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| Sperm whale (Physeter microcephalus) illustration by Uko Gorter |
Jonah
chapter two covers a span of three days and three nights (cf. Jon 1:17). We have already discussed
why this is not precisely a 72-hour period of time. Then (Jon 2:1) does not
tell us when Jonah began this prayer, but it clearly states that Jonah prayed
to Yahweh (the
LORD) his Elohim (God) from the fish’s belly.
One
of the larger themes in Jonah is that not only is it impossible to run from the
only omnipresent God (Jonah knew of the omnipresence of the LORD, cf. Psa 139),
but Yahweh will allow us to run from obedience to His will for only so long; He
reeled Jonah in with this humongous sperm whale. Yahweh wanted His prophet
to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, not Tarshish. Without a doubt, Yahweh is the
final Arbiter in the matter; Jonah learned he is not calling the shots on how
to run the world and neither are we.
The
nexus to that truth is that it doesn’t pay to disobey. Jonah was stressing all the
way to Joppa from Jerusalem. We read of the high drama on the sea, along with
the Phoenician mariners and the ship straining to stay afloat while being
battered by the winds and waves. Now Jonah is thrown overboard thinking he was
going to die, but rather than experiencing death by drowning, he got swallowed
by a whale! I bet he didn’t see that coming! By all accounts, he should be a
dead man inside the forestomach of this great fish, but he is still alive
by divine intervention.
Another
salient matter which is also linked to this is Jonah’s thanksgiving for
deliverance; he is thanking Yahweh for saving him from drowning. Salvation is of the LORD (Jon 2:9c), says he. This particular clause has reference to a physical deliverance rather than a spiritual one, but
I would not rule out the spiritual aspect in the context of the Ninevites’
deliverance from physical destruction.
In their case, it also encompasses a
spiritual dimension, more along the lines of a New Testament understanding of
that clause. They turned from idolatry to Yahweh. This is incredible in its own
right! Compare this to Jonah’s words from within the whale (Jon 2:8),
To
their benefit and Jonah’s anger, the Assyrians in Nineveh and the surrounding
burbs elected not to forsake their own mercy. In other words, they turned
from their worthless idols and turned to Yahweh!
Some
make the claim that the poetical nature of his prayer also lends support to an
allegorical interpretation of the book of Jonah. Other interpreters, like
myself, view it for what it was – miraculous in nature. Did you read of
anything romantical about Jonah spending time at the Whale’s Way Inn for three
days and three nights in my five-part series on Jonah 1:17?
Perhaps
we are looking at the poetical prayer with its lofty language as if it was all so
surreal (no doubt) but anything but real. It is an expression of thanksgiving
for deliverance from drowning and yet, still breathing in an airless
environment in the forestomach! Now, that’s miraculous! Want to read the less
romantic version of it? Because Jonah
was running from Yahweh’s will, this is the very reason he is out there
somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea in the first place!
Did
you know that stupidity was a sin? It is if it causes us to step outside of
Yahweh’s will because of it, but that goes with just about anything. Have you
ever been guilty of the sin of stupidity? Sad to say, I have. Even Forrest
would recollect, “Mama always said, ‘Stupid is as stupid does.’” I don’t know who
to credit this to, “You can’t fix stupid.”
Perhaps it is axiomatic in the minds
of most sensible people. Do I need to remind you of Jonah in chapter four? Have
you ever heard someone say (and it’s not biblical, but it reveals the stubbornness of stupidity), “God can do all things but fix stupid!” Of course,
He can fix that too, but it may prove to be costly.
And
speaking of this poetical nature of Jonah’s prayer, because it is God-breathed
Scripture, this is providential poetry because of the impossible happening;
Jonah is still alive! From this aspect, rejoicing should take a poetical
direction upward! I know when God delivers me from lesser things, I tend to wax
eloquently that deliverance is of the LORD, and glorify Him in such a manner. But
in Jonah’s story, it is under inspiration; mine is not.
There
are two schools of thought concerning Jonah’s status after being swallowed by
the sperm whale: (1) Jonah died and was resurrected when puked up on the beach,
or (2) he remained alive the entire time from introduction to the whale’s forestomach and being coughed up on dry land.
This clause, Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, is cited to support
the argument that Jonah was already dead and later resurrected (Jon 2:10) in an
attempt to parallel the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Mt
12:40). They
reasoned that there cannot be a burial and resurrection without a death;
therefore, it is concluded Jonah had to have died.
However, I am of the opinion that the phrase, three days and three nights, emphasizes duration, not death, but it also
suggests that after that time, Jonah/Jesus is coming forth from the belly/tomb,
but it is unnecessary to demand a death on Jonah’s part; he wasn’t dying for
anyone (cf. Rom 5:8). Jesus’ death was in surrender to the Father’s will (Mk
10:45; Mt 26:39). If Jonah would have died, it would have been for rebellion.
If
Jonah met his demise, it alleviates the tension of how Jonah could survive
inside the forestomach of this sperm whale. Yahweh wouldn’t have to supply any
oxygen if Jonah was dead, but what about protecting his body from peristalsis
and the acid reflux coming into the forestomach from the main stomach? Yahweh
might as well provide Jonah oxygen, too, right, if He is going to preserve him?
I didn’t go through five parts of Jn 1:17 for my
health! Recall that it takes 15 – 18 hours of transit time in the GI tract of
the whale from entry to exit. Jonah’s time in the forestomach of the sperm
whale exceeded that gastric period but never reached the 72-hour threshold;
neither did Jesus due to the natural understanding of the Hebraic understanding
of three
days and three nights.
Sheol can mean grave (Psa
30:3), pit, or afterlife.
Does
this prayer sound like the prayer of a dead man from the belly? This was not a
prayer of thanksgiving while in the belly of Sheol (hyperbolic for the
forestomach, not to mention that the belly of the whale and the grave have
something in common, both environments are very dark). No, it is a praise of
being delivered from being thrown overboard. It insinuates to Jonah that Yahweh
doesn’t want Jonah to die, or he would be dead already.
It is a game-changer
for Jonah, hence, his prayer of thanksgiving. There is no petition in Jonah’s
prayer; this aspect accentuates this as a prayer of praise of deliverance from a
watery grave.
I
will pay what I have vowed
When
you read Jon 3:1-4, you get the impression that Jonah’s vow to Yahweh in
Jerusalem was to go to Nineveh and preach to the Assyrians.
Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the
Most High (Psa 50:14).
I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will
pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered and my mouth has spoken when I was
in trouble (Psa 66:13-14).
When Yahweh directs us to do something and we take
leave of our vow, we only have to look at Jonah to see the wisdom of that!
Jonah invited a lot of trouble into his life because of it. It doesn’t pay to
disobey! <><
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