Today one can often hear from believers: this is for your sins, God has punished you. But a loving God hardly punishes...
Today one can often hear from believers: this is for your sins, God has punished you. But a loving God hardly punishes. Jesus Himself says to the disciples about the man born blind: "Neither he sinned, nor his parents, but..."
What then about Jonah? It turns out that God punished him for disobedience? Hardly.
How many people on earth live "not their own" life. We do something because "it is necessary," because a sense of duty or circumstances require it, and in the end we carry out the will of our parents. Sometimes we follow our whims, paying no attention to our deep desire, the one God planted in our heart like a little seed. God has a will for each of us. God created us for happiness, and fulfilling His will can make us happy. Even if, as with Jonah, this fulfillment is accompanied by great difficulties, both inward and outward.
The misfortunes that happen to Jonah are not punishment for disobedience, but help in fulfilling the will of a loving God. On paths far from the path the Lord has prepared for each of us, danger awaits us; on the path of fulfilling God's will, stones are removed so that we do not stumble.
1 Jonah disobeys the command of God, Jon 1:1-3.
Is arrested by a storm, Jon 1:4-6.
Discovered to be the cause of the storm, Jon 1:7-10.
Cast into the sea and swallowed by a fish, Jon 1:11-17.
1:2 That great city - It is said to have been one hundred and fifty furlongs in length, that is eighteen miles and three quarters, and eleven miles and one quarter in breadth.
1:3 From the presence - From the place where God usually had shewed himself present, by revealing his word and will to his prophets.Perhaps he might think God would not put him upon this work, when he was got into a strange country.
1:5 Into the sides - ln some cabin or other, whither he went before the storm arose.
1:6 Will think upon us - With pity and favour.
1:7 Cast lots - "Lots are an appeal to heaven in doubtful cases, and therefore not to be used but where the matter is undeterminable in any other way."