A Whopper of a Tail.

Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:1-2 ESV)

First, I would like to point out that this is a historical story. Jonah is a historical figure, and we know this from 2 Kings 14:25. Cross-referencing 2 Kings and Jonah 1:1, we can safely assume it is the same Jonah in both. Jesus also referred to Jonah in a historical sense when He said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40. So, when we think of Jonah, we should do so as more than a “tale.”

There are a few points we can make from our text. First, God can answer our requests despite our sins. Jonah tried to flee God and headed to Tarshish. In attempting to defy God, Jonah wound up in the ocean and, in his fear and desperation, called out to the Lord, who rescued Him despite Jonah’s disobedience. Jonah gives us hope in the goodness of the Lord.

Second, even when God passes judgment on us, He can still answer us. Jonah wound up in the ocean because God was angry with His disobedience. Yet, when Jonah prayed to the Lord, the Lord answered. God reminded Jonah that God knows everything; you cannot run from God or His plan for you.

God sent the great fish to swallow Jonah and save him. We all can agree that no one could live for three days in the belly of a fish. Christ compared His three days underground to Jonah. We can also agree that no one can live three days buried underground. Jonah shows us that despite the seemingly impossible circumstances we may face, God can deliver. God may wait until the very last minute to rescue us, but He can still deliver us from our despair. God works in God’s time, not our time. There may be a reason God would delay deliverance; remember, He is sovereign.

We must also remember that God’s salvation may come in spurts. He may not deliver us all at once but in steps. Jonah was delivered in the belly of a fish, not what I would call immediate deliverance. Eventually, in God’s time, the fish expelled Jonah onto dry ground. God does the same with us. We may stand in a trial a little longer at one point or another because God is helping us learn about Him and His will.

The third point I would like to look at is deliverance. Our deliverance is not for us. Our deliverance is for God. Jonah was delivered so that he could complete God’s work. God called Jonah, and ultimately, Jonah did as God commanded. When God delivers us from an almost impossible situation, it is so we understand his power. He delivers us so that we do His will. He delivers us so that we become ever more devoted to Him. God teaches us that He is all we need. He is enough. Our deliverance teaches us this so that we will worship and glorify God as He deserves to be glorified. Remember, God is most glorified by us when we are most satisfied in God.

Lastly, God delivers us so that we may become more merciful. We remember when God delivered us. I have memories of God’s deliverance that are so vivid I feel like David in Psalm 51; instead of my sin as David wrote about, God's deliverance is ever before me. God's deliverances are like high-definition videos that replay over and over in my head. My salvation in Him is one, and the return of my wife after a deadly health issue is the other. Both acts of God’s mercy will never leave my little pea brain. Because of God’s mercy, I have become more merciful. I want to be more like Him, so the blessings He bestows on me, I will bestow on others from a human standpoint.

Jonah is not just a fish tale; Jonah is history. Jonah is a history that reminds us of specific attributes of God: righteousness, mercy, love, and devotion. God made His point to Jonah, and that point should be clear to us. You cannot run from God, so do not try. God will always win. God knows the ending before it begins.

Peace and Grace!