Day 47 : Jonah 1
Read Jonah 1
Helpful Background Information:
First, reread Mark 4:35-41
Second, read Jonah 1
The Prophet Jonah is best described as the “Reluctant Prophet”. God gave Jonah the task of heading east to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian Empire; who would later destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Jonah, in an act of pure disobedience, decided to travel west to Tarshish - likely in modern-day Spain. However, God isn’t finished with Jonah. After Jonah boards the boat, he falls asleep, only for God to cause a great storm that puts the ship in danger.
After Jonah falls asleep, the captain of the ship wakes up Jonah. The sailors are Gentiles who are in a state of panic because it looks like they’re about to die. Jonah finally confesses who he is, and acknowledges that the storm is occurring due to his disobedience. These Gentiles, though, have mercy on Jonah and try to spare him. However, the storm grows worse and worse and the sailors have no choice: they throw Jonah overboard. Immediately the seas become calm, and the Gentiles fear God and worship him with sacrifice. In a sense, they repent and believe.
The recount of Jesus calming the storm has many parallels to this story from Jonah. Both Jesus and Jonah are asleep on boats during a storm (Mark 4:38; Jonah 1:5). The disciples, many of whom were experienced fishermen, were panicked as they believed the storm would kill them; just as the Gentile sailors were (Mark 4:38, Jonah 1:4). Even after Jesus calms the storm, the disciples are terrified by his divine ability, just as the Gentile sailors were terrified at the divine presence of God in the calming of their storm (Mark 4:41; Jonah 1:16).
Reflection Questions:
Jonah was a reluctant and disobedient prophet. Meanwhile, Jesus Christ obeyed the Father perfectly, trusted the Father perfectly, and never sinned. Keep this in mind.
Now, compare Jesus and Jonah sleeping during the storm. How does Jesus’ sleeping reveal his complete faith in the Father while Jonah’s sleeping represents his disobedience?
In Matthew 12:41, Jesus says of himself “Something greater than Jonah is here”. Now, look at the parallel between the stories where the frightened sailors/disciples awake Jonah/Jesus. How does Jesus’ response show him to be greater than Jonah?
Both the sailors and the disciples experienced fear when they encountered God’s power. How does the “fear of the Lord” show up in your life? What does it mean to fear God in a healthy, reverential way?