Lesson 2 – Jonah Faces the Consequences of His Disobedience

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.)

1. (verse 10) Why were the sailors so terrified? Has your disobedience to God ever caused problems for others?

Notice that in verse 9 Jonah said, "I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." These were men that worshipped different gods for different occasions. Perhaps they had one god for harvest and one god for fertility. Maybe they had one god for rain and another for war. In their superstitious understanding they were afraid that Jonah had offended the god of the sea as evidenced by the great storm around them. Jonah’s disobedience caused great fear and turmoil to come upon these innocent sailors. Often we think we can do what we want, but we don’t realize how our actions affect so many other people – especially those of our own family. Disobedience has its consequences. We need to learn from Jonah’s mistakes, and not allow calamity to come upon others, especially our loved ones.

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?"

2. (verse 11) Why didn’t Jonah’s confession of his sin cause the sea to calm down? Why would it get worse? Don’t you think Jonah by now had learned his lesson?

I find this interesting that even though Jonah confessed his sin, God did not want him to go all the way to Tarshish. He wanted him to go to Nineveh for the sake of the people there. So even though Jonah is probably ready to repent, God is not done with his divine plan. Often, we repent and find that things only get worse. We begin wondering, as perhaps Jonah was doing, why God doesn’t quiet the storm. But he had a plan for Jonah and he has a plan for us.

Pusey comments on the increasing storm, "It was not only increasingly tempestuous, but like a thing alive and obeying its Master’s Will, it was holding on its course, its wild waves tossing themselves, and marching on like battalions, marshalled, arrayed for the end for which they were sent, pursuing and demanding the runaway slave of God."

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."

3. (verse 12) Why is Jonah so willing to die? What has caused the change in his attitude toward these sailors?

Jonah now begins to realize that the sailors are suffering for his disobedience. At first he was entirely consumed with his own thoughts. He didn’t even care enough about the others to get up from his sleep. But now he can see the damage he has caused. In an abrupt change of outlook, he is suddenly willing to die for these men that he doesn’t even know. I think he is motivated by genuine concern for the sailors, but Jonah may have had additional reasons for wanting to die.

Throughout this book we have noticed that Jonah is often willing to die. Even though he has repented in his heart, he really would rather die than face the consequences of his actions. Sometimes we face such difficult trials that we feel like giving up or even dying, but God had different plans for Jonah, and he has different plans for us too. No matter how dark things may appear, we cannot give up. Just as God had something much better in mind for Jonah, he also has a divine plan for our life. We need to be willing to trust him even when we are overwhelmed by despair and feel like giving up.

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.

4. (verse 13) Why wouldn’t the men immediately throw Jonah overboard? What does this tell you about the impact of Jonah’s witness? Has God ever used you to help others even when you were being disobedient?

It seems amazing to me that these men didn’t immediately throw Jonah overboard. It was as if there was something in Jonah’s life that made them realize he was someone worth saving. They saw a man of faith who had rebelled against his God and now was sorry. Even though Jonah was causing them intense grief, his faith was apparent. They were willing to risk their lives to save him. What a glimpse this is of the character of these anonymous men. Ignoring their own plight, they were willing to risk all for the life of this disobedient stranger.

Even when we are being disobedient, God can still use us to influence others for God – especially when we openly admit our errors. It is difficult for us to admit our mistakes, but when we are open with others whom we have wronged, it is amazing how God can use even our errors for his kingdom. Jonah’s disobedience had caused all this misery engulfing the ship. But his candid admission of guilt and probably his appearance of contrition had an impact on these rough men. Perhaps they could identify with Jonah. They all realized how disobedient they had been in their own lives. Even though they could sense that this was a prophet of God, his human frailty, his weakness, his confession of guilt was cause for compassion on their part as they could identify with the human condition of all people.

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."

5. (verse 14) To whom are the sailors praying? What happened to their own gods?

Now a truly remarkable thing happens. The sailors are no longer praying to their own gods. Instead they are praying to Jonah’s God. This whole ordeal has had a profound influence on their faith. They are ready to turn from their pagan ways and worship the one true Creator.

Pusey remarks, "Wonderful, concise, confession of faith in these new converts! ...these had but just known God, and they resolve the whole mystery of man’s agency and God’s Providence into the three simple words, as Thou willedst Thou didst."

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.

6. (verses 15-16) Jonah’s calamity became an opportunity for these men to find God. How can our response to suffering witness to others about Christ?

Notice what happened after they threw Jonah overboard. The calmness of the sea testified of the almighty power of God. Verse 16 says that the men "feared the Lord." They realized that their idols were worthless. By their actions it seems they are making a commitment to the Savior of the universe. It says they made vows to God. I don’t know how many kept these vows, but I would imagine that many did. God was using Jonah to not only save the city of Nineveh, but also to save these mariners.

Many Christians have gone through extreme suffering in their lives. But we never know when our suffering can witness to others. People may observe our troubles and yet sense our calm spirit or our deep faith in spite of the outward signs. We never know how many people we have influenced for the Lord because of our actions when we are being tossed by the storms of life.

17 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

7. (verse 17) What kind of fish was this that swallowed Jonah? How do you think Jonah felt? How would you relate this verse to Matthew 12:39-40?

Of course, Jonah must have been in great misery being inside the fish for that long a period of time, but there was a reason that God kept him there for three days and three nights. In Matthew 12:39-40 Jesus refers to this story as a sign for the Jews. In verse 40 he says, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." As sure as we are that Christ was raised from the dead after spending three days and three nights in the grave, we realize that Jonah also did the same as a sign of the coming Messiah’s redemption. After spending the time in the tomb of the fish, Jonah would be given new life to preach the good news to Nineveh, and there would be a great revival and the city would be saved. After Jesus spent time in the tomb of the sepulcher and rose from the dead, he sent the good news around the world, and the people repented and the world was saved.