonah disobeyed and feed to Tarshish. The paragraph point it tricky here, it culminates together in two phrases the first one being what YHWH did in 1:1, 1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai" and then Jonah’s response in 1:3a, "3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish." the entire paragraph centers on two central ideas that is best summed . . . YHWH call/spoke to the prophet Jonah and Jonah fled. The rest of the details either provides specifics. Three miles north of Nazareth at Gath-hepher in Galilee, (cf. Joshua 19:13) lived man named Jonah: the prophet of Yahweh. Interesting to note that Jonah, was the first Hebrew to be sent on a missionary adventure to a pagan society. The Word of Yahweh came to him. In the Hebrew, the word came means: To be or become continuous; a negative warning or threat of God’s physical chastisement. In other words, the Word of the Lord become continuous to Jonah as a warning or threat of God’s physical chastisement if it was not obeyed. The "great city of Nineveh" the capital of the great Assyrian empire and prophesy destruction because "it’s wickedness has come up before" Him (Yahweh). “This “exceeding great city” lay on the eastern or left bank of the river Tigris, along which it stretched for some 30 miles, having an average breadth of 10 miles or more from the river back toward the eastern hills. This whole extensive space is now one immense area of ruins. Occupying a central position on the great highway between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, wealth flowed into it from many sources, so that it became the greatest of all ancient cities.” However, Jonah, took off to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for Tarshish. In attempts to "run away from the Lord’s calling." "After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD." This would take him 723 kilometers (449 miles) in the opposite direction from Nineveh. This marks the first time that Jonah essentially placed YHWH on ignore and tried to run from Him. Jonah was forever known as “the runaway prophet!” Jonah was attempting to tell YHWH that he was going to do his will and not His will. This marks the first cycle of sin in his life: he was disobedient.
Application: YHWH will call whoever He wants, it’s His will that we should be concerned about not our will. Quite antithetical to how we should respond. Sometimes in Biblical narratives, the example of the characters are opposite of what we should do. The application is quite clear, what has God called you to do. Is what He called you to do seem opposite of what you want. It’s is interesting that Christ’s example completely different, did He not say in Luke 22:42, “42 “yet not my will, but yours be done.” We all should learn from Jonah’s example. What do you say the your life? It’s not a good idea to place YHWH on ignore.
Transition: It’s important to note the YHWH is the one who called Jonah, Jonah did not call himself. YHWH will choose whom He wants to use, He will do as He pleases. 14b, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." Are you willing to submit your will to God’s sovereignty? God’s is the one who calls us to do only those things, in which in His divine wisdom, we can do. Are we going to allow Him to do as He pleases in our lives or are we going to turn and run. Are you a runaway believer like Jonah was the “Run Away Prophet”?
YHWH Sent a Storm (1:4-16)
4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." 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.
Exegesis: The paragraph starts with verse 4 and deals with the ship out at sea and its crewmen. The Lord brought a horrible storm which rattled everyone aboard, except Jonah, who went and took a nap. The dialogue among the crewmen ends with verse 13 which concludes the scene with Jonah being swallowed by a fish. Chapter 2 moves to more specific scene from the ship to being swallowed by the fish. The point on this paragraph is tricky also. However, the verse 4 is undeniable as to who is in charge in this situation. Since YHWH is the responsible for the everything else that takes place in the paragraph and that the storm is the center of the what’s going on it’s clear that verse 4 is the point. The remaining of the paragraph are the details about who Jonah was serving and who was responsible for the calamity that has fallen upon them. The Seas grew rougher and more violent because Jonah was the one who was running from YHWH, and Jonah knew it. This was an inescapable truth for Jonah who admitted that the situation was his fault. The writer seems to be emphatic about insuring that this situation was the consequences of (YHWH’s reaction to) Jonah’s deliberate attempts to ignore YHWH. In response to Jonah, Yahweh sent a storm to disrupt the voyage. The ship was on the verge of breaking up. They attempt to salvage the ship, by throwing "the cargo into the sea to lighten" the ship. Each sailor started praying to their god. Jonah essentially placed YHWH on ignore a second time, knowing that the storm was an act of YHWH, by going below the ship for a nap. The captain was disturbed by Jonah’s actions and woke him up. “6 The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." Even after the captain insisted that Jonah call on his God to save them, Jonah remained silent. This is marks third time Jonah placed YHWH on ignore. This also marks the second cycle of sin, Jonah was defiant. He refused to acknowledge, and refused to talk with YHWH, despite YHWHW interventions. Jonah, seeing the storm, seeing the sailors terrified for their lives reaching out to their gods, Jonah’s still remains silent and wouldn’t even reach out in prayer to YHWH. It could be implied that YHWH was speaking through the captain and inviting Jonah to once again respond in relationship by giving instructions to Jonah to pray. The evidence that supports this is that the unbelieving, pagan, career sailors themselves identified this storm as a divine act. Although they held a misplaced faith, it’s not so farfetched to believe YHWH placed into their hearts and minds that this storm wasn’t naturally occurring storm or that He have the words in the minds of the captain as to what to say to Jonah. The sailors, cast lots and “the lot fell on Jonah.” The sailors interviewed/integrated Jonah. This is where Jonah began to turn form the runaway prophet to the responsible prophet. The first thing Jonah does is to ensure the sailors knew who his God was. Notice Jonah said, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." In the mist of this precarious situation YHWH revealed to the sailors on board the ship who He was. Jonah’s declaration to the sailors was YHWH’s verbal witness to them. The very One Who made the seas and the land. After the sailors realized who they were dealing with, they were afraid. As the storm grew in strength, they then inquired as to what would save them. “"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." Here is when Jonah made the finality of his turn form the runaway prophet to the responsible prophet. Jonah knew in his heart he was to blame. It’s interesting here that Jonah didn’t hesitate to acknowledge that he had invited YHWH’s anger. Jonah’s response is counter intuitive. That is he responded not from his inward design of self-preservation. He knew exactly what they must do to appease YHWH’s and relent from His intervention. It does not tell us, exactly why Jonah tells them they must throw him overboard to solve their current dilemma. But we do know that it for some reason, he told them something that was contrary to his safety. The seas were filled with superstitions. It’s interesting to note that the sailors attempted to still solved the situation through human means. They too attempted to place YHWH’s message to them on ignored. That is they were still relying on their own human effort to solve a divine problem. Their value of human life was admirable; however, their misplaced trust pushed them into attempting to solve their problem alone. It must have been quite a storm for the sailors to believe that if they did as instructed, Jonah would surely perish. Their human response to a divine act, the sailors were trying to do things their way to solve the situation and tried to row back to shore. This could indicated that they were not far from shore to begin with. However, “the sea grew even wilder than before.” As a last ditch effort, the sailors resolved to try things YHWH’s way and the sailors throw Jonah overboard. The sailors prayer is ironic because these pagan, unbelieving sailors identified that YHWH will do as He pleases. They pleaded that He would not hold them responsible for Jonah’s doom and declared, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." After all, they knew that from Jonah’s own month: YHWH called Jonah, YHWH caused the storm, and it was the divine will of YHWH that was being accomplished here, not their own and certainly not Jonah’s. YHWH was also the one to maneuver the lot to falling on Jonah. After throwing him overboard, immediately the sea calmed. The calming of the storm was YHWH’s sovereign, active witness to the sailors, which reinforces Jonah’s declaration as to the nature of YHWH. "At this, the men [sailors] greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.” This was the final confirmation for the sailors and they obviously experienced a conversation of their faith.
Application: When times get tough there is no atheists in fox holes. These sailors called out towards something that is bigger than them. The human response to a divine act, the sailors where trying to do things their way to solve the situation before eventually realizing it was an act of YHWH. Are you ignoring God? You know in your heart if you are guilty of ignoring God or not, if you’re willing to be honest with yourself and with God. You know in your hearts if you’re responsible for your situation or not: the bridges you’ve burned, people you’ve hurt or lied too, or sin you have committed. Know that sin not only affects you but those around you too. Jonah’s sin didn’t just affect him, but also placed the lives of the sailors at risk as well. At what point are you willing to take responsibility for inviting God’s discipline? Sometimes God has to intervene in our lives to get our attention. We can’t talk to God when we’re in the midst of ignoring Him or when you’re in rebellion against him. Jonah had placed YHWH on ignore three times, and by example has influenced the sailors to do the something. Our lives are example to others, weather we want to admit it or not. What kind of example are we being to those around us? Again, this was a human response to a divine act; the sailors were trying to do things their way to solve the situation instead of doing what YHWH instructed them to do through Jonah.
Transition: The important thing to notice in this portion of Scripture is this: YHWH will do as He pleases. Notice, it was YHWH who caused the storm and He caused the storm to cease, and YHWH who caused the lot to fall on Jonah, YHWH was the Provider of the great fish. We can try to do things our way, but when we do it will not come to fruition. There must be acknowledgment and submission to the sovereignty of YHWH. It’s a dreadful thing to fall in the hands of a living God (Heb. 10). God disciplines those whom He loves. If you place Him on ignore, He will place you in “time-out” until you acknowledge Him again because we all need to learn and acknowledge that “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."
YHWH Sent a Great Fish (1:17)
17 But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
Exegesis: The writer seem to concluded his thoughts with the culmination of Jonah being in the fish for three days and three nights with no specifics about how he is rescued. This is clear major break in thought structure and a logical passage break. At this point it’s very clear that it is YHWH that is at work and that He sent a great fish to devour Jonah whole. While we don’t know the details about Jonah’s rescue we know that he was still in a situation what was an act of YHWH. This also tells us that YHWH wasn’t done with him. After this YHWH placed Jonah in “time-out” but instead of time-out in a corner, YWHW placed Jonah in the belly of a great fish. "God, then provided "a [great] great fish to swallow Jonah." The completes the cycle of sin as Jonah now experiences the consequences of his attitude and actions towards YHWH, he (Jonah) was devoured.
Application: Are we inviting God’s discipline? Sometimes God has to intervene in our lives to get our attention. How far does God have to go before we listen to His calling? Are you in a place where you feel like your life is been placed on hold. Do you feel that God has put you in “time-out?” The Lord disciplines those whom He loves does he not? Are we going to continue to things our way or His way?
Key Center: The Key Center, verse 14b, is almost self-evident. “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." Although it was Jonah’s consequences, it’s very evident that point of this passage it to demonstrate that YHWH can and will do as He pleases. YHWH called Jonah. It pleased YHWH to send Jonah, not anyone else because YHWH will call whom He wants to call, not man. YHWH, “sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” It was YHWH who caused the lot to fall on Jonah. It was YHWH who calmed the seas after they threw Jonah overboard. YHWH will do what He pleases! YHWH can do what He pleases with the elements of nature that He created. YHWH “provided a great fish to swallow Jonah,” which points us back to verse 14b. Everything from all three paragraphs and the paragraph points directly center around verse 1:14b, “for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." Its YHWH who is in control here now us!
YHWH Sent a Prophet (1:1-3)
YHWH Sent a Storm (1:4-16)
YHWH Sent a Great Fish (1:17)
