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by Sandy Shaw
Jonah would rather die than go to Nineveh.
Jonah knew that all this happened because of his sin. He knew he had to die.
Jonah has run away from God, having been called by Almighty God, and having been given a work to do.
If the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has called you, and has given you a work to do, never run away.
Jonah is not far into his Mediterranean cruise when a storm arises and the sailors realising who is behind this fierce violent storm, throw Jonah overboard.
Now, the men rowed hard, as they try to reach the shore.
“I am going to pull myself to safety” – but they could not. They fought against God to begin with, but God had a purpose in continuing the storm.
Verse 14 – When their efforts failed, they cried out unto the Lord. They prayed, but Jonah had not prayed while he had been on board.
These men were confronted with God, and they came to agree with God.
They threw Jonah into the water and God immediately responded.
God became very real. They repented. They turned to the Lord, and God did this without the preaching or testimony of Jonah!
They made vows and promises. They became religious – most men are. They prayed. They had their own God – most men do.
They knew that somebody else had done wrong.
The sea became calm.
Jonah is on the point of death, but God is not finished with him.
He experiences not death, but deliverance, as the Lord God Almighty provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.
Jonah Chapter 2 verse 1. Jonah, this man who had been called by God, and who decided to run away from God as far as he possibly could, did not get very far.
He caused a lot of bother and trouble to himself and to those around him.
God had said GO and Jonah said NO, and we see him in the waters of the Mediterranean.
Chapter 1 verse 17 – many people say they cannot swallow this, but there are statements here about God.
Just as in so many areas of life, and in the life of the Church of Jesus Christ in these days, it is the truth of the Word of God which is at stake here.
Did the Lord do this? Did our Almighty God do this? Can God do these things? Yes!
Remember, Jesus Christ put His seal on this incident.
The big question is – Are all these things about God true?
It is the Lord who prepared and provided this great fish.
God made it happen just at the right moment.
It was a deliberate plan of God. God does not wipe out all rebels.
Let God be God. Let not our tiny minds limit Him, and let no man’s unbelief limit Him. Let the Bible – the Word of God – speak for itself!
The central figure in this book is not Jonah, but God.
This incident is not about survival, but resurrection!
It is a miracle, and many years ago I recall at a Bible Class for young folk in Cowdenbeath, some ten and eleven year olds simply describing and defining a miracle, by saying, “A miracle is God at work”.
We cannot explain it, or give specific details and scientific reasons.
It is a miracle. This is God at work. The Bible is full of miracles. Even this book, the Bible, is a miracle, in the way it has been preserved over these past 2,000 years.
When you read the Bible and when you hold it in your hands, remember that you are holding a miracle, and give thanks to God, through Jesus Christ.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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