Overboard
Jonah 1:13-17
13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
God chose the family of Abraham to be his covenant people. Why? So that Abraham’s family would be a vehicle of blessing for the nations:
12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Jonah has not been a faithful Israelite. In fact, his active rebellion against the Lord has brought potential disaster upon the pagan sailors. Nevertheless, God uses Jonah’s rebellion and hard-heartedness to reach the sailors anyway. Once he is thrown overboard, the sailors begin to worship the true God:
15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
This incident with Jonah and the sailors is a foreshadowing of what the Lord will do later, after the Resurrection of Jesus. Then, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews will be used by God to bring salvation to the Gentiles.
God is always at work.
