1 Jonah 1:4-16 Lessons from Sailors about the Natural Man (part 2) 1. The natural man works against God. As the story unfolds and the sailors realize that God is the one who sent the storm, they have an immediate solution. In v. 11 they ask Jonah, What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us? In v. 12 Jonah said, Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you. Here we see the solution to their immediate danger, and it comes from Jonah, God s prophet. Look what happens in v. 13. nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. God s way was for them to throw Jonah into the sea. Maybe they were nice guys and didn t want to see this man killed. Maybe they really thought they could prevail against this storm. We don t know, but they did work against the plan of God. I believe we see this throughout the Scriptures. The first example in the Bible is Satan himself. He desired to be like God as he worked against the will of his creator. The second example we see is Adam and Eve after they disobeyed God. They realized they were naked and they tried to clothe themselves. But, this was not sufficient. Instead, we see that God clothed them with animal skins, as we see the first recorded physical death. With Cain, God did not accept his sacrifice because he did not come as God prescribed. And from his seed, we a line of ungodliness as his offspring works against God. In Numbers 25 we see that the Israelites worked against God in the dessert. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food (Num 21:5). When Moses sent the 12 spies into the land of Caanan, 10 of them worked against the plan of God saying, We cannot take the land. There are giants that live there. We will be destroyed. Do you remember Israel s first King, Saul? Throughout his life he worked against God. He did things his own way, knowing the commands of God. One time, right before a big battle with the Philistines, it was time to seek the face of the Lord and God s priest, Samuel was late on the scene. Saul knew he must wait on the man of God to perform the sacrifices. But, the people started to fear and some of them began to return home. Instead of doing it God s way, Saul offered up sacrifices. Immediately Samuel showed up and said, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God... But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you (1 Sam. 13:13-15). Examples abound from the lives of ungodly men as they try and work against the will of God. You see, the natural tendency of man is to work against God. And we know the reason. We are sinners by nature and since the fall of Adam, we work against God. If we think about this, we know it to be true. Think about your own life before you came to Christ. You worked against God. You thought you could do it your way, apart from obedience to his will. Although, I would have considered myself a good person before I came to Christ, I must admit that I worked against God. This is common for the natural man. The clearest way we work against God is by works-based righteousness. In other words, we try to make God accept us by our works. John Owen said, Works based righteousness is the enemy of Christianity. Islam says, I must work.
2 My good works must outweigh my bad if God will accept me. Hinduism and Buddhism says, I must be good in this world that I may attain a better life next time around, and ultimately reach the heavens. Jehovah s Witnesses and Mormons WORK so hard that God might accept them. Many today in Christian churches trust their profession or their walk down an isle or their water baptism or their church attendance or their works within the church, thinking, God must approve of these things. We must understand that we cannot work against God. If any person is to be saved it will be because God himself works. He sent his Son. And Jesus said, I have come to do the work of my Father. That work as the perfect Son of God in both his deity and his humanity, was to serve by giving his life a ransom, by working the work that only God could do, dying on the cross as a perfect sacrifice and substitute in the place of natural men and women and children, so that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord, so that those who trust in Him, so that those who rest in his work, are counted righteous based upon the work of another, and their sins are forgiven. One of the greatest statements in all the Bible is this: But God commanded his love toward us (natural men), while we were yet sinners (enemies of God who work against Him), Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). 2. The natural man doesn t recognize his position in relation to God. This truth is clear throughout the Scriptures, but I get this from our text in v. 7. The sailors said to one another, Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us. You see, they are going through life, at work for another normal voyage, until the storm. Then, they realize this storm is from God. They know this is some form of punishment. They immediately think, What have we done? What sin have we committed that this evil has come upon us? We hear this all the time. What have I done to deserve this? Whether it is something big like death or sickness in our families or a great calamity like the storm in Jonah, or simple things like traffic jams or rainy days when a big event is planned, we think, What have I done to deserve this? Here s a common mistake. Fathers, have you ever come home from a hard day at work only to find an irritated wife and hyperactive children, or over-sensitive teenage girls, or macho, all into themselves boys, expecting them to praise you, and consider you as you go to work every day and provide for my family? You may think, What have I done to deserve this? Mothers, you work hard (harder than us men in my experience), you try to keep your house clean, you are expected to cook, make sure everything is in working order. But, in the midst of all this work, you get no recognition. And, you think, What have I done to deserve this? These things may seem small, but they simply point to something bigger. The natural tendency of the natural man is to ask: Why do bad things happen to good people? We have a deserving mentality, and this indicates something much deeper, and ultimately we end up where these sailors did. They don t realize the deeper reality that their position before God is not favorable. When it comes to the judgment of God, they think, I m not so bad; certainly not bad enough for such a storm to come upon me in my life that I might perish. The tendency of the natural man is to say, I have no idols. I don t worship images. I don t take the Lord s name in vain. I haven t committed murder. I m no thief. I m faithful to woman I m with. I may desire a new car, but I don t covet. On the eternal scales, my good outweighs my bad. The
3 world does not see their sin. And when bad things happen, they surely think they don t deserve what they get. A better question might be to ask why do good things happen to bad people. Why was the captain allowed to lead another passage? Why were the sailors allowed to make another voyage when throughout their lives they did not worship the true God, but instead were idolaters? Throughout this chapter we see them calling out to their gods which I am sure they had been taught from childhood. We have seen that they actually work against God in their attempt to save themselves. This is the natural man. And, these actions are simply a reflection of their hearts. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote to the Ephesians: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind (Eph. 2:1-3). In another place Paul wrote to Timothy about his natural state before the grace of God came to him in Christ. He said, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief... (1 Tim. 1:13). My point is that natural man doesn t know the depths of his sin. He doesn t know that his sins have separated him from his maker. And his position is not favorable. On the contrary, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... (Rom. 1:18). Do you remember the words of Jesus when he was teaching this same truth? Listen to his words: There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:1-5). The people were thinking the reason Pilate killed the Galileans and the reason the tower fell on those innocent people is because they were worse sinners and for some reason they deserved it. (God is no respecter of persons. He is not out to get you in this sense.) In this same context Jesus said, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already (Joh 3:17-18a). You see, Adam and Eve, after they sinned, stood before their maker and trembled in fear, waiting for the execution of the judgment of God. They were guilty. They were condemned. Surely, they did not expect God to show them mercy as he gave them hope that their problem would be fixed one day through the Messiah who would come through the seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent. I don t think they asked, Why do bad things happen to good people. I think they surely asked, Why did such grace and mercy come to us? Why does such good come to bad people? Today, none of us get what we deserve, which is the wrath and justice of a holy God. All of us are Adam s offspring and all of us as a natural person stand before a holy God just as Adam. Bad things happen to all men, women, and children in this world because of the fall. And, God is no respecter of persons. That God would save any is grace and mercy! In dealing with
4 this same topic with Gentile believers and their relation to Israel, Paul said in Rom. 9:14-20: What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, Why have you made me like this? These are hard words. These are hard truths. But, they are still truths. Now, at this point you may ask, I think like this all the time. Am I a Christian? Or, am I like these sailors? I must answer, I don t know. Maybe you have never understood this truth before and maybe for the first time you understand your position before God as a natural, unregenerate person. If this is the case, then you are not a Christian. No one will come to Christ unless they know they need him, not simply to give them some kind of security, but to save their soul from sin. But, at the same time I think Christians can also think like this because of immaturity. (Now, I am not saying that even mature Christians don t struggle with such thoughts when they see the evil world around them. But, they struggle less; and when they think about what they really deserve, they ultimately say, Thank you God for not giving me what I deserve. Now, let me just give some implications for us if we think like the natural man. We have a hard time with the understanding problem of evil in the world, asking the question: Why would a good God allow such evil in this world? We have a hard time with the doctrines of grace because we do not understand the doctrine of original sin. In other words, we think we deserve something. We don t understand that after the fall of Adam, God didn t have to save anyone! The same is true today. We have a hard time with the difficulties in this life if we misunderstand this truth. (They are hard enough with a right understanding.) We have a hard time comforting our brothers and sisters in Christ if we don t understand this truth. Ultimately, we can t be saved unless we know our state before a holy God. If we don t know that God is no respecter of persons and that our sins have separated us from God, how do we know how to repent? God s purpose is not to keep you safe from the external effects of the fallen world we live in. His purpose isn t to bless you with health, wealth, and prosperity. His purpose is much bigger actually. Oh, how shallow we think. This truth must be gotten. It must be understood by us. We will be more mature as we grasp these things. Now, I would like to close with one quick truth.
5 3. There is still hope for the natural man. The grace of God overcomes sin. The grace of God abounds. Look at vv. 14-16: Therefore they called out to the LORD, O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you. 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. I am not 100% sure these men were converted. But, I hope this is the case and we will see these sailors in heaven one day. We do see some evidence that their hearts were converted and their position before God changed. First we see that they called to God (not their idol gods). They did what God wanted. They threw Jonah into the sea. The storm ceased. They feared God exceedingly and they offered a sacrifice and made vows to true God. Looking back, if these men were truly converted, they had to say, That storm was the most blessed and beautiful storm ever sent to mankind, because the grace of God overcame our idolatry and our rebellion and our lack of knowledge Jonah s God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. When it seemed as though there was no hope, the grace and mercy of God came to these pagan sailors. Turn with me to Ephesians 2 and I will show you the greatest 2 words in the Bible. Listen as I read a few verses. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God,... (Eph. 2:1-4). King David did not ask to be king. He was minding his business as a shepherd (a sinful shepherd). But, God called him. Moses was minding his business also as a shepherd. But, God called him at the burning bush. Of the young boy Samuel we read: Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision (1Sam 3). But God spoke and called. The Apostle Paul was heading down the road to Damascus, on his way to persecute the followers of Christ. But, God, struck him down and opened his spiritual eyes. The same was true with me. I was going my own way... But, God. The same is true with any person that will ever be saved. Today, you do not get what you deserve, even in God s common grace, you have so much and judgment has yet to come upon you. But, if you are in Christ, you get exactly what you do not deserve. Let me finish the words that follow in Eph. 2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved you, 5 even when you were dead in our trespasses, made you alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised you up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward you in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. What a great God! Who does not want this today? It isn t mere stupidity that the natural man doesn t want these things. It is in his nature as a child of wrath. Where would we be without the overcoming grace of God in our lives? Let s pray.