Jonah the Hebrew Who Fears the LORD Jonah 1:9

Jonah attempted to “flee from the presence of the LORD” by boarding a ship and sailing to Joppa. As he left, he underestimated the omnipresence of God who sent a storm that was so fierce that the “ship was like to be broken”. The “mariners” aboard the ship began to cry out to their gods, and the shipmaster found Jonah asleep in the bottom of the boat. After waking, “casting lots” and questioning who Jonah was, in chapter one and verse nine of this prophecy, Jonah answered their questions by declaring he was a “Hebrew” who “fears the LORD”. We read:

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD,

the God of heaven, which has made the sea and the dry land.

The verse begins, “And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD,...” The writer began with these words, “And he said” or “spake, uttered, answered, avowed and avouched” “unto them” which refers to the “mariners”, “I am an Hebrew” which means “one from beyond” and was a “designation of the patriarchs and Israelites”; “and I fear” or “am reverent, in awe of and afraid of” “the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah and Jehovah” and the proper name of the one true God”. Jonah identified himself with the “patriarchs and Israelites” who revered and were in awe of “Jehovah God”.

The verse continues, “...the God of heaven, which has made the sea and the dry land.” The writer added, “the God” which refers to “the one and true divine” “of heaven” or “the abode of God”, “which has made” which means “fashioned, accomplished and produced” “the sea” or “a large body of water; specifically the Mediterranean Sea” “and the dry land” or “dry earthly surfaces”. Jonah served the Heaven abiding Creator of both the “dry lands” and “the seas”.

When we meditate upon the words of this verse, we marvel at Jonah's admission as to whom he belonged and worshipped. The creator of the universe, “dry land” and “the sea” was the object of his worship, and the children of Israel were the people with whom he identified. This demonstrates how our affiliation with God's people and God Himself as our object of worship does not determine our obedience to Him. Jesus Christ desires a relationship with people who not only identify with Him and His people by name and thought, but also with actions, attitudes and words. May the Lord Jesus through His Holy Spirit help us examine our lives to discover whether our “walk” aligns with our “talk” concerning Jesus Christ.

Next time we see the “exceeding fear” of the “mariners” and them questioning why Jonah did this to them, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.