Jonah Series: Jonah 1:4-The Lord Responds To Jonah’s Disobedience
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday December 14, 2025
Jonah Series: Jonah 1:4-The Lord Responds To Jonah’s Disobedience
Lesson # 7
Jonah 1:1-3 records the first of seven scenes in the book of Jonah.
This passage records Jonah disobeying the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants because of their wickedness.
The second scene in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:4-16.
Jonah 1:4 records the Lord responding to Jonah’s disobedience by hurling a powerful wind on the sea that threatened to break up the ship.
Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (NIV84)
The reason why Jonah disobeyed a direct command from God to preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh is given in Jonah 3:10-4:3.
Jonah did not want the Ninevites saved because Assyria, the nation in which Nineveh was the capital, was one of the most brutal nations of the ancient world.
Jonah 1:4-2:10 records the consequences of the prophet’s disobedience.
In verses 4-16, we have the Lord bringing about a storm that results in Jonah being cast into the sea.
Verse 17 records, the Lord appointing a great fish to swallow Jonah up.
Jonah 1:4 presents a contrast between Jonah’s actions and Yahweh’s.
“The Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh (יהוה), which is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with man’s salvation.
It is emphasizing that Jonah was rejecting God’s sovereign authority over him and rejecting the personal relationship that Jonah had with God.
It also reminds the reader of the “immanency” of God meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men.
Thus, it reminds the reader of the foolishness of Jonah in that he is attempting to flee from the presence of God who is sovereign over and transcendent of His creation and creatures.
It emphasizes God is intervening in the life of Jonah and is concerning Himself with the runaway prophet.
“Sent” is the verb ṭûl (טוּל), which is used of the Lord “hurling” a great wind on the Mediterranean sea in an effort by Him to turn Jonah around and have the runaway prophet go in the direction of Nineveh and emphasizes with the reader the Lord’s sovereign control over His creation and His omnipotence over creation.
“A great wind” is describing the intensity or the intense power of this wind that the Lord cause to be hurled upon the Mediterranean Sea.
“A violent storm” describes a meteorological phenomenon with a rapid focus on rapid movement of air blowing (or swirling) in the storm involving rain and maybe lightening with emphasis upon its destructive force and the intensity of this storm.
The Lord’s control of wind and sea is a theme expressed often in the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 10:13–19; 14–15; Numbers 11:31; Job 26:12; Psalm 89:9; 135:7; Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 49:32–36; Amos 4:13; Nahum 1:4; cf. Mark 4:37–39).
“The ship” is a merchant ship bound for Tarshish and specifically its captain and crew whose services Jonah paid for and contains the figure of metonymy where the ship is put for its captain and crew.
“Threatened” is the verb ḥā∙šǎḇ (חָשַׁב), which is used of the captain and its crew “considering” that this ship would be broken to pieces.
Jonah 1:4 stresses with the reader that the Lord is also sovereign over the life of Jonah and will exercise that sovereignty and omnipotence to change the prophet’s mind about obeying His command to go to the great city of Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants.
This scene that ends in verse 16 emphasizes the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God.
The providence of God emphasizes that God is in control of Jonah’s life and the life of the heathen crew and controls the circumstances of our lives, right down to the weather.
Jonah Series: Jonah 1:4-The Lord Responds To Jonah’s Disobedience
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday December 14, 2025
Jonah Series: Jonah 1:4-The Lord Responds To Jonah’s Disobedience
Lesson # 7
Jonah 1:1-3 records the first of seven scenes in the book of Jonah.
This passage records Jonah disobeying the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants because of their wickedness.
The second scene in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:4-16.
Jonah 1:4 records the Lord responding to Jonah’s disobedience by hurling a powerful wind on the sea that threatened to break up the ship.
Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (NIV84)
The reason why Jonah disobeyed a direct command from God to preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh is given in Jonah 3:10-4:3.
Jonah did not want the Ninevites saved because Assyria, the nation in which Nineveh was the capital, was one of the most brutal nations of the ancient world.
Jonah 1:4-2:10 records the consequences of the prophet’s disobedience.
In verses 4-16, we have the Lord bringing about a storm that results in Jonah being cast into the sea.
Verse 17 records, the Lord appointing a great fish to swallow Jonah up.
Jonah 1:4 presents a contrast between Jonah’s actions and Yahweh’s.
“The Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh (יהוה), which is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with man’s salvation.
It is emphasizing that Jonah was rejecting God’s sovereign authority over him and rejecting the personal relationship that Jonah had with God.
It also reminds the reader of the “immanency” of God meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men.
Thus, it reminds the reader of the foolishness of Jonah in that he is attempting to flee from the presence of God who is sovereign over and transcendent of His creation and creatures.
It emphasizes God is intervening in the life of Jonah and is concerning Himself with the runaway prophet.
“Sent” is the verb ṭûl (טוּל), which is used of the Lord “hurling” a great wind on the Mediterranean sea in an effort by Him to turn Jonah around and have the runaway prophet go in the direction of Nineveh and emphasizes with the reader the Lord’s sovereign control over His creation and His omnipotence over creation.
“A great wind” is describing the intensity or the intense power of this wind that the Lord cause to be hurled upon the Mediterranean Sea.
“A violent storm” describes a meteorological phenomenon with a rapid focus on rapid movement of air blowing (or swirling) in the storm involving rain and maybe lightening with emphasis upon its destructive force and the intensity of this storm.
The Lord’s control of wind and sea is a theme expressed often in the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 10:13–19; 14–15; Numbers 11:31; Job 26:12; Psalm 89:9; 135:7; Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 49:32–36; Amos 4:13; Nahum 1:4; cf. Mark 4:37–39).
“The ship” is a merchant ship bound for Tarshish and specifically its captain and crew whose services Jonah paid for and contains the figure of metonymy where the ship is put for its captain and crew.
“Threatened” is the verb ḥā∙šǎḇ (חָשַׁב), which is used of the captain and its crew “considering” that this ship would be broken to pieces.
Jonah 1:4 stresses with the reader that the Lord is also sovereign over the life of Jonah and will exercise that sovereignty and omnipotence to change the prophet’s mind about obeying His command to go to the great city of Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants.
This scene that ends in verse 16 emphasizes the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God.
The providence of God emphasizes that God is in control of Jonah’s life and the life of the heathen crew and controls the circumstances of our lives, right down to the weather.