Read Jonah 1:4-6
1. Jonah thought he was safely on his way to Tarshish and away from God. But how wrong he was! Who sent the great wind?
A. Our God does indeed have power over nature. How is this power demonstrated in Matt. 8:23-24?
B. This great wind on the sea stirred up a mighty tempest. Describe a mighty tempest.
2. This storm must have been unusually strong and unexpected, for even the experienced mariners on board were fearful. Even today there are hurricane-like storms that occur on the Mediterranean Sea (where the storm of Jonah takes place) called Medicanes that can cause much damage. Note the storm in this same area described in Acts 27:13-20.
A. In their fear, what two things did the mariners do in verse 5a?
B. Where was Jonah during this violent storm? What are your thoughts on this?
3. In the following quote we are able to see a present day application of those who sleep through the storm. “Jonah was asleep amid all that confusion and noise; and, O Christian man, for you to be indifferent to all that is going on in such a world as this, for you to be negligent of God’s work in such a time as this is just as strange. The devil alone is making noise enough to wake all the Jonahs if they only want to awake…. All around us there is tumult and storm, yet some professing Christians are able, like Jonah, to go to sleep in the sides of the ship.” (Spurgeon)
A. What storms might Christians be sleeping through today?
B. Rather than be sleepers, what actions can we take? Are we all called to act?
4. All the men on board had prayed to their gods to no avail. The God of Jonah was the captain’s last hope of survival. How ironic – the God whom Jonah was running from was the answer! In light of Ps. 66:18, what would Jonah need to do before praying for the safety of those on the boat?
A. God answers our prayers according to His will and His timing. The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we appreciate this truth. But sometimes it is our own sin that keeps us from seeing our prayers answered. Be encouraged to daily confess your sin through the following verses:
1 Jn. 1:8-9, Jms. 5:16, Ps. 32:5, Ps. 66:18, Prov. 28:13.
B. As a Christian, is prayer your first thought in a crisis? Is your view and experience of God bigger than your view of the crisis? How do Col. 3:2, Phil.4:6-7, and Phil. 4:8-9 speak to this?
Read Jonah 1:7-9
1. In the Old Testament the casting of lots was used to determine the dividing of the land in Numbers, God’s will for certain situations in Joshua and 1 Chronicles, and to determine offices and functions in the temple also in 1 Chronicles. In the New Testament we see the casting of lots in Acts 1:26 and Matt. 27:35. There is no instruction in the New Testament for born again Christians to discern God’s will through the casting of lots. Now that we have the completed Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit, how are we to determine the will of God?
A. What do these verses tell us about the will of God? 1 Thess. 4:3-4, 1 Thess. 5:16-18, 1 Pet. 2:15
B. Rom. 12:2 speaks to us about discerning God’s will in specific situations. What does it mean?
2. When the lot fell to Jonah, those on board knew that Jonah was the cause of their trouble and they questioned him. Though Jonah was running away from God in disobedience, he boldly claimed his faith. How did Jonah respond to these questions?
A. Truth is truth! Jonah’s disobedience didn’t change the truth. But even those who know the truth of God can still act in rebellion. Even a believer who is in a state of rebellion can give glory to God if he will only tell the truth about God. Although, it is tragic that Jonah’s life contradicted his
knowledge of God. – Guzik Does your life reflect your knowledge of God?
B. How do John 14:15 and John 14:23-24 speak to our motivation for obedience?
Read Jonah 1:10-17
1. In verse 10 we see the men becoming even more afraid. What increased their fear? In their fear, to whom did they first turn? (vs 11)
Jonah told them what to do, but the men refused. Why might they have refused?
In their own efforts, the men could not be saved. Look closely at verse 14. What do you see?
2. (15-16) The men did the hard thing and they were rewarded with a calming of the sea. Through the disobedience of Jonah, the men on board the ship had an experience with the One True God. We aren’t told that they abandoned their false gods, but at the very least they experienced the power of the true God. How might God use your disobedience to show his character to unbelievers? Is this a reason to sin? How do these verses speak to this: Rom. 6:1-2 and Rom. 6:15?
3. Spurgeon said that God never allows His children to sin successfully. There are always
consequences. What does Heb. 12:6 tell us?
4. We will look at verse 17 next week, but what does Ps. 118:18 tell us?