Jonah 1:4-6
Asleep in the Bottom of the Boat
Read the passage
4Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.
5The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The LORD hurls a great wind onto the sea. The storm is so violent that the ship threatens to break apart. The sailors are afraid; each cries to his own god, and they throw cargo overboard to lighten the vessel.
Jonah is in the lowest part of the ship, fast asleep. While the sailors pray and work to save it, the captain comes to him and asks how he can sleep. “Get up and call upon your God,” he says. Perhaps Jonah’s God will consider them so they do not perish.
The captain’s command to get up recalls the words Jonah heard from the LORD. Here the man who was sent to Nineveh must be roused by someone trying to save the crew. The passage does not explain his sleep; it shows the contrast between his inactivity and the sailors’ urgent response.
Questions
1 Who sends the storm?
AnswerThe LORD hurls a great wind onto the sea. This storm is His act, and it puts the ship in danger of breaking apart.
2 How do the sailors respond?
AnswerThey are afraid, each cries to his own god, and they throw cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. They pray and work during the danger.
3 Where is Jonah?
AnswerHe has gone to the lowest part of the vessel and fallen into a deep sleep. The captain comes to him there.
4 What does the captain ask him to do?
AnswerGet up and call upon his God. The captain hopes that this God will consider them so that they do not perish.
What This Means for Us
The captain has something Jonah needs to hear. His urgent request exposes the prophet’s failure to respond while others struggle.
Receive a needed reminder even when it comes from someone you did not expect to correct you. A child, coworker, or neighbor may notice a responsibility you are neglecting. Listen to what they are saying before deciding whether they are qualified to say it.
Prayer
Father, make us attentive to the people who need our help. When someone calls us to a neglected responsibility, give us humility to listen and willingness to act. Amen.