A Whale of a Tale (Jonah 1)
In 2021, near Cape Cod, there was a lobster diver by the name of Michael Packard who was entering the water for his job, for the second time of the day to pluck lobsters off the sandy bottom. He was just about ten feet from the bottom he said when he felt a huge shove and then realized everything became completely black. He realized he was in the mouth of a beast, as he felt muscles tighten around him.
At first, he said, he assumed he was in the mouth of a great white, which live in those waters but he was taken back when he realized no sharp teeth were penetrating his body. As he realized he was in the mouth of a beast, he said he was convinced this was the end. He believed there was no way out, and that death was evident.
As he was thinking about his boys, who were 12 and 15 at the time, he felt the whale move and he began to get a glimpse of light as the whale was moving his head from side to side, and suddenly he felt himself thrown back into the ocean. His sister, and crewman, were still on the boat when they saw the whale emerge onto the surface, they rescued him from the water and took him to the hospital.
Obviously, this is rare. Experts point out that the esophagus of nontoothed whales is too small to actually swallow a human but they could wrap their mouth around a large object and then spit it out.
The few times this has been known to happen, it is almost always a sudden release, or a release a half of a minute later. However, in 1891, there is a story of a man who was found in the stomach of a whale dead from harpooning. There are some inconsistencies in the reporting which has made some people doubt this story, but according to the reporting, he was found days later after being swallowed by a whale, when the whale was found dead harpooned. Individuals carving the whale up found him in there, and he believed he was in there for 36-hours. His skin had been leached by the gastric juices, and it was said that he was blind for the rest of his life.
In the scriptures, there is also a story of a man being swallowed by a large fish or sea beast. Modern scholars debate the realism of this story, much like they debate the story of a man swallowed by a whale for 36 hours in England. Even among Jewish scholars, there are debates about this story. We probably should not have doubt if it is possible or not. We follow Jesus, who walked on water, healed the masses, raised others from the dead, and overthrew the throes of death himself. We worship a God who has split seas, raised prophets, fed his people in the wilderness, fed prophets with ravens, and created the world and universe. Surviving being swallowed by a big fish seems to be an easier-to-believe story for such a God.
This morning we start our new series, Jonah.
The book of Jonah teaches about the relentless pursuit of humanity, the restorative power of repentance, the sovereignty over all creation, and God’s ability to work through us despite self-sabotage and our weaknesses to accomplish purposes and reveal truth and love to others.
Regardless if it is a true tale or instead a creative prophetic telling from a prophet of God, it captures a lot about the human experience and how we deal with stuff as humans, how we wrestle through our relationship with God.
We know it has authority as a story, not only because of the way it has been treasured by Jewish historians and scholars, but also the way Jesus himself gives authority to the story by retelling it and explaining what it was forecasting towards.
We might even argue that the way Jesus refers to this story lends to its credibility.
It is in Matthew 12:38-42, that Jesus gives credibility to this story. In that passage, there are some Pharisees and teachers of the law that said to Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." They ask for this as if he hasn't already spent a year or two doing a signs and wonders ministry among them. Knowing that they were trying to get Jesus to put himself and God's power on an exploitative display and knowing that signs and wonders still wouldn't have convinced them, Jesus responds by saying that only "a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Jesus goes on, "The men of Ninevah will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.”
In this story, we see Jesus make a powerful connection between Jonah's wild adventure in the belly of a fish for three days and nights and what's about to happen with Jesus—his upcoming death and then his triumphant return to life. It's like a sneak peek into the heart of Christianity. Jesus uses this story in comparison, and as a foretelling to show how he's in charge, even over something as big as death itself. Jesus also points out how the folks in Nineveh, way back when Jonah warned them, were quick to turn things around and listen up. But here, with Jesus is doing the same thing. He is prophetically declaring God’s rule and reign, and calling people into repentance. Now, now that he, the sign of signs, is right in front of them, some people - such as the Pharisees and teachers - still refuse to believe, even after seeing all the amazing things he does and says. Soon the greatest sign, an emergence from three days of death, will be the sign of faith that is needed. As a side note, this story is a reminder of how important it is to pay attention to the signs that God's at work and to take Jesus' message seriously, even when it's challenging.
Though The weight of much modern scholarship sees this book as an allegory, legend, or fable, this story makes the point that Jonah is real, and Jesus gives credibility to the story of Jonah as a true and real story. He also tells us how this story prophetically points to Jesus and the ministry of Jesus. Jonah is also a really real guy, with a real challenge, and real ways of dealing with the challenges of life and I think we can identify a lot with the humanity Jonah represents. That is what we are going to be dealing with as we look at this story over the next few weeks. Jonah has a lot to say about the ways, words, and works of Jesus we see in the New Testament. It has many theological underpinnings. However, if we reduce it just to these things, we miss out on something. I don't mean to ignore those things, but it is the humanity of Jonah that also helps us see ourselves. I find many Old Testament stories are like a mirror in which we find ourselves in. As one author writes, "Reading Jonah is an experience that shapes the life of those who read it in ways that only a narrative can do."
This story in which we see that no matter how hard we try to make ourselves unavailable to God, God is still there, pursuing us, preparing us, and sending us. As long as our hearts remain soft, God will still connect us with the purpose for which we are created for. This is the takeaway from the book. The whole story is only 48-verses long. The whale is about three verses. Perhaps we look at this story this month with new eyes and learn it for different reasons.
Jonah is a prophet that is at the same time of Amos and Hosea. He is a prophet in the Northern Kingdom. According to 2 Kings 14:25, if we assume this is the same Jonah, then Jonah was prophesying as a prophet in the reign of Jeroboam II, King of Israel, about 793-753 BC. According to that 2 Kings passage, we know he was the son of Amittai, and a prophet from Gath Hepher.
Through this story, we find God's mercy for both Jonah and Nineveh. We find it is the people of God who sometimes can revel in the most unhelpful and hurtful ways. In this story, we recognize not Jonah or Ninevha, but the important portrayal of the character of God and God’s purpose. We do note that the character and purpose of God get put on display despite our humanity, brokenness, and stupidity.
This morning we start looking at Jonah, in Jonah 1. Follow along as I read from Jonah 1. I will be reading from the New International Version. As we read, I invite you to find yourself in this story. Allow it to mirror your own reactions and responses at times.
READ PASSAGE
At the start of this passage, Jonah is said to have heard a word from the Lord. The word for “word” here speaks to an audible call from God, most likely. In Genesis 11:1, when Genesis says "the whole earth was of one language and of one speech," the word for a speech there is the same word for “word” used here. It is a word that means the “sum” of what is spoken, it is advice, and spoken encouragement or direction. God’s spoken word comes to the prophet Jonah. We not only see that God loves to reveal his heart to us, but we see that there is a sense that when we hear from God when God’s heart is communicated to us, we are also to act. Jonah is told to go. There is obedience needed in response to God's word.
God tells the prophet that he wants him to go to Ninevah and preach against it. The word there isn't preaching like you and I think, or like I am doing it. It is about speaking and proclaiming, inviting and calling to repent. In Genesis 1:5, when Genesis says, "God called the light day," the word for "called" is the same word here (kaw-raw). It is the word that carries a prophetic speaking of truth into people and into the atmosphere. It is public. It is out loud. It is a cry out of a better way. Ninevah is located along the Tigris River. The ruins of Nineveh are in Mosul Iraq today. After this, Ninevah becomes quite a large city, and is said to have had a palace “without rival.” They have a big cult center for the goddess Ishtar. Here in this story, as Ninevah is growing larger, we see they have done so by creating injustice and evil. God is concerned with this. At this time, Ninevah is probably about three miles around. Lancaster City is about 7 miles. The town we live in, east Petersburg, is about three miles and home to a little over 5,000 people. There were probably a lot more people calling downtown Ninevah home. They would have lived a lot closer to each other and without the city. It was one of the biggest metropolitan areas at this time. I love though that God is concerned with a group of people, who are not the Israelites, who are not worshipping God, and he wants them to repent. He wants them to repent so much that he sends them one of Israel’s best, to go into stranger territory, a place where he will be oppressed, to communicate his heart to the people. God calls us to uncomfortable spots, for the sake of people we think God would have written off.
At this time, Assyria is not just a place of injustice and evil. It is a significant threat to Israel. As they were looking to expand into the Mediterranean region they began to be a real problem for Israel. In 841, the Israelite king Jehu accepts Assyrian control over them and even pays tribute to them, you can see that in 2 Kings 10. However, these are not a people who are friendly to Jonah’s people. Katie and I lived in VA for about 2 years. It was a hard place to live. We lived in a place where everyone lived but worked in DC or Richmond, and drove hours in both directions. I lost my job in the recession era, and couldn’t find work, and it was a difficult time for us. As a result, it was a quiet town that was hard to make connections. We always say that for us to move back there, God would have to speak audibly, and then we still would struggle because of the pain of that season. That is the same here. Jonah doesn’t want this to be the word of God, these people were mean and they were deadly for his people. But God cares for them.
Jonah decides to run away. In Exodus 14:5, when the Israelites flee from the Pharoh's grips, we see the same word for run here. It is this full pledge commitment to go as far away as we can. We see immediate disobedience. We should take note of this, we can hear God himself, and not want to follow him. This isn’t just ignoring a little conviction we feel about something, it is hearing the verbal word of God, getting up, and saying “nope.” At that moment he chooses Tarshish. This is not only a Jew, this is not only a person of God, this is a prophet. He chooses to go against God’s hope, full pledge, full opposition. At this time, most scholars say that Tarshish was the farthest known geographical point on the map in the known world. Some say it was Spain or North Africa. I favor Spain, but I have no way to prove that. Jonah is gone. When we approach God’s word, his scriptures, or his spoken word, we must be aware of the brokenness of our hearts and the bias that we bring to our relationship with God.
There is no doubt about Jonah’s intent, it is recorded he “sailed..to flee from the Lord.” Though they knew that the presence of God was throughout Creation, Jonah convinces himself he cannot outrun God, but get far enough away from God that he is unable to be used by God. He hopes to self-sabotage himself. Jonah boards the ship in Joppa, which would be near Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean, in our modern world. There are quite a few ancient texts that mention this port. It is a busy port of trade and is full of many cultural influences because of the way it is connected to all the major trade ports. Ships in this day were all different shapes and sizes. They would travel at a very slow speed, two or four knots, that is between 2-5 miles per hour. Ships had a crew of less than a dozen, it has been said, they carried grain, wine, olive oil, and things like that. They would stay out going from harbor to harbor for three years. If Jonah can get to Tarshish, there is no way he could get back for at least three years. He had thought well about his fleeing from God.
To board the ship, he paid the ship to take him, or even hired it for his use, through paying a substantial, exhaustive pay. There are lots of speculations on what this would cost, but most agree it would have been like cashing in your savings or retirement. Jonah puts everything he has, not only to make himself un-usable by God by distance but un-usuable by God by resource. Jonah, in running from God, overextends himself. In our running away from the calls and weaknesses in our lives that God longs for us to deal with, we often self-sabotage ourselves financially. Our financial habits, and our distractions, can speak a lot about how we deal with God’s call on our lives.
God shows that his power and presence truly are everywhere. Even though Jonah believes he can get away from God, and make himself unusable and unavailable, God proves he cannot. In this time, the gods of other countries were not thought of being global gods, but as regional gods, sometimes even just gods of families or certain things. As the wind attacks the ship, the sailors begin to cry out for help from their regional and personal gods. In this time, in a region of many gods over many things, they would have tried to identify which god was causing which problem, and why. However, it is not a “why God,” prayer as much as crying out to your god, to try and influence the other gods that might be causing this. You are leveraging a connection you have to one god, to stop the other god from messing with you, and hoping he has enough relational equity and power to do so. The more contacts with gods everyone was connected to, the better chance you had at working against the power of the other god.
Like Jesus in the New Testament on a stormy sea, Jonah is asleep, down below on this ship. The sailors calling on their gods is not working, and so he rouses Jonah awake to call on his gods as well. He is amazed at Jonah’s ability to sleep. Jonah is just trying to be as far from used to god as possible. Despite that, God even desires to proclaim through Jonah in this moment. The sailors move on to the next best thing in their minds, occultic practices. They would use the casting of lots, like the reading of tarot cards or tea leaves, to determine who was in trouble. Interestingly, this non-Jewish practice, this non-God-ordained way, still reveals by chance or by God’s direction, that Jonah is to blame. God works outside of the norm to get Jonah’s attention, and to prove his divinity. They are terribly upset at Jonah at this point. Jonah has been a marked man and they began to investigate why what he has done and is running from.
Jonah replies, confessing not only his identity but that he follows a cosmic deity, a God who is found globally, universally, the God of heaven. They knew he was running from his god, but that was not something they took too seriously. However, now they are taking it very seriously as the sea is getting rougher. At this point, they realize Jonah’s God is all-powerful and greater than anything they knew or know. In that moment, God still desires to declare his greatness. Notice they aren’t asking him to confess. Confession, or repentance, isn’t really an issue in most religions at this time. Rather, they would find ways to make the gods pleased with them. Too often we think like this too. We need to make god happy with us, or god love us. We think we need to work in a way that overcomes our wrong or wrongs. However, that isn’t how this God, our God, works. But these sailors are convinced Jonah can fix this. For these sailors, gods to them aren’t moral they just want to be appeased. They ask him what to do.
Jonah models something good in this interaction. He knows there is no way out of this. However, he doesn’t say take me back to shore, perhaps because it’s impossible, or perhaps because he is still running from god. Now the best way to make himself unusable by god is to end it all. He knows it is on him, and he doesn’t want the blood of others on him, so he is willing to lay down his life. He offers sacrifice. Though, they try to still run. They also don’t want his blood on their hands with their gods, and his answer seems outrageous. It’s weird. However, it gets to the point where they cannot get back to land, and the sea becomes wild. In this moment, they realize God is God. They cry out to not be held responsible for killing him, which they are sure will happen if they throw him overboard. They turn to his god, at some level, and then throw him overboard.
In that moment, the raging stopped, and the sea became calm. The men respond with worship, with a sacrifice and vows. Even in his rebellion, God uses Jonah to draw others to himself, those outside of the boundaries of Israel. From the beginning God has been interested in redeeming everyone, reconciling all people to himself. They most likely tossed some grain into the sea, rather than burning something on a wood ship, as an act of worship. They also made a vow to him, which in this time would have been not only a sacrifice and commitment, but an annual sacrifice and commitment on the anniversary of this event. Such a vow acknowledged that they have experienced the divine power of God. We don’t know if they left their gods, or just incorporated an understanding of Yahweh, but we do know that God used Jonah, even in his self-sabotage, to proclaim something about God.
This first chapter ends with a peculiar ending to this tale, in being thrown into the sea, a huge or great fish swallows Jonah. God uses an ordinary fish in an extraordinary way to make his plans happen. There is no running away from God. God collaborates with whoever and whatever he needs to see his plans happen.
In this story, we see the endless pursuit of God.
God is in pursuit of Ninevah at all costs, and God pursued Jonah even when he tried to run away, God continues to pursue us in our lives. Jonah is God’s people. He has heard the voice of God. Though, even in his rebellion God is not done with him. No matter how far we may stray or try to avoid His call, God is always present and seeking to guide us back to His purpose for our lives. David confesses this same reality for himself when he cries out in song and prayer to the Lord, in Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV) - "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."
In this story, we see that God’s call is not easily escaped.
In this story, we witness the unwavering truth that God's call is not easily escaped. Regardless of our attempts to flee or evade it, His purpose for our lives remains steadfast and unyielding. In fact, we see Paul make this same point to the church in Rome, when he writes in Romans 11:29 (NIV), "for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”
In this story, we see that it is not about appeasing God in our sin, but a surrendering confession.
In this story, we glean the profound truth that it's not about appeasing God in our sin, but rather about a humble surrender through confession. We experience restoration by not doing more, but by living and surrender out and back into God’s plan. Instead of trying to earn God's favor through our actions or offerings, true repentance involves acknowledging our wrongdoing and yielding to His mercy and grace. John, an early follower of Jesus, writes similarly, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
In this story, we see God sometimes call us to uncomfortable places in a way that will stretch us.
In this story, we observe how God sometimes calls us to uncomfortable places in ways that will stretch us. It’s easy to run away, or believe that God wouldn’t call us to something that feels opposite of who we are or who we think God is. Jonah forgot that if God called him to it, he would also see him through it. Jonah knew on his own power he couldn’t do it. God’s divine invitations often lead us beyond our comfort zones, challenging us to grow and rely more deeply on God’s strength and guidance. It's in these uncomfortable spaces that we discover the full extent of God’s power and provision.” In writing to the church in Philippi, Philippians 4:13 (NIV), Paul proclaims a new standard for us through a testimonial statement, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Following God, and where he is calling us might not be the easiest way, but it is the path of least resistance.
In this story, we see that God will use anyone and anything to bring about repentance and restoration.
In this story, we see that God will use anyone and anything to bring about repentance and restoration. Perhaps you are worried about someone, or your own journey. Remember, God's methods are often unexpected, but God's faithfulness remains constant. God can work through the most unlikely circumstances to bring about His purposes of redemption and renewal. In this story he works through foreign sailors, a rebelling prophet, a cultic practice, storms, and big fishes, to work out his plan for repentance and restoration. In Romans 8:28, Paul says the same thing to the church in Rome, and writes "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
In this story, we see God demonstrate supreme authority, rule, and power over all creation. The story of Jonah demonstrates God's sovereignty over all creation. Even ordinary elements like a fish or the sea can be used by God to fulfill His purposes. This reminds us to trust in God's sovereignty and to surrender our lives fully to His will, knowing that God is in control no matter how bad or bleak things look. God doesn’t think like us, and we begin to get gratitude for that in this story. In Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV), the prophet says ”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This is about learning to trust God and that when we don’t see a way in or through, he can make one.
Take hold, take encouragement, even in our brokenness, God can bring acts of proclamation through us. The sailors experience Yahweh from the running and reluctant prophet.
As we reflect on Jonah's extraordinary journey, we're reminded of the relentless pursuit of God's people. We must never count ourselves or anyone else too far gone, too far out, too broken or evil. God models compassion and hope for mercy even among the worst of the worst in this story. God also models that he wants to extend that same redemption through us, the creation of God, despite the married images of God that we carry. Despite Jonah's attempt to flee, the call of God remains steadfast and irreversible.
Jonah's story teaches us that Divine invitations often lead to uncomfortable places, stretching us to rely on Divine strength. Yet, even in rebellion, the Divine remains faithful, using unlikely circumstances for redemption. This underscores the sovereignty of the Divine over creation, with ways beyond human comprehension.
May this first look into Jonah’s story
Am I running from God’s call in some way?Reflect on areas of your life where you might be avoiding or resisting God's guidance. Are there areas where you're running from your Divine purpose? Maybe your storms in life are a result of fighting the path God has set for you.
Am I counting myself or someone as far too gone? Are there moments where I am allowing myself or others to be labeled as beyond redemption?
How do I approach repentance? Consider your attitude towards repentance. Do you see it as simply appeasing God, or as a genuine surrender through confession, leading to restoration and transformation?
Am I Willing to Embrace Discomfort for Growth? Evaluate your response to uncomfortable situations or Divine invitations that challenge you. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone, trusting in Divine strength and guidance for growth and transformation?
