Jonah-The Adult Version

Often children’s Bible stories are cartoonishly illustrated, presumably to get their attention. One such image I remember from my childhood is Jonah inside the whale. What I remember from that story and its image was that Jonah lived in that whale for three days. As a child, it was an interesting adventure story, but was there a Bible lesson or moral to the story? I do not remember any, except that maybe God keeps us safe. It was a story I accepted as true because I learned it in Sunday School. Over the years, I have learned why Jonah was in the whale. But, until recently, I did not know that I did not know the whole story.

This week I read a devotional based on Jonah 2:9. Wanting to read this verse in context, I read v 8-10. My reading kept expanding until I had read all four chapters of Jonah. Then I began reading the commentaries and footnotes. I won’t go into the historical context and geopolitical situation of Jonah’s time nor will I debate whale vs large fish, but I learned much about God from Jonah’s story. Here is my adult version of Jonah and the whale.

• I might run, but I cannot hide. God commanded Jonah to preach to a fallen people; instead, he tried to run away from God. Foolishness or cowardice? As God’s trusted servant, why did Jonah think he could escape God? God is omnipresent. As high as we soar, as low as we go, as far as we sail, we cannot elude God. He knows where we are. He sees us even in the darkest places. (Psalm 139:1-12) Knowing that we cannot hide from God should give us pause. It should make us consider whether we want God to see or hear what we are doing or saying.
• I must be willing when God calls. We pray “Thy will be done.” and sing “Lead me, guide me” but is that really our prayer? Do we really want God’s will in our lives? If God commands us to act, are we ready? Jonah was commanded by God, and he initially refused to obey. In Jonah’s case, ignoring God’s command jeopardized the lives of the ship’s crew. Think about it: have you ignored God’s call or argued against it? Have you refused to go where He is leading? Whose life are you jeopardizing by ignoring God? God’s will WILL be done whether you accept it readily and cheerfully, reluctantly and begrudgingly, or only after God has knocked some sense into your head. Rather than fight the will of God, (1) be humbled and thankful that He is using you to fulfill His will; (2) be assured He needs YOU for this particular task; and (3) have faith that since He chose you, He will provide the tools, skills, and ability to accomplish that task.
• I must give praise and honor to God in all situations. Jonah’s prayer while in the large fish is powerful. Read Jonah 2 aloud. Listen to it carefully. In this prayer, Jonah recounted his cry for help when he was drowning. He remembered that his dying thoughts were of the Lord. He prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for being saved. He was in this large fish, not knowing one day from the next, and yet, he sang a song of thanksgiving. It is easy to pray and praise in the good times, but I am sure we have all heard it said from pulpit and in song that we should praise God even in the valley or storm. (Psalm 13) It is praise that reminds us that God is sovereign. It is praise that reminds us that God has blessed us with much: family, friends, health and well-being, things. (Add your own blessings to this list.) It is praise lifted to God that helps lift our spirits.
• I know God is God for all. Jonah’s behavior in chapter 4 was hypocritical. He loved God. He sought forgiveness from God. He was thankful for God’s mercy. Although the people of Nineveh heeded Jonah’s warnings and repented their wickedness (just as Jonah had done), Jonah wanted God to destroy Nineveh. The people of Nineveh accepted God as Lord, yet Jonah sulked and pouted when God chose to spare them. Jonah had sought mercy for himself and offered a song of thanksgiving for that mercy but was angry that God showed that same mercy to others. Although Jonah had been given a chance to repent and obey God, he did not want the same for Nineveh. That God wanted to save Nineveh, a non-Hebrew people, should have been enough for Jonah. It was God’s will be done, not Jonah’s. It might have been God’s way of shining His light beyond the borders of the Israelites. God is Lord of all and for all. Salvation is offered to all.

Reflect: What Bible story did you learn as a child? Noah and the Ark? David and Goliath? Jesus Walking on Water? When was the last time you read that story in its entirety? Take some time now to revisit that Bible story as an adult. What lesson(s) does it teach you today about God in your life?