Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17
Jonah 1:17
How long did it take to grow this fish? It is possible that God had been dealing with Jonah’s rebellion for a long time. It is possible that this struggle began in Jonah’s childhood and grew unchecked through the years. However long it had been, God knew Jonah’s heart and He knew that it would take something drastic, painful and extraordinary to break through Jonah’s rebellion and bring him to his knees.
Even though God had prepared the fish, in his mercy He gave Jonah one last chance to repent before He lowered the big guns. He sent a storm to rock Jonah’s boat. A storm so great that the seasoned sailors on the boat were afraid for their lives. Even as Jonah acknowledged his sin and it was revealed to the men on board, he refused to repent of it.
When Jonah was thrown into the sea and the water covered him and the waves broke over his head and the wind and the sea battered him mercilessly, he refused to repent. When the fish came along at the exact moment and the exact place where Jonah was and swallowed him – ate him alive- he refused to repent.
Jonah was given opportunity after opportunity to repent and obey God but he refused. The worldly sailors recognized God’s sovereignty and did as God required. Even the fish obeyed God and fulfilled its assignment to swallow up Jonah. But Jonah, a prophet of God, refused to bend his will to that of the God he served.
Now Jonah is inside the belly of the great fish. It is dark. Totally black. The sounds are all unknown and frightening- gurglings, rumblings, the splashing and thrashing of other sea creatures as they struggle against the acid pool’s death grip. There is no place to sit, no place to lie down, no place to stand. There is no place of rest or relief. The acid burns his skin, his eyes, his nose, his throat. The stench is overwhelming. His own retching contributes to the foul brew.
Hour after hour Jonah struggles to stay alive in a situation that is uncompromising. The muscles of the whale’s belly contract, churning the contents. The other creatures writhe and moan and lash out, fighting and biting and stinging each other and Jonah. Seaweed wraps itself around Jonah’s arms and legs dragging him beneath the acid’s surface. It wraps itself around his head cutting off what little air he can breathe. From time to time a new influx of salt water and sea life is added to the mix. New creatures to try to avoid or fight with. Salt water that sears the openings in Jonah’s flesh that the fish’s stomach acids have opened up. There is no relief. There is no water to ease the parched searing throat. There is no water to wash away the bile that continues to rise up as the odors overcome him.
A day of horror passes and then a night. Jonah’s clothes begin to deteriorate. Jonah realizes that there will be no rescue. He will die here, alone in the belly of this fish. But still he refuses to repent.
A second day and a second night pass. The burning is relentless. There is not a place on Jonah’s body that does not scream out in pain. Pain that is intense, searing and raw. What skin he has is either raw red or bleached white and his clothes are almost gone. He has bloody open sores all over his body. Anger rises up within him. This is so unfair! How could God allow this to happen to him? To him! He was a prophet of God! Those wicked people of Nineveh did not deserve God’s mercy or grace! THEY deserved punishment, not him! But no, instead, here he was, a man of God, suffering a vile and unspeakable death. God was NOT being fair! He cried out in anger to God. He railed against the unjustness of God. But he did not repent.
The third day passes. The anger drains from Jonah as exhaustion overtakes him. God gently begins to remind Jonah of his own not so perfect past. Events come to Jonah’s mind of his failure to obey God. Time, after time, after time. Of God’s mercy and grace toward Jonah even as he rebelled. Times when Jonah should have died but was spared. Times when Jonah’s actions and words caused pain to those around him. Times when his self-righteousness kept others from turning to God.
As the third night passes Jonah’s internal pain begins to match his external pain. He sees his own wickedness through God’s eyes. He sees his sin in the light of God’s holiness. Finally, seeing the end of his life near and fearful of facing God in disobedience, he cries out for forgiveness, repenting of his sin.
And the great, merciful, ever-loving God does a miraculous thing. He releases that fish from its assignment and causes it to give up the contents of its stomach. At just the right time and just the right place to put Jonah on dry land.
(Expanded from a teaching by Dr. Ed J. MacWilliams)
How much of Jonah’s story is a reflection of our own? What will God have to prepare for us, to bring us to a place of repentance? What will it take for us to turn to God with our whole heart?
What will He have to do in me?
Even though God had prepared the fish, in his mercy He gave Jonah one last chance to repent before He lowered the big guns. He sent a storm to rock Jonah’s boat. A storm so great that the seasoned sailors on the boat were afraid for their lives. Even as Jonah acknowledged his sin and it was revealed to the men on board, he refused to repent of it.
When Jonah was thrown into the sea and the water covered him and the waves broke over his head and the wind and the sea battered him mercilessly, he refused to repent. When the fish came along at the exact moment and the exact place where Jonah was and swallowed him – ate him alive- he refused to repent.
Jonah was given opportunity after opportunity to repent and obey God but he refused. The worldly sailors recognized God’s sovereignty and did as God required. Even the fish obeyed God and fulfilled its assignment to swallow up Jonah. But Jonah, a prophet of God, refused to bend his will to that of the God he served.
Now Jonah is inside the belly of the great fish. It is dark. Totally black. The sounds are all unknown and frightening- gurglings, rumblings, the splashing and thrashing of other sea creatures as they struggle against the acid pool’s death grip. There is no place to sit, no place to lie down, no place to stand. There is no place of rest or relief. The acid burns his skin, his eyes, his nose, his throat. The stench is overwhelming. His own retching contributes to the foul brew.
Hour after hour Jonah struggles to stay alive in a situation that is uncompromising. The muscles of the whale’s belly contract, churning the contents. The other creatures writhe and moan and lash out, fighting and biting and stinging each other and Jonah. Seaweed wraps itself around Jonah’s arms and legs dragging him beneath the acid’s surface. It wraps itself around his head cutting off what little air he can breathe. From time to time a new influx of salt water and sea life is added to the mix. New creatures to try to avoid or fight with. Salt water that sears the openings in Jonah’s flesh that the fish’s stomach acids have opened up. There is no relief. There is no water to ease the parched searing throat. There is no water to wash away the bile that continues to rise up as the odors overcome him.
A day of horror passes and then a night. Jonah’s clothes begin to deteriorate. Jonah realizes that there will be no rescue. He will die here, alone in the belly of this fish. But still he refuses to repent.
A second day and a second night pass. The burning is relentless. There is not a place on Jonah’s body that does not scream out in pain. Pain that is intense, searing and raw. What skin he has is either raw red or bleached white and his clothes are almost gone. He has bloody open sores all over his body. Anger rises up within him. This is so unfair! How could God allow this to happen to him? To him! He was a prophet of God! Those wicked people of Nineveh did not deserve God’s mercy or grace! THEY deserved punishment, not him! But no, instead, here he was, a man of God, suffering a vile and unspeakable death. God was NOT being fair! He cried out in anger to God. He railed against the unjustness of God. But he did not repent.
The third day passes. The anger drains from Jonah as exhaustion overtakes him. God gently begins to remind Jonah of his own not so perfect past. Events come to Jonah’s mind of his failure to obey God. Time, after time, after time. Of God’s mercy and grace toward Jonah even as he rebelled. Times when Jonah should have died but was spared. Times when Jonah’s actions and words caused pain to those around him. Times when his self-righteousness kept others from turning to God.
As the third night passes Jonah’s internal pain begins to match his external pain. He sees his own wickedness through God’s eyes. He sees his sin in the light of God’s holiness. Finally, seeing the end of his life near and fearful of facing God in disobedience, he cries out for forgiveness, repenting of his sin.
And the great, merciful, ever-loving God does a miraculous thing. He releases that fish from its assignment and causes it to give up the contents of its stomach. At just the right time and just the right place to put Jonah on dry land.
(Expanded from a teaching by Dr. Ed J. MacWilliams)
How much of Jonah’s story is a reflection of our own? What will God have to prepare for us, to bring us to a place of repentance? What will it take for us to turn to God with our whole heart?
What will He have to do in me?
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4 comments:
That was awesome. I'd never quite thought of Jonah's more probable experience, over the 'cartoon picture' ones in children's bibles. Pinnochio like in example...room for 'a boat' inside...a tongue to sit on out of the 'bile' with a place to reflect and open air to breath. Wow. Interesting, too....that that whale was 'made for such a time as this.' Thanks for sharing!
How sad it is that, after going through all of the "whale" of an experience, Jonah still did not really "get" the wonderful message of God's wonderful grace and mercy to all sinners. I think God intended that Jonah should learn so much more than he did. I know I don't always apprehend the whole of the lesson.
Very good, it is a different way than most teach and preach it, I just did a devotional on Jonah, with his being rebelling against God, and his prideful heart, this is very good, thanks, God bless you, stop by and visit me at http://bakinnbitsbarbara.blogspot.com/
I love Jonah's story.
In so many ways, I can relate to it.
The idea of getting very clear instruction from God, and disobeying.
Then that disobedience wreaking havoc in my own life, and in the community I was a part of at the time just as Jonah's disobedience brought fear and unrest to the sailors.
But at the same time, I hate this story.
Because, in so many ways, I can relate to it...
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