Jonah and the Storm

Jonah and the whale is a classic kids story isn't it? And it should be, it's got everything a good story needs. Drama, suspense, a shipwreck, and of course, a whale. But there's so much more in this book, and on Sunday we started looking at this book together in Teen Sunday School.

On the run from God
God called Jonah to go east. Jonah got on a boat and headed...west as quickly as he could. So far west in fact, that he was more or less on the edge of the known world. He was trying to 'flee from the presence of the Lord.' That sounds pretty hopeless doesn't it? Where can one go from the presence of the Lord? We want to say 'nowhere!' Jonah would have known that, so why did he go? We learn later that he simply didn't like the people he was called to preach to.


We may not get on a boat, but don't we want to get away from the presence of the Lord sometimes? There are words, thoughts and actions we simply don't want the Lord to know about. Hopeless of course, because He knows and sees everything. So how did the Lord react? Graciously, as always. What happens on the boat? There is a tremendous, terrifying storm, which Jonah deals with (more of that in a minute) which leads to the men on the boat making vows and making sacrifices to the Lord. Even on the run, the Lord is using Jonah, even on the run, the Lord is gracious. Jonah had to learn, as we have to learn, that salvation belongs to the Lord. Get on board and enjoy the victory!


Man asleep in boat calms storm
There's a huge storm, terrified experienced sailors, and a man asleep in the boat as it takes on water. What does that remind you of? Jesus told us that no sign would be given to the sign seekers except the sign of Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days, just as the Lord was in the ground for three days. But, there's a sign of Jonah here too isn't there? Jesus calmed the storm with a word. Jonah calms with with an idea. Throw me over, sacrifice me, i'll face the storm so you don't have to. I'll face the storm so you don't have to? Isn't that what Jesus did.


Jesus is safe, and we are suffered the effects on our sin. Jesus saves us by getting out of the boat, and conquering the storm of our sin. He faces it head on, pays the price with His blood, with His life. Our response on knowing this has to be that of the sailors doesn't it? Thanksgiving and sacrifice, our hearts being turned to the God of Jonah, the God of Jesus, the God who calmed and conquered the storm...