Your Sin Will Find You Out

Jonah 1:4–10 (ESV)
4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Roadmap for the Text:
1) Purposeful and Pardoning Wrath of God
2) Pragmatic and Polytheistic Panic
3) Peace-Filled Prophet
4) Pagan Chastisement
5) Pitching Stones
6) Port Authority
7) Public Confession vs Personal Transformation
8) Public Humiliation

God’s Purposeful and Pardoning Wrath
“But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.”

Pragmatic and Polytheistic Panic
“Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.”

The Peace-Filled Prophet
“But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.”

Psalm 106:15 (ESV)
15 he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.

Pagan Chastisement
“What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

Jonah 1:2 (ESV)
“Arise…and call out”
Jonah 1:6
“Arise, call out…”

Pitching Stones (Casting Lots)

Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.

Port Authority (Probing Questions)
1) Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us?
2) What is your occupation?
3) And where do you come from?
4) What is your country?
5) And of what people are you?”

Public Confession vs Private Transformation
“I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Confessional Theology at odds with Functional Theology

Our lives should bear the visible signs of the implications of what we believe.

Public Humiliation
“What is this that you have done!”

The Bible as an Anger Story

B. GROUP DISCUSSION

1) Read Jonah 1:1-10. What stands out to you as important in these verses? What is the author wanting us to notice?

2) What do you think about God’s wrath? How do you reconcile a loving and angry God? Do you think the world understands this concept? Why/Why not?

3) Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a best-selling book, “Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People.” Have you thought that before? What is wrong about the title itself?

4) Is it possible for a Christian to feel peace and be incredibly disobedient? Why or why not?

5) “Our lives should bear the visible signs of the implications of what we believe.” What does this mean and what would that look like in your own life?

6) Are you angry at God for anything at any time? Would you be willing to share?

7) Prayer and praise