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Jonah 1:7

7 And they said [amar] every one [iysh] to his fellow [rea], Come [yalak], and let us cast [naphal] lots [gowral], that we may know [yada] for whose cause [shel] this evil [ra] is upon us. So they cast [naphal] lots [gowral], and the lot [gowral] fell [naphal] upon Jonah [Yonah]. KJV-Interlinear

7 And each man said to his mate, 'Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.' So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. NASB

Casting of lots was a way of reaching decisions in ancient times. It is used in our current day for a variety of things, but its use is more directed at choosing or arriving at a decision by some random means. Thus the selection process would be fair and not biased. For example choosing who would go first in a child's game or who goes first in some sporting event would be a good applications of the use of throwing lots.

Lots can be accomplished by a variety of ways. The flip of a coin for example, the roll of dice, the tossing of specially marked stones or sticks and so forth. Regardless of the items used, the results are purely random from the point of view of humanity and are not and never have been intended for the application of justice thus replacing law and the due process of a legal proceeding.

But again, in ancient times and even in our current history where you have people who have no inkling of Biblical principles, then you can have a distortion of the described throwing of lots, and injustice rather than justice is served.

Lots misused amounts to nothing more than prejudice or a greater crime than anything an accused might have done. Often times a misguided group will accuse someone of something first, and then use the throwing of lots of some similar form of decision making process, to determine their innocence or guilt. This amounts to nothing more than a witch hunt.

The shipmates were pagan men. They held superstitious ideas. The storm was frightening them and they turned to the blame game in order to find our who was responsible for this obvious threat against them all. It is far easier to blame someone, than to simply see a storm at sea (which is a common thing by the way) and thus arrest ones own fears by blaming someone else for the danger.

Some feel better when they have someone to blame for their misfortune. They never consider their own spiritual flaws as being the cause of the danger.

So now for a couple of principles of doctrine. First God controls history. God controls history in all of its aspects. God controls history and life in three ways - directly (He makes things happen), indirectly (He allows due process to function), and permissively (He permits thing to happen).

This storm is a function of number one and number three. The ships crew was under threat by a storm of nature. They live in the jungle of life as unbelievers and thus are given over to the rules of the jungle. This is number three - the jungle law. The ships crew never looked to themselves for blame, but they suspected one another. A misapplication of justice and a misinterpretation of life.

And parallel to this is Jonah's situation. Jonah belonged to God by virtue of his faith in the Savior. Jonah was a believer. Jonah needed to be taught a lesson, so the storm was brought about by God specifically for this ship, and specifically for Jonah's attention.

Prov. 16:33
33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD. NASB

Acts 1:26
26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. NASB

The Apostles had good intentions but God will choose who will lead and who will not. Although we may have good intentions in what we do, we have to understand that God has the sovereign right to overrule us, which of course He will

The sailors cast their lots and the lot fell on Jonah. He could have saved them this trouble if he told them what his own conscience told him. But as is usual with sinners, he never confesses until he finds he cannot help it, until the lot falls upon him. After all, Jonah might have thought that this casting of lots thing was nothing more than pagan superstition. The lots could have fallen on anyone. But God fooled Jonah, and more than that, Jonah was the only person who knew it and understood it when it happened. Sort of a private joke or communication between Jonah and God.

The ships sailors, for all they knew, had discovered the culprit by means of their random decision. God overruled the randomness and taught Jonah (not the ships crew) a lesson. The ships crew was not interested in Bible doctrine, so God allows them to pursue their own imaginations of truth.

Jonah learns that you cannot run. You cannot hide from Gods will.

Obviously the many people on the ship were in a more grievous sinful state than was Jonah, but unbelievers and negative believers will be left to the mercies of the jungle. That is what they choose, so God leaves them to it. Not a very good position to be in, by the way.

But believers for whom God has a mission, then God has sovereign authority to overrule any and all laws of this universe.

It may very well be that you can look back on your life and recognize a situation you were caught up in and the world could have thrown the book at you, but for some reason you lucked out or the world or others did not get their way. Now you know that it was not luck, but the grace of God.

You are reading this lesson today because you are positive (hopefully) and because God is preparing you for something important. Consider yourself lucky (if you'll allow the phrase) that your life is in Gods hands and under His sovereignty and not at the mercy of the world. Your mission may be obvious, or it may not. You may find some way to travel to Mars, or your mission may be to change diapers and shape the life of a child. God has many missions. All are equally important.

The storm was sent after Jonah, because God has work for him to do, and the storm was sent to fetch him back to it. Jonah learned the hard way.

And one more thing here. The ships crew had decided that only one man should die in order that the ship might be saved. And that is something that God wants us all to learn. Christ was our sacrifice even though we are all the guilty party and the storm has every right to claim us all.

Now is the time to post a prayer.

End Of Lesson

Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.

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