Lessons From Jonah And The Whale
Lessons from Jonah and the whale. It’s a popular Bible story although the whale gets too much attention. And is it really a whale? Because scripture just calls it a great fish. But here are some lessons from the story.
Lessons from Jonah and the whale. The real story is about God’s love, grace, and forgiveness
The great fish plays a support role in the book of Jonah. Essentially, a motivational tool God uses for Jonah’s compliance. Yet, somehow, it grabs all the attention. At least, the paper whale my Sunday School teacher used when telling the story took up most of the flannel board.
However, the real story is about God’s love, grace and forgiveness. It reminds us of His desire that we all enter His eternal kingdom. And the measures He takes to show us the way.
But wait. Last week’s blog looked at Numbers 31. And in that story, God used Israel to execute vengeance against the Midianites. But now, He gives the Ninevites a chance to repent? How do you explain that?
I can’t. Although my best guess is God knew the Ninevites would repent when given the opportunity but the Midianites would not.
Lessons from Jonah and the whale. Running from God is a bad idea.
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (ESV, Jonah 1:3)
Jonah was a prophet. An Old Testament preacher. So when God acknowledged the evil in Nineveh, He told Jonah to go and preach repentance to them. Should have been a no brainer. First bullet point on his prophet’s job description. But Jonah took off running instead. And you’re thinking…most preachers can’t wait to get behind a pulpit. What’s up with Jonah?
However, running from God is a bad idea. Adam and Eve tried it in the Garden of Eden when they realized they were naked and hid. When God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses doubted his leadership ability and ran to the wilderness. And Jonah caught a ship sailing to Tarshish. But none of these escape plans worked.
God fashioned clothes for Adam and Eve. He caught up to to Moses in the wilderness and appeared to him in a burning bush. And He gave Jonah a three day ride inside a living, oceanic submersible along with a complimentary stomach wash.
Why did Jonah run? He confesses it later. He didn’t want to preach to the Ninevites because he considered them awful people who should be destroyed rather than saved. But he admitted God was merciful, gracious, and abounding in steadfast love. Therefore, if the Ninevites repented of their sin, God would forgive them.
And that’s what happened. Jonah preached, the people of Nineveh repented, and God forgave them. A happy ending for the people of Nineveh and the Kingdom of God, but not for Jonah. He went off and pouted. But that’s a different lesson for another day.
For today, the lesson is to think twice about running if God calls you to something you don’t want to do. Obedience and trusting God for the results is a better choice.
Lessons from Jonah and the whale. Repentance leads to restoration.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (ESV, Romans 10:13)
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (ESV, Luke 15:20)
God desires for all of us to be saved. Jesus Christ was His provision and God eagerly embraces us when we turn to Him. But that is a choice we all must individually make. Repent and become a child of God. Reject Him and be lost forever.
It is a recurring theme in both the Old and New Testament. When sinners repent, God forgives and restores. And the story of Jonah clearly demonstrates it. Along with God’s love and grace.
But there’s another lesson too. Followers of Jesus Christ are called as co-laborers in kingdom work. To also proclaim repentance. Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And serve where opportunities present themselves. It’s not a have to, but a get to. Where God gets the glory and we get the blessing.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview. This blog is originally published here.
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The whale image used for this blog is a cartoon illustration out of my book Family Stew. Each chapter begins with a professionally drawn, cartoon illustration. It’s a collection of stories from the days of our young family along with summary thoughts from a Christian perspective.
