On Monday, we looked at chapter one of the book of Jonah.
The chapter ended in verse 1:17 by God appointing “a great fish” to swallow Jonah where he would remain for three days and three nights. Of all the things found in this book (and maybe the entire Bible for some), Jonah 1:17 is most likely the one people will point to and say: “no way!” There are at least two cases of people being swallowed by Sperm whales: Marshall Jenkins in 1771 and James Bartley in 1891, both having survived. While one of these cases may not be entirely credible, that’s not really the point anyway.
The over-riding principle here is that if God can create the universe, then He surely can create “a great fish” to swallow Jonah. In fact, the actual term used for “a great fish” is “gadowl dag” (גדול דג in Hebrew) which is two words that are literally “great in magnitude/importance” and “fish.” There is no word in Hebrew to differentiate a “whale” from a “great fish.” We could even go so far as to say that God created a new being just for this occasion never to be seen again.
If God can create the universe and everything in it, He can create a fish to swallow Jonah and he could survive. If God can part the Red Sea for Israel to pass through, then He can create this great fish. If God can raise His Son from the dead, then surely He can have a great fish swallow Jonah for three days and for three nights!
In the Belly of the Beast
So there is Jonah, in the bowels of this great fish for three days and nights. It’s extremely hot, humid, dark, and probably reeks of dead fish and stomach acid. It has to be horrible! He has to be wondering to himself: “Would it have been so bad to go to Nineveh?”
Based on the text, Jonah 1:17 says that Jonah was in the great fish for three days and three nights. Jonah 2:1 starts with the word “then.”
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish. –Jonah 2:1.
“Then?” Jonah waited three days before he cried out to God?
And he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’” –Jonah 2:2-4.
While Jonah’s behavior up to this point has been contemptible, we see in these verses and the ones to come someone who has God’s word in his heart. Jonah is quoting passages from Psalm 18:6, Psalm 42:7, and Psalm 31:22. Remember, Jonah doesn’t have a Bible in his hand and even if he did, there is no light to read it! This is someone who has treasured God’s word in his heart (Psalm 119:11).
“Water encompassed me to the point of death, the great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped around my head. I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, but You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.” –Jonah 2:5-9.
I’ve read some commentators who say that Jonah actually died and was resurrected. I think it’s a bit of a stretch to make that point based on these verses. I suppose it’s because Jesus specifically made mention of Jonah as sign and how He Himself would be three days and nights in the heart of the earth as Jonah was in the great fish. There is little from the text that would support that position.
Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. –Jonah 2:10.
God is in control! Now that He has Jonah’s attention, God commands the great fish to vomit Jonah on to–presumably–the coast of Palestine where you have to wonder if Jonah came out and said: “Let’s have a revival!”
Next time we’ll study Jonah’s preaching to the people of Nineveh. We’ll consider a possible reason why these “wicked” people were so ready to listen to what Jonah had to say.
May He Increase!
Megan (1)
