When the Storm Points Us Back to God
A group of seafarers had a scary trip on a ship headed from Joppa to Tarshish. On the vessel was a passenger, Jonah of Amittai. Yes, that Jonah—the one who wound up inside the big belly of a whale. Instead of obeying God when told to go to Nineveh to preach to the people there, Jonah turned on his heels and fled in the exact opposite direction, purchasing a ticket to Tarshish, a city in Spain, instead.
Once aboard the ship, the Lord caused a mighty storm that heaved the ship violently upon the crashing waves. This must have been a squall of great magnitude because we read that the hearty mariners, who were used to sailing in storms, became extremely afraid, each crying out to his god.
When the idols failed to answer, the seamen took matters into their own hands, chucking cargo overboard in order to lighten the ship. But neither the storm, nor their fears, subsided. The crew then cast lots to see which passenger on board had caused the storm. When the lot fell to Jonah, he fessed up about his runaway tale and urged them to promptly toss him overboard. Thus, his infamous ride in the belly of a whale.
It wasn’t until the sailors obeyed God’s servant Jonah’s instructions that God finally calmed the seas. These rough and tumble men then stopped fearing the elements and began to fear God instead, the Creator of the wind and the waves.
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