Over the next few weeks we are looking at the top ten Old Testament stories, here is number 4 – Jonah and the Whale. These stories you may remember from Sunday School, on closer look they are difficult stories so are often forgotten about in Church.
The term a Jonah is found in everyday speech meaning someone that brings bad luck but it is a very popular children’s story, full of ingredients that children love: a dangerous mission; a man on the run; danger at sea; an incredible whale rescue; and a grand finale about forgiveness. It is found in the book of Jonah. We tend to concentrate on the Whale, but the the bible just says a “big fish”, some theologians argue that it is either impossible or possible for the whale to swallow Jonah. But you have to look at the whole story.
Jonah was a prophet of God who was told to go to the city of Nineveh and preach God’s message. Jonah did not like the people in Nineveh and decided to ignore the call of God to go there. Jonah got on a boat and sailed the opposite direction. After a great storm came up, the sailors determined that someone on the boat had angered a god. Jonah admitted that it was his fault that they were caught in the storm.
The sailors threw Jonah overboard after he convinced them that this was the only way to appease God. When Jonah landed in the water he was surprised to be swallowed by a great fish. He spent three days and nights in the belly of the whale. He prayed and told God that he would finally obey and go to Nineveh to preach.
The whale spit Jonah up onto the beach and Jonah ran to the city to deliver God’s message. To his surprise, the people repented of their sins and accepted the message of God.
Unfortunately, this made Jonah sad and the story ends with Jonah angry with God because God did not destroy the people of the city.
It could be seen as a story, like the Good Samaritan, but the opposite, here a “good” man (Jonah) has to help bad people (Nineveh).
It is also a story of God’s sovereignty over creation and it shows God’s love and mercy.
On researching this I found this strange article Swallowed by a Whale (ycaol.com) and here.