神的管教
約拿書一章4至17節
4然而耶和華使海中起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎破壞。
5水手便懼怕，各人哀求自己的神。他們將船上的貨物拋在海中，為要使船輕些。約拿已下到底艙，躺臥沉睡。
6船主到他那裡對他說：你這沉睡的人哪，為何這樣呢？起來，求告你的神，或者神顧念我們，使我們不致滅亡。
7船上的人彼此說：來吧，我們掣籤，看看這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故。於是他們掣籤，掣出約拿來。
8眾人對他說：請你告訴我們，這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故？你以何事為業？你從哪裡來？你是哪一國？屬哪一族的人？
9他說：我是希伯來人。我敬畏耶和華─那創造滄海旱地之天上的神。
10他們就大大懼怕，對他說：你做的是甚麼事呢？他們已經知道他躲避耶和華，因為他告訴了他們。
11他們問他說：我們當向你怎樣行，使海浪平靜呢？這話是因海浪越發翻騰。
12他對他們說：你們將我抬起來，拋在海中，海就平靜了；我知道你們遭這大風是因我的緣故。
13然而那些人竭力盪槳，要把船攏岸，卻是不能，因為海浪越發向他們翻騰。
14他們便求告耶和華說：耶和華啊，我們懇求你，不要因這人的性命使我們死亡，不要使流無辜血的罪歸與我們；因為你─耶和華是隨自己的意旨行事。
15他們遂將約拿抬起，拋在海中，海的狂浪就平息了。
16那些人便大大敬畏耶和華，向耶和華獻祭，並且許願。
17耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿，他在魚腹中三日三夜。
信息分享
神的先知竟然抗拒神的呼召，不肯去傳神的信息，真是令人難以置信！神在以色列民族中的作為是如此的偉大，若有人要定意遵從神，首先應該是猶太人的先知才對。然而，想想我們自己，我們對神的順服，又豈與我們所蒙的恩相稱呢？
約拿逃走的時候，一切都似乎非常順利──他找到一條船，正要開往他想去的地方，他付得起船費，他們也還有空位。唯有一點，這，不是神所要他做的。
最初，神讓他任意而行，但等到一切安妥的時候，神便開始行動，祂開口了──一場風暴驟然而至。船員們甚為驚恐，船長叫醒了夢中的約拿，讓他向他的神呼求，可以消災避禍。船員都相信，一定有人觸怒了神，以致招來了這狂風巨浪。
後來大家都相信約拿便是惹禍的人。該拿他怎麼辦呢？他們想盡了別的辦法，最後不得不把他拋進海中。有趣的是，他們邊向耶和華神禱告，邊把約拿拋下大海（拿一14）。
約拿被海吞噬了，這是船員們所知道的結局。沒有人想到，汪洋之下，約拿的神仍然作工。神已為這個悖逆的僕人，預備了祂拯救的計劃。為甚麼？因為神仍愛約拿，祂希望約拿明白祂是怎麼樣的一位神；祂要約拿去尼尼微傳道的計畫未曾更改。
神為何要管教我們呢？原因跟祂管教約拿一樣。祂希望我們遵行祂的旨意；神希望用我們去向他人傳播祂的愛和憐憫。省察神在你生命中的工作；你便曉得神為何要管教你。
GOD WOULDN'T LET JONAH DROWN
Jonah 1:4-17
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
9 So 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, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.”
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Message
What a contradiction - a prophet of God being disobedient to God's call to speak on His behalf. If anyone should have wanted to obey God it should have been a Jewish prophet, one of the race for whom God had done so much. But can we criticize any of them when our obedience isn't all that it should be?
Everything seemed to be right for Jonah - he found a ship going where he wanted to go, they had room for him and he had the money for the fare. But it wasn't what God wanted.
God let him go his own way but when he was comfortably settled God acted. God spoke and His voice was a storm. The sailors were terrified. The captain woke Jonah asking him to call on his God and see what he could do. The crew believed someone was to blame for this terrifying storm.
Finally it came down to Jonah as the culprit. What could they do with him? Throwing him overboard is the only way. They tried everything else first but at last they had to do it. It is interesting that they prayed as they did it. (v.14)
The sea closed over Jonah and as far as the crew knew, that was the end of the story. It would have been except that Jonah's God was working below the surface of the sea. God had deliverance ready for His disobedient servant. Why? Because God loved Jonah. God also wanted to teach Jonah what kind of a God He is, and He still wanted him to speak to Ninevah.
Why does God deal with us in discipline? For the same reasons He dealt with Jonah in that way. He wants us to do His revealed will. He wants to use us to reach others with His love and mercy. Watch what God is doing in your life. You may see why He is doing it.