Jonah’s flight (chaper one)

ANALYSIS VERSE 6:

1. 
   Vs.6 provides the initial elements of Jonah’s DD that he is forced to confront, “So the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping?’”
   
2. 
   Principle: DD is designed to get your attention and face the ramifications of your disobedience.
   
3. 
   Application: Until Jonah wakes up, he will not ascertain the DD in his life illustrating the spiritual reality for believers under DD.
   
4. 
   The term “captain” is literally in the Hebrew “chief of the sailors” clearly identifying his authority over ship and crew.
   
5. 
   As shipmaster, he is hands on accounting for not only crew and cargo, but his passenger also.
   
6. 
   The most natural reading that the captain “approached him and said” is that it was the captain’s direct intention to locate Jonah.
   
7. 
   While the captain’s intention is not here stated, vs.10b informs us that Jonah’s reason of voyage had been made public knowledge to the crew.
   
8. 
   It is not unreasonable to think the captain was also informed.
   
9. 
   Application: Good authority stays informed of all issues critical to their oversight of responsibilities.
   
10. 
    Application: Good things will come to this captain for taking his leadership responsibilities seriously, i.e., deliverance.
    
11. 
    Aware of Jonah’s religious disposition and the fact the all of the crew were “praying to their gods”, the captain’s intention becomes quite clear.
    
12. 
    That is to utilize all means available in seeking to secure the deliverance and safety of ship and all aboard soliciting prayer from one that claims a relationship with a god.
    
13. 
    Obviously, the captain can do no more than his pagan frame of reference allows.
    
14. 
    Upon locating Jonah, the captain finds him sound asleep.
    
15. 
    He awakes him incredulously asking “How have you been sleeping?” with the urgent understanding “at a time like this!!”
    
16. 
    Implication: The same question can be applied spiritually to believers oblivious to DD in their life.
    
17. 
    Obviously, Jonah now back in touch with reality, recognizes the crisis and is rebuked out of a natural frustration on the part of the captain.
    
18. 
    Further, Jonah must now come to grips with the fact that the crisis on board is due to his disobedience.
    
19. 
    Principle: One person’s DD often directly affects those around him/her.
    
20. 
    Jonah’s DD now begins in earnest.
    
21. 
    The captain calls upon this non-professional to start making himself useful, “Get up, call out to your god!”
    
22. 
    The captain’s orders had to be a slap in Jonah’s face as these imperatives undoubtedly reminded Him of God’s commission to “Arise” and “call out” to the Assyrians (the same two Hebrew words used “qum” and “qara” in vs.2).
    
23. 
    The captain’s orders further reflect the irony of Jonah’s disobedience.
    
24. 
    That he was unwilling to apply God’s directive will of applying grace to save the Assyrians from destruction, he must prepare himself to cry out to God for grace in deliverance from his own destruction. Cp.Heb.4:16
    
25. 
    Principle: Avoiding God’s will only leads to spiritual destruction.
    
26. 
    For Jonah to call upon God is a direct command for him to pray.
    
27. 
    For an unbeliever to exhort a believer to pray is a reproach in itself.
    
28. 
    Since Jonah’s determination to abandon God’s directive, obviously prayer is on his short list.
    
29. 
    Of all the times Jonah should have been applying fervent prayer, this one is obvious.
    
30. 
    Principle: Prayer waning in the believer’s life is a “red flag” warning of spiritual deterioration.
    
31. 
    Principle: When one rejects BD, so will he dismiss his prayers.
    
32. 
    The captain then expresses his reasoning behind Jonah praying, “Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish”.
    
33. 
    The Hebrew is literally rendered, “Perhaps the god (with the d.a.) …”.
    
34. 
    The captain’s terminology with reference to Jonah’s specific “god” implies some knowledge concerning Jonah’s belief.
    
35. 
    This as a monotheistic belief in contrast to polytheism to which the captain and crew adhered (the singular of the middle voice will be concerned).
    
36. 
    This supports the deduction that the captain was also informed of Jonah’s revelation of vs.10b of fleeing from the singular Yahweh.
    
37. 
    Otherwise, it gives a sense of open mindedness one might expect from a potential seeker.
    
38. 
    With life on the line, the captain is willing to give Jonah’s “god” opportunity to make clear His existence if indeed He exists.
    
39. 
    An opportunity God will facilitate in response to the captain’s desire.
    
40. 
    As vs.16 will relate, the captain and crew will come to recognize God’s greatness vowing to follow up with further seeking.
    
41. 
    Principle: God is free to use Divine intervention to stimulate +V towards the surface.
    
42. 
    Principle: Not all dire situations such as life and death are bad when it draws attention towards God.
    
43. 
    Principle: God may even use disobedient believers to reveal His plan to others.
    
44. 
    Principle: God is free to make culpable whom He chooses and in whatever way He chooses.
    
45. 
    Principle: God is not limited in circumstances, situations or persons to appeal to wherever volition expresses a desire to know Him, to whatever degree.
    
46. 
    The adverb “Perhaps/maybe - -ulay” expresses hope that Jonah’s god can deliver, but still possesses fear and doubt.
    
47. 
    This is the mindset of religious types not embracing the truth having no confidence.
    
48. 
    The captain recognizes the failure of his and crew’s prayers and with slim hope knows that they will die if Jonah’s god does not intervene.
    
49. 
    His appeal is as a last resort in his groping to find a “god” that is truly concerned about life.
    
50. 
    God is here taking a bad situation of expressing His wrath to promote the best spiritually for all concerned.