The Pulpit Commentary — Jonah — Section 33

tbo question, in reference to his sins, "Why bast thou done this?" Sinned against God and man, and against thine own soul, and against thine own children? Better we should put tho question and answer it in time, than wait till God puts it in the day of judgment.-W. G. B. Vera. 11-17.-The c,ffender sacrificed. "Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous," etc. A new stage of spiritual progress bas been reached-yet the sea not calm. There bad been prayer-but no calm followed; now there is frank con- fession of sin, and doubtless repentance, and acknowledgment of God even by the men, but the sea still wrought, and was tempestuous. Was it" no use" to pray and repent? No; but God's plan was a large one, not yet completed. See the danger of impatience and despair when a blessing is delayed: "Though the vision tarry, wait for it." I. JoNAH IB MADE BIB OWN JUDGE. "Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?" They seem to have felt, "There is one God, and Jonah is bis prophet." Fearing God, they recognized the claims of his servant, and appealed to him to pass judgment on himself-" What shall we do unto thee," Doubtless they bad their own ideas, but they respected him as a prophet, and were slow to lay bands on him, and thought that, as a servant of God, be would know best what would appease bis wrath. "I see chiefly in this language an appeal to the true God and the true man. Wherever the knowledge of God is clearly and truly communicated, heathenism and idols have no chance. . . • Let God be clearly known as be is revealed, and, with very few exceptions, men cannot but believe on him . . . . So, too, when the true man appears among men, although it may be, as in this case, coming out of untrueness and unfairness, staggering back through the storm and penalty that he may at least die in the right way, men must yield that man rever- ence. 'l'be image of God is shining in him once more. He is a living and true man- F.On of the living and true God-' What shall we do unto thee?'" (Raleigh). II. 'l'IIE SELF-IMPOSED SENTENCE. "Take me up, and cast me into the sea." The cc•ward now become e. hero shows a noble and self-sacrificing spirit-contrast to former spirit. And now comes to the front the instinct of retribulion. Jonah does not pro- pose that ho should be granted an opportunity to go to Nineveh and execute bis com- mission; he felt that he was causing death to others-it was just that be should die to prevent them from dying: "I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you." But be will not be his own executioner: "Take me up, and cast me into the sea." No man is entitled to take away his own life; no countenance either in nature or in Bible to suicide. Jonah's death must be a judicie.l act, executed by others. "Cast me forth into the sea, for that is the will of God; it is my will also, for I cannot endure to see you in such danger and distress any longer on my account. You have already lost your goods because of me, and you have been for some time in peril of your lives; that you may suffer no more, take me up, and cast me into the sea" (Jones). III. ANOTHER PULL FOR LIFE, "Nevertheless the men rowed bard to bring it to the land." These men gain upon us-rough seamen by profession, tinged by Oriental barbarity in all likelihood, they become generous, and eager to save Jonah. Jonah's humility, candour, and ready self-sacrifice had impressed them: "'l.'bey rowed hard to bring the ship to land." A self-sacrificing spirit draws men's hearts-turns the heathen -Livingstone's influence with natives of Africa due in no small measure to this feature -remember the self-sacrifice of our Lord: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw a.II men unto me." "Every good thing in our spirit and action bas a tendency to repro- duce itself in others who are in any way related to it, especially, of course, if it is called forth for their advantage. Jonah is true and noble at length. The sailors, having responsive qualities in themselves, are nobler for bis nobleness, are more sell-forgetful because, when the moment of stress came, he did the noblest thing a man could do for fellow-men-offered bis life for theirs" (Raleigh). Another step is thus gained in moral progress-" the men" have become full of reverence toward God, and full of regard for bis prophet-but to no purpose apparently; "for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them." A sacrifice is indispensable. (In the men "pulling bard" some have found an emblem of sinners trying to save themselves before they resort to God's wa1 of sacrifice; but this lesson seem& far.fetched.) 30 THE BOOK OF JONAH. [oH, I, 1-17,