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
refute.
Here was another pagan rebuking the church, and we
need to be awakened by such rebuke. The Evangelical
Church was at one time the greatest social force in America.
This was during the Great Awakening under Jonathan
Edwards, and again later under the revivals of Charles
Finney. Thousands upon thousands of people were
converted, and the whole character of society was changed.
But today the church is often asleep as the world is tossed
about by raging storms. The church is in the world just as
Paul and Jonah were in pagan ships, but the church must
cease to follow Jonah's procedure, and put Paul's into
operation. It needs to become a leader, and give direction as
Paul did, and save itself as well as the pagans. Paul gave
leadership, but Jonah was part of the problem instead of
part of the answer, and he deserved rebuke. Next we see-
II. HIS REQUEST OF PRAYER.
Imagine a pagan pleading with a prophet to pray. It is not
surprising that a pagan would pray in such a situation, but it
is surprising that he should have to urge a servant of God to
do so. The storm was unusually fierce, and even these men
who had been at sea for years were fearful. The Hebrew
root of the word mariners in verse 5 is salt. They were old
salts, and if they were afraid, it was time for everyone to
start praying.
Each of them had his own god he cried out to, and the
captain urged Jonah to pray to his God also. It was
probably with the thought that the more gods the better.
One of them will certainly be able to stop the storm.
Matthew Henry said, "He who would learn to pray let him
go to sea." All men recognized when they are at the mercy
of natural forces that if there is no God to help, there is no
help, for only supernatural power can save from such forces.
The captain was ready to bow to any god who could help
them, and so he requests that Jonah pray to his God. What
would you do if you were asked to join in on a pagan prayer
meeting? Jonah, true to his rebellious nature, probably did
not honor the request. If he had, the storm may have been
stopped, but Jonah was not going to admit he was wrong. He
would rather die than do that. A faithful servant should be
able to join any group in prayer. If they are pagan and
superstitious, it will not affect the validity of his prayer.
Jonah was supposed to go and rebuke the heathen, and
now the heathen are rebuking him, and pleading for he
cooperation. We see a picture of the tragic results of
prejudice and a false sense of superiority. Jonah, because of
his ungodlike attitude, becomes a poorer example of piety
than the pagans he looked down on. They at least seek
God's help, but Jonah does not. They care for his life, but he
has no great love for their souls. Never argue with people
who say there are non-Christians who are better than
Christians because it is a fact of life, and the Bible supports
it.
The pagans may be pleading in ignorance, but the fact is
God heard their prayer and they were spared. We have no
right to expect pagans to be theologically trained. We must
begin on their level to lift them to where we have been lifted
by revelation. The only way we can aid people to grow from
their inadequate ideas of God to mature concepts is by
starting where they are. God condescends to use even their
superstitions to guide them. This does not mean we are to
become like them, but that we condescend to their form of
communication in order to relate to them, for only then can
we ever lead them to higher and true concepts of God. Next
we look at-
III. HIS RECOGNITION OF GOD'S POWER.
Even a pagan has a concept of the providence of God. He
knew that God was behind the storm, and that only He could
stop it, and like the Greeks of Paul's day, he was willing to
turn even to the unknown God for help. He was right, and
God did think of them, and had no intention of seeing them
perish for the disobedience of Jonah. God is not the author
of arbitrary destruction. He sent the wind and storm, but
He did not take their lives.
We must beware of universalizing what the Bible does
not. This whole event was an act of mercy. God must
display His displeasure at deliberate disobedience. He needs
a man to bear His message, but He can use nature to get His
man. If we say, however, that all storms are the result of a
wicked act on the part of some person, we are thrown back
to paganism and superstition, which compels us to go witch
hunting to find the guilty party, and then sacrifice that
person to placate the anger of God.
We see no such thing here. This is a particular case in
which God acts uniquely in nature. The timing is what
makes it special providence. The storm itself is natural, but
the timing is for a specific purpose. If you argue that all
storms are for a specific purpose you are in the difficult
position of saying that God tries to teach us certain things
without telling us what it is, so that we are never really sure.
As a method of teaching it is not very appealing or effective.
When God wants to teach us something through trial and
suffering it is usually clear, and if it is not, there is not likely
a message being taught.
In Jonah, the purpose is obvious, and so it is helpful to all
involved. Both Jonah and the pagans knew there was
purpose and power behind this storm. Jonah, however, had
the advantage of revelation, and was superior to those who
had only the witness of nature. Man can know that God
exists by nature, but he cannot by nature know the God that
does exist. Martin says that you can go to an art gallery and
by reason and observation know that the paintings there did
not just happen, but are the products of skill. You can learn
of the style, taste, and love of design of the artist, but for all
this, you cannot by this method know the artist. Only as he
reveals himself can you know him. Reason falls short of
revelation. Even a pagan can recognize the power of God,
but only by revelation can he know the person of God.
All it takes for many pagans to become children of God is
a faithful prophet who will awake at their rebuke; pray for
their preservation, and begin to proclaim the person of
Christ. The story of Jonah ought to make all of us aware
that sometimes the heathen of the world are closer to the
kingdom than many professing believers. May God help us
to wake up to the message of His Word, and not wait to be
awakened by a pagan.
