神的管教
约拿书一章4至17节
4然而耶和华使海中起大风，海就狂风大作，甚至船几乎破坏。
5水手便惧怕，各人哀求自己的神。他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些。约拿已下到底舱，躺卧沉睡。
6船主到他那里对他说：你这沉睡的人哪，为何这样呢？起来，求告你的神，或者神顾念我们，使我们不致灭亡。
7船上的人彼此说：来吧，我们掣签，看看这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故。于是他们掣签，掣出约拿来。
8众人对他说：请你告诉我们，这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故？你以何事为业？你从哪里来？你是哪一国？属哪一族的人？
9他说：我是希伯来人。我敬畏耶和华─那创造沧海旱地之天上的神。
10他们就大大惧怕，对他说：你做的是甚么事呢？他们已经知道他躲避耶和华，因为他告诉了他们。
11他们问他说：我们当向你怎样行，使海浪平静呢？这话是因海浪越发翻腾。
12他对他们说：你们将我擡起来，抛在海中，海就平静了；我知道你们遭这大风是因我的缘故。
13然而那些人竭力荡桨，要把船拢岸，却是不能，因为海浪越发向他们翻腾。
14他们便求告耶和华说：耶和华啊，我们恳求你，不要因这人的性命使我们死亡，不要使流无辜血的罪归与我们；因为你─耶和华是随自己的意旨行事。
15他们遂将约拿擡起，抛在海中，海的狂浪就平息了。
16那些人便大大敬畏耶和华，向耶和华献祭，并且许愿。
17耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿，他在鱼腹中三日三夜。
信息分享
神的先知竟然抗拒神的呼召，不肯去传神的信息，真是令人难以置信！神在以色列民族中的作为是如此的伟大，若有人要定意遵从神，首先应该是犹太人的先知才对。然而，想想我们自己，我们对神的顺服，又岂与我们所蒙的恩相称呢？
约拿逃走的时候，一切都似乎非常顺利──他找到一条船，正要开往他想去的地方，他付得起船费，他们也还有空位。唯有一点，这，不是神所要他做的。
最初，神让他任意而行，但等到一切安妥的时候，神便开始行动，祂开口了──一场风暴骤然而至。船员们甚为惊恐，船长叫醒了梦中的约拿，让他向他的神呼求，可以消灾避祸。船员都相信，一定有人触怒了神，以致招来了这狂风巨浪。
后来大家都相信约拿便是惹祸的人。该拿他怎么办呢？他们想尽了别的办法，最后不得不把他抛进海中。有趣的是，他们边向耶和华神祷告，边把约拿抛下大海（拿一14）。
约拿被海吞噬了，这是船员们所知道的结局。没有人想到，汪洋之下，约拿的神仍然作工。神已为这个悖逆的仆人，预备了祂拯救的计划。为甚么？因为神仍爱约拿，祂希望约拿明白祂是怎么样的一位神；祂要约拿去尼尼微传道的计划未曾更改。
神为何要管教我们呢？原因跟祂管教约拿一样。祂希望我们遵行祂的旨意；神希望用我们去向他人传播祂的爱和怜悯。省察神在你生命中的工作；你便晓得神为何要管教你。
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.