But the Lord threw a great wind onto the sea, and such a great storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship's cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.

Jonah 1:4-5 CSB

What is going on here?

The "deep sleep" is the word "radam" which is used to describe someone extremely weary and asleep, or so deeply asleep it's like they're dead (Judges 4:21, Psalm 76:6). 

My guess is the bottom of the boat was where there was less movement. 

Whatever was going on for Jonah, the rest of the people on the ship were genuinely fearing for their lives. Each crying out to their god. (We don't know who wrote this story, whether it's fiction or an account of actual events, but it does give insight into our humanity, that when facing death, our belief and faith in something more than us, more than this life surfaces).

One of the challenging things in this story is that God was at work in the storm, and everyone on the ship was impacted.

Does that mean God is in every storm? 

I don't think so, but in this story, He was in this one.

I'm connecting with the sailors right now, with a war in Europe, global pandemic, rising cost of living, can I lighten my ship somehow? Will God intervene and calm the farm?

#jonah

#storiesaboutus

#somethingtochewon