Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

Hidden Identity

Denise Pass

Jonah 1:8-9

Savoring a hot drink, I hoped to remain anonymous in my sweatpants and messy bun. But in a small-town coffee shop, that’s hard to do.

“Hey, I know you …” a voice said behind me. I awkwardly nodded as she tried to place me. For a moment, my identity felt like it hung in the balance, dependent on her memory. Then her face brightened. “I remember!”

In Jonah 1:8, sailors interrogated Jonah about his job, his people and his hometown — questions tied to his identity and, in their polytheistic culture, his worship. Most people served local deities like Asherah (Deuteronomy 16:21) or Dagon (Judges 16:23), thought to rule over specific lands. The sailors wanted to know which god had caused the raging storm.

Jonah’s response revealed what truly defines a person: “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lᴏʀᴅ, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). His identity wasn’t in his breed or deed but in the one true God.

Some scholars believe these sailors worshipped Baal Shamem, supposedly “lord of heaven.” But Jonah declared that the true God of heaven made the very sea that threatened them. Jonah's reference to “the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Yahweh) in Jonah 1:9 pointed to his personal relationship with the covenant-keeping God, the One who sent the storm.

For these pagan sailors, Jonah’s testimony was a turning point. They had identified with false gods, but now their lives were on the line. Questioning Jonah’s identity forced them into their own identity crisis — one their gods couldn’t solve.

As for Jonah, despite his disobedience (Jonah 1:3), his identity in Yahweh remained. His faith, like Abraham’s in Genesis 15:6, was not based on perfect behavior but on trust in God. Jonah had much to learn, but he still believed.

The same is true for us in Christ. Our identity and salvation are not lost when we fail (John 10:28; Jude 1:24-25). We are defined by Christ’s finished work, not our performance.

When we say our identity is in Jesus, we declare that our worth isn’t found in jobs, backgrounds or human approval. It comes from the One who made the world. And when we walk in that truth, people see Christ in us.