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Jonah and the Violent Storm
1: 4-16

Scene one closed with Jonah running away from the LORD. Scene two opens by describing ADONAI’s reaction to Yonah’s flight, as God hurls a storm on the sea. The tension that brings the scene to life is introduced immediately. Will the ship break up and all aboard perish (1:4)? Yonah’s confession of faith has been carefully placed at the midpoint of the chiastic structure. There are 94 words in the Hebrew text from the scene’s beginning in 1:4 to the beginning of the speech in 1:9 (A Hebrew I am) and 94 words in 1:10-15. Verse 16, a reflection on what scene two as a whole says about ADONAI, stands outside the chiastic structure. Both the chiastic makeup and the exact balance of the number of words on each side serve to place the focus for this third scene on the confession of 1:9.35

A The LORD hurls a storm (1:4)

B Sailors pray, then act (1:5ab)

C Jonah acts (1:5c)

D Sailors question Jonah (1:6-8)

E Yonah confesses, “A Hebrew I am” (1:9)

D Sailors question Jonah (1:10-11)

C Jonah speaks (1:12)

B Sailors act, then pray (1:13-14)

A The sailors hurl Jonah (1:15-16)

The principle person in the narrative is God, not Jonah. To accomplish His purposes, ADONAI sovereignly controlled various events recorded in the book, overcame the prophet’s rebellion, and opened the hearts of the Ninevites. Here the LORD miraculously altered the direction of His reluctant servant’s itinerary. A life interrupted. Between Yonah’s disobedience, his hardened conscience, the ferocious storm of discipline, the frightening waves and the gaze of the sailors staring a hole through him, I’m quite sure he never thought anything good was going to come out of this. But it did.

Dear Heavenly Father, How wise and awesome You are! Praise You that you are able to take what looks bad to your children (John 1:12, First John 3:1, 3) and You turn it around to Your glory. Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Praise how You guided all in events in Joseph’s life-from being thrown in a pit, to sold as a slave by his brothers, to being put in prison when his boss lied about him, and then in Your perfect timing – to being promoted to second in command to Pharaoh. Yes, you yourselves planned evil against me. God planned it for good, in order to bring about what it is this day – to preserve the lives of many people (Genesis 50:20). We love to serve You, even when we don’t understand why You ask us to do hard tasks. We trust You and know that You always want what is best and You are holy, righteous and wonderful. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen