Jonah 1:11-14

Our sin hurts others -- Jonah 1:11-14: Jonah's sins had caused trouble for several other people. They were hurting because of his wrong. Their situation was bad and the sea was becoming more violent. They asked Jonah what to do to calm the sea. He said to them, "Take me up and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea become calm for you, for I know that it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you." This action of casting Jonah into the sea would be used to establish two truths. First, it would be shown, sure and certain, that Jonah had caused this problem. Second this event would be used as a type of Jesus spending three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40)

The instruction to cast Jonah into the sea had to come by inspiration from God. Jonah would never have said something like that without divine inspiration. The mariners were humane men so they rowed hard to bring the ship to the land, but they could not. The sea just became more and more violent against them. If they had known the nature of God they would have known that it would have done no good to try to save Jonah when God said caste him overboard into the sea. All these men knew about the true God they had just learned from Jonah. Now they are praying to God that by casting Jonah overboard they will be innocent because they are simply following His instructions.