Jonah 1:5-6 Are You Asleep?

Jonah 1:5-6

Are you asleep?

(Jonah 1:5-6) “Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, what meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.”

To set the stage a bit for us let us rekindle our knowledge of this account of Scripture. Jonah had been instructed by God to go to Nineveh and cry against the city as their wickedness had come up before God. Jonah’s unwillingness sparks an endeavor to run from God (though we know such a thing cannot be accomplished) to join some mariners on their way to Tarshish. This journey seemed to be interrupted rather quickly as v.1-3 gives the account of Jonah’s calling, his response, and verse 4 immediately transitions to the Lord sending a storm that is near breaking the ship apart. The mariners are afraid, scattering, casting out the vessels to lighten the ship, and crying “every man unto his god”. (v.5) Where’s ole Jonah? “But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.” Wow, the storm of a lifetime, the ship is about to snap in pieces, and Jonah is “fast asleep.” He was totally numb to the chaos and severity of his situation. Even more so, Jonah was disobeying God.

In the 6th verse the shipmaster has had enough. He wakes Jonah up as to question his numbness to this dire circumstance. “What meanest thou, O sleeper?” Everyone on the entire ship must have been dumbfounded to consider someone so fast asleep during a divine storm that was near to taking their lives. The shipmaster demands Jonah do something: “arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.” Now we know that it is likely the shipmaster did not beckon Jonah to call upon the true God of Israel. For in verse 5 various gods were being sought after in and is likely that the shipmaster is referring to whatever deity Jonah worships.

Now, let us examine for the purpose of the application two things concerning Jonah:

1.) Fleeing from an evangelistic work-

Jonah was running from an evangelistic work. Yes, evangelistic. The Ninevites were not of the nation of Israel. They were Gentiles. In chapter 4 Jonah reveals what he knew in chapter 1. “Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” (4:2b) Jonah fled because He knew how merciful Jehovah is. He knew how gracious He is.

2.) Jonah’s numbness was a lack of compassion and mercy-

Notice two iniquities of Jonah: he refuses to warn the Ninevites and leads these shipmasters into transgression. Not only is Jonah ignoring the call of compassion toward Nineveh, he is sleeping away without any effort thus far to speak to these men of the true God of Israel. In other words, “thanks for the ride, where’s the nearest mattress?” He is not partially numb. He is altogether numb. He was “fast asleep.”

Application-

Friend, how many of us are or have been Jonah? Notice the two areas of neglect. First, Nineveh was the mission field at this current segment of History. God was willing to work there. Secondly, in the largest portion of Jonah’s time on this ship he did nothing for these men around him concerning telling them of the God he served. How have we neglected the mission at large to all nations with The Gospel of Jesus Christ? How have we neglected those in our immediate presence? Our friends, neighbors, coworkers, family, and those we see everyday find us sleeping along their pathway to destruction. What a baffling thing it was to consider a Hebrew, God fearing man (could not have truly feared God in this moment) sleeping while people were perishing! How can we as born-again Christians just walk around the world numb to the cries of lost people walking swiftly to their own destruction and damnation. Do you find yourself sleeping through such realities in the world? The waves were boisterous, men were crying to false gods for help that never came. However, Jonah could not hear because he was numb to his surroundings. His lack of compassion paralyzed him. When we lack compassion and true zeal for the lost, we are not alarmed by their sinful life and practice. How shameful was it for Jonah to be questioned by this shipmaster who did not know God! Oh, what a pitiful shame! Friend, what a pitiful moment would it be on that day of reckoning to hear the voices of those we slept near question, “Why did you sleep through my sinful life? Why did you never tell me about The Gospel and salvation?”

Do not allow yourself to hinder the cause of Christ and be called out for your disobedience by those who know not Christ as was Jonah. Heed to Christ! “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Ephesians 5:14) Examine yourself dear friend of your own salvation. Such lack of compassion is contrary to the new birth and should be sincerely examined and repented of. It may be that in the process of time you have found yourself tired and casual in your walk with Christ. If you are aware of it, prick yourself with the awareness of it, repent and petition for an awakening of spirit to labor with force for The Kingdom of Heaven. Awake, awake! Awake o’ sleeper!

Sources Cited

The Holy Bible Authorized King James Version. R.L. Allan & Son Publishers.