Jonah 1
SIBBefore Christ clr. 860. Contains (1) God’s command to Jonah to warn the Ninevites to repent; 1, 2. (2) Jonah’s disobedience to God, and flight from his land
Jonah 1:3
(3) God’s pursuit and arrest of him by a storm, in which he continued sleeping
Jonah 1:4-6
(4) His disobedience discovered by the heathen mariners to be the cause of the storm
Jonah 1:7-10
(5) With great reluctance the mariners cast him into the sea, as the only mean of obtaining a calm
Jonah 1:17
Exod. 4. 13. ch. 4. 2. * Is. 2. 16 & 23. 1. & 60. 9. * * Heb. cast forth. * Amos 4. 13. Prot. 10. 9. Ps. 107. 25. * Heb thought to be broken NOW the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 4 ¶ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 106 118* 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and “cried every man unto his god, and ‘cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and “was fast asleep. 6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, “What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, “call upon thy God, “if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us “cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and ’the lot fell upon Jonah. 8 Then said they unto him, “Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us: ‘what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? 9 And he said unto them, “I am an Hebrew: and I ‘fear the LORD ’the God 10 E Before Christ cir. 860. Rom. 1. 20— 25. & 2. 14, 15. 1 Kon. 18, 26. 1s. 44. 18 —20. & 45. 20. Acts 27. 18, 19. & 26. 40. — 28. & 7a. 34. Mat. 8. 25. Ch. 3. 9. Joel 2. 14. Amos 5. 15. 1 Jam. 10. 20, 21. & 14. 42, 44. Prov. 16. 33. Acts 1. 26. Prov. 16. 33. & 18. 18. Amos 3. 2. 1 Jem. 7. 19. Jem. 5. 16. Gen. 49. 33. & 47. 3. Rom. 3. 1, 2 Ps. 147. 19, 20. & 32. 17. & 51. 18, 19
REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. I.—God’s ministers must either send or bear his messages as he directs them. But even good men will often take the most foolish methods to evade difficult and dangerous duties. And providence may seem at first to favour their projects: but rebellion against God will at last awaken terrible storms in consciences and societies; and saints may become a plague to heathens themselves, and need their rebukes for their wickedness and deep unconcern. In troubles it highly becomes us to inquire into the sinful cause. In sinning, we seldom think how mischievous the consequences may be: and in vain we indulge the most secret wickedness, when God can so easily discover it. Yea, shameful is it when ministers and saints are forced to confess their secret rebellions to his open enemies. But, when men are truly humbled for sin, they will readily submit to either shame or suffering for it. And, if sin has raised a storm, we never must hope for peace till it be removed by remission and repentance. Those who acknowledge their guilt with openness and grief are entitled to our deepest compassion. But even natural conscience, if awakened, will startle at the very appearance of murder. There is no striving against the counsels of God: his will must be done: and, if with prayer we follow his direction, we may trust him with the issue. While alarming providences produce short appearances of religion in sinners, God often strangely marks his dominion over, and direction of his creatures, and affords marvellous protection to his offending saints