1. The Lord creates a great storm (4-6).
“Either you will embrace the difficult doctrine that God is in control of all things, or you will slide into viewing God as a helpless observer of your plight. Some people worry about the implications of believing that God controls all things, but I would rather live with the ‘problem’ of a sovereign God than with the problem of a ‘god’ who is helpless.” —Colin Smith
2. The Lord exposes Jonah and reveals himself to the mariners (7-10).
“When God exposed Jonah’s sin, it was the beginning of hope for the prophet and for the crew of the ship. The Lord disciplines those he loves and so when God exposed Jonah’s sin, it was a sign of his love and evidence that God would not let His servant go.” —Colin Smith
3. The Lord saves the mariners (11-16).
“If it is the Lord seeking him out to punish him, then the matter can only be concluded by that punishment coming upon him, and he acts to avoid others being drawn to their doom along with him. He is the one who has to face the consequences of his rebellion.” —John Mackay
“All of this shines a light on how the death of Christ is a demonstration of God’s love for us. We crucified the Son of God—that’s our guilt in the sacrifice. Yet He chose to lay down his life for us—that is our salvation through the sacrifice.” —Colin Smith