Nov. 11 - Fish Tales: A Whale of a Tale

Today we look at the story of Jonah. We began today's message with a test, of all things. If you missed it - see how you would answer these questions:

1. The king of Israel when the events in Jonah took place was:
a. Solomon
b. Jeroboam
c. There was no king at that time
d. We do not know

2. TRUE or FALSE. The Bible describes Jonah as a prophet.

3. Nineveh (the city where Jonah was asked to go) was located in what would be the present day country of:
a. Jordan
b. Iraq
c. Lebanon
d. Syria

4. What did Jonah do while in the belly of the fish?
a. He was in a coma
b. He starts a fire
c. He remembered all the mistakes he had made
d. He prayed to the Lord

5. TRUE or FALSE. The Bible never refers to Jonah and a whale.

6. In the New Testament, Jonah’s experience is compared to:
a. A fish that swallowed a coin
b. Peter walking on the water
c. Jesus’ death and resurrection
d. Paul’s missionary trips by boat


OK...let's see how you did...here are the answers...


1. b. JEROBOAM
This is quite difficult because we find no reference to any kings or time period in the book of Jonah itself, but with a little detective work we can find the answer in this passage:

2 KINGS 14:25. [King Jeroboam] restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.

By this we can tell that Jonah lived during the 8th century B.C., a time of great prosperity, but also a time of great corruption.


2. TRUE. Now the word "prophet" is nowhere to be found in the Book of Jonah, but we find Jonah described as a prophet in these words of Jesus. Speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus says:

MATTHEW 12:39. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.


3. b. IRAQ. In fact, the location of Nineveh is now the present-day Iraqi city called Mosul, the third largest city in the country. It is also a city with one of the highest number of Christians compared to other cities in Iraq.


4. d. HE PRAYED TO THE LORD. Read the first chapter of Jonah to refresh your memory as to how Jonah ended up in such a predicament!

Read the second chapter of Jonah to see what Jonah's prayer was.

(Incidentally, if you picked "he starts a fire," you may be confusing the story of Jonah with another well-known story. Click here to learn more.)


5. FALSE. You may be surprised. By now you have probably noticed that the book of Jonah refers to his being swallowed by a "great fish." There is indeed no mention of a whale in the book of Jonah. But once again, we must read a little farther, for in the New Testament we find these words of Jesus:

MATTHEW 12:40. For as Jonas (another form of the name "Jonah") was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

But to make things just a bit more confusing, this wording is found in the King James Version, while modern translations do not use the word "whale." This is because the Greek word in Matthew is better rendered "sea creature."

So if you said "True," that answer is also OK! But this helps explain where the phrase "Jonah and the whale" came from.


6. c. JESUS' DEATH AND RESURRECTION

The Bible is full of signs and symbols and comparisons. Here Jonah's experience of three days in the belly of the great fish, before receiving a "new lease on life," is compared and contrasted to the event which is the foundation of our faith - that Jesus died and was buried, and that on the third day he was raised from death.


After the fish spit him up, God again tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. This time he says "yes" (not surprisingly!).

He proclaims God's judgment on the wicked Ninevites, but amazingly they receive his message and repent, and God spares them from punishment.

Rather than being glad, Jonah is angry because of God's compassion for the Ninevites.


What do we learn here about God? About human nature?

We focus on two important lessons:

You can run from God, but you can't hide.

Sometimes it's easier to love God than it is to love God's people.


Some other thoughts for consideration:

Could it be that some of the Christians in Mosul today are descended from folks who heard the original message of Jonah?

How far would you go in response to God's invitation?

Today was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Click this link for more info. Keep their ministry in your prayers, and consider the challenge to pray specifically for a particular part of the world that God places on your heart.