Jonah initially disobeys God's command to go to the wicked city of . God called out to Jonah and scolded him for being so concerned and worried about just a plant while God was concerned with the heart condition and lives of 120,000 people who lived in the city of Nineveh. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/jonah-and-the-whale-700202. The crew made a sacrifice to God, swearing vows to him. It is likely that Jonah told the story to his family and friends over the years, and eventually someone decided to write it down so it would not be lost. Am I going to hell if I don't believe Jonah was eaten by a fish? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Therefore, this makes him one of the iconic prophets in the old testament. Cut out Jonah and the top and bottom pieces of the Whale. Our response to questions like these are very important because the credibility of the entire Bible is at stake. Instead, God teaches him a lesson. Christ in the Prophets - Jonah. He was then spit out. }i$uJw_?'Ok]1M6`:]L2RO7oO~O9{?|LPAYcH>8Vyz~~>'y~"zC3mPR+%ZOkwOG]ao|VLGc4L~kc}[s-"U738V=: /3[O[7-2?6Py~>gO~nu|ef.R @,^JNC$ud;nx( @v_g?If=};tNO&|e;u])=P}_w5s?o1{8Yic97o>4 S.s~o?~x:~s_gYYg6# ?y'v/Oo?TSG^:R?zYOoO9?z)0l|ltl ^aO$j&LG3_96sd6IY,_g^ki?sYvL;&K_=_"~%_?&Owozo%L*?MWJ>gt_i's9.1?4{]^v@i5lS,nW?-_ God loves all people. Nineveh was a world empire for about 300 years. })(document, 'script'); 2023 Johnny Cirucci. It contains an exhilarating mix of sea-themed songs featuring sun, waves and a bunch of scurvy pirates. While not the exact story we find in the Old Testament, this animated retelling of Jonahs story is fun to watch and has catchy tunes to help people remember key points about Jonahs experiences. stream For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Jonah is known in the bible as the man who disobeyed God and refused to go to Nineveh as he did not think that the people in the city deserved forgiveness. The fish swallowed up Jonah, not to devour him, but to protect him. Jonah and the Whale. They skinned captives and hung their remains on the walls of their cities. In the same way, Jesus died on the cross and spent three days and three nights in the grave, then resurrected. The Prophet Jonah (painting_by_Demetrios_Stavrakis)-Wikimedia. On his tombstone in the churchyard at Gloucester is a brief account of his experience at sea and a footnote, which says: James Bartley -1870-1909 A Modern Jonah. Jonah dealt with some things that Christians face regularly. The story of Jonah. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh "and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" [Jonah 1:2]. Jonah was swallowed by the whale and spent three days and three nights in the deep. In some cases it grows to be 40 feet long. Joppa was a sea port along the coast of Judah, one of the areas belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel. and the Big Fish. Is there some area of your life in which you are defying God, and rationalizing it? Jonah is a well-known figure in the Old Testament, who is responsible for writing the 32nd Book most likely between 793 and 758 BC. Unlike all other Old testament books, Jonah revolves exclusively around a Gentile nation. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. Its also pretty unrealistic that he didnt fall out of the animals mouth as it was chewing its food or that he wasnt chewed up for that matter and slip into the digestive tract where he would have been suffocated. The Biblical figure of Jonah and the Book that bears his name are some of the most interesting in human history. God had compassion on them and did not destroy them. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived and can grow to 90 or more feet and weigh as much as 24 elephants! For three days and three nights, Jonah is inside the belly of the fish, where he says a prayer and repents his own sins to God. If the story of Jonah was an allegory or myth, Jesus entire point about being in the belly of the Earth for as long as the prophet was in the belly of the fish would be invalid. Call me gullible if you want, but I am naive enough to believe the literal Word of God, in that the Book of Jonah says he was swallowed by a whale or great fish and Jesus confirms it in Matthew 12:40. The people believed Jonah, turned from their wickedness, and God had mercy on them. The original Hebrew of Jonah 1:17 is dag gadl or fish, great but the Septuagint translation into Greek implied more of an unusual aspect to the creature; ktei megal from the root ketos. He paid his fare and went into the bottom of the ship. When he finally repented, God had the whale spit him onto land near Nineveh. When asked to do something he found undesirable, he ran from it. Jonah 2:7As my life was slipping away,I remembered the Lord.And my earnest prayer went out to youin your holy Temple. They will fall by the sword, 3 important lessons from the life of Jonah, the prophet who was swallowed by a whale. Baleen whales include the blue whale, humpback whale, bowhead whale, gray whale, sei whale, fin whale and others. Jonah was the son of Amittai, who came from Gath-hepher in Zebulun (called Gittah-hepher in Joshua 19:10-13 ). This Tyndale commentary of the Old Testament books of Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah considers the themes, issues, and basis of the books, as well as their historical settings, structure, and composition. Then God forgave Jonah and the fish returned him onto the land. The idea that what makes us sick is something we can not perceive, ourselves, is tailor-made for a Buy on Amazon Kindle/E-book also available Romans of Mass Destruction How the Vatican created and enabled some of history's most monstrous serial killers. saw the Hebrew Old Testament translated into the Greek Old Testament, commonly called the Septuagint. And out slid the doubled up missing sailor, James Bartley, as if he were suffering from severe stomach cramps. For the first six or seven months of life, a baby blue whale drinks about 100-150 gallons (380-570 liters) of his or her mom's fat-laden . In the same way, Jesus died on the cross and spent three days and three nights in the grave, then resurrected. The lot fell on Jonah (Jonah 1:7), and the sailors asked him what they should do, since it was Jonah's God who was angry, and perhaps Jonah knew why. There are two sons who learn hard lessons about compassion and mercy in Luke 15. Many people miss a similar lesson when reading the Parable of the Prodigal Son. While many dismiss the story as a work of fiction, Jesus referred to Jonah as a historical person in Matthew 12:3941. - Crosswalk the Devotional 8. While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. God has made this very clear. If you find Jonah, a stubborn fellow, did just the opposite of what he was told. Gods mercy is shown more clearly in the book of Jonah than in almost any other book of the Bible. (900-60 B.C.) Unlike other prophets whose occupation, families, and time period are described (the life story of Moses, for example, is told in great detail), Jonah is essentially a blank slate. Remember that God wants you to be open and honest with him. These are extrapolations and conventions that have been passed down through the ages that have no basis in the original passages. When a whale is found dead, it is buried on land, and in some cases, a shrine may be resurrected at the whale's burial. Warren Wiersbe, Darrell Bock & David Chadwick, Compiled & Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). To some, the story of Jonah finds a place in . However, it is seen from the book of Jonah that even though he had sunk as low as he could by not agreeing to the instructions given to him by God, he was still forgiven. Shortly before sunset, the now dead whale floated to the surface a few hundred yards from the ship. Most prophets in biblical history only had a few converts who listened and believed in what they were sent to say. Matthew 12:39-41 Jonah's experience is a type of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. A whale, being a mammal, is a warm-blooded air breather that periodically resurfaces for air, so would have provided Jonah with oxygen, while its body heat would have prevented hypothermia. Cut out Jonah and the top and bottom pieces of the Whale. Some look to Jesus reference to Jonah in Matthew 12:39-41 to be an open and shut case that the book Jonah was historical. 12:40 ), one of the largest sorts of whales, that have wider throats than others, in the belly of which has sometimes been found the dead body of a man in armor. Very inciteful. I made a front and back of the whale out of poster board and then stabled the sides except for the mouth area. Jonah owned up to the responsibility and told the crew to toss him overboard. For three days, Jonah dwelt in the creatures belly, until he repented. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I found a small mistake at the end of the quote of the seaman's story: "James Bartley -1870-1909 - A Modem Jonah." . Without warning there was a splintering crash which sent the longboat spinning into the air. Thanks for sharing! The prophet Jonah lived in the Galilean city of Gath-hepher (about four miles north of Nazareth) during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C. Jonah hated this idea because Nineveh was one of Israel's greatest enemies and Jonah wanted nothing to do with preaching to them! Because Jonah obeyed God and took the message to Nineveh, it continued for a few more generations. Instead of drowning, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, which God provided. Jonah went to the city and delivered the message. His name means "dove". The Hebrew word that is translated Jonah means dove or pigeon (they are the same family of birds). While modern skeptics may find it impossible that a man could survive inside a great fish for three days, Jesus compared himself to Jonah, showing that this. Jonah tried to run, but God stuck with him and gave Jonah a second chance. He chooses to instead, board a ship heading for Tarshish, which is traveling in the opposite direction. The oarsmen readied themselves to pull for their lives. Jonah's repentance is . Arguments against reading Jonah as history: Jonah 3:9 is similar to Joel 2:14, suggesting that Jonah was a late work, written long after the lifetime of this historical prophet. What God desires from people is obedience. Historically this was a short-lived event, unlikely to have shown up in the citys records. There is actually a man who suffered a very similar fate (perhaps what he suffered was a bit of poetic justice given the barbarism of whaling): The records of the British Admiralty testify that James Bartley, an apprentice seaman on a whaler, was swallowed by a whale in February, 1891, some two hundred miles east of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. One of the greatest prophets during the time of Jeroboam II was Jonah the son of Amitai, who, as a prophet disciple, had anointed Jehu and who, therefore, enjoyed the king's benevolence. Nancy: But Mr. Dean said that even if a whale could have swallowed Jonah, there are no whales in the Mediterranean Sea, and that is where Jonah was swallowed. Though he flees from the presence of the Lord, and seems to fall into his avenging hands, yet God has more work for him to do, and therefore has prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah (v. 17),a whale our Saviour calls it (Mt. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The 'Jonahs' run between the two 'dens' trying not to get caught, but if they are caught they become whales. Bible Was the story of Jonah and the whale a fact or a fiction? These children are the 'Jonahs'. Therefore, this article will delve into some interesting facts about Jonah and how his story is important in the bible. Then, God had the big fish throw up Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh. Pixabay. He was alive, but unconscious. Maybe Im misunderstanding you, and I would understand if you choose to ignore my post, as I am nowhere near Lansing, MI and wont be attending your church soon, but as an aspiring theologian who spends much time studying the Word, as well as words about the Word, I am confused. The Bible's plain teaching is that, yes, Jonah was truly swallowed by a whale (or a great fish). His fame also arose from the fact that he is the only prophet in the bible that made one prophecy and the same prophecy did not come true as God decided to spare the people of Nineveh after they repented. The point is, the story is not impossible. It is a Biblical story that goes back to the time when Israel and Nineveh were still enemies. As the Book of Jonah opens, the first thing God says to Jonah is (1:2) "Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim judgment upon it, for their wickedness has come before Me." Thus we don't have to give it an explanation limited by modern experience or knowledge. 1. Who? 2. The Prophet Jonah , 12th century. Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction of Nineveh and headed by boat to Tarshish. It is difficult to prove which Old Testament text is original when 2 books contain similar wording. When Jonah was chosen it was just as much for his benefit as the Ninevites. I drew the outline of the boat freehand. Ron: It's true that whales are rare in the Mediterranean, but whale skeletons have been found there. % Sometimes a clear stance is taken by the study Bible or professor on which theory is of sound doctrine and which isnt, while other times it will just be said that the clear answer is unknown or is debated. Instead of drowning, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, which God provided. It is interesting to note that one of the most important gods of the kingdom that bordered the Mediterranean Sea was Dagon, the fish god. That's more than 330,000 pounds (150,000 kg). The fish releases Jonah onto dry land, where he then travels 500 miles to Nineveh so that he can jumpstart a revival in the city. He did not want to go to the city of Nineveh and deliver the message that God had given him as he felt that the people were his enemies and if he went and swayed them to repent, then God would not carry out his threat. They asked him why he was the reason for the storm, and he explained what he had done. Jonah was quite content . God sent a storm to rock the boat and the sailors were distressed. Jesus did not consider the book of Jonah to be a fable or myth. When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/jonah-and-the-whale-700202. The next day, God sent a worm to eat the vine. Throughout history, a Satanic Elite Buy on Amazon The ultimate conspiracy is also the most horrible: a Satanic Elite controls all access to power. Jonah and the whale - It happened! acVszcAy"uUc*0r They speculate that the whale's stomach acid bleached Jonah's hair, skin, and clothing a ghostly white. Unlike other prophets, however, Jonah responded by attempting to flee from his assignment. If Jonah was a nationalistic prophet (like Zedekiah in 1 Kings 22), the book would have already stood as a corrective to this misguided zeal for all prophets who came after him. %PDF-1.3 Paste the top piece of the whale on a paper cup, then the bottom piece (see picture below). 2. "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. Jonah in this case being a potential prerequisite. Simply fill in the blanks. Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale: Jonah being cast from the belly of the whale.