As we strolled around the lake, several trout began feeding on the surface. Most appeared to be relatively small, but one was obviously much larger than the others. I cannot say exactly how big he was, without it becoming another kind of fish story altogether, but it was a good-sized trout.
As I walked and thought about the “big” fish, my mind wandered to the story of Jonah and the great fish. I have been rereading it of late, and it has been in the back of my mind. It is worthwhile taking the time to reread it, especially if you have not done so in a while.
Some say Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but the Hebrew text only refers to a ‘great fish,’ so it may have been a whale or a large fish. Several species of fish are possible Jonah swallowers, including the jewfish (a form of Mediterranean sea bass) and several shark species.
Whatever it was, it swallowed Jonah. What happened next is unusual to say the least. Either Jonah lived inside the fish for three days (or some portion thereof in keeping with the Hebrew rendering of days) or he died inside the fish and was resurrected. Either way involved the miraculous hand of God.
Upon being freed, Jonah went to Nineveh, warned the people of God’s anger, and then watched them repent. Jonah was angry at God for sparing his enemies. At the end of the book, we see Jonah sitting in the sun, claiming he would rather die than see Nineveh saved.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Now the Lord God appointed a plantand made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?”
And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”
And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:1-11 NIV
Those last few verses have been reverberating around in my mind for days. How typical they are of our attitudes. God provides in ways that we cannot understand, and we take it for granted.
We are more concerned about our own comfort than about the thousands of souls that are around us that need saving. When a particularly “vile sinner” gets saved, we often are resentful and suspicious. We want mercy for ourselves but vengeance on evildoers.
I know that not all of us have every one of those attitudes at all times, but they are there in varying degrees. Our hearts are really not very nice.
Fortunately for us, God is far more loving and patient. He is that way, even with His children, and we should know better.
Until next time, examine your heart. Do you have the heart of Christ or the heart of Jonah? If it is the latter, it is time for some repentance.
Be blessed
Kevin
